JPS62259195A - Reader/writer for ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To insert an IC card without being aware of the surface and the direction of the card and to read and write data in any inserting state as well by providing the reader/writer for the card with four interface terminal contact parts. CONSTITUTION:Four interface terminal contact parts 13-1-13-4 are displayed in all possible positions in an IC card accommodation part 12 of the reader/ writer 21. Namely, when the card is inserted the right side out or up, or when it is inserted into the accommodation part 12 from an end part 1A or with the end part 1A as the back, the contact parts 13-1-13-4 are disposed in the position confronted with an interface terminal part 3. When the card 1 is inserted into the writer 21, the contact parts 13-1-13-4 sequentially or simultaneously shift in the direction of the card surface and come into contact with the surface. Thus, a terminal 14 electrically is allowed into contact with the terminal 3. Consequently, the card 1 can be inserted without being aware of the surface and the direction of the card, and data can be read and written in any inserting state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a reader/writer for reading data stored in a so-called IC card and writing data to the card.

[Conventional technology]

In the broadest sense, an IC card refers to any card containing an IC, but it usually refers to an ISO (1 mm area standardization 1) compliant card. An ISO-compliant card has a built-in microcomputer and an IC as shown in Figure 2.
Data exchange and connection to an external power source are performed through an interface terminal section 3 consisting of several terminals provided on one side (front or back side) 2 of the card 1. In other parts of surface 2, as shown in FIG.
4, a display section 5 for displaying data, etc. will be arranged.

The IC card is used by being set in an IC card reader/writer. There are several types of reader/writers, such as manual insertion types that are small and easy to transport, stand-alone types, and types that are incorporated as part of a device, but when inserting a card, it is important to check the direction in which it is inserted. It is decided whether to insert it with the side facing up.

FIG. 3 shows the basic structure of the main parts of a conventional reader/writer with an IC card installed. When the IC card 1 is inserted into the IC card accommodating section 12 of the reader/writer 11 in the direction of the arrow with the designated side facing up and the designated end facing the tip, the IC card 1 is inserted into the IC card accommodating section 12 of the reader/writer 11 in a position facing the interface terminal section 3. The arranged interface terminal contact portion 13-1 is connected to the IC card 1.
The contact terminal 14 contacts the terminal of the interface terminal section 3. As a result, the data processing section (not shown) of the reader/writer 11 becomes ready to read data from the IC card 1 and write data thereto.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

By the way, this type of league-like 1 that was conventionally used
1, if the IC card 1 is inserted upside down or the rear end of the card is inserted first, the interface terminal section 3 will not come into contact with the interface terminal contact section 13-1, making it impossible to read or write data. I couldn't do it.

For this reason, conventional IC cards have a mark such as an arrow printed or engraved on one side to indicate the insertion direction, and the reader/writer 11 follows the instructions of this mark.
It was necessary to insert the Therefore, it is necessary to provide the reader/writer 11 with means for detecting erroneous insertion and instructing re-insertion.

Furthermore, IC card users are forced to accurately identify marks even when they are in a hurry or in a dark place, which is troublesome.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an IC card that allows an IC card to be inserted without worrying about its surface or direction, and that does not interfere with data reading and writing regardless of the insertion format.
The purpose is to provide a C card reader/writer.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention includes an IC card accommodating part that accommodates an IC card in a predetermined position, and an interface terminal part provided on the card surface when the IC card is inserted into the IC card accommodating part with the front and back or front and back reversed. 4 interface terminal contact parts that are in contact with the four parts on the card surface that correspond to each of the four parts where the card may be placed, and are in electrical contact with the interface terminal parts. An IC card reader/writer is equipped with a data processing section that reads and writes data via an interface terminal contact section.

Some IC cards have two or more interface terminals arranged on the card surface. If two or more of the four interface terminal contact parts of such an IC card are in contact with separate interface terminal parts, data may be read and written for each interface terminal contact part that is in contact. Of course.

