JP3915970B2 - Information processing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, and more particularly, to an information processing apparatus capable of executing stable communication with a reader / writer in various shapes.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An IC (Integrated Circuit) card is a card type in which a thin IC chip having a CPU and memory for processing various types of information and a member for communicating with the outside are embedded in a resinous card. Device. The IC card has a contact type IC that is capable of transferring data by exposing a metal terminal electrically connected to the IC chip on the surface of the card and contacting the contact terminal of the reader / writer with the metal terminal of the IC card. There is a non-contact type IC card configured to communicate with an antenna of a reader / writer using electromagnetic waves using an antenna embedded so as to be parallel to the card and the surface of the IC card.
[0003]
The IC chip includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and the like. Therefore, unlike a magnetic card that can only read data recorded on a magnetic tape, an IC card exchanges information with other information devices. For example, an IC card has a high degree of processing such as processing involving authentication processing and arithmetic processing. It is possible to execute processing.
[0004]
As the memory capacity of the IC chip and the processing capacity of the CPU increase, for example, personal authentication processing, processing for using electronic money, or functions such as commuter passes and prepaid cards can be executed by the IC card. These functions can be realized by using a single IC card, and the range of use of IC cards is becoming increasingly widespread.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the non-contact type IC card has a thin rectangular shape (for example, a shape like a business card), the user of the non-contact type IC card unconsciously determines the IC card and the reader / writer to be parallel from the shape. Since the card is held up, communication between the IC card and the reader / writer is performed very stably.
[0006]
In recent years, IC cards have started to be widely used, and various shapes have been produced depending on the usage, in order to enhance the design or expand the range of use of IC cards. . For example, a coin-type IC card 1 as shown in FIG. 1 may be used.
[0007]
The coin-type IC card 1 has an IC chip having a CPU, a memory, and the like inside and an antenna provided parallel to the surface (horizontal plane), and exchanges information with a reader / writer in a non-contact manner. It is possible. The coin-type IC card 1 often has a smaller antenna area than a business card-type IC card.
[0008]
However, when the coin-type IC card 1 as shown in FIG. 1 is used, the user can change the shape of the coin-type IC card with respect to the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11 as shown in FIG. In some cases, the antenna surface of the card 1 may be held up vertically.
[0009]
When the coin-type IC card 1 and the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11 are in a positional relationship as shown in FIG. 2 or when it is not vertical but at an angle close to that, as shown in FIG. Magnetic field lines generated by the antenna 21 do not pass through the antenna of the coin-type IC card 1. That is, the coin-type IC card 1 and the reader / writer 11 cannot communicate with each other.
[0010]
Conventionally, not only coin-type IC cards but also non-contact type IC devices having various shapes are produced, antenna patterns for stabilizing the communication characteristics are adapted to the respective shapes. It was designed.
[0011]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is intended to realize stable communication in non-contact type IC devices having various shapes.
[0018]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An information processing apparatus according to the present invention is formed of an antenna that exchanges information with an external device by electromagnetic induction , an integrated circuit that processes information exchanged by the antenna, and a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, and stores the antenna and the integrated circuit The antenna is fixed in the case so that the communication surface for exchanging information with the external device has a substantially constant angle that allows communication with any surface of the case. Features.
[0019]
The antenna and the integrated circuit may be formed in a coin shape as a non-contact information medium.
[0021]
In the information processing apparatus of the present invention , the antenna is formed of an antenna that exchanges information with an external device by electromagnetic induction , an integrated circuit that processes information exchanged by the antenna, and a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, and contains the antenna and the integrated circuit The antenna is fixed in the case so that the communication surface for exchanging information with the external device is at a substantially constant angle capable of communication with any surface of the case. .
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0023]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cube-shaped IC device 31 to which the present invention is applied. The cube-shaped IC device 31 includes the coin-type IC card 1 described with reference to FIG. 1 and a cubic case 41 having a side length of a.
