JPH085266B2 - Combination of IC card and reader / writer - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an IC card in which a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is incorporated in a card or the like to retain memory and arithmetic functions,
In particular, the present invention relates to a combination of an IC card and a reader / writer for proper positioning with respect to a reader / writer that electrically connects to the IC card to read and write information on the IC card.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, IC cards in which an IC having the functions of a memory and a CPU is built in and configured into a card shape are widely used. Generally, in this IC card, as means for reading and writing data, electric contacts of the IC are provided on the outer surface of the card, and power is supplied to the IC card and data signals are exchanged by contacting these electric contacts. A reader / writer configured as described above is used.

The use of this type of IC card has been expanded with the increase in memory capacity, and it can be used not only as various business cards for personal use, but also as a memory medium for program control systems in various industries easily and effectively. It's being used. Since the frequency of use of such IC cards is increasing and the environment in which they are used is also susceptible to external contamination and damage, it is necessary to deteriorate the electrical contacts and transfer appropriate data signals. There is a difficulty that you cannot do it.

From such a viewpoint, a field for vibration energy due to high-frequency electromagnetic fields or ultrasonic waves is provided in the space, and the energy in this field is absorbed and rectified to form a DC power source, so that the built-in battery in the IC card or the power supply contact is By using a coupler such as an antenna or a coil for exchanging various data signals with the reader / writer and burying this coupler in a proper place of the I card, it is exposed to the outside of the IC card. An IC card system has been proposed in which all the electrical contacts are omitted and the electrical connection between the IC card and the reader / writer is made non-contact (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-154082).

In order to efficiently supply power to the IC card and input data signals when coupling the IC card that employs such a non-contact coupling method with the reader / writer, the coupler and reader / writer provided in the IC card should be used. It is desired that the position alignment with the coupler provided at the position is performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

Therefore, when the IC card that adopts such a non-contact coupling method and the reader / writer are coupled, the IC card is inserted in the proper state with respect to the reader / writer, so that the front and back of the IC card and the insertion direction can be discriminated. Printed on the IC card,
On the other hand, it is possible to employ means such as an insertion position defining frame for properly positioning the IC card on the reader / writer side.

However, as described above, even if the IC card has a print indication for proper insertion into the reader / writer, improper insertion may be performed due to a mistake made by the operator. It is necessary for the reader / writer to have a means for determining the proper positioning of the IC card. Further, the reader / writer is provided with means for determining this state and fixing and holding the IC card immovably only when the IC card is in the proper positioning state. It is necessary to exchange data signals. Therefore, these discriminating means and fixed holding means must have a complicated structure using electrical, mechanical or optical means, etc., and as a result, the manufacturing cost of the reader / writer increases significantly. .

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to further simplify the identification for the IC card reader / writer to always insert the IC card in a proper fixed direction, and to position the IC card at the proper insertion position. Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure of an IC card and a combination of the IC card and a reader / writer that can smoothly and easily achieve the fixing and holding.

[Means for solving the problem]

The combination of the IC card and the reader / writer according to the first invention of the present application has a notch (20) for detecting a proper insertion state with respect to the reader / writer at one longitudinal edge of the IC card (10). An IC card provided, a board (44) having a coupler for exchanging signals with the IC card (10) and guiding and inserting the IC card to a predetermined position in the coupler, and a board (44) on the board. Fixed protective lid (46)
And a slide plate (54) which is engaged with the tip of the IC card to advance to a predetermined position together with the IC card and has a return elasticity on the upper surface of the cover plate, and the cover plate and one side edge of the slide plate. The cut-out portion (62) and the cut-out stepped portion (70), which are positioned so as to correspond to the cutout portion (20) provided in the IC card when the IC card reaches a predetermined position, are cut off the lid plate. A lever member (68) having a lock pin (66) elastically abutting on one side edge portion of the slide plate in the returned state is provided corresponding to the section, and a lever member (68) which can be returned is provided. An IC card mounting unit is provided with an interlocking operation member (76) and a switch (78) which is turned on by this operation member to start the operation of the reader / writer when the IC card reaches a predetermined position on the substrate. Characterized by comprising a reader / writer provided And

