JPH0756667B2 - How to use the card - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of use] The present invention relates to a card usage method which is used as a coupon ticket, which decreases in value every time it is used for public telephones, shopping, etc.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional method of using this type of card is to record valuable information such as the amount of money on the magnetic layer of a magnetic card, and magnetically rewrite the remaining amount of information with a magnetic head each time the card is used. It was Since this method can record the amount of money information in fine units, it has an advantage that fine adjustments can be made. However, the magnetic card used in this case has a drawback in that the information is easily reproduced directly by a general technique, so that the card is easily forged and used. Further, since it is easy to rewrite the recorded information, there has been a drawback that it is easy to use because it has been tampered with, such as writing initial information before use or information advantageous to the user on a used magnetic card.

Further, as another conventional technique, there is a method in which valuable information such as money amount information is recorded on a card by a plurality of holograms, and the number of holograms corresponding to the amount of money used is erased with a laser beam for each use. This method has an advantage that it is difficult to tamper with the card because the amount information cannot be returned. However, in the technology for recording the amount of money information on the irreversible recording medium (hologram) itself, it is not possible to obtain a large number of holograms in order to provide an expensive card. Must correspond to. As a result, there is a drawback that fine grain settlement cannot be performed.

[Object of the Invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of using a forged card or a tampered card that can prevent the use of the card.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a card usage method in which it is difficult to use a counterfeit card and a tampered card and fine settlement is possible.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention records information A in an irreversible storage medium that can be changed by erasing and cannot be returned to the state before erasing by the device used by the card after erasing, The information B is recorded on a rewritable rewritable storage medium, and the value of a function F (A, B) having the irreversible information A and the reversible information B as variables is rewritten as the information C on the reversible storage medium. The information A, the information B, and the information C are reproduced from the recorded card, reference information R = F (A, B) is calculated from the reproduced information, and the reference information R and the reproduced information C are calculated. By comparing with, it is determined whether or not the card is correct and whether the card can be used within the range of the recorded information, and the information A before use of the card is determined according to the usage status of the card. New irreversible information by partially erasing 'Change to, prior to use information B and information C new information B', respectively is the use of the card, characterized in that rewriting in and information C '.

[Work]

In the present invention, the information A among the information recorded in a dispersed manner can be changed by erasing, but after erasing, the information is recorded on an irreversible recording medium which cannot be returned to the state before erasing by a device using a card. However, an arbitrary function value having this irreversible information A as one of the variables is used as collation information, and the card user cannot rewrite the information A to the state before the card is used and knows the function value. Since it is not obtained, it is possible to prevent unauthorized use such as forgery or falsification of the card. Further, since the amount information is recorded separately from the collation information in the card, and the amount information can be recorded in fine units, it is possible to make fine adjustments.

In the present invention, irreversible means that after the information A is partially erased and changed to the information A ′, the information A ′ is the information A before the card use or the information A even if the device used for the card use is abused. It means that the card cannot be rewritten in a more advantageous state than the card user.

