JPH044198A - Magnetic card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a punched hole to be detected even if the punched hole is closed with a material similar to a magnetic card to ensure the prevention of the forgery of the magnetic card by a method wherein a punching part provided on the magnetic card is divided into small sections each containing a punching position, and the small section is coated with inked having different optical characteristics. CONSTITUTION:In a magnetic card 1, a band-form magnetic recording area 2 on which data is magnetically recorded is provided in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic card 1 and a band-form punching part 3 to be punched as marks of frequency of use or the like is provided in parallel to the magnetic recording area 2. The punching part 3 is longitudinally divided into a plurality of small sections 31, which are corresponding to the punching position of punch hole 5. The hole 5 is punched within the small section 31. Since the surface of the small section 31 is coated with different two types of ink having the same reflectance in a visible light region and different reflectances in an infrared light region, the small section 31 can be discriminated as two types of parts by comparing the reflectances when the punching part 3 is irradiated with an infrared light. Thus, even if the punched hole is closed with a material similar to the magnetic card, the punched hole can be detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a magnetic card having punched holes as a marker for the number of uses, etc., and to prevent forgery and falsification of data.

[Prior Art] When using a magnetic card, it is a common practice to punch holes in the magnetic card as a means of providing simple visual information, such as a guideline for the number of remaining credits and remaining amount on a prepaid card such as a telephone cart. It is being done.

This punch hole is also used as a means to prevent counterfeiting of magnetic cards. Conventionally, this method involved checking the position of the punch hole using optical or magnetic means and comparing the position with the data content to confirm whether it had been forged or tampered with.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional method of optically detecting the position of a punch hole, the position of the punch hole cannot be detected simply by blocking it. It has not been possible to completely prevent counterfeiting of magnetic cards, as the counterfeiting of magnetic cards cannot be completely prevented by blocking the holes with a material having a .

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a magnetic card that can detect the punched hole even if the punched hole is covered with the same material as the magnetic card, and that can reliably prevent counterfeiting of the magnetic card. The purpose is to

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the invention of item 1 provides a belt-shaped punch hole that has a magnetic recording area for magnetically recording data and that punches a hole as a mark indicating the frequency. In a magnetic card having a perforated portion, the punched perforation portion has a plurality of continuous small sections along the longitudinal direction, and two types of ink having different optical properties are applied to each of the small sections according to a predetermined rule. It is characterized by being coated with

The invention set forth in item 2 is characterized in that, in the invention set forth in item 1, the two types of ink applied to each subdivision have mutually different reflectances of infrared rays.

The invention of item 3 is characterized in that in the invention of item 1, one of the two types of ink applied to each subdivision is an ultraviolet emitting ink.

The invention set forth in item 4 is characterized in that, in the invention set forth in item 1, two types of ink applied to each subdivision form a metamerism.

The invention set forth in item 5 is characterized in that, in the invention set forth in item 1, one of the two types of ink applied to each subdivision is a thermosensitive coloring ink.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the magnetic card of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the magnetic card l of this embodiment has a strip-shaped magnetic recording area 2 for magnetically recording data along the longitudinal direction of the magnetic card 1, and a strip-shaped magnetic recording area 2 with punched holes for marking the number of uses, etc. A punch hole portion 3 is provided in parallel to the magnetic recording area 2.

The punched hole portion 3 is divided into a plurality of small sections 31 along the longitudinal direction. This small section 31 is provided corresponding to the punching position of the punch hole 5, and therefore, the punch hole 5 is made in the small section 31 as shown in the figure.

The surface of the small section 31 is coated with two types of ink having the same reflectance in the visible light range and different reflectance in the infrared rays. As a result, although the subdivisions 31 cannot be visually identified under normal conditions, they can be identified as two types of divisions by irradiating the punched holes 3 with infrared rays and comparing the reflectances.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the punch hole detection device for the magnetic card 1 described above.

The punch hole detection device M4 includes an LED 41 as a light source that irradiates the punch hole portion 3 of the magnetic car 1''1 with infrared rays;
A light receiving sensor 42 as a light receiving part that receives infrared rays reflected by the punched hole part 3; a reflectance detection part 43 that detects the infrared reflectance of the punched part 3 from the light reception signal of the light receiving sensor 42; The apparatus includes a comparison section 44 that compares the detection signal of the section 43 with a predetermined normal signal pattern, and a pattern storage section 45 that stores the normal signal pattern.

Next, the operation of detecting the punched hole 5 by the punched hole detection device 4 and its effect will be explained. Note that, as shown in FIGS. 3(a), 3(b), and 3(c), the punched hole portion 3 is coated with ink having a different infrared reflectance for each subdivision 31 (in the figure, diagonal lines indicate (Indicates that the area is subsection 31 coated with ink with high infrared reflectance).

