JPS58176792A - Information card incorporating power supply function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform the communication with a central arithmetic device with no contact and without using any power supply terminal, by providing an electric signal processor and an optical electromotive element to a carrier such as an information card, etc. and actuating the processor by the electromotive power obtained by converting a light beam through the optical electromotive element. CONSTITUTION:An information card is formed with a substrate sheet 1 of synthetic resin, a surface cover 2 and a rear cover 3. A solar battery 4, i.e., an optical electromotive element is formed by arranging in series battery cell 5 along the long side of the sheet 1. An IC12 which functions as an electric signal processor is provided at a window 10 of the sheet 1. Then a photodetecting element 8 and a light emitting element 9 set opposite to windows 6 and 7 are connected to the IC12 via output signal lines 14 and 15. At the same time, the IC12 is connected to the battery 4 via a power supply bus 13. Then the IC12 is actuated with the electromotive power obtained by cobverting a light beam by the battery 4. Thus it is possible to have communication with a central arithmetic device with no contact and without using any power supply terminal to the information card. This can eliminate the generation of a malfunction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an information card such as a credit card, a cash card, etc. that stores individual information, and 41,
The information card has a built-in power supply function that can drive the built-in electrical signal processing device using the electromotive force generated by the photovoltaic element &C.

Traditionally, personal information such as a credit card that allows you to purchase goods with personal credit, a cash card that allows you to withdraw cash from your bank account, and a membership card that allows you to check admission to a club with a membership fee system, etc. Memorized information cards were often used. In this conventional information card, the individual information of the holder is magnetically stored on a magnetic stripe attached to the card, and this magnetic stripe is read by a card reader, etc., and the individual information is used for lending, borrowing, and recording money. I was able to have them manage things like this.

However, there is a memory limit of 11 VC when recording magnetic information using a magnetic stripe,
Only very limited information such as the l1f identification number could be recorded. For this reason, if you wish to use credit lending from companies with different numbers of boards, you must have a credit card issued by each company, and it will be difficult to carry the credit card. Usage limit.

Information on the usage status of rental items such as 15c etc. cannot be recorded on the magnetic stripe, so each time a credit card is used, it is sent to an information processing center equipped with a large computer.
i[! It was inconvenient as I had to make do with the 111 cord.

For this reason, in recent years, credit cards have been developed in which a signal processing device (integrated circuit, IC) with a memory function is built into the information card, and the signal processing device and the terminal can communicate electrically. ing. Information cards incorporating this signal processing device have extremely large storage capacities compared to magnetic stripes, credit limits, number of uses, etc.
It is possible to memorize the name of a company that can be used, and exchange the memory for a new one, and it can have the functions of many conventional information cards with magnetic stripes, making it a great value for future use as an information card. is occurring.

However, this information card equipped with a signal processing device requires a power supply #I to drive the signal processing device, and drive power is normally supplied from outside through a terminal provided at the end #/C of the information card. .

For this reason, information cards do not only require terminals for power supply, but may also malfunction due to poor contact, etc.
Otherwise, it was stable for many years without causing malfunction.

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention stores a photovoltaic element in an information card containing an electric signal processing device, uses the electric power generated by the photovoltaic element as a driving power source for the electric signal processing device, and connects it to external equipment. provides an information card with a built-in power supply function that can be operated without contact.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to detailed drawings.

Figure 1 shows the disassembled information card of this example.
This information card is made of a substrate sheet made of insulating synthetic resin.1 front cover2. jl cover 3, each substrate sheet 1. Clothes cover 2. The back covers 3 are all thin-walled rectangular with the same outer shape, and are opaque except for a part.

This substrate sheet 112) Table 1K has solar cells 4, which are elongated photovoltaic elements, attached along its 10,000 long sides,
Solar cell 4 has a decimal of 1! Five pond cells are installed in series.