According to the present invention, since the four interface terminal contact portions are arranged in the reader/writer of the IC card, it is possible to read and write the IC card no matter what form the IC card is placed in the reader/writer.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to Examples below.

FIG. 1 shows the principal parts of an IC card reader/writer according to an embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as in Figure 3 are given the same symbols.
Their explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

Now, in the reader/writer 21 of this embodiment, a total of four interface terminal contact parts 13-1 to 13-4 are arranged in the IC card accommodating part 12. Now this leader
It is assumed that the IC card 1 to be processed by the writer 21 has the surface shown in FIG. 2 as its front surface, and that the interface terminal section 3 is disposed only at one location on the left side of the surface.

When the interface terminal contact portion 13-1 is inserted into the IC card accommodating portion 12 with the surface of the ICC 10 facing upward as shown in the figure and the end IA on the side closer to the interface terminal portion 3 being the rear end, the interface terminal contact portion 13-1 3 are placed in positions facing each other. This arrangement relationship is the same as that of the conventional reader/writer 11 shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the second interface terminal contact portion 13
-2 is the end of the IC card 1 with its surface facing up.
When the card is removed from A into the IC card accommodating section 12, the interface terminal sections 3 are arranged at positions that should face each other. In addition, the third interface terminal contact fffl13
-3 is arranged at a position where the interface terminal portion 3 should face when the IC card 10 is inserted into the IC card accommodating portion 12 with the surface facing down and the end IA as the rear end. Furthermore, the fourth interface terminal contact B13-4 is arranged at a position where the interface terminal part 3 should face when the IC card 1 is inserted into the IC card accommodating part 12 from the end IA with the surface facing down. . Each of the interface terminal contact sections 13-1 to 13-4 is connected to a data processing section (not shown).

When the IC card 1 is inserted into the reader/writer 21 configured as described above in the direction of the arrow in the figure, the first to fourth interface terminal contact parts 13-1 to 13-4 move sequentially or simultaneously in the direction of the card surface. and come into contact with this surface. As a result, the contact terminal 14 of one interface terminal contact section 13 comes into electrical contact with the interface terminal section 3 . As a result, data processing becomes possible between the data processing section and the IC card 10 described above.

[Modified example]

In the above embodiments, the case where the IC card has only one interface terminal section has been described. If the IC card has two or more interface terminal parts and their positions correspond to the respective interface terminal contact parts shown in FIG. 1, the contact relationship between the interface terminal parts and the interface terminal contact parts is 2
More than one set will occur. In such a case, data can be processed for each set. Furthermore, in this case as well, there is no question as to whether the IC card is inserted properly or not.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, since the interface terminal contact portion is arranged in correspondence with all the positions where the interface terminal portion of the IC card may be placed in the reader/writer, the IC card can be reused. This not only improves the operability of the system by eliminating the need for troublesome operations such as insertion, but also eliminates restrictions on card design since there is no need to mark the card surface to instruct the insertion method. In addition, since multiple interface terminal contact parts are arranged, even if a malfunction occurs in one part of the interface terminal contact parts, data can be read and written using other interface terminal contact parts, which increases the reliability of the system. will improve.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the main parts of a reader/writer with an IC card installed in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of an IC card, and FIG. 3 is a conventional reader/writer with an IC card installed. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the main parts of the reader/writer used. 1...IC card, 3...Interface terminal section, 12...
...IC card accommodating section, 13...Interface terminal contact l, 21.
...Reader/writer. Applicant NEC Corporation NEC Data Equipment Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An IC card accommodating part that accommodates an IC card in a predetermined position, and an interface terminal part provided on the card surface when the IC card is inserted into this IC card accommodating part with the front and back or front and back reversed. 4 interface terminal contact portions that are associated with each of the four possible locations on the card surface and make contact with those locations, and read and write data via the interface terminal contact portions. An IC card reader/writer, comprising: a data processing section that performs the following operations. 2. When two or more sets of interface terminals and interface terminal contact parts are electrically contacted at the same time, the data processing part independently processes data for each of the interface terminal contact parts that are in contact. An IC card reader/writer according to claim 1, which is