In addition, the combination of the IC card and the reader / writer according to the second invention of the present application is a notch for detecting a proper insertion state with respect to the reader / writer at asymmetrical positions on both side edges of the IC card (10) in the longitudinal direction. Part I (20,22)
A card (C) and a board (44) having a coupler for exchanging signals with the IC card (10) for guiding the IC card to a predetermined position through the coupler, and a protection fixed on the board. Cover plate (46)
And a slide plate (54) which is engaged with the tip of the IC card to advance to a predetermined position together with the IC card and has a return elasticity on the upper surface of the cover plate, and the cover plate and one side edge of the slide plate. The IC card is provided with a cutout portion (62) and a cutout step portion (70) which correspond to one cutout portion (20) provided in the IC card when the IC card reaches a predetermined position,
A lever member (68) capable of returning is provided which has a lock pin (66) elastically abutting on one side edge of the slide plate in the return state corresponding to the cutout portion of the cover plate. An operating member (76) interlocking with this is provided in the section, and a switch (78) is provided which starts an operation of the reader / writer by turning on when the IC card reaches a predetermined position of the board by the operating member, The other side edge of the plate is provided with a cutout portion (84) positioned so as to correspond to the other cutout portion (22) provided in the IC card when the IC card reaches a predetermined position, and further the cutout portion (84). ) Is provided with a return elastic force, and an extension (94) of the slide plate (54) is brought into contact with a part of the lock lever as the slide plate (54) advances, and the cut portion is removed. The IC card mounting part configured to fit into (84) Characterized in that it consists of a reader-writer that Bei.

[Action]

In the combination of the IC card and the reader / writer according to the present invention, the IC card applied thereto has a notch at one side edge parallel to the longitudinal direction, that is, the loading direction to the reader / writer. It is possible to determine the proper insertion state of the IC card from its outer shape by the position of, and even if it is mistakenly inserted into the reader / writer, it is not fixed and held in the predetermined position of the reader / writer, but fixed only in the proper insertion state The holding mechanism can be easily configured. In addition, by providing notches at the asymmetrical positions on both side edges of the IC card, one leading notch at the time of erroneous insertion into the reader / writer prevents insertion to a predetermined position, and malfunction of the reader / writer. Can be reliably prevented.

Then, the reader / writer to which the IC card according to the present invention is attached is such that the IC card is inserted in an appropriate state by a lever member having a slide plate that moves forward together with the IC card to a predetermined position and a lock pin that interlocks with the slide plate. In this case, the cutout portion and the lock pin are fitted to each other, so that the IC card can be securely held by a simple mechanical structure.

Further, for the above-mentioned IC card having a plurality of cutouts, a lock lever is provided for one of the preceding cutouts, and the lock lever is configured to engage with a part of the slide plate. When the card is inserted in the proper state, the lock lever fits into the notch and can be securely inserted to the predetermined position. It is possible to reliably prevent the malfunction of the reader / writer due to the incorrect insertion of the IC card.

In this way, by combining the IC card according to the present invention with a reader / writer suitable for the IC card, it is possible to prevent a malfunction due to an erroneous operation when the IC card is used, and achieve smooth utilization of the system.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of a combination of an IC card and a reader / writer according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an embodiment of an IC card applied to a combination of the IC card and the reader / writer according to the present invention. 1 and 2, reference numerals
Reference numeral 10 denotes an IC card, inside of which a printed circuit 12 constituted by a memory / arithmetic element composed of a single or a plurality of semiconductor integrated circuits is provided. The IC card 10 is also provided with an air-core input coil 14 for receiving a power supply from the outside and receiving a required data signal, and an empty coil for outputting a required data signal from the printed circuit 12 to the outside. The core output coils 16 are built in at proper positions separated from the printed circuit 12, respectively. The input coil 14 and the output coil 16 are respectively connected to the printed circuit by a lead wire 18.
Connected with 12. IC card 10 configured in this way
Is a synthetic resin substrate with a printed circuit 12 and an input coil 1
4, the space for accommodating the output coil 16 and the lead wire 18 is provided respectively, and after mounting the respective parts corresponding to these spaces, the synthetic resin coating material is coated by a known laminating method or bonding method. It can be easily molded.

