JPH09305720A - Read and write interface device for heterogeneous information storage card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the extendibility of a card system at a low cost by preparing an access head to an information card, a connector corresponding to the access head of a card reader/writer and a signal converter and connecting a card to the card reader/writer via the signal converter. SOLUTION: In a normal state, a magnetic card is inserted into a card inserting slit 1a of a reader/writer 1 and the magnetic analog information on the card are read out. Then an IC card 2 is inserted into a slot of an interface device 3, and the narrow part of the device 3 is inserted into the slit 1a and held there, while converting the digital information on the card 2 into the magnetic analog information which is outputted via a magnetic connector 6 with lapse of time. In such a way, it's possible to easily construct an interface device which reads and writes the information on a magnetic card via an IC card reader/writer just by reversing the contact structure and the signal processing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interface device for reading / writing an information storage card of a certain type with a reader / writer for an information storage card of a different type.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an information storage card of a type that stores information in a magnetic stripe has been widely used. However, since the storage capacity thereof is relatively small, the storage capacity of such an information storage card can be classified. It is desired to increase the size, and an IC card in which a large capacity RAM is embedded in the card has been proposed and put into practical use.

[0003]

However, when an IC card is introduced into a system that has been conventionally established with a magnetic card, a reader / writer for a magnetic card and a reader / writer for an IC card must be installed side by side. There is a problem that not only the equipment becomes large, but also the equipment cost rises. This becomes a serious problem as the system becomes large and the number of cards and the number of reader / writers increase.

On the contrary, even when the system is constructed by assuming an IC card from the beginning, the running cost can be reduced by using an inexpensive magnetic card when, for example, information is not required so much. It is desirable to be able to use both cards together. Even in this case, if the reader / writers for the magnetic card and the IC card are provided in the same manner as described above, there arises a problem that the equipment becomes large and the equipment cost rises.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and its main purpose is to use an information storage card of a certain type with a simple structure for an information storage card of a different type. An object is to provide an interface device that can be read / written by a reader / writer.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the above-described object is to read / write a first type information storage card with a different second type information storage card reader / writer. A heterogeneous information storage card read / write interface device comprising: an access head for the information storage card; connector means corresponding to the access head of the reader / writer; and any one of the information storage card and the reader / writer. It is achieved by providing a heterogeneous information storage card read / write interface device characterized by having a conversion circuit for converting a signal to correspond to the other.

[0007]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a system configuration in the case of introducing an IC card into a magnetic card system. The manual card reader 1 for a magnetic card is connected to a processing apparatus main body (not shown), an IC card 2 and the above. It has an interface device 3 to which the present invention is applied so as to correspond to the reader 1.

The interface device 3 is in the form of a plate whose width changes in the middle part, and is inserted in the widened part 3a having the slot 4 for inserting the IC card 2 and the card insertion slit 1a of the reader 1. And a narrow width portion 3b. The widened portion 3a is provided with a connector 5 as an access head for connecting to a contact 2a provided on the surface of the IC card 2 so as to face the inside of the slot 4.
Further, the narrow portion 3b is provided with a magnetic connector 6 for connecting to a magnetic head 1b as an access head provided on the reader 1 so as to face the card insertion slit 1a. As shown in FIG. 2, a read circuit 7 and a digital / analog signal conversion circuit 8 are provided between the connector 5 and the magnetic connector 6.

Next, the operating procedure of the above system will be described. First, a magnetic card is usually inserted through the card insertion slit 1a of the reader / writer 1 to read the magnetic analog information. Then, in order to read the digital information of the IC card 2, the IC card 2 is connected to the interface device 3
Slot 4 and the narrow portion 3b of the interface device 3 is inserted and held in the card insertion slit 1a. Then, the digital information of the IC card 2 is converted into magnetic analog information and sequentially output from the magnetic connector 6 over time. Further, the narrow portion 3b of the interface device 3 may be inserted into the card insertion slit 1a. In that case, it is necessary to lengthen the magnetic connector 6 to some extent in the card insertion direction as shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the interface device 13 in the case where the magnetic card reader / writer 11 is of a retractable type by automatic conveyance rather than manual operation, and its main configuration is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is similar to The interface device 13 is in the form of a plate whose width changes in the intermediate portion as in the above, but the IC card 2 is vertically inserted into the slot 14 of the widened portion 13a.
In addition, the card insertion slot 11a of the reader / writer 11
The narrow portion 13b for insertion into the card is relatively long, and the magnetic connector 16 for connecting to a magnetic head (not shown) of the reader / writer 11 is also long in the card insertion direction. In this configuration, a read / write circuit is provided in the interface device 13 instead of the read circuit.
By providing a digital / analog / analog / digital bidirectional signal conversion circuit in place of the digital / analog signal conversion circuit, writing to the IC card becomes possible.

In order to read the digital information of the IC card 2 even with this configuration, the IC card 2 is inserted into the slot 14 of the interface device 13, and the narrow portion 13b of the interface device 13 is inserted into the card insertion slit 11a.
Insert and hold. Then, the digital information of the IC card 2 is converted into magnetic analog information and sequentially output from the magnetic connector 16 over time. Here, the narrow width portion 13b may be lengthened in the card insertion direction to keep the card transport mechanism of the reader / writer 11 operating as it is, but the transport mechanism may be stopped as necessary.

In the embodiment, the interface device for reading / writing information from / to the IC card by the magnetic card reader / writer has been described, but the IC card for the IC card can be obtained by only reversing the contact structure and the signal processing. It goes without saying that an interface device that reads / writes information from / to the magnetic card can be easily configured by the reader / writer.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the heterogeneous information storage card read / write interface device of the present invention, an access head for the information storage card and a connector corresponding to the access head of the reader / writer, If the card and the reader / writer are connected to each other through the conversion circuit, the information storage card of a certain type can be easily read by a reader / writer for an information storage card of a different type. / It becomes writable, and the expandability of the card system is inexpensive and significantly high.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a card system to which the present application is applied when an IC card is introduced into a magnetic card system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another configuration of a card system to which the present application is applied when an IC card is introduced into the magnetic card system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Hand-held magnetic card reader 1a Card insertion slit 1b Magnetic head 2 IC card 2a Contact point 3 Interface device 3a Widened part 3b Narrowed part 4 Slot 5 Connector 6 Magnetic connector 7 Readout circuit 8 Digital / analog signal conversion circuit 11 Automatic carrier Type magnetic card reader / writer 11a Card insertion slot 13 Interface device 13a Widened portion 13b Narrowed portion 14 Slot 16 Magnetic connector

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A heterogeneous information storage card read / write interface device for reading / writing a first type information storage card with a second type of information storage card reader / writer different therefrom. An access head for the information storage card, a connector unit corresponding to the access head of the reader / writer, and a conversion circuit for converting a signal from one of the information storage card and the reader / writer so as to correspond to the other. A heterogeneous information storage card read / write interface device having. 2. The information of the first type is either one of analog information for magnetic storage card and digital information for IC card, and the second type of information is analog information for magnetic storage card and IC. 2. The heterogeneous information storage card read / write interface device according to claim 1, comprising one of the card digital information and the other.