JPH0499698A - Non-contact type ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the trouble due to jamming by adding a code for discriminating the kind of an IC card to the call signal for the start of data exchange from the machinery using the data in the IC card and confirming said code by the card to respond to the data only when the code is judged to be the call-out signal to oneself. CONSTITUTION:A receiving antenna 9, a transmitting antenna 10, a code check part 11, a response forming part 12 and a battery 13 are provided. When the signal from external machinery is received through the receiving antenna 9, the code check part 11 is operated to decode and check the code contained in a call-out signal. This check is executed within a real time while the call-out signal is received or executed after the code is once written on the memory in the code check part 11 after encoding. When the code corresponds to a card as the result of check, the code check part 11 sends a signal to a response forming part 12 to start said part 12 and the response forming part 12 uses the transmitting antenna 10 and the receiving antenna 9 to perform the exchange of data with external machinery to carry out necessary processing.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides an IC card, which is held by a moving body such as a human being or a machine and is capable of recording various information, and which reads out the information recorded by the IC card and uses it as needed. It relates to various devices that perform various processing and systems that exchange information using non-contact means such as radio waves, light, and sound waves.

[Prior art and its problems]

In systems using conventional non-contact IC cards (hereinafter referred to as cards) that use radio waves, light, sound waves, etc. (hereinafter referred to as radio waves, etc.), as a means of instructing the card to transmit the information it holds, The system sends a signal at a specific frequency, and when the card receives it, the card's circuitry activates, generates the radio waves necessary for the response, and sends out the necessary information. Depending on the card system, some cards simply return the transmitted radio waves and use them to modulate the information they hold. In either case, if it detects radio waves of the frequency it is using, it will start transmitting unconditionally, so if there are multiple cards with the same function, interference will occur. Exchange of information will not go smoothly.

For example, when holding such a card as a commuter pass for a transportation facility, it is normal to have multiple commuter passes for multiple transportation facilities. Although it is conceivable to record information on the regular routes of multiple modes of transportation on a single commuter pass, it is not always possible to do so. One option is to change frequencies depending on the system or company being used, but frequency resources are also limited.
There is also the issue of where and which frequency should be assigned. Also, due to the loss of card compatibility, the cost is high [
also occurs.

[Means for solving problems]

The above problem can be solved by the following method.

The first method is to provide a part that performs a function to determine whether the signal is for itself when the card receives a signal, rather than automatically returning a response. Only when it is determined that there is a part, the function of the entire card is activated. In order to achieve this, the radio waves etc. that call out to the card are modulated and a code designating the card is placed thereon. When the card receives the interrogation signal, it first extracts the code on it. Other circuits are activated only when the code corresponds to the card. The operation of checking this code can be carried out in real time while receiving signals from the outside, and the card does not need to have a data writing function. Of course, the code may be written into the internal memory and then checked.

In the second method, the entire card is activated at the first signal, but
Before returning a response to the outside, it first determines whether the calling signal is for itself, sends out a response signal only when necessary, and otherwise returns to the dormant state. .

In any of the above methods, if the code does not correspond to your own, the above operation will just be repeated even if you repeatedly receive the interrogation signal, and a card that does not need to output information may not be operating from the outside. is the same as

[Effect]

According to this method, even if you hold multiple cards of the same type, when you bring the card to a position where data can be exchanged with the device that uses it, you can select only a specific card and use the other cards. There is no need to take precautions to prevent devices from being able to exchange data. If you bring the case that holds the card (such as a commuter pass holder) to a device, only the cards required by that device will react and perform the necessary processing, and other cards will not be exposed to the outside. Since it does not have any effect, problems such as interference do not occur.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows, as an example of a system according to the invention, a gate that uses information recorded on a card to determine whether the holder is allowed to pass through it. It is assumed that radio waves are used for communication. When a person approaches gate 1, he shows card 5 to gate 1. Or, depending on the usage of radio waves, it may be sufficient to hold it at least 50% of the body. The gate 1 sends out an interrogation signal 7 via the antenna 2, and when the card 5 enters the range where it can receive it, it sends out a response signal 8, and the information is transmitted via the antenna 2 to the information processing mechanism 3 of the gate 1. (In this figure, the antenna at the gate is used for both transmission and reception, but separate antennas may be used for each.) It is determined whether or not the person can pass, and if necessary, the person is blocked using the passage blocking bar 4. If this gate 1 is a ticket gate for a public transportation facility, the card 5 is usually placed in a commuter pass or the like, and there is a good possibility that the same type of card 6 is also held therein.

