JP5015556B2 - Data transmission system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a data communication system and a reader / writer device that communicate with, for example, a non-contact IC card.

  For example, in the conventional “information transmission system using a non-contact information recording medium” disclosed in Patent Document 1, a repeater is provided between a reader / writer (hereinafter sometimes referred to as R / W) and a non-contact information recording medium. The communication area was expanded by providing frequency conversion and power amplification using a repeater.

  FIG. 4 is a protocol diagram of data transmitted in Patent Document 1. In the figure, the R / W and the non-contact information recording medium perform information transmission using a transmission confirmation method. In this case, the repeater simply converts the frequency of the received signal and amplifies the power to send out the signal.

  Next, FIG. 5 shows a second prior art. FIG. 5 shows a data transmission apparatus using a general transmission confirmation method. The data transmission apparatus includes a controller, a non-contact IC card (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as ICC), and an R / W. The controller performs communication control. ICC indicates a non-contact IC card. The R / W converts a wired signal from the controller into a wireless signal to be transmitted to the ICC, or converts a wireless signal from the ICC into a wired signal to be transmitted to the controller. Between R / W and ICC is a wireless section, and a frequency band and power with a transmission distance of about several centimeters are used.

FIG. 6 shows a communication protocol of the data transmission apparatus of FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating communication between the controller, the R / W, and the ICC. As shown in FIG. 6, upon receiving a command or response, the controller, R / W, ICC, and the like transmit an ACK that is an affirmative response or a NACK that is a negative response to confirm receipt. This process is called the “transmission confirmation method”.
JP-A-11-66250, page 3 [0007], page 7 FIG.

  In the “information transmission system using a non-contact information recording medium” in Patent Document 1, since the signal is simply amplified, the time required for communication becomes longer as the communication area becomes wider. For this reason, there has been a problem that a command or response time-out occurs.

  In addition, in the “data transmission device using the transmission confirmation method” of the second conventional example, when using a radio wave with a short transmission distance, the user must approach a distance that allows the user to hold the ICC over the R / W. There was inconvenience. Also, in the “data transmission apparatus using the transmission confirmation method” of the second conventional example, since the R / W is fixed and used, if the R / W can be moved, the communication between the controller and the R / W is not possible. There was a problem that it could not be secured.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a reader / writer device capable of long-distance communication with a controller and a non-contact IC card.

The data transmission system of this invention is
A reader / writer device that performs non-contact data communication with a portable non-contact type IC communication device that includes an IC chip that can write and read data and that performs non-contact data communication. The reader / writer device for reading data from a contact IC communication device and writing data to the non-contact IC communication device;
In a data transmission system comprising a control device for controlling the reader / writer device by communicating with the reader / writer device,
The reader / writer device is
An IC-side communication unit that performs data communication with the non-contact IC communication device in a non-contact manner;
A control-side communication unit that communicates with the control device;
The IC side communication unit and the control side communication unit are:
It is characterized by exchanging data with each other by wireless communication.

  According to the present invention, a reader / writer device capable of long-distance communication with a controller and a non-contact type IC card can be provided.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a data transmission system 101 according to the first embodiment. The data transmission system 101 includes a controller (control device), a relay device A (control side communication unit), and a relay device B (IC side communication unit). The controller performs communication control as in the background art. The non-contact IC card is the same as the background art. The relay device A and the relay device B constitute a reader / writer device 10. The reader / writer device 10 composed of the relay device A and the relay device B performs non-contact communication with the ICC and also communicates with the controller. As shown in FIG. 1, the relay device A communicates with the controller, and the relay device B performs non-contact communication with the ICC. Further, the relay device A and the relay device B communicate with each other wirelessly.

The operation will be described with reference to FIGS.
Relay device A
(1) A function for receiving a command from the controller,
(2) A function of transmitting an ACK / NACK to the controller to confirm receipt of the command,
(3) A function for wirelessly transmitting the received command to the relay apparatus B,
(4) A function of receiving a response from the relay device B,
(5) A function to send the received response to the controller,
(6) A function of receiving ACK / NACK issued by the controller,
(7) It has a function of resending a response when a NACK is sent from the controller.

Relay device B
(1) A function of receiving a command from the relay device A,
(2) A function to wirelessly send the received command to the ICC,
(3) Function for receiving ACK / NACK issued by ICC,
(4) A function of resending a command when a NACK is sent from the ICC,
(5) A function for receiving a response from the ICC.
(6) A function to send the received response to the relay device A,
(7) It has a function of sending an ACK / NACK to the ICC to confirm receipt of a response toward the ICC.

  The wireless section 1 uses radio waves in a frequency band having a transmission distance longer than that of the wireless section 2 and can confirm communication without performing a transmission confirmation process.

  Next, the protocol of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Communication between the controller and the relay device A that has been confirmed for transmission is realized. Between the relay device A and the relay device B (wireless section 1), wireless communication capable of confirming communication without performing transmission confirmation is realized. Communication between the relay apparatus B and the ICC (wireless section 2) in which transmission is confirmed is realized.

  As can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, when viewed from the controller, the relay device A looks like R / W in FIG. Further, when viewed from the ICC, the relay device B looks like R / W in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the relay apparatus A. The hardware configuration of the relay apparatus B is the same as that of the relay apparatus A. In FIG. 3, the relay device A includes a CPU 810 (also referred to as a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a processor) that executes a program. The CPU 810 is connected to a ROM (Read Only Memory) 812, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 813, a first communication unit 814, a second communication unit 815, and a flash memory 820 via a bus 811 to control these hardware devices. To do. Instead of the flash memory 820, a magnetic disk device may be used.

