JPH11238103A - Non-contact ic card reader-writer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the need of individually designing a radio wave output circuit and to prevent the leakage of unrequired electromagnetic waves and the influence of the electromagnetic waves from the outside by contriving the structure of the case body with respect to a non-contact IC card reader-writer. SOLUTION: An antenna 10a printed on an antenna substrate 10 and an electronic circuit 40a mounted on a printed wiring board 40 are arranged inside the case body 30 provided with an electromagnetic wave shielding function. Then, in order to discharge the electromagnetic waves outputted from the antenna 10a from the case body 30 only in a direction required for communication with a non-contact card, an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b is printed on the antenna substrate 10 fixed to the opening part of an upper case body member 30u for constituting the case body 30 and an electromagnetic wave passing port for discharging the electromagnetic waves is formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to wireless communication using electromagnetic waves with a non-contact IC card having a transmission / reception function, and based on an instruction from a main computer, a card data is transmitted to the non-contact IC card. The present invention relates to a non-contact IC card reader / writer used in a non-contact IC card system for instructing reading and writing of data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A non-contact IC card has many advantages over a contact card such as a magnetic stripe card. For example, the data stored on the card has high security performance, the card data does not need to be inserted into a card reader / writer when reading and writing the card data, and is excellent in convenience, and the waterproof performance is excellent. Is mentioned. For this reason, non-contact IC cards are increasingly used as personal identification media used in entry control systems, entry control systems, checkout management systems, and the like.

Communication with this non-contact IC card using electromagnetic waves is performed by a main computer using RS232.
It is a non-contact IC card reader / writer connected using a communication standard such as C. Non-contact IC card reader / writer
A command is transmitted to the contactless IC card based on an instruction from the main computer. Contactless IC cards are
Based on this command, the card data is read from the memory and transmitted to the non-contact IC card reader / writer,
The data received from the non-contact IC card reader / writer is written into the memory as card data. That is,
In a non-contact IC card system including a non-contact IC card, a non-contact IC card reader / writer, and a main computer, the non-contact IC card reader / writer functions as a communication device.

[0004]

The conventional problems in the above-mentioned non-contact IC card reader / writer will be described below. The first problem is that in order to adjust the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave output from the non-contact IC card reader / writer, the
That is, it is necessary to individually design an electromagnetic wave output circuit for each C card reader / writer.

[0005] Since a non-contact IC card reader / writer uses electromagnetic waves, the electric field strength of the output electromagnetic waves is regulated by the radio laws of each country. For example, in Japan, regulations are provided for predetermined frequencies, and other frequencies are uniformly regulated as "weak radio stations". As a result, it is necessary to individually design the radio wave output circuit according to the country of use and the frequency to be used.

Of course, it is possible to design a radio wave output circuit capable of adjusting the electric field intensity, but there is a problem that the circuit configuration becomes complicated. In addition, existing radio wave output circuits, for example, made in foreign countries do not satisfy the provisions of the Japanese Radio Law, and cannot be used as they are. On the other hand, if the existing radio wave output circuit is modified, the cost increases, so that the radio wave output circuit is individually designed at present.

Also, depending on the specifications of the non-contact IC card reader / writer, it is necessary to individually design the radio wave output circuits. In other words, the communication distance between the non-contact IC card reader / writer and the non-contact IC card may be shorter depending on the specifications of the non-contact IC card reader / writer, or may require a longer communication distance. This is because it is necessary to adjust the electric field strength of the output electromagnetic wave according to the specifications.

As described above, in addition to designing the radio wave output circuit of the non-contact IC card reader / writer so as not to exceed the electric field strength specified by the Radio Law in accordance with each frequency, the non-contact IC card reader / writer Had to be individually designed to meet the specifications. The second problem is that non-contact I
Depending on the directivity of the antenna used in the C card reader / writer, there is a possibility that the non-contact IC card is read even at a position other than the front surface (the surface on the card reading side) of the non-contact IC card reader / writer.

A non-contact IC card reader / writer functioning as a communication device has an antenna for performing communication with the non-contact IC card.
As shown in FIG. 4B, a printed circuit board generally has a loop-shaped antenna 10a printed thereon. In FIG. 4B, the printed wiring board on which the antenna 10a is printed is shown as the antenna substrate 10. Hereinafter, the printed wiring board on which the antenna is printed is referred to as an antenna substrate.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the antenna substrate 10 shown in FIG. 4B and shows the directivity of the antenna. As shown in FIG. 7, the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna has an 8-shaped directivity and is emitted to both sides of the antenna substrate 10. In FIG. 7, the places where the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna reaches a predetermined value are indicated by broken lines.

Such an antenna substrate is generally disposed on the front surface inside the housing of the non-contact IC card reader / writer in order to efficiently communicate with the non-contact IC card. As shown in FIG. 7, a part of the electromagnetic wave has the non-contact I
It is also emitted to the back of the C card reader / writer. As a result, a problem arises in that communication with the non-contact IC card is performed on the back of the non-contact IC card reader / writer and the card data is read.

The third problem is that the influence of the surrounding environment is great. For example, when another device is approached, the communication state with the non-contact IC card becomes unstable due to the influence of electromagnetic waves leaking from the device, and the stability of the operation of the non-contact IC card reader / writer may be impaired.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned three problems. In a non-contact IC card reader / writer, a radio wave output circuit is individually designed by devising the structure of its housing. It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need to perform the above and to prevent unnecessary leakage of electromagnetic waves and the influence of external electromagnetic waves.

[0014]

The non-contact IC card reader / writer according to the first aspect of the present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and performs communication with a non-contact IC card. Communication is performed between the antenna and the non-contact IC card via the antenna based on an instruction from a main computer connected to the outside, and at least one of reading and writing of information is instructed to the non-contact IC card. An electronic circuit and a housing for shielding electromagnetic waves are provided, and the antenna and the electronic circuit are arranged inside the housing, and the electromagnetic waves output from the antenna are emitted only in a direction necessary for communication with the non-contact IC card. The electromagnetic wave passage opening is formed in the housing.

The "contactless IC card" has a transmission / reception function of communicating with an external device using electromagnetic waves, and reads out card data stored in a predetermined storage unit based on an instruction from the external device. It has a function of transmitting the information to the external device or writing information received from the external device as card data in a predetermined storage unit.

A non-contact IC card reader / writer according to the present invention corresponds to the above-described external device, and an electronic circuit is connected to a non-contact IC card via an antenna based on an instruction from a main computer connected to the outside. And instruct the non-contact IC card to read or write information. The non-contact IC card that has received the instruction reads or writes the card data as described above. Thus, the non-contact IC card reader / writer reads card data from the non-contact IC card or writes card data to the non-contact IC card.

Note that "at least one of read and write" is considered that the electronic circuit is capable of instructing only read, it is also conceivable that the electronic circuit is capable of instructing only write, or both. This is because it is conceivable that the instruction can be made.

In the non-contact IC card reader / writer of the present invention, since the housing shields the electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna is transmitted to the outside of the housing via an electromagnetic wave passage provided in the housing. Released. At this time, the electromagnetic wave passage opening is formed such that the electromagnetic wave is emitted from the antenna only in a direction necessary for communication with the non-contact IC card.
For example, in a non-contact IC card reader / writer that communicates with a non-contact IC card approaching the front of the housing, an electromagnetic wave passage opening is formed on the front of the housing.

