JP2012252666A - Ic card with display function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an IC card with a display function, capable of notifying a user of a lowering battery level of a power source without using the power source.SOLUTION: An IC card with a display function 1a, when taken out by a user and receiving a light on a solar cell 5, allows a capacitor 41 to be charged with electric energy generated by the solar cell 5. When a power storage amount of the capacitor 41 reaches a certain level or more, a power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 operates and detects a battery level of a power source 25. If the battery level is less than a predetermined level, the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 allows an LED 4 to be lit and displays that the battery level is lowering.

Description

  The present invention relates to an IC card with a display function having a display function.

  In recent years, an IC (Integrated Circuit) card body provided with a display function has been developed. In an IC card with a display function, for example, data such as the balance of electronic money acquired by contact-type or non-contact-type communication is stored in an IC chip, and this is displayed on the display under the control of a control unit such as a display CPU. And a one-time password generator that generates a one-time password (OTP: One Time Password) and displays the one-time password on a display. The one-time password uses the generated password on the spot, and it is easy to maintain a high level of security.

  These IC cards with a display function require a power source for driving the control unit and the display of the IC card. Examples of the power source include a primary battery and a secondary battery. For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 show examples in which a secondary battery is used for an IC card that performs non-contact communication.

JP 2003-273386 A JP 2001-67446 A

In the case of IC cards with a display function that uses a primary battery or a secondary battery as a power source, when the remaining power of the power source is low and various data cannot be displayed, the user interface is informed to that effect. desirable. In particular, when a secondary battery is installed, it is necessary to notify the user of a decrease in the remaining amount at an appropriate timing and prompt charging.
For example, a method of notifying the remaining amount of power may be a method of displaying the remaining amount of power on a display mounted on the card, but some kind of power supply is necessary. For example, it is possible to notify the user by displaying the remaining battery level on a display etc. using the equipped primary battery or secondary battery itself as a power source. There is a problem that the power of the primary battery or the secondary battery itself is consumed. As a result, there is a possibility that the processing and display originally performed by the IC card with a display function may be hindered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides an IC card with a display function capable of notifying a user of a decrease in the remaining power of a power supply without using the power supply. With the goal.

  The present invention for achieving the aforementioned object includes a control unit, a display, a switch for activating the control unit, a power source for supplying power to the control unit when the switch is turned on, Power supply monitoring means for detecting the remaining amount of power of the power supply, and display means for displaying that the remaining power is low when the power supply monitoring means detects that the remaining amount of power of the power supply is below a predetermined value And an auxiliary power source capable of storing power to supply power to the power source monitoring means and the display means separately from the power source.

  According to the present invention, when it is detected that the remaining amount of power of the power source of the IC card with display function is decreased, it is possible to notify the user of the decrease in the remaining amount. Accordingly, the user can know the charging time when the power source is a rechargeable secondary battery, and can know the necessity of updating to a new IC card when the power source is a primary battery. As the power monitoring means and display means for notifying the remaining power, an auxiliary power that can be stored is used separately, so that the power of the IC card with a display function is not consumed in connection with the above notification.

It is preferable that the auxiliary power source includes a solar cell and a capacitor that stores electric energy generated by the solar cell.
As a result, the user simply takes out the IC card with a display function to the outside, and the electric energy generated by irradiating the solar cell with light is stored in the capacitor, and the above processing is performed using this as a stable auxiliary power source. It becomes possible to do.

The display means is preferably a light emitting diode.
As a result, it is possible to display a decrease in the remaining amount of power with less power consumption, display for a long time by supplying power from the auxiliary power supply, and continuously notify that the remaining amount of power has decreased. become able to.

