JP2563667Y2 - Card reader for cards with infrared barcode - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card reader for reading an infrared barcode of a card with an infrared barcode.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In some cases, an infrared barcode is printed with infrared-sensitive ink on a printed surface of a prepaid card. This infrared barcode is provided for the purpose of preventing forgery or tampering of the card. The infrared barcode is read by an infrared sensor and compared with a magnetic record read by a magnetic head to determine the authenticity of the card. Security measures.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 5, on one surface of the base material 1a of the card 1, by infrared-sensitive ink that can not be visually infrared bar code consisting of arrayed by a plurality of lines of wide and narrow (bar) 1c is printed , and the concealing layer 1b is covered thereon.
To have. On the other surface of the card 1, a magnetic recording and printing layer 1f is formed. The card 1 on which the infrared barcode 1c is formed is read by a card reader having an infrared sensor.

FIG. 4 shows an example of this type of card reader. In a card path 3 connected to the card insertion slot 2, a pair of conveying rollers 4, 5, an infrared sensor 6, a magnetic head 7, and a print head 8 are arranged in this order. Magnetic head 7
Is for reading a magnetic record recorded on the magnetic recording layer 1f, and the print head 8 is for printing information such as card use date and balance on the print layer as visual image information.

An example of the structure of the infrared sensor 6 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. A dust cover 9 is provided in a recess 3a facing the card passage 3. An infrared sensor 6 is provided inside the cover. The sensor 6 includes a light emitting unit 6a that emits light toward the card passage 3, and a light receiving unit 6b that receives light reflected by the card. Infrared light included in the light emitted toward the card 1 traveling in the card passage 3 is absorbed by the infrared bar portion, but is reflected by the non-bar portion 1d. The light receiving unit 6b that has received the reflected light reads the infrared barcode 1c by converting the light into an electric signal. The read information of the infrared barcode is compared with a magnetic record read by the magnetic head 7 and used as a signal for determining the authenticity of the card.

[0006]

Incidentally, there is a state where the infrared sensor 6 cannot read the infrared barcode 1c or the reading becomes insufficient. The card 1 in the card passage 3 runs at a position close to the sensor 6 as indicated by a solid line 1 in FIG. 6 or at a position away from the sensor 6 as indicated by a chain line 1A. Travel while moving up and down within the range. Further, the infrared sensor 6 has "variation" in its mounting accuracy and "deviation" in the optical axis angle. One of these causes infrared rays to diffuse, and the actual resolution of the infrared sensor 6 is reduced.
In particular, there is a problem that the output difference between the narrow infrared bar 1ca and the non-bar portion 1d (see FIG. 5) becomes small, and accurate bar detection cannot be performed. For example, when reading the infrared bar 1ca having a width of 0.9 mm shown in FIG. 5, if the infrared bar 1ca is received by the light receiving portion 6b having a diameter of 1.8 mm, the output should be originally reduced by being absorbed by the infrared bar 1ca. However, when the diffused light reflected by the non-bar portion 1d is received, the output decrease is reduced, and the output difference between the non-bar portion and the infrared bar portion does not clearly appear.

[0007] If an expensive and special infrared sensor is used, a narrow infrared barcode can be detected without any problem, but the cost of the card reader increases.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a card reader which can maintain the resolution of an infrared barcode even if an inexpensive infrared sensor is used.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a card reader for a card with an infrared barcode is a reflection type infrared sensor.
A light- shielding part that shields the outside of the incident light beam from the card that is emitted from the light-emitting part and enters the light-receiving part of the reflective infrared sensor ,
It is provided between the card passage and the light receiving section .

[0010]

The light emitted from the light emitting portion of the infrared sensor is reflected by the infrared barcode of the card traveling in the card passage and received by the light receiving portion of the sensor. At this time, the outer portion, which is the diffusion portion of the light beam incident on the light receiving portion, is shielded by the light shielding portion provided between the light receiving portion and the card passage, and is prevented from entering the sensor.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

In FIG. 1, a dustproof cover 12 made of a transparent film is provided in a card passage 11.
The infrared sensor 13 includes a light emitting unit 13a and a light receiving unit 13b, and is arranged at an appropriate position with respect to the card path 11.