  The RAM 813 is an example of a volatile memory. Storage media such as the ROM 812 and the flash memory 820 are examples of nonvolatile memories. These are examples of a storage device, a storage unit, or a storage unit. The first communication unit 814 and the second communication unit 815 are examples of an input unit and an input device. The first communication unit 814 and the second communication unit 815 are examples of an output unit and an output device.

  The first communication unit 814 and the second communication unit 815 communicate with the counterpart device. In the case of the relay device A, the first communication unit 814 communicates with the controller, and the second communication unit 815 communicates wirelessly with the relay device B. In the case of the relay device B, the first communication unit 814 communicates wirelessly with the relay device A, and the second communication unit 815 communicates with the ICC in a contactless manner.

  The flash memory 820 stores an operating system 821 (OS), a program group 823, and a file group 824. The programs in the program group 823 are executed by the CPU 810 and the operating system 821.

  The program group 823 stores a program for controlling the relay device A. In the case of the relay device B, a program for controlling the relay device B is stored. With this program, the relay device A behaves like a conventional R / W with respect to the controller and exchanges data with the relay device B by wireless communication. Also, the relay device B behaves in the same way as the conventional R / W with respect to the ICC and exchanges data by wireless communication with the relay device A by this program.

  The data to be communicated is stored in the RAM 813 or the flash memory 820 of the relay device A. The same applies to the relay device B.

  Although the IC card is described as an example in the first embodiment, the IC card is an IC chip that can write and read data and includes an IC chip that performs data communication without contact. It is an example of a contact type IC communication apparatus. The non-contact type IC communication device may be realized as an IC tag or applied to a case where it is incorporated in a mobile phone.

  Thus, the relay device A looks like R / W when viewed from the controller, and the relay device B looks like R / W when viewed from the ICC, and further, between the relay device A and the relay device B. Since the wireless section 1 is capable of centering over a long distance, there is an effect of extending the communication distance without changing the communication control program stored in the controller or ICC.

  The wireless section 1 uses radio waves in a frequency band having a transmission distance longer than that of the wireless section 2 and can confirm communication without performing transmission confirmation. Therefore, there is an effect of avoiding command and response timeout.

  Since the relay device A and the relay device B are connected in the wireless section 1 having a long communication distance, the controller and the ICC are connected to the wireless section by using the relay device A and the fixed body and the relay device B as the moving body. There is an effect that communication can be secured at a position away from the communication distance of 2.

  In the above embodiment, in a system that controls communication and reads / writes data of a non-contact IC card, a long distance is provided between the controller that controls communication and the non-contact IC card that records and holds data. A data transmission apparatus characterized in that there is a relay apparatus A capable of wireless communication between the relay apparatuses and a relay apparatus B capable of communicating with a contactless IC card located at a short distance.

  In the above embodiment, the data transmission system has been described in which the relay device A performs the same operation as the reader / writer when the relay devices A and B are not provided from the controller side.

  In the above embodiment, the data transmission system has been described in which the relay device B performs the same operation as the reader / writer when the relay devices A and B are not provided from the non-contact IC card side.

  In the above embodiment, the relay device A from the controller side performs the same operation as the reader / writer when the relay devices A and B are not provided, and the relay device B from the non-contact IC card side is connected to the relay devices A and B. A data transmission system that performs the same operation as a reader / writer when there is no data has been described.

1 is a diagram showing a data transmission system in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 shows a sequence of the data transmission system in the first embodiment. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a reader / writer device 10 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. The figure which shows a prior art example. The figure which shows a prior art example. The figure which shows a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

  A, B relay device, ICC contactless IC card, 10 reader / writer device, 101 data transmission system.

Claims (3)

A control device for sending commands;
The command is received from the control device, and the received command is transmitted in a non-contact manner to a non-contact type IC communication device having an IC chip that performs non-contact data communication. A data transmission device comprising a reader / writer device that receives a response to a command in a non-contact manner from the non-contact type IC communication device and transmits the received response to the control device. When transmitting and receiving a command and the response, the control device or the non-contact type IC communication device that becomes a communication partner device at the time of the transmission / reception, and the reader / writer device of the data transmission device that executes transmission confirmation processing are substituted. Relay device A and relay device B;
A data transmission system comprising the control device,
The relay device A and the relay device B are:
In place of the reader / writer device in both the relay device A and the relay device B,
The relay device A
It functions as the reader / writer device for the control device, receives the command transmitted by the control device, and relays it to the relay device B,
The relay device B
The non-contact type IC communication device functions as the reader / writer device, receives the command relayed by the relay device A, and transmits the command to the non-contact type IC communication device in a non-contact manner. Receiving the response from the IC communication device and relaying it to the relay device A;
The relay device A
Receiving the response relayed by the relay device B and transmitting it to the control device ;
The relay device A
Upon reception of the command and transmission of the response with the control device, a transmission confirmation process is executed,
The relay device B
Upon transmission of the command and reception of the response with the non-contact type IC communication device, transmission confirmation processing is executed,
The relay device A and the relay device B are:
A data transmission system that relays the command and the response without executing a transmission confirmation process when relaying the command and the response . The relay device A and the relay device B are:
2. The data is relayed by wireless communication, and radio waves in a frequency band having a longer transmission distance are used than in non-contact data communication between the relay device B and the non-contact type IC communication device. The data transmission system described. The relay device B
3. The data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission system is arranged on a mobile body.

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