The IC card with a display function according to the first aspect of the present invention further includes a switch unit for supplying power from the auxiliary power source to the control unit when the IC card with the display function is turned on, and the power source monitoring unit is configured to supply power of the power source. When it is detected that the remaining amount of the battery is below a predetermined value, the switch unit is turned on, and the control unit supplied with power from the auxiliary power supply displays on the display that the remaining amount is low. Is also preferable.
As a result, it is possible to display a decrease in the remaining power level on the display. Further, detailed information such as the remaining power can be displayed together.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an IC card with a display function that can notify a user of a decrease in the remaining amount of power of a power supply without using the power supply.

External view of IC card 1a with a display function of the first embodiment The block diagram which shows the internal structure of IC card 1a with a display function of 1st Embodiment. The figure explaining the flow of electric power remaining amount monitoring and notification in IC card 1a with a display function of 1st Embodiment External view of IC card 1b with a display function of the second embodiment The block diagram which shows the internal structure of IC card 1b with a display function of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of an IC card with a display function of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the IC card with a display function of the present invention will be described by taking a one-time password generator as an example. However, the IC card with a display function of the present invention is not limited to the one-time password generator.

[First Embodiment]
First, an IC card 1a with a display function according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of an IC card 1a with a display function. As shown in FIG. 1, on the surface of the card body 2 of the IC card 1a with a display function, for example, a display 3, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 4, a solar cell 5, a switch 6 and the like are provided.

The display 3 is a liquid crystal display, electronic paper, or the like, for example, and displays data such as characters.
The LED 4 is a display means for displaying that the remaining power level of the power source is reduced by turning on when the remaining power level of the power source built in the IC card 1a with a display function falls below a predetermined value. .
The solar cell 5 generates electric energy used for detecting a decrease in the remaining amount of power of the power source and lighting the LED 4.
The switch 6 is a button for turning on / off or the like when the user uses the IC card 1a with a display function.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the IC card 1a with a display function according to the first embodiment. The IC card 1a with a display function includes a remaining power monitoring / notification unit 40 in addition to the control unit 21, display 3, display driver 31, power source 25, switch 6, and the like.

The control unit 21 controls the display of data on the display 3, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable), and the like. Memory, external input / output terminals, etc. are made into one chip. The control unit 21 is connected to the display driver 31, the power supply 25, and the switch 6.
When the switch 6 is turned on, the control unit 21 is activated by the power supplied from the power supply 25, calls a program for generating a one-time password stored in a memory such as a ROM into the RAM, and executes it by the CPU. Then, a one-time password is generated and displayed on the display 3.

  The display driver 31 is connected to the display 3 and performs display on the display 3 according to control by the control unit 21.

  The power source 25 is, for example, a thin primary battery or secondary battery, and supplies power to the control unit 21. When the power source 25 is a primary battery, the time when the primary battery is used up is the life of the IC card 1a with a display function. When the power source 25 is a secondary battery, if the remaining power of the secondary battery decreases, the IC card with display function 1a can be continuously used by charging.

  The remaining power monitoring / notification unit 40 includes a solar cell 5, a capacitor 41, a power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43, an LED 4, and the like, and has a function of detecting a decrease in the remaining power of the power supply 25 and notifying the user. The remaining power monitoring / notification unit 40 is driven by electric energy generated by the solar cell 5.

The capacitor 41 is connected to the solar cell 5. Electric energy generated by the solar cell 5 is stored in the capacitor 41. The electric power of the capacitor 41 is supplied to the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 and the LED 4.
As the solar cell 5 and the capacitor 41, known ones can be used.

  The power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 is connected to the power supply 25, the capacitor 41, and the LED 4, is driven by receiving power supplied from the capacitor 41, and detects the voltage of the power supply 25 as the remaining power. The power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 outputs a signal for turning on the LED 4 when the voltage of the power supply 25 falls below a predetermined value as the remaining power. As a result, the LED 4 is lit by receiving power supply from the capacitor 41.

  Next, the flow of remaining power monitoring / notification in the IC card with display function 1a will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, when the user takes out the IC card 1 a with a display function to the outside, the solar cell 5 is irradiated with light (step 101), and the electric energy generated by the solar cell 5 is transferred to the capacitor 41. The battery is charged (step 102).
When the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor 41 exceeds a certain amount, the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 is driven by the power from the capacitor 41 (step 103).