〔Example〕

 The present invention will be described below with reference to examples.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention when a magnetic card is used. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the magnetic card 1 has a first recording magnetic layer 3, an intermediate layer 4, and a coercive force capable of magnetic recording on a substrate 2, The second recording magnetic layer 5 and the protective surface layer 6 have a coercive force smaller than the coercive force of the first recording magnetic layer 3 and are laminated in this order.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a part of a state in which information is recorded on the first recording magnetic layer 3 of the magnetic card 1. In the first recording magnetic layer 3, as the irreversible information A,
For example, the card usage information 11 is recorded in the form represented by the number of magnetic reversal bursts as shown in FIG. One magnetic reversal burst can be recorded in the form of many fine magnetic pole reversals as shown in FIG. 3, the intervals between the magnetic reversal bursts are appropriately opened, and the number of magnetic reversal bursts is 11 pieces. . In addition, as the information B, for example, the balance information 12 of the card is recorded in a certain portion of the second recording magnetic layer 5, and the irreversible information A and a function F (A, In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a reproducing head for reproducing the information 11 recorded on the first recording magnetic layer 3, in which B) is recorded as collation information 13 (information C).
The reproducing head 21 has a coil as shown in FIG. 4, for example.
An outer yoke 25 provided with a coil 24 is provided outside the inner yoke 23 provided with 22. The inner yoke 23 is the first
It is desirable that the information 11 in the recording magnetic layer 3 can be reproduced, but the magnetic field which is strong enough to write information therein cannot be generated. The outer yoke 25 is used for magnetically saturating the second recording magnetic layer 5 and, if necessary, the intermediate layer 4 when reproducing the irreversible information A of the first recording magnetic layer 3. It An erasing head 26 is a magnetic head which generates a strong magnetic field capable of erasing any magnetic reversal bar of the irreversible information A of the first recording magnetic layer 3. 27 is a record /
The reproducing head can generate a magnetic field sufficient to write information in the second recording magnetic layer 5 and reproduce the information in the second recording magnetic layer 5, but a magnetic reversal burst is generated in the first recording magnetic layer 3. It is a magnetic head that cannot generate a magnetic field strong enough for recording. 30 is a control unit. Reference numeral 31 is a reproducing circuit connected to the reproducing head 21, 32 is an erasing circuit connected to the erasing head 26, and 33 is a recording / reproducing circuit connected to the recording / reproducing head 27. The recording / reproducing circuit 33 comprises a reproducing circuit 34 and a recording circuit 35 connected to the recording / reproducing head 27. An arithmetic circuit 36 receives an irreversible information A from the reproducing circuit 31 and an information B from the reproducing circuit 34, and outputs a function F (A,
B) is calculated, and the output is sent to the comparison circuit 37 as reference information R = F (A, B). The comparison circuit 37 further includes a reproduction circuit 34.
From the information C = F (A, B), compares this with the reference information B, and sends the result to the control unit 30. 38 is another comparison circuit, which receives the used amount information V and the information B from the reproduction circuit 34, compares both the information, and sends the result to the control unit 30.
The irreversible information A from the reproducing circuit 31, the information B from the reproducing circuit 34, and the used amount information V are also input to the new information creating circuit 39, and new information B'and information C'from the new information creating circuit 39. Is sent to the recording circuit 34. Reference numeral 40 denotes a transfer control unit that controls a mechanical system such as card insertion, transfer, and delivery. 50
Shows a card transport mechanism schematically, 51 is a card insertion opening, 52 is a card outlet, 53 is a card insertion detector,
Reference numeral 54 is a card sending detector, and 55, 56 and 57 are drive mechanisms for carrying cards. The transport controller 40 is a card insertion detector
Detection signal from 53 and card sending detector 54 and control unit
The drive mechanisms 55 to 57 are controlled by receiving a control signal indicated by a dotted line from 30. Further, the control unit 30 controls each of the circuits 31 to 39 by a control signal indicated by a dotted line. The above-mentioned respective controls / calculations may be performed using a microprocessor.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. While the card 1 is being conveyed by the drive mechanisms 55 and 56, the reproducing circuit 31 is controlled to reproduce the irreversible usage status information 11 (information A) in the first recording magnetic layer 3 through the reproducing head 21 and also to record. By controlling the / reproducing circuit 33, the balance information 12 (information B) and the matching information 13 (information C) in the second recording magnetic layer 5 are reproduced through the recording / reproducing head 27. Then, the arithmetic circuit 36 receives the irreversible information A from the reproducing circuit 31 and the information B from the recording / reproducing circuit 33 as inputs,
Reference information R = F (A, B) based on a predetermined function F (A, B)
Is calculated and the calculation result is sent to the comparison circuit 37. The comparison circuit 31 receives the reference information R and the information C as inputs, compares the both information, and sends the result to the control unit 30. As a result, when the reference information R and the information C match, the control unit 30
In, the card 1 is judged to be correct. Then
The comparison circuit 38 receives the used amount information V and the information B as inputs, compares the both information, and sends the result to the control unit 30. If the used amount is smaller than the remaining amount, the control unit 30 determines that the card can be used, the control circuit 30 controls the erasing circuit 32, and the erasing head 26 causes a part of the irreversible information A indicating the usage state. It is erased and changed to irreversible information A'representing a new usage situation. This change is made, for example, by erasing one of the magnetic reversal bursts with erase head 26.

As described above, when it is determined that the card is correct and the used amount is within the remaining amount, the new information creating circuit 39 subtracts the used amount from the recorded remaining amount to create new remaining amount information B '.
Is created. Then, the new balance information B'is written through the recording circuit 35 and the recording / reproducing head 27 in a form in which the balance information B is rewritten at the place where the balance information B is recorded. Further, the new information creating circuit 39 creates new matching information C '= F (A, B) based on the new balance information B'and the irreversible information A'representing the new usage status. Then, the new collation information C'is recorded in the recording circuit 35 and the recording / reproducing head 27.
Through, the collation information C is written in the place where the collation information C is recorded. In the comparison circuit 37, when the reference information R and the collation information C do not match,
The control unit 30 controls the transfer control unit 40 to transfer the card.
50 Dispose outside or collect card. Also comparison circuit
In 38, when the used amount exceeds the remaining amount, the control unit 30 similarly ejects the card to the outside of the transport mechanism 50.