[0024]
The coin-type IC card 1 is a coin-shaped non-contact information medium having the same function as a so-called IC card. A non-contact information medium is a medium that has an IC chip and communicates with an external device such as an information input / output device (for example, a reader / writer) using electromagnetic waves or microwaves, and has a card shape. In addition to the IC card, all information recording media of the so-called token type having the same function as the IC card and having a postage stamp size or smaller, a coin or the like are included. The IC chip incorporated in the non-contact information medium is electrically connected to the antenna. However, the IC chip terminal and the antenna may be electrically connected to each other, or the antenna coil and the IC chip may be connected at the wafer level. The so-called coil-on IC chip may be electrically connected.
[0025]
Since the case 41 is a cube, the user of the cube-shaped IC device 31 cannot particularly distinguish all the surfaces of the cube-shaped IC device 31, and therefore the direction in which the cube-shaped IC device 31 is held over the reader / writer 11 (6 Of the two surfaces, which surface is held over the reader / writer is not particularly conscious.
[0026]
The case 41 is made of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, and the coin-type IC card 1 is fixed to the case 41 using a resin that transmits electromagnetic waves. A coin-type IC card has a thin IC chip having a CPU and a memory for processing various types of information and an antenna provided in parallel to the surface (horizontal plane), and is a non-contact reader / writer. Therefore, it is possible to exchange information with other information devices, and to perform advanced processing such as processing involving authentication processing and arithmetic processing, for example. Therefore, the cube-shaped IC device 31 functions as an information processing apparatus that can perform the same processing as the coin-type IC card 1.
[0027]
Although the description here assumes that the CPU and memory are provided in the IC chip, the CPU and memory are provided with information processing circuits each composed of different chips in place of the IC chip. May be.
[0028]
Further, the coin-type IC card 1 is in contact with all six surfaces of the case 41 (in contact with points indicated by A to F in the figure) and the horizontal surface of the coin-type IC card 1 (that is, the antenna surface). The angle formed with each surface of the case 41 (the angle formed with the diagonal of the surface) is fixed so as to be substantially constant. At this time, the angle θ formed between each surface of the case 41 and the surface of the coin-type IC card 1 is approximately 35 degrees (which differs slightly depending on the thickness of the coin-type IC card 1).
[0029]
As described with reference to FIG. 3, when the angle θ formed by the coin-type IC card 1 and the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11 is 90 degrees (or an angle close to 90 degrees), the coin-type IC card 1 and the reader / writer 11 cannot communicate stably. As shown in FIG. 5, when the angle θ formed by the coin-type IC card 1 and the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11 is a predetermined angle θ smaller than 90 degrees, the electromagnetic waves output from the antenna 21 are Since it can pass through the antenna of the type IC card 1, the coin type IC card 1 and the reader / writer 11 can communicate with each other.
[0030]
That is, the angle θ at which the coin-type IC card 1 and the reader / writer 11 can perform stable communication depending on the area of the antenna of the coin-type IC card 1 and the intensity of the output electromagnetic wave, that is, output from the antenna 21. The upper limit of the angle at which the electromagnetic wave to be transmitted can pass through the antenna of the coin type IC card 1 is determined.
[0031]
Then, the antenna of the coin-type IC card 1 is designed so that the upper limit of the angle is larger than 35 degrees, and the coin-type IC card 1 is fixed to the case 41 as described with reference to FIG. An IC device 31 is configured.
[0032]
In the cube-shaped IC device 31, the user can hold the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11 regardless of which of the six planes of the cube-shaped IC device 31 is parallel to the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11. The angle formed with the coin-type IC card 1 is a certain angle (approximately 35 degrees) at which communication is possible. Therefore, stable communication can be realized even if the user is not particularly aware of the direction in which the cube-shaped IC device 31 is held over the reader / writer 11.