However, the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration.
The IC card 10 is characterized in that a notch 20 is formed on the side edge in the longitudinal direction. The notch portion 20 is provided with a detection mechanism that can be mechanically fitted into the notch portion 20 in the IC card mounting portion of the reader / writer.
The IC card 10 performs position detection to determine the suitability state of
To achieve a mechanical fixed retention of. That is, in the IC card 10 of the present embodiment, the input coil 14 and the output coil 16 having different functions are built in asymmetrically, and only in the case of a constant state with the corresponding input / output members provided in the reader / writer. It becomes compatible (the front side of the IC card and the insertion direction into the reader / writer are determined). Therefore, for example, when the IC card 10 is inserted into the reader / writer with the back side facing the front or in the reverse direction when the IC card 10 is turned into an incorrect state, the notch 20 is formed at the final mounting position of the IC card 10.
Does not match the detection mechanism, the IC card 10 is returned to the insertion start position without fixing and holding the IC card after determining the improper state of the IC card.

Next, a reader / writer provided with a detection mechanism having the above-described structure and adapted to the IC card of the present invention will be described.

First, as a basic configuration of the reader / writer, as shown in FIG. 3, a head core 30 for supplying electric power and a data signal to the input coil 14 of the IC card 10 and the IC card 10 are provided.
And a receiving coil 32 for reading data from the output coil 16, the head core 30 is connected to a drive circuit 36 via a coil 34 wound around a part thereof, and the receiving coil 32 is a receiving circuit. Connected to 38. Therefore, the reader / writer configured as described above includes the head core 30, the input coil 14 of the IC card, the receiving coil 32, and the output coil of the IC card.
When the 16 and 16 are properly opposed to each other, a detection mechanism is provided so as to correspond to the notch 20 provided on the IC card 10, so that the determination of the proper state of the IC card and the fixed holding of the IC card can be performed smoothly. And it can be achieved reliably.