According to the non-contact IC card reader / writer of the present invention, only electromagnetic waves in the direction necessary for communication with the non-contact IC card are emitted to the outside of the housing. Conversely, an electromagnetic wave in a direction unnecessary for communication with the non-contact IC card is shielded by the housing and is not emitted to the outside of the housing. For this reason, if an electromagnetic wave passage is formed only on the front of the housing,
Communication is performed with the non-contact IC card that is close to the rear surface of the housing, so that the card data is not unintentionally read. Further, the electromagnetic waves radiated from the electronic circuit do not leak from the side and back surfaces of the housing. Furthermore, since the housing also shields external electromagnetic waves, it is possible to prevent the influence of electromagnetic waves from the side and rear surfaces of the housing due to external devices and the like.
The operation stability of the C card reader / writer can be improved.

In addition, since the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna is emitted to the outside of the housing through the electromagnetic wave passage opening formed in the housing, one of the electromagnetic waves output from the antenna depends on the size of the electromagnetic wave passage opening. The part will be shielded. Therefore, the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna is determined by the size of the electromagnetic wave passage opening. Therefore, even when the same radio wave output circuit and antenna are used, it is possible to arbitrarily adjust the electric field intensity by changing the size of the electromagnetic wave passage. That is, the output level of the electromagnetic wave is adjusted according to the size of the electromagnetic wave passage port regardless of the radio wave output circuit. This eliminates the need to individually design a radio wave output circuit in accordance with the provisions of the Radio Law and the specifications of a non-contact IC card reader / writer, thereby reducing the time required for designing the radio wave output circuit. Further, a non-contact IC card reader / writer can be manufactured using an existing radio wave output circuit.
Therefore, a significant cost reduction can be realized in consideration of labor costs and the like.

Here, the relationship between the electric field intensity and the electromagnetic wave passage will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 shows a non-contact IC
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the card reader, showing a case 30 and an antenna 10
a shows the positional relationship with the printed antenna substrate 10. Further, an “electromagnetic wave passage port” is formed in the housing 30. With such a configuration, the antenna substrate 1
The electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave output from 0 is adjusted by the area of the electromagnetic wave passage opening. For example, FIG.
6A, the electromagnetic wave passage opening of the housing 30 is larger than that of FIG. 6B, so that the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the antenna 10a printed on the antenna substrate 10 is larger. In FIG. 6, the places where the electric field strengths are equal are shown by dashed lines.

By the way, as a housing for effectively shielding electromagnetic waves, a housing made of a metal material and connected to a ground terminal of an electronic circuit can be considered. That is, it is effective to set the impedance of the housing to the lowest state. The case is not limited to the one formed of metal and connected to the ground, and the housing may be formed using an electromagnetic wave shielding member for shielding electromagnetic waves.

The electromagnetic wave passage opening may be an opening formed in the housing, but the electromagnetic wave passage opening may be formed by a printed wiring board covering the opening formed in the housing. And an electromagnetic shielding pattern connected to a ground terminal.

For example, it is conceivable to print an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern on the antenna substrate 10 shown in FIG.
That is, the antenna 10a is printed on the surface indicated by the arrow A in FIG.
An electromagnetic wave shielding pattern is printed on a surface indicated by an arrow B in FIG. Here, the antenna 10a is mounted on the same printed wiring board.
Although an example in which the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern is printed has been described, it is a matter of course that the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern is printed on a printed wiring board different from the antenna substrate 10.

The electromagnetic wave shielding pattern may be printed as shown in FIG. FIG.
In (a), a hatched area is a metal part for shielding electromagnetic waves, and is an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b connected to a ground terminal of an electronic circuit or the like. The area not shaded is the electromagnetic wave passage 10c. An antenna 10 as shown in FIG. 4B is provided on the back side of the electromagnetic wave passage 10c.
It is assumed that a is printed.

In the gap 10d shown in FIG. 4A, an eddy current is generated in the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b and the antenna 10
This is to prevent a reduction in the communication distance caused by a decrease in the inductance a. Thus, forming the electromagnetic wave passage opening by the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern printed on the printed wiring board is advantageous in that the processing accuracy is improved as compared with the case where the opening is formed as the electromagnetic wave passage opening in the housing. In particular, considering the necessity of forming the gap 10d (see FIG. 4A) for suppressing the generation of the eddy current as described above, the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern is formed by so-called etching, so that processing is easy. It is advantageous.

Adjusting the size of the electromagnetic wave passage opening to adjust the electric field intensity by forming the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern by etching is easy in terms of processing accuracy and processing as described above. However, for example, at the stage of trial production of a product, it is necessary to create electromagnetic wave passage openings of various sizes in order to adjust the electric field intensity. At this time, forming the electromagnetic wave passage opening with an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern by so-called etching is a labor-intensive operation even if the processing is easy.

Therefore, a loop-shaped conductor having a gap provided in the middle of the loop is provided around the antenna, and a resistor is interposed in the gap to form the conductor and the conductor. It is conceivable that the resistor and the antenna form a loop around the antenna. Here, the “loop” refers to an annular shape having no gap (intermittent portion) in the middle, and is not limited to a circle or an ellipse, but may be a polygon such as a square or a triangle. In this case, a conductor that does not form a loop by itself with a gap provided in the middle of the loop is provided around the antenna. Then, a loop including a resistor as a part is formed only when a resistor is interposed in the gap.

This technical idea focuses on the fact that the presence of a conductor loop around the antenna shortens the communication distance, that is, suppresses the electric field strength, as described above. In other words, when the electromagnetic wave passage opening is formed by the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern, a gap is provided so that a loop of the conductor is not formed in order to suppress a decrease in the electric field strength due to the generation of the eddy current. If the decrease in the electric field strength is used in reverse, the electric field strength can be suppressed even when the electromagnetic wave passage opening is set to a fixed size. At this time, if a loop is formed without interposing a load such as a resistor, the electric field strength is extremely reduced.However, if a loop is formed using a conductor and a resistor, the loop is formed with a resistor having a large resistance value interposed. It has been found that the lower the loop, the smaller the decrease in electric field intensity. Therefore, if a loop-shaped conductor that forms a loop around the antenna by interposing a resistor is disposed, the electric field strength can be adjusted by replacing the resistor with one having a different resistance value. Therefore, it is not necessary to print many types of electromagnetic wave shielding patterns for adjusting the electric field intensity, and the number of steps can be further reduced.

Such a conductor may be printed as a conductive pattern on the printed wiring board if the antenna is printed on the printed wiring board, or may be printed with the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern as described above. It may be printed as a conductive pattern on a printed wiring board. When printing on a printed wiring board on which an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern is printed, the printed circuit board may be printed outside the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern or, if the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern is printed on the front surface of the printed wiring board, conductive. The pattern may be printed on the back.

The non-contact I according to claims 1 to 3 described above.
According to the C card reader / writer, unnecessary electromagnetic waves from the antenna and the electronic circuit disposed inside the housing are prevented from leaking to the outside of the housing, and the electromagnetic waves from the outside of the housing are not affected. Disappears.

