JPH1125240A - Portable ic card reader and writer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to replace an IC card holder with a holder which installs plural SIMs according to need by having two kinds of holders, the IC card holder for supporting the IC card and a SIM holder for supporting plural SIMs, and having a contact for plural SIMs for being connected to a terminal of the SIM installed in the SIM holder. SOLUTION: An IC card holder 8 and a SIM holder 9 are freely detachable and attachable for a body 7. The device has two kinds of holders, the IC card holder 8 for supporting an IC card 2 and the SIM holder 9 for supporting a plurality of SIMs 6, and has a contact for the plurality of SIMs connected to a terminal of the SIM installed in the SIM holder. For example, when the IC card 2 is used, the IC and holder 8 for supporting the IC card 2 is installed. The body 7 communicates with the IC card 2 by way of a contact for the IC card and does not use other contacts.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a portable IC card reader / writer (hereinafter, referred to as a portable IC card R / W) in an electronic money system using an IC card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a portable IC card R / W of this kind.
It is a perspective view which shows the prior art example. In the figure, 1 is a main body of the apparatus, 2 is an IC card, 3 is a holder for supporting the IC card 2, and the holder 3 is fixed to the main body 1. The main body 1 is provided with IC card contacts for connecting terminals to the IC card 2 installed in the holder 3.

[0003] Reference numeral 4 denotes an external card such as a prepayment card or a cash card, which has an insertion portion for inserting the external card 4 outside the main body 1. With the above configuration, the user places the specific IC card 2 on the holder 3 and connects the IC card 2 to the IC card contact of the main body 1 by terminal. In this state, the transaction is executed while the external card 4 is inserted, and a record of the transaction is stored in the IC card 2. Then, the information recorded on the IC card 2 is stored or transferred to a central processing unit or the like after the work is completed.

[0004]

Here, when a portable IC card R / W is considered to be compatible with a plurality of electronic money systems, a plurality of types of ICs are connected to the main body of the device. A smaller SIM (Sub
scriberIdentificationMod
ule) may be used.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an IC card, in which 5 is an IC chip of the IC card 2. FIG.
Is a plan view showing a SIM, in which 6 is SI
M and 7 are SIM6 IC chips. However,
According to the prior art having the above configuration, since the holder is fixed, a new holder for supporting a plurality of SIMs can be provided in a different place from the IC card holder or the IC card holder. A SIM holder must be provided on the same surface as the contact, and there is a problem that a new space is required and the thickness of the device increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a configuration in which a plurality of SIMs are mounted and connected at the mounting and connecting positions of an IC card, thereby preventing a new space for mounting the SIM, SIMs without increasing the size of the SIM
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable IC card R / W capable of connecting to a PC.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention replaces the holder for an IC card with a holder having a plurality of SIMs as necessary. That is, the present invention provides a portable IC card R / R having a holder for supporting an IC card and an IC card contact for connecting a terminal to the IC card installed in the holder.
W, an IC that makes the holder detachable from the apparatus and supports an IC card as the holder.
It has two types of card holders and SIM holders that support a plurality of SIMs, and the SI installed in the SIM holders
It is characterized by having a plurality of SIM contacts connected to the M terminal.

At this time, if one of the SIM contacts also serves as an IC card contact, the number of contacts can be reduced, and the IC card and SIM contacts can be manufactured by the same process in terms of the manufacturing process. The IC card holder further includes a second IC card contact connected to a terminal of the IC card placed upside down on the IC card holder, and one of the SIM contacts also serves as the second IC card contact. And good.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 7 denotes a main body of the device, 2 denotes an IC card, 8 denotes an IC card holder that supports the IC card 2, 9 denotes a SIM holder that supports a plurality of (here, three) SIMs 6, and these ICs The card holder 8 and the SIM holder 9 are detachable from the main body 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the back of the main body 7. As shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the main body 7 has contacts 10 a, which are connected to the terminals of the SIM 6 installed in the SIM holder 9.
10b and 10c are provided. In the present embodiment,
Of these, the contact 10a also serves as an IC card, thereby minimizing the number of contacts.