The power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 detects the remaining amount of power from the voltage of the power supply 25 (step 104).
When the value of the detected voltage (remaining power) is lower than the predetermined value (No in Step 105), the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 outputs a signal for lighting the LED 4 (Step 106). As a result, the LED 4 is turned on upon receiving power supply from the capacitor 41 (step 107). The predetermined value can be determined in advance by setting the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43.
On the other hand, while the remaining power is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (Yes in step 105), the above processing is not particularly performed.

  With the above flow, the user can recognize that the remaining power of the IC card with display function 1a is reduced by displaying that the remaining power is low by turning on the LED 4.

  The process of the remaining power monitoring / notification unit 40 is executed independently of the process of the control unit 21. That is, regardless of whether the control unit 21 is activated by turning on the switch 6, if the user takes out the IC card 1a with a display function to the outside, the remaining power of the power source 25 is set to a predetermined value by the above processing. LED4 is turned on when it is less than. While the capacitor 41 is charged, the LED 4 is continuously turned on.

As described above, the IC card with a display function 1a according to the present embodiment notifies the user of a decrease in the remaining power level by turning on the LED 4 without consuming the power of the power supply 25, and replacing the card with the user. (When the power source 25 is a primary battery) or charging (when the power source 25 is a secondary battery) can be prompted.
The power supply voltage monitoring circuit 43 and the LED 4 are operated by a stable auxiliary power source using the solar cell 5 and the capacitor 41. As a result, as long as the IC card with display function 1a is taken out to the outside, it is possible to notify the decrease in the remaining power level by the above-described processing.
Further, since the fact that the remaining amount is low is displayed by turning on the LED 4, it is possible to perform this with power saving, and it is possible to display for a long time by supplying power from the capacitor 41 or the like and to continue to the user for a long time. Can be notified.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, an IC card 1b with a display function according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is an external view of the IC card 1b with a display function. As shown in FIG. 3, the surface of the card body 2 of the IC card with a display function 1b is provided with a display 3, a solar cell 5, a switch 6 and the like, similar to the IC card with a display function 1a of the first embodiment. Unlike the first embodiment, the LED 4 is omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an IC card 1b with a display function according to the second embodiment. The IC card 1b with a display function includes a remaining power monitoring / notification unit 50 in addition to the control unit 21, the display 3, the display driver 31, the power source 25, the switch 6, and the like.

  Since the control unit 21, the display driver 31, the display 3, the power source 25, and the switch 6 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

The remaining power monitoring / notification unit 50 according to the present embodiment includes a solar cell 5, a capacitor 41, a power supply voltage monitoring circuit 53, a switch circuit 51, and the like.
The power remaining amount monitoring / notifying unit 50 detects the decrease in the remaining amount of power of the power supply 25 and displays the indication that the remaining amount is decreased by the electric energy stored by the solar cell 5 and the capacitor 41 as in the first embodiment. However, in the IC card with display function 1b of the present embodiment, the display 3 is used as a display means to indicate that the remaining amount is low.

  The power supply voltage monitoring circuit 53 is connected to the power supply 25, the capacitor 41, and the switch circuit 51, is driven by power supply from the capacitor 41, and detects the voltage of the power supply 25 as the remaining power. The power supply voltage monitoring circuit 53 outputs a signal for turning on the switch circuit 51 to the switch circuit 51 when the voltage (remaining power) of the power supply 25 falls below a predetermined value.

  The switch circuit 51 is connected to the capacitor 41, the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 53, and the control unit 21, and is a switch unit that supplies the power of the capacitor 41 to the control unit 21 when the switch circuit 51 is turned on. On the other hand, in the off state, power supply from the capacitor 41 is cut off.

