JPH02172059A - Alarming system for magnetic card reader/writer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decide a defective magnetic card reader/writer from a present status by taking the difference of a read signal intensity between past and present values and predicting whether or not the area approaches an area close to a readout disable area within a prescribed period based on the difference. CONSTITUTION:When a control circuit 50 detects a prescribed time lapses by the timer of a CPU 56, the circuit 50 reads a signal intensity V of a magnetic card 9 loaded to the mechanism section of a magnetic card reader/writer 19 and stores it in a RAM 58 tentatively. The oldest data in the FIFO memory, that is, the signal intensity V0 at a time t0 is read out. Then the signal intensity V stored tentatively is written in the FIFO memory 61 as a read signal intensity Vi at a time ti by the CPU 56. The CPU 56 uses a program by a ROM 57 to obtain its gradient theta depending on the difference from the past time and the present time. Then the gradient theta is extended and whether or not the extending line intersects a prescribed reference value H within a prescribed period T is calculated. Then the CPU 56 completes the processing (after raising alarm) without processing anything when the extending line of the gradient thetaat a time difference DELTAT does not intersect (or intersects) with the prescribed reference H within the prescribed period T.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a magnetic card reading/writing device that can read information on a magnetic card obtained by prepayment and write necessary information on the magnetic card. In particular, the present invention relates to an alarm method for a magnetic card reading/writing device that can issue an alarm before reading becomes impossible.

[Conventional technology]

This type of magnetic card reading/writing device is known as a device that can read information on a magnetic card obtained by prepaying and can also write necessary information. Such magnetic card reading/writing devices are used in telephones, automatic ticket vending machines, automatic vending machines, and the like.

With use of this magnetic card reading/writing device, the magnetic head and the like and the rollers for conveying the magnetic card wear out, sometimes making it impossible to read the card.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above-mentioned magnetic card reading/writing device could not know in advance of such an unreadable state. Therefore,
The unreadable state was avoided by replacing the magnetic card reading/writing device every time a certain period of time elapsed.

However, not all magnetic card reading/writing devices become unreadable at the same time, and the time at which they become unreadable varies depending on the frequency of use, so this method was not reliable.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides an alarm method for a magnetic card reading/writing device that reliably determines the point at which reading becomes impossible according to the individual usage conditions and issues an alarm. The purpose is to provide

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the alarm method of the magnetic card reading/writing device according to the present invention is a magnetic card reading/writing device that can read more information on the magnetic card obtained by prepaying and write necessary information on the magnetic card. In the card reading/writing device, the difference between the reading signal strength of the reading head a certain time ago and the current reading signal strength of the reading head is calculated to find the slope of the two, and the extension line of the slope is This system is characterized by issuing an alarm when a certain reference value is reached within the range.

[Effect]

The magnetic card reading/writing device is equipped with a front-in/front-out memory. In addition, the read signal strength from the read head is recorded in the front-in front-out memory every time a certain period of time elapses.
This is so that you can do it. Then, the read signal strength currently read from the read head is stored in the front-in front-out memory, and the read signal strength a certain time ago is read out from the front-in front-out memory, and the current read signal strength and the read signal strength a certain time ago are stored. In addition to taking the difference from the signal strength,
Find the slope of both by dividing by a fixed time.

Then, an extension line of the slope is determined, and an alarm is issued when the extension line reaches a certain reference value within a predetermined period.

As a result, it can be predicted that an area close to the unreadable area will be reached within a predetermined period of time, and the magnetic card reading/writing device can be replaced depending on the actual state of use.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on illustrated embodiments.

1 to 8 are diagrams shown for explaining one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vending machine to which an embodiment of the alarm system of the magnetic card reading/writing device according to the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 1, the vending machine [11] has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the front panel section 2 of this rectangular parallelepiped is provided with showcase sections 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d for displaying product samples.
Product selection buttons 4a and 4b with built-in display lamps at the bottom
, 4c, 4d are provided, and a bill insertion slot 5 and a coin insertion slot 6 are provided.
A change tray 7 is provided at the bottom of the change tray, a product outlet 8 is provided, and a card insertion port 10 into which a magnetic card 9 is inserted is provided. Also, vending machine 1
is provided with an acoustic alarm 11 for notifying the user that a card has been left out or other problems with sound, and a cancel lever 12 for canceling I)E.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a magnetic card used in an embodiment of the present invention.