The operation of the first embodiment having the above configuration will be described below. First, when the IC card 2 is used, the IC card holder 8 supporting the IC card 2 is mounted. The device communicates with the IC card 2 via the contact 10a, and the other contacts 10b and 10
c is not used. When a plurality of SIMs 6 are used, a SIM holder 9 supporting the plurality of SIMs 6 is mounted. The device comprises contacts 10a, 10b and 10
Communicate with the selected SIM 6 via c.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the contact 10c in FIG. 2 is placed at a position corresponding to the IC chip 5 of the IC card 2 placed upside down on the IC card holder 8. Thus, the SIM contact 10c is connected to the IC card 2 installed upside down by the second IC.
Also serves as a card contact.

The operation of the second embodiment having the above configuration is as follows. FIG. 3 shows an IC according to the second embodiment.
It is a perspective view explaining the installation direction of a card. First, IC
When using the card 2, the I or B
The IC card holder 8 supporting the C card 2 is mounted. The device communicates with the IC card 2 via the contact 10a if the IC card 2 is in the A direction and via the contact 10c if the IC card 2 is in the B direction.

When a plurality of SIMs 6 are used, a SIM holder 9 supporting the plurality of SIMs 6 is mounted. The device communicates with the selected SIM 6 via contacts 10a, 10b and 10c. According to the second embodiment, the IC card 2 can be connected to the device regardless of the installation direction.

Since the contact 10c also serves as a second IC card contact connected to the IC card 2 installed upside down, the number of contacts does not increase compared to the first embodiment.

[0016]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a portable IC card R / W having a holder for supporting an IC card and an IC card contact for connecting a terminal to the IC card installed in the holder. In the above, the holder is detachable from the apparatus, and the holder has two types of holders: an IC card holder that supports an IC card and a SIM holder that supports a plurality of SIMs.
Since there are a plurality of SIM contacts connected to the terminals of the SIM installed in the SIM holder, the holder for the IC card can be replaced with a holder having a plurality of SIMs as necessary.

This makes it possible to mount and connect a plurality of SIMs to the mounting and connection positions of the IC card, thereby preventing a new space for mounting the SIM and preventing a plurality of SIMs from being enlarged without increasing the size of the device. There is an effect of providing a portable IC card R / W to which a SIM can be connected. Furthermore, at this time, if one of the SIM contacts also serves as an IC card contact, the number of contacts can be reduced, and the IC card and SIM contacts can be manufactured in the same process in terms of a manufacturing process. There is.

Further, a second IC connected to a terminal of an IC card placed upside down on the IC card holder.
In addition to having a card contact, when the IC card is used, the IC card can be used without worrying about the insertion direction of the IC card, so that the operability is improved. Since one of the SIM contacts also serves as the second IC card contact, the above effect can be obtained without increasing the number of contacts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a back surface of the IC card holder according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an IC card.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a SIM.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 IC card 6 SIM 7 Main body 8 IC card holder 9 SIM holder 10a, 10b, 10c Contact

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A portable IC card reader / writer having a holder for supporting an IC card and an IC card contact for connecting a terminal to the IC card installed in the holder, wherein the holder is detachable from the apparatus. There are two types of holders, an IC card holder that supports an IC card and a SIM holder that supports a plurality of SIMs, and a plurality of SIM contacts that are connected to terminals of the SIM installed in the SIM holder. A portable IC card reader / writer, characterized in that: 2. The portable IC card reader / writer according to claim 1, wherein one of the SIM contacts is an IC.
A portable IC card reader / writer, which also serves as a card contact. 3. The portable IC card reader / writer according to claim 1, further comprising a second IC card contact connected to a terminal of an IC card installed upside down in said IC card holder, and said SIM card contact. A portable IC card reader / writer, wherein one of the contacts also serves as the second IC card contact.