4 and 5 show an embodiment of a reader / writer having a detection function suitable for use of the IC card 10 described above. That is, FIG. 4 shows a planar structure of a main part of the IC card mounting portion of the reader / writer, and the reference numeral
Reference numeral 40 denotes an insertion opening portion for accommodating and holding the IC card 10 at a predetermined position, the lower side thereof is provided with a substrate 44 having guide side plates 42, 42 configured as shown in FIG. 5, and the upper side is provided. A protective cover plate 46 is provided, and the substrate 44 and the cover plate 46 are fixedly arranged via a coupling tool. The cover plate 46 is provided with two notches 48 and 50 at its tip end, the head core 30 is arranged in one notch 48, and the other notch 50 is provided in a tip end locking portion 52 of a slide plate described later. It is formed as a guide groove.
Accordingly, the slite plate 54 is arranged on the upper surface of the lid plate 46,
A plurality of guide grooves 56 are formed in the same direction as the insertion direction of the IC card 10, and a retaining pin 58 fixed to the cover plate 46 is fitted into each of the guide grooves 56 so as to be slidable. In this case, coil springs are respectively attached to a part of the slide plate 54 and a part of the lid plate 46.
By locking each one end of 60, the slide plate 54 is made to retain the return elasticity. Further, the one side edge of the slide plate 54 is set so as to substantially coincide with the one side edge of the lid plate 46. In this case, one side edge portion of the cover plate 46 and the corresponding guide side plate 42 of the substrate 44 where the IC card 10 is completely inserted (see FIG. 5) are portions where the cutouts 20 are located. A cutout portion 62 and an opening portion 63 are provided in each, and a lock pin 66 that is fitted into the cutout portion 62 and the opening portion 63 from the outside to the inside (inside the cutout portion 20 of the IC card 10) by the elastic force of the spring 64 is provided. A lever 68 is provided. Therefore, this lever 68
As shown in FIG. 4, the lock pin 66 provided at the position is set so as to abut on one side edge of the slide plate 54 when the IC card 10 is inserted, and at a position corresponding to the cutout portion 20 of the IC card 10. In, a cutout step portion 70 is provided on the side edge portion of the slide plate 54. With this configuration, when the tip of the IC card 10 engages with the locking portion 52 of the slide plate 54 and the slide plate 54 moves forward together with the IC card 10, when the IC card 10 reaches a predetermined leading edge position. The lock pin 66 can be fitted into the notch step portion 70 of the slide plate 54 and at the same time fitted into the notch portion 20 of the IC card 10 to fix the IC card 10 (see FIG. 5). In addition, in FIG.
A space 72 for installing a head core and a space 74 for installing a receiving coil are provided at positions corresponding to the input coil 14 and the output coil 16 respectively built in the IC card 10. Further, one end of a switch operating lever 76 is pivotally attached to the other edge of the slide plate 54, and the other end of the lever 76 is configured to abut the actuator 80 of the limit switch 78. When fixedly held as shown in FIG. 5, the switch operating lever 76 is displaced by the forward movement of the slide plate 54 and comes into contact with the actuator 8, and the limit switch 78 is turned on to start the operation of the reader / writer. To Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when ejecting the IC card 10 fixedly held, the eject lever
The eject lever 82 is provided as shown in FIG.
By pressing in the direction of the arrow, the lever 68 is returned outward, and the lock pin 66 can be released from the notch 20 of the IC card 10 and the notch step 70 of the slide plate 54, and the slide plate 54 is coiled. It is possible to return to the state shown in FIG. 4 by the elastic action of the spring 60.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the IC card 10 according to the present invention, in which notches 20 and 22 are formed on both side edges of the IC card 10 in the longitudinal direction. In this case, one notch portion 20 is provided at the same position as that of the above-described embodiment, and the other notch portion 22 is provided so as to be slightly offset from the notch portion 20 to the tip side. In this way, by providing the plurality of notches 20 and 22, the IC card mounting portion of the reader / writer has a plurality of detection functions that can be mechanically fitted into the notches 20 and 22, thereby enabling the IC The accuracy of determining the proper state of the card 10 can be improved, and the mechanical fixing and holding of the IC card 10 can be further strengthened. In particular, the IC according to this embodiment
According to the card 10, it is possible to reliably prevent malfunction due to incorrect insertion.

Therefore, FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a reader / writer having a detection function suitable for an IC card having the above-mentioned configuration. In FIG. 7, the same components as those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. That is, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the cover plate 46 corresponding to the other notch 22 of the IC card 10 is provided.
A second cutout portion 84 is provided on the other side edge portion, and a locking piece 86 is provided at one end of the second cutout portion 84, and a lock lever 90 that is fitted against the elastic force of the spring 88 is provided. Then, with respect to the locking pin 92 provided on the other end of the lock lever 90, the slide plate 54
Locking pieces 96 drilled in the extension portion 94 are arranged to face each other. With this configuration, the tip of the IC card 10 engages with the locking portion 52 of the slide plate 54 and the slide plate together with the IC card 10.
When the IC card 10 reaches a predetermined tip position when the IC card 10 moves forward, the locking piece 96 provided on the extension 94 of the slide plate 54 abuts on the locking pin 92 of the lock lever 90 and presses and displaces it. At the same time, the locking piece 86 of the lock lever 90 can be fitted into the notch 22 of the IC card 10 and fixedly held from both sides of the IC card 10. In this case, the limit switch 78 is arranged as shown in the drawing, and the actuator 80 thereof is connected to the slide plate.
It can be configured to operate on a portion of the extension 94 of 54. Therefore, if the IC card 10 does not have the one corresponding to the cutout portion 22, the displacement of the lock lever 90 is prevented and the forward movement of the slide plate 54 is also prevented, and as a result, the limit switch 78 is operated at all. It is possible to prohibit the insertion of the IC card without the need.