The outgoing light beam O emitted from the light emitting portion 13a toward the card path 11 has an infrared bar code 1c (FIG. 5).
When there is a card 1 on which a bar is formed,
The light is reflected on the lower surface of the card except for the code 1c and is incident on the light receiving unit 13b as an incident light flux O1. The outside of the incident light flux O <b> 1 is shielded by a light shielding unit 14 provided on the inner surface of the dustproof cover 12.

In the case of the illustrated example, the light-shielding portion 14 is provided on the dust-proof cover 12 by black printing. The light shielding unit 14 is provided at a position where the diffused light of the light flux reflected by the lower surface of the card 1 is prevented from entering the light receiving unit 13b. That is, when the infrared rays are diffused on the lower surface of the card and enter the light receiving portion 13b, the light receiving portion 13b causes defocus of the infrared bar having a narrow width. As a result, the output does not decrease.

In FIG. 1, even when the card 1 travels at a position distant from the sensor 13 as shown by a chain line 1A, the light beam incident on the light receiving portion 13b is restricted by the light shielding portion 14 Therefore, the blur around the light beam O1 disappears, and the output waveform comes out clearly.

FIG. 3 shows an infrared bar code 1c and an output waveform of the infrared sensor detecting the bar code 1c.
FIG. 1A shows an infrared barcode 1 formed on a card.
c, the barcode comprises a wide bar 1e,
Bar 1c of narrow width formed between non-bar portions 1d
a. FIG. 6B shows an output waveform of the infrared barcode 1c read by the card reader of the present invention having the light shielding unit 14, and FIG. 6C shows an infrared barcode read by the conventional card reader shown in FIG. The output waveform of code 1c is shown. As can be seen from FIG. 3, when the diffused light is blocked, the output of the infrared barcode is
In addition to e, the difference between the output of the narrow bar 1ca and the output of the non-bar portion 1d is apparent. On the contrary,
In the case of (c) in which the diffused light is not blocked, the difference between the output of the bar portion 1ca and the output of the non-bar portion 1d is not so large.
The output of the narrow bar 1ca is not clear. In (c), if the problems such as the running position of the card, the deviation of the optical axis, and the mounting accuracy of the sensor overlap, the difference between the output of the narrow bar 1ca and the output of the non-bar portion 1d becomes smaller. In other words,
When the light-shielding portion 14 is provided as in the present invention, the diffused light is blocked even if the distance between the sensor and the card changes, so that the resolution of the sensor 13 is maintained.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the outside of the incident light beam O1 is shielded. However, as shown in FIG. 2A, a light shielding portion 14A for shielding the outside of the output light beam O may be provided. When an infrared sensor having a long focal length is used, as shown in FIG.
In addition to 4, 14A, a light shielding portion 14B for shielding the central portion may be provided.

The light shielding portion may be formed by extending a part of the guide portion 11a constituting the card passage 11 to the position of the light shielding portion 14.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the light shielding portion for shielding the outside of the incident light beam is provided between the card passage and the light receiving portion of the infrared sensor, the light emitting portion of the infrared sensor is provided.
Light scattered out of the luminous flux emitted from the card and reflected from the bottom of the card
Is prevented from being incident on the light receiving portion, the detection of the infrared barcode is ensured. Thus, since it is not necessary to use an expensive infrared sensor, it is possible to suppress the card reader itself at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a card reader showing only an essential part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams showing different embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing an infrared barcode,
(B) is a diagram showing an output waveform of an infrared barcode read by the card reader of the present invention, and (c) is a diagram showing an output waveform of an infrared barcode read by a conventional card reader.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration of a card reader that reads a card with an infrared barcode.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of the card with an infrared barcode.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a conventional card reader for reading a card with an infrared barcode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Card with infrared barcode 1c ... Infrared bird 1ca ... Narrow bar 1d ... Non-bar part 11 ... Card passage 12 ... Dustproof cover 13 ... Infrared sensor 13a ...・ Light emitting part 13b ・ ・ ・ Light receiving part 14 ・ ・ ・ Light shielding part

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. Running a card with an infrared barcode,
In a card reader for reading an infrared bar code by a reflection type infrared sensor facing a card passage, the card is illuminated from a light emitting portion of the reflection type infrared sensor and is reflected by the reflection type infrared sensor.
A light-shielding portion that shields the outside of the incident light beam from the card that enters the light-receiving portion of the infrared sensor is located above the card path.
A card reader for a card with an infrared barcode, which is provided between the card reader and the light receiving unit .