First, when the magnetic card 1 is inserted into the punch hole detection device 4, the LED 41 emits infrared rays and irradiates the punch hole portion 3 with the infrared rays. The light receiving sensor 42 receives the infrared rays reflected by the punched hole portion 3, and sends a light receiving signal to the reflectance detecting section 43. The 0 reflectance detecting section 43 calculates the reflectance of the infrared rays from the light receiving signal and calculates the reflectance as shown in the figure. It outputs an output signal whose size corresponds to the reflectance. At the punch hole 5, there is no reflection of the infrared rays, and the signal is lost as shown in FIG. 3(b).

The comparison section 44 compares this detection signal with a normal signal pattern previously stored in the pattern storage section 45, and it is detected from the comparison result whether the punched hole 5 is normal or not.

If the magnetic card 1 is counterfeited, even if the punch holes 5 are covered with the same material as the magnetic card 1, for example, the chips produced when punching the punch holes 5, the small section 31 where each punch hole 5 is located will be covered. If chips coated with the same ink are not used, a normal signal pattern cannot be restored due to the difference in infrared reflectance, and a counterfeit magnetic card will be determined. When the holes 5 are closed, the probability that the ink applied to the small section 31 and the chips in each punch hole 5 match is equal to 1, so the probability that a normal signal pattern can be restored is n, which is extremely small.

FIG. 3(C) shows an example in which the first and second punch holes 5a and 5b from the left among the punch holes 5 in FIG. 3(b) are closed with chips coated with inks different from the subdivisions, respectively. show.

As shown in the figure, the detection signal indicates that the reflectance at the position of the punched hole 5a is significantly lower than that of the surrounding subsection 31, and that the reflectance at the position of the punched hole 5b is significantly higher than that of the surrounding subsection 31. It shows. By comparing this detection signal with a normal signal pattern in the ratio s2 section 44, it can be detected that the punch holes 5a and 5b are blocked by foreign matter.

The punch hole detection device M4 described above may be used by being incorporated into a reading device for a magnetic card I, or may be used alone.

In this example, inks with different infrared reflectances were applied to the subdivisions 31 of the punched hole portion 3, and differences in infrared reflectance were detected. However, two types of inks with different optical characteristics were used. Other means may also be used. For example, one of the inks applied to the small section 31 may be an ultraviolet emitting ink (fluorescent ink, etc.) and the punched hole part 3 may be irradiated with ultraviolet light to detect the presence or absence of light emission, or two types of ink may be applied to the small section 31 to form metamerism. Alternatively, a color filter may be used to detect the difference. Alternatively, one of the inks applied to the subdivisions 31 may be a thermosensitive coloring ink, and the punched holes may be heated to a predetermined temperature to detect the difference.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention divides the punch hole provided in the magnetic card into subdivisions including the punch hole positions,
Since the small sections are painted with inks with different optical properties, even if the punch holes are plugged with the same material as the magnetic cart, the punch holes can be detected and the punch holes are blocked by inspecting the optical characteristics of the small sections. This has the effect of making it possible to detect whether the magnetic card has been stolen and preventing counterfeiting or tampering with the magnetic card.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a magnetic card according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the punch hole detection device for the magnetic card shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3(a) (b) 3(c) is a chart showing the punched hole portion of FIG. 1 and the detection result by the punched hole detection device of FIG. 2; FIG. 3(a) is a chart showing the state without punched holes; (
b) is a diagram showing a state in which a punch hole is made, and FIG. 3(C) is a diagram showing a state in which the punch hole is blocked with a foreign object. 1: Magnetic card 2: Magnetic recording area 3: Punch hole perforation section 4: Punch hole detection device and 5: Punch hole 31: Subdivision 41: LED 42: Light receiving sensor 43: Reflectance detection section 44: Comparison section 45: Pattern storage section

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In a magnetic card having a magnetic recording area for magnetically recording data and a band-shaped punched hole section for punching holes as marks indicating degrees, the punched hole section is arranged along the longitudinal direction. 1. A magnetic card comprising a plurality of consecutive small sections, each of which is coated with two types of ink having different optical properties according to a predetermined rule. (2) The magnetic card according to claim 1, wherein the two types of ink applied to each subdivision have mutually different infrared reflectances. (3) The magnetic card according to claim 1, wherein one of the two types of ink applied to each subdivision is an ultraviolet emitting ink. (4) The magnetic card according to claim 1, wherein the two types of ink applied to each subdivision form a metamerism. (5) The magnetic card according to claim 1, wherein one of the two types of ink applied to each subdivision is a thermosensitive coloring ink.