If the cards 5 and 6 return response signals 8 at the same time, interference will naturally occur and communication will become impossible. Usually there is only one card that has information corresponding to gate 10, and in this case it is card 5. The signal from the gate 1 includes a code corresponding to the type of card to which the card 5 belongs, and as a result of obtaining the code, the card 5 returns a response signal 8, but the card 6 does not. As a result, the holders of cards 5 and 6 do not need to select and present their cards, but only need to present their commuter pass holders as they are. This situation is the same even when the number of cards increases to three or more. Also, in this example, it is assumed that the person holding the card is a person, but the system to which this method can be applied is not limited to a person, but may be any machine, as long as it has the same functions as the one that supports the card. , it does not need to be thin and small like a card. Furthermore, the machine that uses the card information is not fixed, but may be movable.

Checking the code in the first interrogation signal from the card gate is done in the following manner.

FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of a card based on the first method of the present invention. Receiving antenna 9, transmitting antenna 1
0 (which may be the same as the receiving antenna 9), a code check section 11, a response generation section 12, and a battery 13.

When a signal from an external device is received via the receiving antenna 9, the code check section 11 operates according to the signal.
Decipher and check the code included in the calling signal.

This checking operation is performed in real time while receiving the interrogation signal, or the code checking section 1
] is written to the memory ζ and executed. As a result of the check, if the code corresponds to the card,
The code check section 11 sends a signal to the response generation section 12 to activate it, and the response generation section 12 then uses the transmission antenna IO1 and the reception antenna 9 to exchange data with external equipment and perform necessary processing.

FIG. 3 shows the internal configuration of a card based on the second method of this system, in which the receiving antenna 14, the transmitting antenna 15
(may be the same as the receiving antenna 14), information processing section 16
, has a battery 17. When an interrogation signal from an external device is received via the receiving antenna, the information processing section 16 is activated by the signal. The information processing unit 16 first decodes the card identification code contained therein, takes it into the unit, and checks it.

If the code corresponds to that card, data is exchanged with external equipment using the transmitting antenna 15 and receiving antenna 14, and necessary processing is performed.

Although all of the above cards include batteries, the same applies to cards that operate by obtaining power from radio waves received from the outside, and that part can be replaced with a circuit that generates an 'i4 source from radio waves.

[Effects of the present invention]

According to the present invention, when IC cards that use radio waves etc. are widely used in various fields, even if the cards use the same system, the card side can be changed depending on the purpose of use and the place of use. Since it can identify whether the signal is for itself and send the information, it can be used without worrying about interference. As a result, the same type of card can be used in various fields and places, and even if you have multiple cards at the same time,
This saves the effort of identifying and taking out the card corresponding to the location. Furthermore, by increasing the number of cards of the same type used, the cost of the system can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 shows a cart and equipment using it in a system based on the present invention, Figure 2 shows the internal configuration of a card according to the first method in the text, and Figure 3 shows the internal configuration of a card according to the second method. FIG. 1 is a gate used in an example of a system based on the present invention; 2
(The antenna attached to gate 1, 3 is the information processing mechanism of gate 1, and 4 is the passage blocking bar attached to gate 1.)
5 is a card used in the system based on the present invention,
6 is a card used in the system based on the present invention and does not correspond to gate 1;
7 is the interrogation signal from the gate 1, 8 is the response signal from the card, 9 is the reception antenna of the card according to the first method,
10 is a transmission antenna of the card according to the first method, 11 is a code check section of the card according to the first method, and 12 is a first transmission antenna of the card.
13 is the battery of the card according to the first method; 14 is the receiving antenna of the card according to the second method; 15 is the transmitting antenna of the card according to the second method; 16 is the second method. Card information processing unit by
7. Card battery according to the second method.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An IC card that can exchange information by contactless communication means using radio waves, light, sound waves, etc., and a call from a device that uses the information in the IC card to start data exchange using radio waves, light, sound waves, etc. A code is added to the signal to identify the card type, and the card recognizes the code.
By responding only when it determines that the signal is a call signal for itself, it prevents failures due to interference, etc. when multiple IC cards for different purposes using the same communication method are present in a position where data can be exchanged at the same time. Contactless IC card