[0033]
If the angle formed between each surface of the case 41 and the horizontal plane of the coin-type IC card 1 is less than the upper limit of the angle θ at which communication with the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11 is possible, the coin-type IC card 1. However, in this case, depending on the direction in which the user holds the cube-shaped IC device 31 over the reader / writer 11, the stability of communication changes slightly. End up.
[0034]
Further, the coin-type IC card 1 is in contact with a part of the surface of the case 41 when it satisfies the angle condition as described above and has an antenna size or electromagnetic wave strength that does not interfere with the communication with the reader / writer 11. It does not matter if they are not in contact with each other or not in contact with all surfaces of the case 41.
[0035]
However, since the coin-type IC card 1 is in contact with all the surfaces of the case 41, the area of the plane portion of the coin-type IC card 1 can be maximized, so that the area of the antenna can be increased. Not only can stable communication be performed, but the coin-type IC card 1 can be fixed at a predetermined position in the case 41 only by fixing a part of the coin-type IC card 1 to the case 41. It is not necessary to fill the entire case 41 with resin or the like for fixing, leading to cost reduction.
[0036]
The case 41 is sealed at a predetermined angle with the surface of the case 41, for example, a business card type IC card, even if it is not the coin type IC card 1 described with reference to FIG. Needless to say, it doesn't matter.
[0037]
In this way, by sealing an IC card that has been conventionally used with a resin that transmits electromagnetic waves in a case that transmits electromagnetic waves such that the antenna of the IC card has a predetermined angle from the surface of the case, For example, when an IC device having a shape other than a card, such as a cube, is produced, it is not necessary to redesign an antenna that matches each shape.
[0038]
In addition, the case 41 does not enclose the coin-type IC card 1 or the like already assembled, and the communication surface of the antenna 61 is approximately 35 degrees from the diagonal line of each surface of the case 41 as shown in FIG. In addition, the antenna 61 is configured to be in contact with each surface of the case 41, and a position within the case 41 that does not hinder communication between the antenna 61 and the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11 (in FIG. 6). Is a direction in which the user holds the reader / writer 11 in the same manner as the cubic IC device 31 described with reference to FIG. The cubic IC device 51 capable of realizing stable communication can be configured without being particularly conscious of the above.
[0039]
4 and 6, the case where the cubic case 41 is used has been described. However, stable communication can be realized even if the user is not particularly aware of the direction to hold the reader / writer 11. An IC device having a shape other than a cube can be created.
[0040]
For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a case of a regular hexahedron composed of six regular triangles having a length b of one side may be used. In this case, by fixing the coin-type IC card 1 (or a business card type IC card) to the plane G including the three apexes and the center of the regular hexahedron, or by configuring the antenna 61, the user can make a regular hexahedron. Regardless of the direction, it is possible to perform stable communication regardless of which direction is held over the reader / writer 11.
[0041]
Even in the case described with reference to FIG. 7, in order to maximize the surface area of the antenna of the coin-type IC card 1 or the antenna 61, the antenna of the coin-type IC card 1 or the antenna 61 has a regular hexahedron case. It suffices to make contact (so as to be inscribed in an equilateral triangle formed by a line of intersection between the regular hexahedron case and the surface G).
[0042]
Further, even if the coin-type IC card 1 is fixed to a surface parallel to or substantially parallel to the surface G or the antenna 61 is configured, the size of the antenna and the electromagnetic waves that do not hinder the communication with the reader / writer 11. When the user has the strength of the above, communication is possible even if the user holds any surface of the regular hexahedron over the reader / writer 11. However, in this case, the stability of communication slightly changes depending on the direction in which the user holds the IC device over the reader / writer 11.
[0043]
Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a regular octahedron case composed of eight regular triangles having a side length c may be used. In this case, by fixing the coin type IC card 1 (or a business card type IC card) to the plane H including the four vertices and the center of the regular octahedron, or by configuring the antenna 61, the user can configure the regular octahedron. Regardless of the direction, it is possible to perform stable communication regardless of which direction is held over the reader / writer 11.
