JPH0522951B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an information recording medium, and is particularly suitable for recording information that can be easily read by a machine on a valuable ticket such as a gift certificate or gift certificate. It is something.

[Conventional technology]

This type of information recording medium is used to allow gift certificates, gift certificates, etc. to be used in vending machines, but due to its nature, it is desirable to prevent forgery and to be able to read information reliably and easily. It will be done.

Furthermore, when recording information on an information recording medium, it is known to record information using a strobe signal 11 and a data signal 12, as shown in FIG. That is, as the strobe signal 11, lines (shaded areas) are printed at equal intervals, and as the data signal 12, this strobe signal 11
Whether each bit of information is ``1'' or ``0'' is recorded depending on whether or not a similar line is printed in the area corresponding to the line.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, when information is recorded in this way, the signal format is relatively simple, so there is a problem that it is easy to forge.Furthermore, in the reading device, the width of the information recording medium is slightly wider than the width of the information recording medium. The information is read while being conveyed along the guide plate of the medium, but there is a possibility that the medium enters diagonally due to the play between the medium and the guide plate, and as shown in FIG. If the recording positions of the bits match with respect to the transport direction, it becomes uncertain which of the bits (lines) of the strobe signal 11 and the bits (lines) of the data signal 12 will be detected first. Therefore, there is also the disadvantage that the information reading process becomes complicated.

Also, when inserting gift certificates into a vending machine, it would be inconvenient if the insertion direction is fixed, so it should be accepted no matter which direction it is inserted (at least when it is inserted in the so-called two-way direction). It is hoped that Therefore, it is necessary to easily distinguish and detect strobe signals and data signals with a simple configuration even if the insertion directions are different.

In view of the above points, the present invention provides that each bit signal of a strobe signal is generated before each bit signal of a data signal at a corresponding position even when there is a positional deviation from the signal detection sensor or when the insertion direction is different. An object of the present invention is to provide an information recording medium that can be detected and read information easily and reliably.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a strobe signal 21 which is a rectangular medium and is composed of a series of bit signals having a predetermined space C between them.
The strobe signal recording band 210 on which the strobe signal 21 is recorded and the data signal recording band 220 on which the data signal 22 indicating predetermined information depending on the presence or absence of a bit signal at a longitudinal position corresponding to each bit signal of the strobe signal 21 are recorded are In an information recording medium provided at positions symmetrical to each other along the center line of the direction, each bit signal of the strobe signal 21 is divided into a plurality of N bit signals having a space B shorter than a space C between each bit signal. The bit signal of the data signal 22 is transmitted to each space B between each line of the 1-bit signal of the strobe signal 21.
It is characterized by being constituted by a plurality of N-1 lines provided at longitudinal positions corresponding to .

[Operation] In the present invention, each bit signal of the strobe signal is composed of a plurality of N lines, and the bit signal of the data signal is arranged in the longitudinal direction corresponding to each space between each line of the 1-bit signal of the strobe signal. Since it is composed of a plurality of N-1 lines provided at different positions,
The lines at both ends of each bit signal of the strobe signal are located outside the bit signal line of the corresponding data signal in the longitudinal direction.

Therefore, when detecting signals by scanning a strobe signal recording band and a data signal recording band with a pair of sensors, even if the insertion direction (scanning direction) is different, there may be some positional deviation with the sensor. Even if the line at one end of each bit signal of the strobe signal is scanned by the sensor before the line of the bit signal of the corresponding data signal, each bit signal of the strobe signal is scanned by the sensor before each bit signal of the data signal at the corresponding position. It will be detected.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing details of a signal format in an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the strobe signal 21
1 bit is constructed using three lines (the shaded part), and the width of the space between these lines B is
and the width C of the space between the adjacent bit line.
is wider. Regarding the data signal 22, lines (shaded areas) are provided at positions corresponding to the two spaces between the three lines of the strobe signal 21 only when the bit of the data to be recorded is "1". , one bit is constructed using two lines.

In addition, these lines are printed using magnetic ink, and the width (length) of the line or space is A, B, D,
To give an example of C, D, E, and F, A=B=
It is preferable to set C/5=0.15mm, D=E=2mm, and F=12mm.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a beer gift certificate. In the figure,
The length of the short side of the beer gift certificate 200 is made to match the nominal size of a 1,000 yen banknote of the Bank of Japan. This is a beer gift certificate 2 using a banknote recognition machine.
This is effective for reading information recorded in 00. In this beer gift certificate 200, a strobe signal recording band 210 and a data signal recording band 220 are provided in parallel and symmetrical positions along the longitudinal center line. Then, lines are printed on these recording bands using magnetic ink in accordance with the recorded information in the signal format shown in FIG. In order to prevent forgery, it is preferable to cover these signal recording bands 210 and 220 with silver ink or the like.