Here, a brief description will be given of the irreversible change of the information A indicating the usage status. The irreversible information A indicating the utilization status is changed by reversing one magnetic reversal burst in the first recording magnetic layer 3 by passing, for example, a direct current to the coil of the erasing head 26 for a required time. A single magnetic reversal burst can be erased as it is lost. As a result, the irreversible information A representing the usage status is changed to the irreversible information A ′ (eg, A ′ = A−1) representing the new usage status. The erasing head 26 and the recording / reproducing head 27 are installed on the same base, and the second recording magnetic layer 5
If either the information B or the information C in the first recording magnetic layer 3 is recorded by the FM recording method including the synchronization bit, the timing for erasing from the information B or the information C can be accurately obtained. One of the magnetic reversal bursts can be erased.

Further, as for the erasing head 26, it is desirable that the tip end portion of the magnetic core is processed into an arc shape as shown in the drawing. With the erasing head 26 whose tip is processed into an arc shape, it is not possible to record the reversal of the thin magnetic poles of the magnetic reversal burst that can be reproduced by the reproducing head, so even if the card supply device itself is stolen, the erasure in the device will be erased. The head 26 cannot be used to forge or tamper with the card.

Further, in the present invention, since the magnetic layer made of a soft magnetic material having a small coercive force is used for the intermediate layer 4, the irreversible information A in the first recording magnetic layer 3 can be magnetically shielded. It will be almost impossible to directly reproduce by using general technology. Further, in the present invention, valuable information is dispersed in the first recording magnetic layer 3 and the second recording magnetic layer 5, and as described above, the irreversible information A which is almost impossible to be directly reproduced by the general technique. The collation information C = F (A, B) having the information B as a variable is used. Therefore, even if the information in the second recording magnetic layer 5 is falsified into the information B ″ and / or the information C ″, it is calculated from the falsification information B ″ when the card is used and the irreversible information A which cannot be falsified. The reference information R is F (A, B), which is different from the recorded collation information C = F (A ″, B ″), so that the unauthorized use of the tampering card can be prevented.

In the above embodiment, the usage information is recorded as the irreversible information A of the first recording magnetic layer 3, and the irreversible information A is recorded.
Although the example in which is changed each time the card is used has been described, the irreversible information A may be changed each time the value information such as the remaining amount falls below a predetermined value without necessarily changing the value each time the card is used.

Also, high-value information is recorded as the irreversible information A, and information B is recorded.
You may record low-price information as.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the usage status information is recorded as the irreversible information A in the first recording magnetic layer 3, but the random number X may be recorded as the irreversible information A. In this case, the irreversible change of the information A is completed by erasing a part of the random number X by the erasing head 26 each time it is used or each time a predetermined condition is satisfied. As a result, a new random number X'is stored as new irreversible information A'in the first recording magnetic layer 3. Forgery or falsification of a card using such random numbers is difficult for the same reason as in the above-described embodiment. Further, in this modification, a random number different for each card is recorded as the irreversible information A. This makes it more difficult to tamper with the card. That is, the information B and the information C of the card having the random number X as the irreversible information A are decrypted and recorded on the second recording magnetic layer 5 of another card having the other random number Y as the irreversible information A. Also, the reference information R calculated when the card of random number Y is used is F
Since the information C is (A, Y) and the falsified information C is F (A, X), it is possible to determine the unauthorized use of the card.

In the embodiment described above, the magnetic card used has the structure shown in FIG. 2, but as shown in FIG. 6, the second recording magnetic layer 5 having the structure shown in FIG. A magnetic shield layer 7 made of a soft magnetic material having a small coercive force
You may use what was equipped with. In this case, it goes without saying that the magnetic shielding layer 7 may be further provided with a protective surface layer 6. Similar to FIG. 2, the intermediate layer 3 in the structure of FIG. 6 may be a magnetic layer made of a soft magnetic material having a small coercive force. When reproducing the information B and C in the second recording magnetic layer 5 of the magnetic card 1'having the structure shown in FIG. 6, it is necessary to saturate the magnetism of the magnetic shield layer 7. As shown in FIG. 7, a dual structure recording / reproducing head 61 similar to that in FIG. 4 must be used. coil
The inner yoke 63 provided with 62 can generate a magnetic field enough to write information in the second recording magnetic layer 5 and can reproduce information in the second recording magnetic layer 5, but the first recording magnetic layer Layer 3
It is not possible to generate a magnetic field strong enough to record a magnetic reversal burst. The outer yoke 65 provided on the outside of the inner yoke 63 and provided with the coil 64 serves to magnetically saturate the magnetic shield layer 7 when reproducing the information B and the information C of the second recording magnetic layer 5. use. In the magnetic card 1'having the structure shown in FIG. 6, since all valuable information (information A, B and C) is covered by the magnetic shield layers 3 and 7 having a small coercive force,
Compared with the magnetic card 1 of FIG. 2, it is more difficult to forge or falsify, and it is possible to prevent unauthorized use of the card.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the example in which the irreversible information A is recorded in the first recording magnetic layer 3 so that the information cannot be easily rewritten has been described. However, in the irreversible recording medium such as a hologram. The information A may be recorded.