[0044]
In this case as well, the antenna of the coin-type IC card 1 or the antenna 61 is in contact with the regular octahedron case (inscribed in the square formed by the intersection of the regular octahedron case and the surface H). Thus, the surface area of the antenna of the coin-type IC card 1 or the antenna 61 can be maximized. In addition, even if the coin-type IC card 1 is fixed to a surface parallel to or substantially parallel to the surface H or the antenna 61 is configured, the size of the antenna and the electromagnetic waves that do not hinder communication with the reader / writer 11. When the user has the strength of the above, communication is possible even if the user holds any surface of the regular octahedron over the reader / writer 11.
[0045]
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, a regular tetrahedron case composed of four regular triangles having a side length d may be used. In this case, if the coin-type IC card 1 is fixed to a surface parallel to or substantially parallel to the surface I which is one of the surfaces of the regular tetrahedron, or the antenna 61 is configured, the user can perform normal operation. Communication can be performed by holding any surface of the tetrahedron over the reader / writer 11. However, when the regular tetrahedron case shown in FIG. 9 is used, the stability of communication slightly changes depending on the direction in which the user holds the IC device over the reader / writer 11.
[0046]
Further, for example, in the case of using a regular dodecahedron case made of a regular pentagon as shown in FIG. 10, if the antenna is configured on a plane J parallel to any regular pentagon, the communication surface of the antenna is a regular dodecagon. It is not orthogonal to any face of the dihedron. In this case, if the antenna has a sufficient size and electromagnetic wave intensity, the user can perform communication by holding any surface of the regular tetrahedron over the reader / writer 11. However, the stability of communication greatly changes depending on the direction in which the user holds the IC device over the reader / writer 11.
[0047]
As described above, when the antenna has a size that does not hinder communication with the reader / writer 11 or has an electromagnetic wave strength, the antenna 21 of the reader / writer 11 can be connected to any surface of the polyhedral IC device over the reader / writer. By making the angle formed with the antenna in the IC device to be equal to or less than a predetermined angle that is not 90 degrees, the user can perform communication without particularly worrying about the direction in which the IC device is held over the reader / writer. Is possible.
[0048]
In the above description, the case of the IC device is described as a regular polyhedron. However, the antenna provided inside the IC device is not orthogonal to any of the surfaces of the IC device (the surface constituting the case of the IC device). The IC device case may be a polyhedron that is not a regular polyhedron such as a rectangular parallelepiped.
[0050]
【The invention's effect】
According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention , an antenna that exchanges information with an external device by electromagnetic induction , an integrated circuit that processes information exchanged by the antenna, and a material that transmits electromagnetic waves , the antenna and the integrated circuit are formed. A housing case , and the antenna is fixed in the case so that the communication surface for exchanging information with the external device is at a substantially constant angle capable of communication with any surface of the case. Therefore, stable communication can be executed even if the user does not particularly care about the direction in which the IC device is held over the reader / writer.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a coin-type IC card.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a case where communication with a reader / writer cannot be performed using a coin-type IC card.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a case where communication with a reader / writer cannot be performed using a coin-type IC card.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a cubic IC device to which the present invention is applied;
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining communicable angles.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a cubic IC device to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a three-dimensional IC device to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a three-dimensional IC device to which the present invention is applied;
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a three-dimensional IC device to which the present invention is applied;
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a three-dimensional IC device to which the present invention is applied.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Coin IC Card, 11 Reader / Writer, 21 Antenna, 31 Cube IC Device, 41 Case, 51 Cube IC Device, 61 Antenna, 62 IC

Claims (2)

An antenna for exchanging information with an external device by electromagnetic induction ;
An integrated circuit for processing the information exchanged by the antenna;
A case that is made of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, and that houses the antenna and the integrated circuit ;
The antenna is fixed in the case so that a communication surface for exchanging the information with the external device has a substantially constant angle that allows communication with any surface of the case. A characteristic information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna and the integrated circuit are formed in a coin shape as a non-contact information medium.

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