JPH1091748A - Magnetic recording medium and information recording and reproducing device handling the recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the forgery or alteration using patching by forming a scratched part in a non-drilled area of a magnetic recording layer for a magnetic recording medium where a drilled area of the magnetic recording layer is partly drilled again according to the using sate of the medium. SOLUTION: A magnetic recording medium 1 contains the magnetic recording layers 2 and 3 including a magnetic substances formed on a thin base material by an application or transcription method. Then plural drilled holes 4 are prepared in a drilled hole area 2 in the direction toward a standard for a used amount, etc., and a scratched part 5 is prepared in a non-drilled area 3 where the hole 4 are possibly drilled and an accurate used amount (the remainder) is recorded in the thickness direction of the magnetic recoding layer. An optional shape such as a straight line (dotted line), a curve, etc., is available for the part 5 and it's desirable to use a straight line that is orthogonal to the area 2. The part 5 is formed by the pressure of a sharp-edged tool or a metallic mold, etc., and can use such a deep scratch where a base material, i.e., the lower part of the magnetic recording layer is exposed or a shallow scratch where the base material is not exposed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium having a countermeasure for preventing forgery and alteration, and an information recording / reproducing apparatus for handling the medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a magnetic recording medium in which a part of a perforated area of a magnetic recording layer is perforated according to a use condition. When the magnetic recording medium is a prepaid card, the position of the perforation serves as a measure of the amount of use (remaining balance) that can be visually recognized by the user, and the position of the perforation and the use recorded in the non-perforated area for the issuer. This is a means for comparing the information of the amount (remaining amount) and detecting forgery or falsification of the magnetic recording medium.

In recent years, by cutting and pasting the non-perforated area of two used magnetic recording media and further performing magnetic encoding in an unused state, a large number of forged and falsified magnetic recording media have come to the market. It is a problem.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic recording medium which is difficult to forge or alter by cutting and pasting, and an information recording / reproducing apparatus which handles the same. It is intended to provide a device.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic recording medium wherein a part of a perforated area of a magnetic recording layer is perforated according to a use condition. It is characterized by providing a flaw.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information recording / reproducing apparatus for handling a magnetic recording medium which perforates a part of a perforated area of a magnetic recording layer according to a use condition,
When a flaw is detected in the perforated area of the magnetic recording layer, a determination means for determining that the magnetic recording medium is a forged or falsified magnetic recording medium is provided.

[0007]

According to the magnetic recording medium of the first aspect, since the flaw is formed in the non-perforated area of the magnetic recording layer, even if the non-perforated area of the two used magnetic recording media is cut and pasted,
The wound will be present in the perforated area.

According to the information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the second aspect, when a flaw is detected in the perforated area of the magnetic recording layer, it can be determined that the magnetic recording medium has been forged or altered.

[0009]

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

[Magnetic Recording Medium] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a magnetic recording medium according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The magnetic recording medium 1 is formed by applying a magnetic recording layer (2 and 3) containing a magnetic substance such as iron oxide on a thin support made of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, vinyl chloride resin or the like. Alternatively, it is provided by a transfer method. In the present embodiment, the magnetic recording layer is provided on the entire surface of the support, but may be provided partially on the support.

The portion of the magnetic recording layer where perforations are provided is referred to as perforated area 2. A plurality of perforations are provided in the perforated area 2 in the direction (left and right in FIG. 1) along the perforated area 2 which is a guide for the amount of use, etc. It is preferably at least two times. In addition, a portion where there is no possibility that a perforation is provided and an accurate usage amount (remaining amount) is recorded is referred to as a non-perforation area 3. Note that a protective layer for protecting the magnetic recording layer and a printing layer for displaying visible information may be provided on the magnetic recording layer.

Further, the flaw 5 is provided in the non-perforated area 3 of the magnetic recording layer in the thickness direction of the magnetic recording layer.
The shape of the flaw 5 may be any shape such as a straight line (dotted line) or a curve, but is preferably a straight line in a direction perpendicular to the perforated area 2 (up and down in FIG. 1). In addition, this flaw 5 can be provided by pressing a sharp blade or a mold, for example.

The flaw 5 may be a deep flaw such that the support, which is the lower layer of the magnetic recording layer, is exposed, or a shallow flaw such that the support is not exposed (for example, about 10 μm).
m). In the former case, it is possible to give a person who attempts forgery or falsification a sense of psychological oppression to prevent the intention of cutting and pasting by letting them know that countermeasures for preventing forgery or falsification are being applied, In the latter case, it is possible to further improve the forgery and falsification prevention of the magnetic recording medium by not informing the person who attempts forgery and falsification that the countermeasures for forgery and falsification are taken.