  The operation of the remaining power monitoring / notification unit 50 of the IC card 1b with a display function is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the voltage (remaining power) of the power supply 25 detected by the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 53 is a predetermined value. (No in step 105), the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 53 outputs a signal for turning on the switch circuit 51 to the switch circuit 51 in order to supply the power of the capacitor 41 to the control unit 21.

  Accordingly, the switch circuit 51 is turned on, and the power of the capacitor 41 is supplied to the control unit 21. In response to power being supplied from the capacitor 41 not via the power supply 25 but via the switch circuit 51, the control unit 21 activates a remaining power reduction display program stored in advance in a memory such as a ROM. Then, the display driver 31 is driven and the display 3 is displayed with a character or a picture indicating that the remaining amount is low.

  The processing of the remaining power monitoring / notification unit 50 is also executed independently of the processing of the control unit 21, and the user has a display function regardless of whether the control unit 21 is driven by turning on the switch 6. If the IC card 1b is taken out, when the remaining power of the power supply 25 falls below a predetermined value, the display 3 displays that effect. While the capacitor 41 is charged, the display 3 is continuously displayed. Since the display 3 does not consume much power, the power from the solar cell 5 can be sufficient.

Therefore, the effect similar to that described in the first embodiment can also be obtained in the IC card 1b with a display function of the present embodiment.
In addition, in the present embodiment, since display is performed on the display 3, it is also possible to display detailed information such as the remaining power. For example, a signal corresponding to the value of the voltage detected by the power supply voltage monitoring circuit 53 can be output to the control unit 21, and the control unit 21 can display information such as the remaining amount of power according to the signal. It is also possible to add the configuration of the LED 4 of the first embodiment and use the display by the LED 4 together.

In the above embodiment, the power storage in the capacitor 41 is performed using the solar battery 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the electrical energy generated from the piezoelectric element may be stored in the capacitor 41. .
That is, it is possible to provide a piezoelectric element on an IC card with a display function, convert the force applied by bending or shaking the card into electrical energy by the piezoelectric element, and store it in the capacitor 41 via a rectifier circuit or the like. is there.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described by taking a one-time password generator as an example. However, as an IC card with a display function, non-contact type or contact type communication is performed and data such as the balance of electronic money is stored. The electronic money card etc. which memorize | store in an IC chip and have a function which starts a control part by pressing down a switch and displays electronic money balance etc. on a display may be sufficient.
In this case, in addition to the configurations of FIGS. 2 and 5, the IC chip is connected to the control unit 21. In addition, a contact terminal for performing contact type communication and an antenna (coil) for performing non-contact type communication are provided on the card. The configuration and operation of the remaining power monitoring / notification unit 40 (50) can be the same as those described in the above embodiment.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed in the present application, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

1a, 1b ......... IC card with display function 2 ......... Card body 3 ......... Display 4 ......... LED
5 ......... Solar cell 6 ......... Switch 21 ......... Control unit 25 ......... Power supply 40, 50 ......... Power remaining amount monitoring / notification unit 43, 53 ......... Power supply voltage monitoring circuit 51 ......... Switch circuit

Claims (4)

A control unit;
Display,
A switch for activating the control unit;
A power source for supplying power to the control unit when the switch is turned on;
Power monitoring means for detecting the remaining amount of power of the power source;
Display means for displaying a decrease in the remaining amount when the power monitoring means detects that the remaining amount of power of the power source has fallen below a predetermined value;
Auxiliary power source capable of storing power to supply power to the power source monitoring unit and the display unit, different from the power source,
An IC card with a display function, comprising:   The IC card with a display function according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power source includes a solar cell and a capacitor that stores electric energy generated by the solar cell.   3. The IC card with a display function according to claim 1, wherein the display means is a light emitting diode. A switch unit for supplying electric power from the auxiliary power source to the control unit when turned on;
When the power monitoring means detects that the remaining amount of power of the power source is below a predetermined value, the switch unit is turned on, and the control unit supplied with power from the auxiliary power source is connected to the display. The display function-equipped IC card according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a message indicating a decrease in the remaining amount is displayed.

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