However, inside the housing, an electronic circuit arranged on the housing surface on the back side of the antenna or on the back side of the antenna acts as a reflector with respect to the antenna, and generates eddy currents and interferes with electromagnetic waves to generate a communication distance. It is known to affect. Therefore, when communicating with a non-contact IC card that is a certain distance away, it is necessary to take measures such as creating a "space gap" between the antenna surface on the back side of the antenna or the electronic circuit on the back side of the antenna. Met. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the distance between the antenna 10a printed on the antenna substrate 10 and the contactless IC card 70 to be communicated is α.
When the antenna is configured to be able to communicate at a distance only from the electronic circuit 40a, a “spatial gap” of approximately a distance α is required between the electronic circuit 40a mounted on the printed wiring board 40 and the antenna 10a. The reason is that the “spatial gap” is
When it is smaller, the electromagnetic wave output to the electronic circuit 40a side causes interference by being reflected by the electronic circuit 40a, and as a result, the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave output to the electronic circuit 40a side decreases, and accordingly, This is because the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave emitted to the non-contact IC card 70 also becomes substantially the same. There is a problem that the size of the non-contact IC card reader / writer is increased due to the "space gap" for preventing the interference of the electromagnetic waves.

Therefore, it is desirable to adopt a configuration as set forth in claim 4. That is, the configuration is defined in claim 1
In addition to the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, further, an electromagnetic wave shielding wall disposed between the antenna and the electronic circuit to shield electromagnetic waves;
An electromagnetic wave absorbing member provided on a surface of the electromagnetic wave shielding wall on the antenna side for absorbing electromagnetic waves.

In this case, since the electromagnetic wave shielding wall is disposed between the antenna and the electronic circuit, the electromagnetic waves emitted from the antenna and the electronic circuit do not interfere with each other.
Further, since the electromagnetic wave absorbing member is provided on the surface of the electromagnetic wave shielding wall on the antenna side, the electromagnetic wave from the antenna is absorbed by the electromagnetic wave absorbing member and is not reflected by the electromagnetic wave shielding wall.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electromagnetic waves output from the antenna from interfering with each other or generating an eddy current on the electromagnetic wave shielding wall. This eliminates the need for providing a “spatial gap” between the antenna and the electronic circuit, and as a result, the size of the non-contact IC card reader / writer can be reduced.

As described above, the non-contact IC card reader / writer is used while connected to the main computer. Therefore, the communicable area cannot be confirmed when the main computer is not connected. In the present invention, an antenna and an electronic circuit are arranged inside a housing that shields electromagnetic waves to reduce the influence of the installation environment, but individual differences in the non-contact IC card reader / writer or non-contact IC card It is conceivable that the communicable area changes depending on individual differences. Therefore, when installing the non-contact IC card reader / writer, it is convenient if the communicable area can be confirmed before connecting to the main computer.

Therefore, the non-contact I
An electronic circuit is configured so that a communication test process for confirming communication with the C card can be executed.
It is conceivable to provide a configuration including a notification unit that notifies the user whether or not the communication state has been established.

In this case, the non-contact IC card reader / writer executes the communication test processing independently without connecting an external main computer. This communication test process is executed, for example, according to a user's instruction. At this time, the notification means notifies the user of the establishment of communication with the non-contact card. For this reason, the user can confirm the communicable area by moving the non-contact IC card closer to or away from the non-contact card reader / writer. Thus, when the non-contact IC card reader / writer is installed or the installation location is changed, the communicable area can be confirmed without connecting to the main computer, which is convenient. In addition, the notification means may perform notification by light or may perform notification by sound.

The above-described non-contact IC card reader / writer is generally used in a state of being stored in a storage case that transmits electromagnetic waves. For example,
This is because if the storage case is made of a synthetic resin having a waterproof effect, the non-contact IC card reader / writer can be installed outdoors.

However, a non-contact IC card reader / writer
Is stored in the storage case, so that
The reading distance of the code may be shortened.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 (a)
Is a non-contact IC card reader / writer in the storage case 500
5 shows a state where 5 is stored. In FIG.
The non-contact IC card reader / writer 5 shown in FIG.
103 is screwed to the housing 303 with the antenna substrate screw 91
At this time, the screw 9
1 has a protruding head.
Gap δ between base 500 and antenna substrate 103₁ Formed
It is. Here, the reading limit position from the antenna substrate 103
When the distance to is d, the electromagnetic wave of the storage case 500
Substantial reading from the emission surface 500a to the reading limit position
Stripping distance x₁ Is the gap δ ₁ Has become smaller
U. Generally, such a non-contact IC card reader / writer
Data communication distance of several mm, such as 1-2 mm.
Since there is a current situation in which measures are taken to maintain
Several mm formed by screw heads etc. for fixing
Is a problem from the viewpoint of the communication distance.

In view of the above, it is preferable that the protrusion disposed on the side of emission of the electromagnetic wave be minimized with respect to the antenna disposed inside the housing. Since the antenna is disposed inside the housing, it is conceivable that a part of the housing or a protrusion such as a screw for fixing the antenna is located on the radio wave emission side. For example, FIG.
Speaking of (a), the upper part of the housing 303 and the head of the housing screw 91 are located as protruding parts on the emission side of the electromagnetic wave with respect to the antenna substrate 103, that is, above the paper surface. Therefore, for example, a small screw such as a flat head screw or M3 is used in place of the antenna substrate screw 91 to minimize the head of the housing screw 91 as a protruding portion, or the antenna substrate 103 is In this case, a part of the housing 303 as a protruding portion located above the antenna substrate 103 is made as small as possible by just fitting it into the opening.

When the non-contact IC card reader / writer configured as described above is stored in the storage case, if the protrusion on the electromagnetic wave emission side is relatively small, the antenna can be brought close to the electromagnetic wave emission surface of the storage case. it can. Therefore,
As shown in FIG. 15B, the gap δ ₂ between the antenna substrate 103 and the storage case 500 can be reduced, and the distance from the antenna substrate 103 to the read limit position is d and d, as in FIG. when compared to the distance x ₁ shown in FIG. 15 (a), it is possible to increase the substantial reading distance x ₂ to the reading limit position from the IC card reading surface 500a of the housing case 500.

From the viewpoint of minimizing the screw head as a protruding portion, it is conceivable to use a flat head screw or a relatively small screw as described above. In other words, it is necessary to form a portion for receiving a further portion of the screw, that is, so-called "smoothing", so that the number of steps required for processing the housing may increase.
The reason for this is that the man-hours for the further embedding are required, but the accuracy is required for the further embedding. In other words, with a normal screw, the screw hole on the housing side can be opened slightly larger to create play with respect to the housing, so that the screw hole for fixing the antenna substrate and the housing is slightly shifted. Is not a problem, but with a further screw, play with respect to the housing is eliminated, so that a precision is required for a screw hole for fixing the housing to the antenna substrate. In addition, there is a problem that the reliability is reduced when a small screw is used.

Therefore, in consideration of the number of working steps and the reliability of the product, the structure of the antenna substrate and the housing is devised so as not to use a screw on the emission side of the electromagnetic wave so as to minimize the protrusion. Is preferred.

[0044]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. First Embodiment FIGS. 1 and 2 show a non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

The non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 includes an antenna substrate 10, an electronic circuit 40 a as an “electronic circuit” mounted on the printed wiring board 40, and an “electromagnetic wave shielding wall”.
, A magnetic body 61 as an “electromagnetic wave absorbing member” provided on the surface of the shield plate 60 on the antenna substrate 10 side, and a housing 30 for housing and disposing these. The shield plate 60 and the housing 30 are made of a metal material such as aluminum or iron. It is effective to use aluminum especially in view of lightness. Further, it is conceivable to use, for example, ferrite for the magnetic body 61.