The magnetic signal generated by the perforation and the magnetic signal generated by the flaw can be distinguished by adjusting the size of the perforation, the depth and the thickness of the flaw, and can be converted into a signal which can be read in advance by a reader. The discrimination can be made by comparing the stored magnetic signal from the perforation with the magnetic signal from the wound.

[Information Recording / Reproducing Apparatus] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information recording / reproducing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the same.

The magnetic recording medium inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus passes below the perforated area scanning means 11 and the non-perforated area scanning means 13 which are magnetic heads while being conveyed by conveying means (not shown), and is recorded on each. The scanned information is scanned (step 101).

The magnetic signal obtained by scanning is compared with the magnetic signal of the flaw stored in the information recording / reproducing apparatus in advance, and if the flaw is detected by the perforated area scanning means 11 (step 102), the judgment means 12 Is determined to have been forged or altered, and the operation is terminated. If no flaw is detected, and a magnetic signal obtained by scanning is compared with a magnetic signal of a perforation stored in advance in the information recording / reproducing apparatus, and a perforation is detected (step 103), the position of the perforation is determined. Is determined, and the comparing unit 14 compares the information of the used amount obtained from the non-perforation area scanning unit 13 with the comparing unit 14 (step 1).
04) If they do not match, it is determined that they have been forged or altered, and the operation ends. In the case of coincidence, if a new perforation is necessary, the perforation is performed by the perforation means 15 (step 105), and the information recording means 16 which is a magnetic head is used to record the information of the used amount in the non-perforation area. (Step 106), the operation ends.

[Use of Magnetic Recording Medium and Information Recording / Reproducing Apparatus] One perforation 4 was made in the perforated area 2 of the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic recording medium according to the present invention. When this magnetic recording medium was inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus and the perforated area 2 was scanned with a magnetic head, a magnetic signal indicating that only one perforation was present as shown in FIG. Since the information matched the information in the non-perforated area, it was determined that the medium was a genuine magnetic recording medium, and new information was written.

[Counterfeiting / Falsification of Magnetic Recording Medium and Judgment by Information Recording / Reproducing Apparatus] Two magnetic recording media as described above were prepared, and each was divided into two in the longitudinal direction. Two
The portions without the two perforations were taken out, the cut lines were aligned, and the portions were stuck together to produce a forged magnetic recording medium as shown in FIG. Insert this magnetic recording medium into the information recording / reproducing device,
When the perforated area 2 was scanned with a magnetic head, a magnetic signal indicating the presence of a flaw as shown in FIG. 4 was obtained, and the operation was stopped.

[0021]

According to the magnetic recording medium of the first aspect, a scratch is provided in the non-perforated area of the magnetic recording layer. Therefore, the non-perforated area of two used magnetic recording media is used. Even if is cut and pasted, the wound part will be present in the perforated area.

According to the information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, when a flaw is detected in the perforated area of the magnetic recording layer, it can be determined that the magnetic recording medium has been forged or altered.

Therefore, if a magnetic recording medium having a flaw in the perforated area is excluded, it is difficult to use a forged or altered magnetic recording medium.

[0024]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a magnetic recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing magnetic signals of a magnetic recording medium according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a forged or altered magnetic recording medium using the magnetic recording medium according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing magnetic signals of a magnetic recording medium forged or altered by using the magnetic recording medium according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an information recording / reproducing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an information recording / reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Magnetic recording medium 2 Perforated area of magnetic recording layer 3 Non-perforated area of magnetic recording layer 4 Perforated 5 Damaged part 6 Cutting line 11 Perforated area scanning means 12 Judging means 13 Non-perforated area scanning means 14 Comparison means 15 Perforating means 16 Information recording means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI G11B 5/02 G07F 7/08 C 5/80 D

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A magnetic recording medium in which a part of a perforated area of a magnetic recording layer is perforated in accordance with a use condition, wherein a flaw is provided in a non-perforated area of the magnetic recording layer. 2. An information reading apparatus for handling a magnetic recording medium that perforates a part of a perforated area of a magnetic recording layer according to a use situation, wherein when a flaw is detected in the perforated area of the magnetic recording layer, forgery is performed. An information recording / reproducing apparatus for handling a magnetic recording medium, comprising a determination means for determining that the magnetic recording medium has been altered.