This magnetic card 9 is a flexible one made of thin plastic, paper, etc., and has a second magnetic card on its surface.
As shown in FIG. 1, an area 13 is provided for displaying the payment amount and its payment status, and other necessary information (absorption amount, issue note name, etc.) is printed. In addition, the magnetic car F9 has a marking on the back side of the magnetic car F9 shown in FIG.
As shown in II), magnetic stripes 15 and 16 are provided as magnetic recording media. [Magnetic stripe]
6, a code Cd is recorded as shown in FIG. 2 (III).

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the internal configuration of the payment device.

Inside the vending machine 1, a money processing 4+9 mechanism 18, a magnetic card reading/writing device 19, a payment processing device 20, a product ejecting mechanism 21, and a magnetic card issuing device 22 are provided. Further, the money processing W mechanism 18 reads the true value of the money inserted into the bill insertion slot 5 and the coin insertion slot 6, and the value of the money. The magnetic card reading/writing device 19 reads information from the magnetic card 9, performs payment, and writes information after I# calculation. The payment processing device 20 processes the value information from the money processing mechanism 18 and the magnetic card reading/writing device 1if19, receives the designation of the product selection buttons 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d, and based on this, the product discharge 81I It drives the horizontal 21 or magnetic card issuing device 22.

The magnetic card issuing device 22 is installed in the vending machine main body.
The code from the OM 23 is read, and when this code matches the code written on the magnetic stripe 1G of the magnetic card 9 on which monetary information etc. are not written, the magnetic card 9 can be issued. Note that the money processing mechanism 18 is not directly related to the present invention, so a description thereof will be omitted hereafter.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic card reading/writing device 19.

The magnetic card reading/writing device 19 is configured as follows. That is, at a position corresponding to the card insertion slot 10, a pair of feed rollers 30 and 31 are provided so as to be rotatable in parallel. A reading magnetic head 32 is provided adjacent to the feed rollers 30,31. The reading magnetic head 32 reads data such as the amount of money and the issuer from the data magnetic stripe 15 of the magnetic card 9. Further, reflective optical reading devices 33, 34, and 35 are provided. These reflective optical readers33.3
4.35 detects the position of the magnetic card 9. Near the read magnetic head 32 is a write magnetic head 36.
is provided. This write magnetic head 36 writes monetary data on the data magnetic stripe 15. The reading magnetic head 32 is provided with a pressing roller 37 . The write magnetic head 36 is connected to the pressure roller 3
8 is provided. Said pair of feed rollers 30.3
1, a pair of feed rollers 39, 40 are further provided rotatably in parallel. The feed roller 39
．． Four punches 41 are provided on the left side of the figure 40. This punch mechanism 41 is
It has a mechanism that allows punching holes in the area 13 of the magnetic card 9 by pressing +. In addition, a pair of rollers 4
2.43 are provided to be rotatable in parallel, and a card contact detection sensor 44 which also serves as a stopper is provided on the right side of the rollers 42.43 in the drawing. The feed roller 3
0, the feed roller 39 and the roller 42 are connected to a driving step motor 45 via a mechanism not shown, and rotate each time the step motor 450 rotates.

The reading magnetic head 32 and the optical reading device 33, 34.
35, punch mechanism 41, and card contact detection sensor 44
is electrically connected to the control circuit 50. The control circuit 50 is also connected to the write magnetic head 36 via a write driver 47 . Further, the control circuit 50 is configured to rotate the step motor 44 via the motor controller 46.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the control circuit 50. As shown in FIG.