The housing 30 is composed of an upper housing member 30u and a lower housing member 30d, and is screwed with a housing screw 92. The upper housing member 30u is formed with a square opening 30a, and the antenna substrate 10 is arranged so as to cover the opening 30a from inside the housing 30. A shield plate 60 is disposed further inside the housing 30 than the antenna substrate 10.
0 is the antenna board screw 91 together with the antenna board 10
Is fixed to the upper housing member 30u.

On the front surface of the antenna substrate 10 (the surface on the outside of the housing 30), a rectangular and annular electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b as shown in FIG. 4A is printed. FIG.
In (a), the hatched area is the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b for shielding the electromagnetic waves. An area surrounded by the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b and not shaded is an electromagnetic wave passage opening 10c as an "electromagnetic wave passage opening". That is, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment
The electromagnetic wave passage opening 10c in the case 30 is formed by an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b printed on the antenna substrate 10. On the other hand, the back surface of the antenna substrate 10 (casing 3
A rectangular loop-shaped antenna 10a as an "antenna" as shown in FIG.

The gap 10d shown in FIG. 4A is for preventing the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna 10a from generating an eddy current in the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b and reducing the inductance of the antenna 10a. A decrease in the inductance of the antenna 10a causes a decrease in the communication distance.

The plan view of FIG. 1 shows that such an antenna substrate 10 has an antenna substrate screw 9
1 shows the state of being screwed. In the figure, the antenna 10a printed on the back surface of the antenna substrate 10 is indicated by a broken line. The electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b and the antenna 10a are formed by a so-called etching technique.

Further, as shown in FIG.
The printed wiring board 40 on the side opposite to the antenna substrate 10
Are fixed to the lower housing member 30d by the printed wiring board screws 93. An electronic circuit 40a for performing a communication test process and the like to be described later is mounted on the printed wiring board 40. In FIG. 2, the individual electronic elements are not shown, and the area where the electronic circuit 40a is mounted is indicated by a dashed line.

The printed circuit board screw 93 is connected to the electronic circuit 4.
0a is connected to the ground terminal of the power supply that operates the housing 30 and the shield plate 6 via the antenna board screw 91, the housing screw 92, and the printed wiring board screw 93.
0 and the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b are all connected to the ground terminal of the power supply. Therefore, when the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 operates, the impedance of the housing 30, the shield plate 60, and the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b becomes lowest, and the housing 30, the shield plate 60, and the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b shield the electromagnetic waves.

Next, an electrical configuration of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1. The non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 according to the first embodiment is normally used while being connected to an external main computer 80, performs communication with the non-contact IC card 70 using electromagnetic waves, and By issuing a card data read instruction from the IC card 70 and a card data write instruction to the non-contact IC card 70, card data exchange with the non-contact IC card 70 is realized.

The non-contact IC card 70 has a transmission / reception function for performing communication using electromagnetic waves. That is, it includes an antenna, a communication circuit that performs communication via the antenna, and a microcomputer that controls the communication circuit. In addition, a memory device as a storage unit for storing card data is provided, and communication with the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 is performed by a communication circuit.
Based on the instruction from the device, the card data is read from the memory device or the card data is written to the memory device. The non-contact IC card 70
Are supplied with power from the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 in a non-contact manner and operate.

The non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 is electrically divided into the above-described electronic circuit 40a and a block of the antenna 10a. The electronic circuit 40a includes a CPU 41
A ROM 42 storing a program for processing to be executed by the CPU 41, and a card communication control unit 44 for controlling communication with the non-contact IC card 70 via the antenna 10a.
And an LED 45 as a "notifying means", and a switch 46 for the user to instruct execution of a communication test process described later.
For communicating with the main computer 80
It comprises a 232C interface 43 and a power supply unit 47.

The power supply unit 47 stabilizes the DC operating voltage output from the AC adapter 51, and connects the CPU 41, the RS232C interface 43,
It outputs to the ROM 42, the card communication control unit 44 and the LED 45. As a result, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 operates. The AC adapter 51 is an AC power supply 5
2 and outputs a DC operating voltage to the power supply unit 47 in response to the AC power supply voltage output from the power supply unit 2.

In the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1, C
The PU 41 is connected to the RS232C from the main computer 80.
It outputs a communication control instruction to the card communication control unit 44 based on the instruction transmitted via the interface 43. Based on this communication control instruction, the card communication control unit 44 performs communication with the non-contact IC card 70 via the antenna 10a. The communication control unit 44 includes a radio wave output circuit that determines an output level of an electromagnetic wave from the antenna 10a.

As described above, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 is normally connected to the main computer 80 and operates based on an instruction from the main computer 80. The reader / writer 1 is configured to be able to execute a communication test process with the non-contact IC card 70 without connecting the main computer 80.

Here, this communication test processing will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. This process
The non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 according to the first embodiment is independently executed without connecting the main computer 80, and is executed when an instruction is given from the user via the switch 46 in FIG. Is done. A program for this communication test processing is stored in the ROM 42,
It is executed by the CPU 41.

First, in the first step S1000,
Send a card response request command. This process requests the non-contact IC card 70 for a response.
As a result, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 receives a response signal from the non-contact IC card 70 in the communicable area of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1.

At S1100, a collision prevention command is transmitted. This processing is performed when a plurality of response signals are received in response to the response request transmitted in S1000, that is, when a plurality of non-contact IC cards 70 respond together.
Requests the response of one of the cards.

At S1200, a card selection command is transmitted. This processing is for notifying the card responding in the processing of S1100 of the start of communication. S1
At 300, an operation stop command is transmitted. This processing instructs the non-contact IC card 70 to stop the operation. Thus, the communication between the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 and the non-contact IC card 70 ends.

In S1400, it is determined whether the above-described series of communication processing has been normally completed. If it is determined that the communication has been completed normally (S1400: YES), the LED 45 is turned on and off in S1500. Thereafter, the processing from S1000 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the communication has ended abnormally (S1400: NO), the process from S1000 is repeated without executing the process in S1500.

Next, the effect of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment will be described. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the problems of the conventional non-contact IC card reader / writer will first be repeatedly described. The first problem is that the radio wave output circuits for determining the output level of the electromagnetic wave of the non-contact IC card reader / writer are individually designed so as not to exceed the electric field strength prescribed by the Radio Law, and the non-contact IC card reader / writer is not required. That is, it is necessary to individually design the electric field strength to meet the specifications of the card reader / writer.

The second problem is that the antenna is generally disposed on the front surface inside the housing of the non-contact IC card reader / writer in order to efficiently communicate with the non-contact IC card. As shown in FIG. 7, a part of the electromagnetic wave is also emitted to the back side of the non-contact IC card reader / writer because of having a figure eight directivity as shown in FIG.
There is a possibility that communication with the non-contact IC card is performed unintentionally and the card data is read.

A third problem is that when another device is brought close to the device, the communication state with the non-contact IC card becomes unstable due to the influence of the electromagnetic wave leaking from the device, and the operation of the non-contact IC card reader / writer becomes unstable. Stability is impaired. Non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment
In the above, the antenna 10a and the electronic circuit 40a were arranged inside the housing 30 having the electromagnetic wave shielding function by being connected to the ground terminal of the power supply. As a result, the electromagnetic waves from the antenna 10a are not emitted to portions other than the front surface of the housing 30. As a result, communication with the non-contact IC card 70 close to the back of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 is prevented, and the card data is not read unintentionally. Further, the electromagnetic wave emitted from the electronic circuit 40a does not leak to the outside.