Also, a position t close to the short side tic of the substrate sheet l
In C, small-diameter circular windows 6 and 7 are opened at intervals, and a light-receiving element (such as a phototransistor) 8 is placed inside the window 6, and a light-emitting element (such as a light-emitting diode, etc.) is placed inside the lower window. 9 are inserted respectively. Then, near the center of the substrate sheet l, a rectangular-shaped window 10 is opened near the windows 6 and 7, and an integrated circuit 121, which is an electrical signal processing device, is fixed in the window lO. The wafer 11 that has been removed is now inserted. The surface of the substrate sheet l is provided with shivering wiring by etching, etc.
Therefore, the power supply bus 13. Input signal @14. Output signal 4ij
! The solar cell 4 and the integrated circuit 12 are connected to the power supply bus 13, the light receiving element 8 and the output circuit 12 are connected to the input signal line 14, and the light emitting element 9 and the integrated circuit 12 are connected to the output signal source 15. This is a direct connection. Next, the entire front cover 2Fi is made of opaque synthetic resin, and necessary information 16 such as the owner's name and registration number is printed or embossed on the surface so that it can be visually recognized. That's how it is. A transparent light guide window 17 is formed in an elongated shape along the 10,000 long sides of the front cover 2, and this light guide window 17 matches the position and shape of the solar cell 4 described above. It's a shame. Further, circular transparent communication windows 1g, 19 are formed at intervals at positions close to the 10,000 short sides of the front cover 2.
correspond to the positions of the light receiving element 81 and the light emitting element 9, respectively.

Each of the light guide window parts 179 and the communication window parts 18 and 19 are each made of a transparent base resin, and are formed integrally with the front cover 2 into a thin wall shape. Then, a front cover 2 and a good cover 3 are densely layered from above and below on this substrate sheet 1, thereby forming a single information card having a three-layer sandwich shape.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the information card 2o formed by pressing in a sandwich shape as described above is cut off near the light-receiving element 8. Since it is the same as that shown in FIG. A lead hole 21 is opened through the substrate sheet l at a position close to the window 6, and an input signal #14 is provided at the open position of the lead hole 21.
1; The lead wire 22 of the light receiving element 8 is connected to the input signal [14 through 41 and is connected and fixed with solder 23. A recess 24 is formed by shallowly cutting the back surface of the recess 24, and the light receiving element 8.Lead@22 is housed in the recess 24.

Also, jl! ! 3 shows the configuration of the integrated circuit 12 and the light receiving element 8. 2 is a block diagram showing the relationship between light emitting elements 9. FIG. Status register 31. Akyemureta 32, ALU (
Arithmetic and logical operations (enit) 33. Scratchpad register 34. The scratch pad indirect address registers 35 are all connected by a result bus 36, and the outputs of the status register 31 and the achievable emulator 32 are connected to ALU3! by a shift multiplexer bus 37. Input IK 9, scratch pad register 34. The output of the scratch pad indirect address register 35 is input to the ALU 13 by a write multiplexer 38. The interrupt control circuit 39 is mutually #C connected to the result bus 36,
The outputs of the result bus 36 and the control ROM 40 are input to the data bus 41, which is connected to the data bus 41/Ii write multiplexer bus 38 and the instruction register 42, and the output of the instruction register 42 is input to the write-r Lunaplexer bus. I'm connected to 38. The outputs of the power-on reset circuit 43 and the clock generation circuit 44 are connected to this data bus 41, and the signals from the light receiving element 8 are input to the decoder circuit 45. The data bus 41 is input via an input control circuit 46, and the output of the data bus 41 is sent to an output control circuit 48. The signal is transmitted to the light emitting wire 9 via the output decoder circuit 47.

Further, the output of the solar cell 4 is input to a stabilizing circuit 49 that keeps the potential difference stable at all times, and the voltage stabilized by the stabilizing circuit 49 is provided to each block as a driving power source.

Next, we will explain the effect of this embodiment on i1+! As explained.