The control circuit 50 includes an amplifier circuit 51, an analog-to-digital converter (AD converter) 52, and a digital-to-analog converter (
DA converter) 53, input/output section 54, and controller 5
It consists of 5. The controller 55 is CPt
156, +10M57, RAM 58, interface 59, and external interface 60. The CPU 56 of the III control circuit 50 is equipped with a timer (not shown). As shown in FIG. 6, the RAM 5B has a front-in front-out memory (F
TFO memory) 61 can now be realized. In this FIFO memo IJ61, when the signal strength ■[ is stored at time Li, the previously stored signal strength v1 becomes the signal strength vo. In addition to the program for realizing the control circuit 50, the ROM 57 also includes:
A predetermined reference value H is stored. This predetermined standard 4a
H is set slightly above the value at which reading becomes impossible, as shown in FIG. CPU56, RO157
According to the program, if the difference between the previous time and the current time is ΔT, and its slope is θ, then θ=(V, -V/Δ
T)...■, find θ, extend the slope θ, and calculate whether the extended line intersects a predetermined reference value H within a certain period T. There is.

The operation of the embodiment configured in this way will be explained.

FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram showing how the intensity of the read signal obtained by the read magnetic field decreases over time.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart shown to explain the operation of the embodiment.

When the control circuit 50 detects that a certain period of time (a certain day) has elapsed by the timer of the CPt 156 (step 200), the control circuit 50 reads the magnetic card 9 inserted into the mechanical part of the magnetic card reading/writing device M19. The signal bullet KV is read and temporarily stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 58 (step 201).

Further, the control circuit 50 reads out the read signal strength Vo from the oldest data of the FIFO memo IJ61, that is, 0 in FIG. The strength ■ is written into the FIFO memory 61 by the CPt 156 as the read signal strength Vi at time ti (step 203
).

Next, in the control circuit 50, the CPt156
Using the M57 program, if the difference between the previous time and the current time is ΔT, and its slope is θ, calculate θ-(V, -V/ΔT) in the following equation, which is the 0th equation above. θ is determined (step 204).

Next, in the control i11 circuit 50, the CPt156 extends the slope θ and performs calculation processing to determine whether the extended line intersects a predetermined reference value H within a certain period T (step 20
5) Then, in the control circuit 50, the CPU 56 calculates the first time difference ΔT as shown in FIG.
If it is determined that the extension line of the rotation θ does not intersect with the predetermined reference value H within the fixed period T (step 206), the process ends without doing anything. On the other hand, in the control circuit 50, CP
U56 does not issue an alarm when it is determined that the extension line of the slope θ intersects with a predetermined reference value H within a certain period T (step 206), as shown in the time difference T in FIG. 7, for example. Step 207), the process ends.

Note that, when it is determined by the timer of the CPU 56 that a certain period of time (a certain day) has not elapsed, the control circuit 50
Other processing is performed (step 210).

Since it operates in this way, it can be known that the magnetic card reading/writing device is becoming defective before it becomes unreadable.

[Effect of the invention J As described above, according to the present invention, the difference between the past read signal strength and the current read signal strength is calculated, and based on this difference, the fiJI area close to the unreadable area is detected within a predetermined period. Since it is possible to predict that the magnetic card reading/writing device will reach the desired state, it is possible to determine whether the magnetic card reading/writing device is defective depending on the state of use of the visual sense, and to notify the user of this fact.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vending machine to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a magnetic card used in the same embodiment, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the vending machine, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control circuit used in the magnetic card reading/writing device. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control circuit used in the magnetic card reading/writing device.
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing a FIFO memory, and FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram showing how the successive signal strength read by the reading magnetic field of the magnetic card reading/writing device decreases over time.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the same embodiment. 1... Vending machine, 19... Magnetic card reading/writing device, 50... Control circuit. Figure 1 Figure Figure 1:1 Unsettled and instigated Figure Proceedings (spontaneous) February 23, 1989 Patent Application No. 325417, filed in 1989 3゜ Person making the amendment 4゜

Claims (1)

[Claims] In addition to reading the information on the magnetic card obtained by paying in advance,
In a magnetic card reading/writing device that can write necessary information onto a magnetic card, the difference between the reading signal strength of the reading head a certain time ago and the current reading signal strength of the reading head is calculated to find the slope of the two. An alarm method for a magnetic card reading/writing device is characterized in that an alarm is issued when the extension line of the slope reaches a certain reference value within a predetermined period of time.