Further, by arranging the antenna 10a and the electronic circuit 40a inside the casing 30 that shields the electromagnetic waves, it is possible to prevent the influence of the electromagnetic waves emitted from external devices and the like. Therefore, the communication state with the non-contact IC card 70 is not unstable due to an external electromagnetic wave, and the operation stability of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 can be improved.

By arranging the antenna 10a and the electronic circuit 40a inside the casing 30 for shielding electromagnetic waves, the above-described second and third problems have been solved. And
In the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment, an electromagnetic wave passage 10 c for communicating with the non-contact IC card 70 is formed in the housing 30. Therefore, the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b that forms the electromagnetic wave passage opening 10c
As a result, the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna 10a is partially shielded, and the output level of the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna 10a is determined without adjusting the radio wave output circuit.
That is, the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna 10a is determined by the size of the electromagnetic wave passage 10c. Therefore, the same radio wave output circuit and antenna 10a
, The electric field intensity can be arbitrarily adjusted by changing the size of the electromagnetic wave passage opening 10c. This eliminates the need to design a radio wave output circuit for individually determining the output level of the electromagnetic wave in accordance with the regulations of the Radio Law and the specifications of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1, and reduces the time required for designing the radio wave output circuit. be able to. Further, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 can be manufactured using an existing radio wave output circuit. Therefore, a significant cost reduction can be realized in consideration of labor costs and the like. Thus, the first problem was solved by forming the electromagnetic wave passage opening 10c.

Here, the electric field intensity and the electromagnetic wave
The relationship with 0c will be specifically described with reference to FIG. In the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1, the electromagnetic wave passage opening 10c is covered with the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b.
However, in FIG. 6, the opening of the housing 30 is an electromagnetic wave passage 30c. When the electromagnetic wave from the antenna 10a is output to the outside via the electromagnetic wave passage 30c, the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna 10a is partially shielded by the periphery of the electromagnetic wave passage 30c. Therefore,
The electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave from the antenna 10a is adjusted by the area of the electromagnetic wave passage opening 30c formed in the housing 30. For example, in FIG. 6, positions where the electric field intensities are equal are indicated by broken lines, but FIG.
As compared with (b), the area of the electromagnetic wave passage opening 30c of the housing 30 is larger, so that the electric field intensity by the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the antenna 10a printed on the antenna substrate 10 is larger.

In the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of this embodiment, the electromagnetic wave passage opening 10c is formed by printing an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10b on the antenna substrate 10. This facilitates the formation of the electromagnetic wave passage 10c and increases the processing accuracy.

In the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the present embodiment, the antenna substrate 1 is
The printed wiring board 40 was arranged on the opposite side of the reference numeral 0 (see FIG. 2). The shield plate 60 is also connected to the ground terminal of the power supply to shield electromagnetic waves. Since the shield plate 60 is disposed between the antenna 10a and the electronic circuit 40a, the shield plate 60 emits electromagnetic waves from the antenna 10a and the electronic circuit 40a. The generated electromagnetic waves do not interfere with each other. Further, since the magnetic body 61 is provided on the surface of the shield plate 60 on the antenna 10a side, the electromagnetic wave from the antenna 10a is absorbed by the magnetic body 61 without being reflected by the shield plate 60, so that the electromagnetic wave output from the antenna 10a Can be prevented from interfering with each other or eddy currents can be generated in the shield plate 60. This eliminates the need to provide a “space gap” between the antenna 10a and the electronic circuit 40a as in the related art, and as a result, the size of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 can be reduced.

Furthermore, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the present embodiment is normally used while connected to the main computer 80 (see FIG. 3).
In order for the user to know the communicable area of the non-contact IC card 70, the non-contact IC card
The communication test process with the C card 70 can be executed (see FIG. 5). This communication test processing is performed by the switch 46.
Is executed in accordance with the user's instruction via the PC, and if it is determined that the communication has been normally completed (S1400: YES), the LED
45 is turned on (S1500).

Therefore, the user can use the non-contact IC card 70
The communicable area can be confirmed by moving the LED closer to or away from the non-contact card reader / writer 1 and visually confirming whether or not the LED 45 is lit. Note that a buzzer or the like may be used instead of the LED 45. Thus, when the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 is installed or the installation location is changed, the main computer 8
This is convenient because the communicable area can be confirmed without connecting to 0. [Second Embodiment] A noncontact IC card reader / writer 2 of a second embodiment having a structure different from that of the noncontact IC card reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment will be described. The electrical configuration of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment, and only the physical structure is different. . Therefore, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2
The description of the electrical configuration of the contactless IC card reader / writer 2 will be omitted, and the physical structure of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 will be described below.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 according to a second embodiment. 9 is a plan view, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. Non-contact I
The C card reader / writer 2 includes an antenna substrate 100, an electronic circuit 40 a as an “electronic circuit” mounted on the printed wiring board 40, a shield plate 600 as an “electromagnetic wave shielding wall”, and an antenna substrate 100 of the shield plate 600. 61 as an “electromagnetic wave absorbing member” provided on the side surface
And a housing 300 for housing and arranging them.
The materials used for the shield plate 600, the housing 300, and the magnetic body 61 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The housing 300 is composed of an upper housing member 300u and a lower housing member 300d.
It is screwed in. In the upper housing member 300u, a rectangular opening 300a is formed from an end of the upper housing member 300u, and the antenna substrate 100 is arranged so as to cover the opening 300a from inside the housing 30. It is fixed to the upper housing member 300u by the board screw 91. In the second embodiment, the opening of the housing 300 is formed from the end of the upper housing member 300u, and the antenna 100
a is displaced from the center of the upper housing member 300u.

An electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 100b as shown in FIG. 9 is printed on the front surface of the antenna substrate 100 (the surface on the outside of the housing 300). In FIG. 9, a hatched hexagonal annular region is an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 100b for shielding electromagnetic waves. A hexagonal area that is not shaded and surrounded by the ring-shaped electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 100b is an electromagnetic wave passage 100c as an “electromagnetic wave passage”. Further, the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 100b is provided with a gap 100d for preventing generation of an eddy current.
have. On the other hand, a hexagonal loop-shaped antenna 100 a as an “antenna” as shown by a broken line in FIG.
Is printed. The electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10
Ob and antenna 100a are formed by so-called etching.

As shown in FIG. 10, on the back side of the antenna substrate 100, a shield plate 600 as an “electromagnetic wave shielding wall” on which a magnetic body 61 as an “electromagnetic wave absorbing member” is attached is disposed. The printed wiring board 40 is arranged on the opposite side of the shield plate 600 from the antenna substrate 100. The printed wiring board 40 is fixed to the lower housing member 300d by the printed wiring board screws 93 together with the shield plate 600. On the printed wiring board 40, an electronic circuit 40a for performing the same communication test processing as that of the first embodiment is mounted. In FIG. 10, the individual electronic elements are not shown, and the area where the electronic circuit 40a is mounted is indicated by a dashed line.

The printed circuit board screw 93 is connected to the electronic circuit 4.
The housing 300, the shield plate 600, and the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 100b are all connected to the ground terminal of the power supply that operates the power supply line 0a, and the antenna substrate screws 91, the housing screws 92, and the printed wiring board screws 93. It is connected to the ground terminal of the power supply. Therefore, when the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 operates, the impedance of the housing 300, the shield plate 600, and the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 100b becomes the lowest, and the housing 300, the shield plate 600,
The electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 100b shields electromagnetic waves.