3 and 4 show an embodiment in which a banknote validator is used as a reading device for reading information on the beer gift certificate 200 shown in FIG.
They are a side view and a top view, respectively. In the figure, since the basic configuration is the same as that of a well-known banknote validator, detailed explanation is omitted, but this banknote validator 1
00, magnetic sensors 103A and 103 are installed at positions corresponding to the strobe signal recording band 210 and data signal recording band 220 of the beer gift certificate 200.
B is provided. Then, the beer gift certificate 200 is inserted through the insertion slot 101, and the entrance sensor 10
2, the conveyor belt 104 is driven by a conveyor motor (not shown) and the inserted beer gift certificate 200 is conveyed inside. At this time, a strobe signal and a data signal are detected by magnetic sensors 103A and 103B.
At this time, in FIG. 2, if the right side of the beer gift certificate 200 is inserted first, the strobe signal is detected by the magnetic sensor 103A, and the data signal is detected by the magnetic sensor 103B. . The opposite is true if the left side is inserted first.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a main part of the control circuit of the banknote validator (reading device) 100 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. In the figure, 105A and B are constant current circuits, 106A and B are amplifier circuits, and 107
A and B are waveform shaping circuits, and 108 is a microprocessor. And in this control circuit,
Information reading processing is performed as follows.

First, the beer gift certificate 200 is sent to the entrance sensor 10.
After detecting with step 2 and starting conveyance, the magnetic sensor 10
It is determined which of the signals (lines) 3A and 103B is detected first, and the one detected first is recognized as the strobe signal, and subsequent processing is performed. Then, after the strobe signal line is detected, it is checked whether the data signal line is detected. By repeating this operation, when three strobe signal lines are detected, it is determined that one bit has ended, and if two data signal lines are detected during this period, it is judged as "1", and if none are detected, it is judged as "1". The case is determined as "0", and the other cases are determined as fake. still,
In order to determine the delimitation of one bit, it is preferable to also detect the difference between the width B and the width C of the space in FIG. In this way, read one bit at a time, and finish reading all bits (this can be done by determining the total number of bits in advance and counting the number of detected bits, or by detecting the length of the space, or when the beer ticket has finished passing). (This can be easily detected by detecting a
If so, the information (amount, etc.) read as genuine is output to the vending machine itself. In addition, if it is a fake, the conveyance motor (not shown) is reversed and the inserted beer gift certificate 200 is inserted into the insertion slot 101.
Return it to.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention as described above, each bit signal of the strobe signal is composed of a plurality of N lines, and the bit signal of the data signal is made to correspond to each space between each line of the 1-bit signal of the strobe signal. By constructing a plurality of N-1 lines provided at longitudinal positions, each bit signal of the strobe signal can be detected by scanning a strobe signal recording band and a data signal recording band with a pair of sensors. The line at one end is scanned before the bit signal line of the corresponding data signal, and each bit signal of the strobe signal is detected before each bit signal of the data signal at the corresponding position. It becomes easier to deal with cases where there is a positional deviation with the sensor or where the insertion direction is different, and information can be read easily and reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing details of a signal format according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a beer gift certificate, and FIGS.
The figures are a side view and a top view, respectively, showing an embodiment in which a banknote validator is used as a reading device for reading beer gift certificates. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a conventional signal format. 21... Strobe signal, 22... Data signal, 200... Beer gift certificate, 210... Strobe signal recording band, 220... Data signal recording band.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A strobe signal recording band 2, which is a rectangular medium, on which a strobe signal 21 consisting of a series of bit signals with a predetermined space C between them is recorded.
10 and a data signal recording band 220 in which a data signal 22 indicating predetermined information is recorded depending on the presence or absence of a bit signal at a position in the longitudinal direction corresponding to each bit signal of the strobe signal 21 are mutually aligned along the center line in the longitudinal direction. In the information recording medium provided at symmetrical positions, each bit signal of the strobe signal 21 is constituted by a plurality of N lines having a space B shorter than the space C between the respective bit signals, and Information characterized in that the bit signal of the data signal 22 is constituted by a plurality of N-1 lines provided at longitudinal positions corresponding to the spaces B between the lines of the 1-bit signal of the strobe signal 21. recoding media.