The engaging operation of the lock pin 66 with respect to the one notch portion 20 of the IC card 10 is basically the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. In particular, in this embodiment, an auxiliary lock lever 98 interlocking with the lock pin 66 is provided in order to further securely hold the IC card 10 by the lock pin 66. That is, in this auxiliary lock lever 98, the lock pin 66 is loosely fitted in the substantially middle portion thereof, one end is pivotally attached to the lid plate 46 via the stop pin 100, and the protrusion 102 is provided on the lower surface of the other end. The projection 102 is in contact with one side edge of the slide plate 54. In this case, when the slide plate 54 moves forward and the IC card 10 reaches a predetermined leading edge position to one side edge portion of the slide plate 54 with which the protrusion 102 abuts, the lock pin 66 is moved to the cutout portion 20. A notch 104 is provided for displacing the auxiliary lock lever 98 inward so as to allow the insertion of the. In this way, the other end of the auxiliary lock lever 98 is largely displaced inward, so that the locking and holding of the lock pin 66 with respect to the cutout portion 20 of the IC card 10 can be stabilized. The other structure is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. According to the present embodiment with regard to the configuration shown in FIG. 5, it is necessary to provide the notch 106 in a part of the guide side plate 42 so as to correspond to the notch 22 of the IC card 10.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is apparent from the above-described embodiments, the IC card (10) according to the combination of the IC card and the reader / writer of the present invention
An IC card having a notch (20) for detecting a proper insertion state with respect to a reader / writer at one side edge in the longitudinal direction of the IC card, and a coupler for exchanging signals with the IC card (10). And a protective cover plate (46) fixed on the substrate, and a tip of the IC card is provided on the upper surface of the cover plate. A slide plate (54) that engages with the IC card to advance to a predetermined position and has a return elasticity is provided, and when the IC card reaches a predetermined position at one edge of the lid plate and the slide plate.
A cutout portion (62) and a cutout step portion (70) are provided so as to correspond to the cutout portion (20) provided in the IC card,
A lever member (68) capable of returning is provided, which has a lock pin (66) elastically abutting on one side edge of the slide plate in the returned state corresponding to the cutout portion of the lid plate, and further, An IC card is mounted on a part of which an operating member that interlocks with this is installed and a switch (78) that turns on to start the operation of the reader / writer when the IC card reaches a predetermined position on the board by this operating member. By including the reader / writer including the unit, proper insertion and fixed holding of the IC card can be achieved easily and reliably.

When a plurality of (two) notches are provided on the IC card, in addition to the above configuration, the IC card is provided on the other side edge of the cover plate when the IC card reaches a predetermined position. A slicing plate (54) is provided with a notch (84) located so as to correspond to the other notch (22), and further with a lock lever (90) which is fitted into the excision (84) with a return elastic force. )
When the IC card is erroneously inserted, the extension (94) of the slide plate abuts against a part of the lock lever as the IC card advances and is inserted into the cutout (84). It is possible to prohibit the insertion before reaching the proper position, and thus it is possible to reliably prevent the malfunction of the reader / writer.

In the reader / writer used in the present invention, particularly by providing a lever that communicates with the slide plate, it is possible to manufacture a detection mechanism having a simple structure and stable operation at low cost.