With the structure described above, the same effects as those of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment are exhibited. That is, the antenna 10 is provided inside the housing 300 that shields electromagnetic waves by being connected to the ground terminal of the power supply.
By disposing the Oa and the electronic circuit 40a, unnecessary electromagnetic waves emitted from the antenna 100a and the electronic circuit 40a do not leak to the outside. Further, it is also possible to prevent the influence of electromagnetic waves emitted from external devices and the like. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the non-contact IC card 70 from being read on the back surface of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 and the operation of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 from becoming unstable.

Then, the non-contact IC card 7 is
By adjusting the area of the electromagnetic wave passage 100c for communication with the wireless communication device 0, the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave can be adjusted.
Therefore, it is not necessary to individually design a radio wave output circuit for determining an output level of an electromagnetic wave according to the specification, and the time required for designing the radio wave output circuit can be reduced. Also,
The non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 can be manufactured using an existing radio wave output circuit. Therefore, a significant cost reduction can be realized in consideration of labor costs and the like.

The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment.
Also in the embodiment, the electromagnetic wave passage opening 100c is formed by printing the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 100b on the antenna substrate 100. Thereby, the electromagnetic wave passage 10
The formation of Oc is facilitated, and the processing accuracy is also increased.

The antenna substrate 100 and the electronic circuit 40
The electromagnetic waves emitted from the antenna 10a and the electronic circuit 40a do not interfere with each other due to the shield plate 600 provided between the antenna 10a and the antenna 10a. Further, since the magnetic body 61 is provided on the surface of the shield plate 600 on the side of the antenna 100a, electromagnetic waves from the antenna 100a
Since it is not reflected at 00 and is absorbed by the magnetic body 61,
It is possible to prevent the electromagnetic waves output from the antenna 100a from interfering with each other and generating eddy current in the shield plate 600. This eliminates the need to provide a “spatial gap” between the antenna 100a and the electronic circuit 40a unlike the related art, and as a result, the size of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 can be reduced.

Further, the non-contact IC of the second embodiment
The card reader / writer 2 uses the first
This is the same as the embodiment, and the communication test process (see FIG. 5) can be executed. Therefore, the user can confirm the communicable area by moving the non-contact IC card 70 toward or away from the non-contact card reader / writer 1 and visually confirming whether or not the LED 45 is lit.
Thus, for example, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 1
When installing or changing the installation location, the communicable area can be checked without connecting to the main computer 80, which is convenient.

Further, the following effects also occur as effects according to the configuration of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the opening of the housing 300 is formed from the end of the upper housing member 300u, and the antenna 100a is arranged off the center of the upper housing member 300u. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the non-contact IC card 70 is
When the communication is performed in a state of being close to the non-contact IC card 7,
Non-contact IC card reader / writer 2
Is less likely to hit. [Third Embodiment] Non-Contact I of the First and Second Embodiments
A non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 according to a third embodiment, which has C card reader / writers 1 and 2 and a still another structure, will be described. The electrical configuration of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 of the third embodiment is the same as that of the non-contact IC card readers / writers 1 and 2 of the first and second embodiments. Only differ. Therefore,
Hereinafter, as the third embodiment, only the physical structure of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 will be described.

FIG. 12 shows a non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12A is a plan view, and FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 12A. The non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 includes an antenna substrate 101, an electronic circuit 40a as an “electronic circuit” mounted on the antenna substrate 101, and a housing 301 for housing and arranging them.

The housing 301 has an opening 301a at the front.
The antenna substrate 101 is arranged so as to cover the opening 301a. Four protrusions 101e are formed on the periphery of the antenna substrate 101, and an insertion hole 101f is formed in the protrusion 101e. on the other hand,
An insertion hole 10 is formed in the periphery of the opening 301a of the housing 301.
A projection 301b corresponding to 1f is formed. The protrusion 301 b of the housing 301 is connected to the protrusion 1 of the antenna substrate 101.
01e is inserted into the insertion hole 101f formed in the projection 30e.
By applying an external force to the projection 1b and twisting the projection 301b, the antenna substrate 101 is moved to the opening 301 of the housing 301.
fixed to a.

An electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 101b as shown in FIG. 12A is printed on the front surface of the antenna substrate 101 (the surface on the outside of the housing 301). FIG.
In (a), the hatched rectangular area and the circular annular area shield the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10 for shielding electromagnetic waves.
1b. The electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 101b is connected to a ground terminal of the electronic circuit 40a and has an electromagnetic wave shielding function. Then, the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10
A circular region surrounded by the annular region 1b and not shaded is an electromagnetic wave passage 101c as an "electromagnetic wave passage".
It is. Further, the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 101b has a gap 101d for preventing generation of an eddy current. On the other hand, on the back surface of the antenna substrate 101 (the surface on the inner side of the housing 30), a circular loop-shaped antenna 101a as an “antenna” as shown by a broken line in FIG. 9 is printed.

As shown in FIG. 12B, an electronic circuit 40a is mounted on the back of the antenna substrate 101. The electronic circuit 40a is the same as in the first and second embodiments. In FIG. 12B, the individual electronic elements are not shown, and the area where the electronic circuit 40a is mounted is indicated by a dashed line.

Next, the effects exhibited by the IC card reader / writer 3 of the third embodiment will be described. The above first and second
Similarly to the embodiment, in the non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 of the third embodiment, the antenna 101 is provided inside the housing 301 for shielding electromagnetic waves by being connected to the ground terminal of the power supply.
By disposing the electronic circuit 40a and the electronic circuit 40a, unnecessary electromagnetic waves emitted from the antenna 101a and the electronic circuit 40a do not leak to the outside. In addition, it is possible to prevent the influence of electromagnetic waves emitted from external devices and the like. Therefore, the non-contact IC card 70 is read on the back of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 or the non-contact IC card 70 is read.
It is possible to prevent the operation of the C card reader / writer 3 from becoming unstable.

The electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave can be adjusted by adjusting the area of the electromagnetic wave passage opening 101c for communicating with the non-contact IC card 70. Therefore, it is not necessary to individually design a radio wave output circuit for determining an output level of an electromagnetic wave according to the specification, and the time required for designing the radio wave output circuit can be reduced. Further, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 can be manufactured using an existing radio wave output circuit. Therefore, a significant cost reduction can be realized in consideration of labor costs and the like.

Incidentally, similarly to the first and second embodiments, in the third embodiment, the electromagnetic wave passage port 101c is also provided.
Indicates that the antenna substrate 101 has the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 101b
Was formed by printing. This facilitates formation of the electromagnetic wave passage opening 101c and increases processing accuracy.

However, in the third embodiment, since the shield plates 60 and 600 used in the first and second embodiments are not used, the antenna 101a and the electronic circuit 40 are not used.
It is conceivable that the communicable distance with the non-contact IC card 70 is shortened due to the interference of the electromagnetic waves respectively emitted from a. Therefore, the present invention is effective when used in a system for performing communication with the non-contact IC card 70 over a short distance. Although the communicable distance with the non-contact IC card 70 is reduced, unlike the first and second embodiments, the casing 3
Since the antenna substrate 101 is formed integrally and the antenna substrate 101 is fixed by twisting the projection 301b of the housing 301, it is advantageous in that the screw is not required and the manufacturing is easy.