Further, without recording the collation information C on the second recording magnetic layer 5,
A nonvolatile reversible recording medium such as a rewritable programmable read-only memory may be recorded.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to change the information A such as the usage status information by erasing, but after erasing, it is not possible to restore the information or rewrite it to information advantageous to the card user. A reversible recording medium is recorded, and amount information (information B) such as the balance is recorded on a rewritable reversible recording medium, and a function F (A, B) having irreversible information A and reversible information B as variables Is recorded on a rewritable rewritable recording medium as the information C, reference information R = F (A, B) is calculated from the information A and the information B reproduced when the card is used,
Since the reference information is collated with the reproduced information C, it is possible to prevent unauthorized tampering of the information A and the information B, and to use the information B as a reciprocal ticket each time the card is used. In this case, it is possible to prevent fraud in which the information before using the card is read and the information read after using the card rewrites the card to the state before using the card. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to construct a system that enables fine-tuned settlement and has an extremely high fraud prevention effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a cross section of an example of a card used in the present invention, and FIG. 3 is recorded on the first recording magnetic layer of the card of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing one of the magnetic reversal bursts, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one structural example of a reproducing head used in the present invention, and FIG. 5 is for explaining the operation of FIG. 1 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a structural example of another card used in the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a structural example of a recording / reproducing head used in the present invention. 1 ... Card, 2 ... Substrate, 3 ... First recording magnetic layer,
4 ... intermediate layer, 5 ... second recording magnetic layer, 6 ... surface layer, 7 ... magnetic shielding layer, 21 ... reproducing head, 26 ... erasing head, 27 ... recording / reproducing Head, 30 ... Control unit, 40 ... Transport control unit, 50 ... Transport mechanism.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G07F 7/08 G11B 5/02 Z 7426-5D G07F 7/08 L

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A reversible recording medium in which information A can be rewritten and recorded on an irreversible recording medium that can be changed by erasing and cannot be returned to the state before erasing by an apparatus used for a card after erasing. The information B is recorded on the card, and the value of the function F (A, B) having the irreversible information A and the reversible information B as variables is recorded as the information C on the reversible recording medium. Information A, Information B
And the information C is reproduced, a function F (A, B) having the reproduced information A and the reproduced information B as variables is calculated, and this is referred to as reference information R = F (A, B). The reference information R and the reproduced information C are collated to determine whether or not the card is correct, and it is determined whether or not the card can be used within the range of the recorded information. The information A before use of the card is partially erased to be changed to new irreversible information A'according to the use status of the card, and the information B before use and the information C are used as new information B respectively. 'And the information C'are rewritten into a card usage method. 2. The change from the information A to the information A'is
The method is performed every time the information B changes or when the information B falls below a predetermined value.
How to use the card described in paragraph. 3. The irreversible recording medium is a first recording magnetic layer having a recordable coercive force, and the information B and the information C are recorded in different locations on the same reversible recording medium, The reversible recording medium is a second recording magnetic layer having a coercive force smaller than that of the first recording magnetic layer,
The card has a first recording magnetic layer, an intermediate layer made of a soft magnetic material having a small coercive force, a second magnetic layer for recording and a magnetic shielding layer made of a soft magnetic material having a small coercive force laminated in this order on a substrate. The method of using a card according to claim 1, wherein the card has a structured structure. 4. When reproducing the information A, a reproducing head capable of reproducing the information in the first recording magnetic layer but not capable of generating a magnetic field in the first recording magnetic layer to record the information. When reproducing the information B and the information C and writing the information B ′ and the information C ′, it is possible to record and reproduce the information in the second recording magnetic layer. A recording / reproducing head that cannot generate a magnetic field sufficient to record information is used in the magnetic layer, and an erasing head is used when changing to the information A '. How to use the card described in item 3. 5. The information A is a plurality of magnetic reversal bursts, and the change from the information A to the information A ′ is performed by erasing one of the magnetic reversal bursts. The method of using the card according to the fourth section. 6. The card using method according to claim 5, wherein the erasing head has a shape such that the reversal of the thin magnetic poles of the magnetic reversal burst cannot be recorded. 7. The card use method according to claim 6, wherein the timing for changing the information A to the information A ′ is obtained from at least one of the information B and the information C. 8. The card using method according to claim 1, wherein the information A is a random number.