The information card 2o in the real mflK can be used as a credit card: □ It can store information unique to the holder in the memory of the integrated circuit 12, and the name of the document in possession.

Account numbers, PIN numbers, credit balances, lending and borrowing limits, etc. are recorded, and by reading these records, it is possible to purchase goods or lend or borrow consideration for services. Figure 4 shows only the reading mechanism inside the terminal such as the collation device and the register, and the information card 20 is inserted into the insertion slot (not shown).
When the information card 20fl is inserted in the inward direction, it is stopped at a predetermined position by a stopper or the like, resulting in the state shown in FIG. A metal guide body 50 is provided which is open above and below one long side of the information card 20.
The upper 1sK#i elongated lamp 51 is installed parallel to the information card 20. The light emitted from the lamp 51 is reflected by the internal cavity of the BFi guide body 50 and guided downward, and when it irradiates the vicinity of the light guide window 17 of the information card 20, it becomes a light beam. Therefore, the light NIB passes through the transparent light guide window 171 and irradiates the solar cell 4 to generate photovoltaic power, and the electromotive force is transferred to the power source @13 connected to both ends of the solar cell 40. The information is then transmitted to the integrated circuit 12, which drives the integrated circuit 12 and performs the functions of calculation, storage, and input/output control.

Further, an ilt reflection Ji 52 is provided above one short side of the information card 20, and a coupler 53 is provided at the same height position as the reflector 52, and a coupler 53 is provided on the side surface of the coupler 53. A light emitting window 54 and a light receiving window 55 are opened at a distance from each other on the surface facing the reflecting mirror 52. As mentioned above, the integrated circuit 12 is activated by the photovoltaic force generated by the solar cell 4.
is activated, and a communication beam C is emitted from the light emitting window 54 of the coupler unit 53 for inquiries from a central control unit (not shown). The light passes through the window 18 and reaches the light receiving element 8 . The light receiving element 8 converts this communication light beam C into an electrical signal, and transmits this signal to the integrated circuit 12 via an input signal line 14. In the integrated circuit 1Z, a manual decoder circuit 45. The signal from the light receiving element 8 is transmitted to the data bus 41 via the input control circuit 46, and is transmitted to the ALU 33. The stored contents are recalled according to the procedure of a program preset in the control ROM, etc., and VC calculations are performed, and the results are sent to the data path 41. Output control circuit 48. The signal is transmitted to the light emitting cord 9 via the output decoder circuit 47. The light-emitting cable 9 converts this electric signal into a signal beam, passes it through the transparent communication window 19, and then reflects it at right angles by the reflector 52 to coupler integrated Is.
This communication light beam reaches the light receiving window 55 of No. 3. The conversion element in the light receiving window 55 receives this communication light 11D, converts it into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the central processing unit.Thereby, response information from the information card 20 is received and the information card 2
It will be used to grasp the information of the owner of 0, record the account number, credit amount, etc., and perform later work such as direct debit. In this way, the light receiving element 8, the light emitting element 9, and the integrated coupler 53 enable mutual communication between the information card 20 and the central processing unit.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it can be driven by electrical signal processing *tt- by the photovoltaic element provided on the information card, and there is no need to provide a power supply shield on the information card, and contact This prevents malfunctions and malfunctions due to defects, and the use of information cards incorporating a stain signal processing device can be stabilized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The first figure is a perspective view showing an exploded state of an information card according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the second figure is a cross-sectional view near the light-receiving element of the same.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electric circuit, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing how the information card is used. 4...Solar cell as a photovoltaic element, 12...Integrated circuit as an electrical signal processing device, 20...Information card. Percentage Applicant Computer Service Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Akira Hibi□

Claims (1)

[Claims] An electric signal processing device and a photovoltaic element are provided on a thin flat carrier, and the electromotive force generated by the photovoltaic element is supplied to the electric signal processing device, and the electromotive force generated by the photovoltaic element is converted into an electromotive force. An information card with a built-in power supply function that operates an electrical signal processing device using electric power.