In the first embodiment, the antenna 10a is formed in a rectangular shape, and in the second embodiment, the antenna 10a is formed.
0a is formed in a hexagonal shape, and in the third embodiment, the antenna 101a is formed in a round shape. The shape of the antenna is not limited to these, but may be formed in various shapes. As a result of an experiment conducted by the present applicant, it was found that the smaller the portion of the antenna pattern parallel to the periphery of the opening of the housing, the greater the electric field strength of the electromagnetic wave. It was found that the electric field intensity increased in the order of the square shape and the round shape. [Fourth Embodiment] The non-contact IC card reader / writers 1, 2 and 3 of the first, second and third embodiments and the non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 of a fourth embodiment having a further different structure are used. explain.

FIG. 13 shows a non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13A is a plan view, and FIG. 13B is a sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 13A. The non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 includes an antenna substrate 102, an electronic circuit 40a as an “electronic circuit” mounted on the antenna substrate 102, and a housing 302 for housing and arranging these.

The housing 302 is formed by screwing an upper housing member 302u and a lower housing member 302d with a housing screw 92. At this time, an opening 302a is formed by the upper housing member 302u and the lower housing member 302d, and the antenna substrate 102 is sandwiched between the upper housing member 302u and the lower housing member 302d so as to cover the opening 302a. Is fixed.

First, the structure for attaching the antenna substrate 102 to the housing 302 will be described. The upper housing member 302u is a thin metal member having a substantially rectangular shape. A screwing piece 302g is provided on one side of the upper housing member 302u, and a holding piece 302e and a regulating piece 302f are provided on two sides adjacent to the side.

The holding piece 302e is folded in a U-shape toward the antenna substrate 102, and a concave portion 102g formed on a side parallel to the longitudinal direction of the antenna substrate 102 (see FIG. 14).
In between. As a result, the upper housing member 302u is fixed to the antenna substrate 102.

At this time, the above-mentioned screwing piece 30
2g and the restricting piece 302f are bent perpendicularly to the antenna substrate 102 side, and the screw fixing piece 302g is
02 from the through-hole 102i (see FIG. 14) formed at one end in the longitudinal direction of the antenna substrate 102, and the restricting piece 302f from the concave portion 102h formed on a side parallel to the longitudinal direction of the antenna substrate 102. Protruding downward. A screw hole (not shown) is formed in the screwing side 302g.

The lower housing member 302d has a rectangular bottom surface and a rectangular 4
It is a box-shaped thin metal member composed of two side portions. Here, the surface facing the bottom portion is open, and the upper housing member 302u is fixed as described above, so that an opening 302a is formed in this surface.

One side surface 302h of the lower housing member 302d
Is formed with a screw hole (not shown). Then, the side portion 30 facing the side portion 302h in which the screw hole is formed.
A regulating piece 302c is provided at a corner portion between the side portion 2b and the side portion adjacent to the side portion 302b.

The longitudinal length of the antenna substrate 102 is
The length is longer than the length of the lower housing member 302d in the longitudinal direction, and a regulating piece 102j is formed at the center of one side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the antenna substrate 102. Then, the screwing piece 302g of the upper housing member 302u described above.
Are fixed to the side surface 302h of the lower housing member 302d with the housing screws 92. At this time, the restriction piece 102j of the antenna substrate 102 is attached to the side surface 302b of the lower housing member 302d.
It is supported from below by the upper part, and both corners of the regulating piece 102j of the antenna substrate 102 are supported from above by the regulating piece 302c of the lower housing member 302d. by this,
One end of the antenna substrate 102 in the longitudinal direction is fixed vertically. Further, as described above, since the antenna substrate 102 is longer in the longitudinal direction than the lower housing member 302d, it is supported from below by the upper portion of the side surface portion 302h of the lower housing member 302d. Therefore, the antenna substrate 102 is fixed to the open surface of the lower housing member 302d. Further, the restricting piece 302f of the upper housing member 302u abuts on the side surface of the lower housing member 302d from the inside, and the antenna substrate 1
02 is prevented from shifting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction with respect to the lower housing member 302d.

With the above-described configuration, the antenna substrate 102 can be mounted on the housing 302 using only one screw 92 for the housing.
Is securely fixed so as to cover the opening 302a. At this time, the housing 302 is connected to the ground terminal of the power supply. Next, based on the explanatory diagram of FIG.
2 will be described.

An electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 102b as shown in FIG. 14A is printed on the front surface of the antenna substrate 102 (the surface on the outside of the housing 302). FIG.
In (a), the shaded inner area is an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 102b for shielding electromagnetic waves. An area surrounded by the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 102b and not shaded is an electromagnetic wave passage 102c as an "electromagnetic wave passage".
It is. That is, the electromagnetic wave passage opening 102 in the housing 302 of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 of the fourth embodiment.
c is formed by an electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 102b printed on the antenna substrate 102. The electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 102b is provided with a gap 102d for preventing a reduction in communication distance due to the generation of an eddy current.
On the other hand, a circular loop-shaped antenna 102a as an “antenna” as shown in FIG. 14B is printed on the back surface of the antenna substrate 102 (the inner surface of the housing 302).

Further, a conductive pattern 102e is printed on the front surface of the antenna substrate 102 and a conductive pattern 102f is printed on the rear surface of the antenna substrate 102 so as to surround the antenna 102a. The conductive patterns 102e and 102f are
Conduction is caused by k, and a “loop-shaped conductor” is formed around the antenna 102a. Note that a gap is provided in the center of the conductive pattern 102f, and the conductive patterns 102e and 102f themselves do not form a loop. The resistor 400 is mounted at the center of the conductive pattern 102f on the back surface of the antenna substrate 102, so that the conductive patterns 102e and 102f
Together with 00, a "loop" is formed around the antenna 102a.

Note that the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 102b, the antenna 102a, and the conductive patterns 102e and 102f are
It is formed by so-called etching. Next, the effects exhibited by the IC card reader / writer 4 of the fourth embodiment will be described. As in the first, second and third embodiments, the non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 of the fourth embodiment also
By disposing the antenna 102a and the electronic circuit 40a inside the housing 302 connected to the ground terminal of the power supply, unnecessary electromagnetic waves emitted from the antenna 102a and the electronic circuit 40a do not leak to the outside. In addition, it is possible to prevent the influence of electromagnetic waves emitted from external devices and the like. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the non-contact IC card 70 from being read on the back surface of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 and the operation of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 from becoming unstable.

In the non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 of the fourth embodiment, the conductive patterns 102e and 102f are formed around the antenna 102a. Then, a loop is formed around the antenna 102a by interposing the resistor 400 in the gap between the conductive patterns 102f.

This technical idea is that when a conductor loop exists around the antenna 102a, the communication distance becomes shorter.
That is, attention is paid to the fact that the electric field strength can be suppressed. That is, when the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 102b is formed, the gap 102d is provided to suppress a decrease in the electric field strength due to the generation of the eddy current. Even when the size of the electromagnetic wave passage opening 102c is constant, the electric field strength can be suppressed. At this time, the electric field strength can be suppressed as the loop is formed by interposing the resistor 400 having a large resistance value. Therefore, the conductive pattern 10
The electric field strength can be adjusted by replacing the resistor 400 interposed in 2f with a resistor having a different resistance value. As a result, there is no need to change the size of the electromagnetic wave passage opening 102c for adjusting the electric field strength, and the number of steps can be further reduced. That is, for example, in the prototype stage, it is not necessary to reprint the electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 102b for adjusting the electric field intensity, and the number of steps can be reduced as compared with the first, second, and third embodiments. Therefore, a significant cost reduction can be realized in consideration of labor costs and the like.