The shape of the cutout portion of the IC card used in the present invention is not particularly limited and is generally a curved or rectangular recessed portion, for example. Further, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to an IC card having various configurations without being limited to the internal configuration of the IC card.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing an embodiment of an IC card applied to a combination of an IC card and a reader / writer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the IC card shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view showing a basic configuration of a combination of an IC card and a reader / writer according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a structural arrangement in an IC card mounting portion of the reader / writer applicable to the combination of the IC card and the reader / writer according to the present invention. An essential part plan view showing an embodiment of
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the mounted state of the IC card in the reader / writer shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the IC card applied to the combination of the IC card and the reader / writer according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a main part showing an embodiment of the configuration and arrangement in the IC card mounting portion of the reader / writer to which the IC card shown in FIG. 6 can be applied. 10 …… IC card, 12 …… Printed circuit board 14 …… Input coil, 16 …… Output coil 18 …… Lead wire, 20,22 …… Notch 30 …… Head core, 32 …… Reception coil 34 …… Coil, 36 …… Drive circuit 38 …… Reception circuit, 40 …… Insertion port 42 …… Guide side plate, 44 …… Board 46 …… Protective lid plate, 48,50 …… Notch 52 …… Locking part, 54 …… Slide plate 56 …… Guide groove, 58 …… Stopping pin 60 …… Coil spring, 62 …… Released portion 63 …… Opening portion, 64 …… Spring 66 …… Lock pin, 68 …… Lever 70 …… Notched step portion , 72, 74 ...... Space 76 ...... Switch operating lever 78 ...... Limit switch 80 ...... Actuator, 82 ...... Eject lever 84 ...... Second cut-off part, 86 ...... Locking piece 88 ...... Spring, 90 ... … Lock lever 92 …… Locking pin, 94 …… Extended part 96 …… Locking piece, 98 …… Auxiliary lock lever 100 …… Stopping pin, 102 …… Protrusion 104 …… Incision part, 10 6 ... Notch

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location G06K 19/077

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An IC card comprising an IC card (10) having a notch (20) for detecting a proper insertion state with respect to a reader / writer at one side edge in the longitudinal direction, and the IC card (10). A board (44) having a coupler for transmitting and receiving signals to and from which the IC card is guided and inserted into the coupler, and a protective cover plate (46) fixed on the substrate. Engage the top of the lid with the tip of the IC card
A slide plate (54) is provided which has a return elasticity while advancing to a predetermined position together with the IC card, and a cutout portion provided on the IC card when the IC card reaches a predetermined position at one edge of the lid plate and the slide plate. A cutout portion (62) and a cutout step portion (70) are provided so as to correspond to (20), respectively, and are elastically attached to one side edge portion of the slide plate in the returned state so as to correspond to the cutout portion of the cover plate. A lever member (68) that has a lock pin (66) that abuts is provided, and an operating member (76) that interlocks with the lever member (68) is provided on a part of the slide plate. A switch that turns on to start the operation of the reader / writer when it reaches a predetermined position (7
8) A combination of an IC card and a reader / writer, which is characterized by comprising a reader / writer having an IC card mounting portion provided with. 2. An IC card comprising notches (20, 22) for detecting a proper insertion state with respect to a reader / writer, which are provided at asymmetrical positions on both side edges in the longitudinal direction of the IC card (10), respectively. A board (44) having a coupler for exchanging signals with the IC card (10) and inserting the IC card into the coupler to a predetermined position, and a protective cover plate (46) fixed on the board. And the top of the lid plate is engaged with the tip of the IC card.
A slide plate (54) is provided which has a return elasticity while advancing to a predetermined position together with the IC card, and one of the one provided on the IC card when the IC card reaches a predetermined position at one edge of the lid plate and the slide plate. A cutout portion (62) and a cutout step portion (70) are provided so as to correspond to the cutout portions (20), respectively, and one side edge of the slide plate in a restored state corresponding to the cutout portion (62) of the lid plate. The lever member (68) having a lock pin (66) elastically abutting on the slide portion is provided, and an operating member (76) interlocking with the lever member (68) is provided on a part of the slide plate. A switch (78) is provided which starts the operation of the reader / writer by turning on when the card reaches a predetermined position on the substrate, and the IC card is provided on the other edge of the cover plate when the IC card reaches the predetermined position. The other notch provided in (22)
And a lock lever (90) that fits into the cutout portion (84) with a restoring elastic force, and the slide plate (54) moves forward with the cutout portion (84). And a reader / writer having an IC card mounting part configured to abut the extension part (94) of the lock lever with a part of the lock lever and insert the extension part (94) into the excision part (84). Combination of IC card and reader / writer.