The non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 according to the fourth embodiment includes a housing 302 and an antenna substrate 102.
By devising the above structure, the antenna substrate 102 is sandwiched between the upper housing member 302u and the lower housing member 302d. That is, on the electromagnetic wave emission side of the antenna substrate 102, the antenna substrate screws 91 (see FIGS. 2 and 10) as in the first and second embodiments and the housing 301 as in the third embodiment described above. The projection 301b (see FIG. 12) is not provided. As a result, when the non-contact IC card reader / writer 4 is used while being stored in a predetermined storage case, the antenna 102 can be brought close to the electromagnetic wave emission surface of the storage case. Therefore, the substantial reading distance of the IC card can be made longer than the structures of the first, second, and third embodiments.

This will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 15A shows a state where the non-contact IC card reader / writer 5 is stored in the storage case 500. The non-contact IC card reader / writer 5 shown in FIG.
The antenna substrate 103 is screwed to the housing 303 with an antenna substrate screw 91, and the head of the antenna substrate screw 91 protrudes from the reading surface side of the storage case 500. Therefore, the storage case 500 is provided by the screw head.
Clearance [delta] ₁ is formed between the antenna substrate 103. In the case where the distance from the antenna board 103 to the reading limit position and the d, substantial reading distance x ₁ from the card reading surface 500a of the housing case 500 to the reading limit position, becomes short by a gap [delta] _1. Generally, in such a non-contact IC card reader / writer,
Since there is a current situation where a device for securing a communication distance of several mm such as 1 to 2 mm is made, a gap of several mm formed by a screw head for fixing the antenna substrate becomes a problem from the viewpoint of the communication distance. It is.

On the other hand, the non-contact I of the fourth embodiment
In the C card reader / writer 4, as described above, the antenna substrate screws 91 (see FIGS. 2 and 10) and the protrusions 301b (see FIG.
2) so that the housing 302 and the antenna substrate 1 are not provided.
02 was devised. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15B, the gap δ ₂ between the antenna substrate 103 and the storage case 500 can be reduced, and the distance from the antenna substrate 103 to the read limit position is the same as in FIG. d
And when, in comparison with the distance x ₁ shown in FIG. 15 (a), IC card reading surface 500a of the housing case 500
The actual reading distance x ₂ from the reading limit position to
Can be increased.

In the fourth embodiment, the antenna substrate 102 is sandwiched between the upper housing member 302u and the lower housing member 302d so that the screw or the projection does not protrude toward the electromagnetic wave emission side. In the case where the non-contact IC card reader / writers 1, 2, and 3 of the first, second, and third embodiments attempt to obtain the same effect,
It is conceivable to use a further screw instead of the antenna substrate screw 91. In the third embodiment, FIG.
The direction and direction of the projections 301b of the lower housing member 301d shown in (1) may be changed so that the projections 301b do not project in the electromagnetic wave emission direction.

However, if a flat screw is used, it is necessary to form a portion for receiving the flat portion of the screw in the housing, that is, so-called “smoothing”, so that the number of steps required for processing the housing may increase. is there. The reason for this is that the man-hours for the further embedding are required, but the accuracy is required for the further embedding. In other words, with a normal screw, the screw hole on the housing side can be opened slightly larger to create play with respect to the housing, so that the screw hole for fixing the antenna substrate and the housing is slightly shifted. Is not a problem, but with a further screw, play with respect to the housing is eliminated, so that a precision is required for a screw hole for fixing the housing to the antenna substrate. Therefore, in consideration of the number of working steps, it is preferable to minimize the protrusion such as screws by modifying the structure of the antenna substrate and the housing as in the fourth embodiment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the non-contact IC card reader / writer according to the first to third embodiments.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a print pattern of an antenna substrate.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication test process in the non-contact IC card reader / writer according to the first to third embodiments.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a radio wave passage and an electric field intensity.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing directivity of an antenna.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a spatial gap.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an effect by an arrangement position of an antenna.

FIG. 12A is a plan view illustrating a non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a third embodiment, and FIG.
It is a C line sectional view.

FIG. 13A is a plan view showing a non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a fourth embodiment, and FIG.
It is D sectional drawing.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a print pattern of an antenna substrate according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a storage case and a communication distance.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,2,3,4,5,6 non-contact IC card reader / writer 10,100,101,102,103 ... antenna substrate 10a, 100a, 101a, 102a ... antenna 10b, 100b, 101b, 102b ... electromagnetic wave shielding pattern 10c, 100c, 101c, 102c ... electromagnetic wave passage openings 10d, 100d, 101d, 102d ... gaps 101e ... convex portions 101f ... insertion holes 102e, 102f ... conductive patterns 102k ... through holes 30, 300, 301, 302, 303 ... housing 30a, 300a, 301a, 302a ... opening 30c ... electromagnetic wave passage openings 30u, 300u, 302u ... upper housing member 30d, 300d, 302d ... lower housing member 40 ... printed wiring board 40a ... electronic circuit 41 ... CPU 42 ... ROM 43… RS232C interface 44: Card communication control unit 45: LED 46: Switch 47: Power supply unit 51: AC adapter 52: AC power supply 60, 600 ... Shield plate 61: Magnetic body 70: Non-contact IC card 80: Main computer 91: Antenna board Screw 92: Screw for housing 93: Screw for printed wiring board 500: Storage case

Claims (6)

[Claims] An antenna for communicating with a non-contact IC card, and a communication between the non-contact IC card via the antenna based on an instruction from a main computer connected to the outside. An electronic circuit for instructing at least one of reading and writing of information with respect to the non-contact IC card, and a housing for shielding electromagnetic waves, wherein the antenna and the electronic circuit are arranged inside the housing, and A non-contact IC card reader / writer, wherein an electromagnetic wave passage opening for emitting an electromagnetic wave output from an antenna only in a direction necessary for communication with the non-contact IC card is formed in the housing. 2. The electromagnetic wave shielding pattern according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave passage is printed on a printed wiring board covering an opening formed in the housing and connected to a ground terminal. Non-contact I characterized by being formed by
C card reader / writer. 3. The non-contact IC card reader / writer according to claim 1, wherein a loop-shaped conductor having a gap in the middle of the loop is provided around the antenna, and a resistor is provided in the gap. A non-contact IC card reader / writer, wherein the conductor and the resistor form a loop around the antenna by being interposed. 4. The non-contact IC card reader / writer according to claim 1, further comprising: an electromagnetic wave shielding wall disposed between the antenna and an electronic circuit, for shielding electromagnetic waves, and the electromagnetic wave shielding wall. A non-contact IC card reader / writer, comprising: an electromagnetic wave absorbing member provided on a surface on the antenna side for absorbing electromagnetic waves. 5. The non-contact IC card reader / writer according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is capable of executing a communication test process for confirming communication with the non-contact IC card. A non-contact IC card reader / writer further comprising: a notifying unit for notifying a user whether a communication state has been established by executing the communication test process. 6. The non-contact IC card reader / writer according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion located on an emission side of the electromagnetic wave with respect to the antenna disposed inside the housing is minimized. A non-contact IC card reader / writer characterized in that it is configured.