JPS63191302A - Information recording method for magnetic card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remarkably raise the storable capacity, and also, to raise the utilization effect of a card by recording a first bit of information by plural tracks inclined in the advance direction of a magnetic recording body, and recording a second bit of information in an unrecordable remaining part in the same direction as the advance direction. CONSTITUTION:A magnetic card 1 which has formed a magnetic stripe on the surface is carried in the direction A. This magnetic stripe 2 is inclined against the direction A, and by plural rotary heads, the first bit of information is recorded successively in many tracks in the direction B and a helical recording part 5 is formed. In this case, in the front end and the rear end in the advance direction of the stripe 2, the remaining part where no track can be formed, due to a roughly triangular recording part 5 is generated, respectively. Therefore, in this part, the second bit of information is recorded in parallel to the direction A and in the direction C by a fixed head, and a parallel recording part 6 is formed. When each recording part is formed in such a way, information of the capacity being equal to a laser card can be recorded in the recording part 5, and also, a different kind of information can be recorded in the recording part 6, therefore, the utilization effect of the magnetic card can be raised.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recording method for a magnetic card, and in particular to a method that can record a large amount of information in a small area. The present invention relates to a method for recording information on a magnetic card.

[Conventional technology]

Magnetic cards (thin plastic or paper carriers with magnetic stripes pasted on the surface) have been widely used for some time, and for example, they can be used instead of cash to purchase goods or receive services within a predetermined credit balance. A credit card that allows you to receive a donation or cash deposited at a bank7
It is used in cash cards that allow you to make withdrawals using the card. A telephone usage card that allows you to call at a public telephone within the amount you have paid in advance, a ticket issuing card that allows you to issue a ticket for a fare within the amount you have paid in advance, or a ticket issuing card that allows you to issue a ticket with a fare within the amount you have paid in advance. 2. Description of the Related Art Prepaid cards, such as coupon cards that can be used to ride trains or buses, are widely used. Also, depending on the purpose of use, specific signals or codes may be recorded and attached to entry permit cards that open doors or gates when the recorded content matches preset recorded content, or to product price tags. A PO that allows you to record which products lit up and when each time you sell them.
It has also been widely applied to S cards. Although their purpose of use is different, the essential act of attaching or coating a magnetic stripe to a card-shaped carrier and magnetically storing information on the magnetic stripe is the same.

Figure 1 shows the appearance of a conventional magnetic card l.
It is made of a carrier such as cardboard or plastic, and a magnetic stripe 2 is coated on the surface of the magnetic card 1 in parallel to its length. When recording information using this magnetic card 1, attach the magnetic card 1 to a second belt using a belt or the like.
It is conveyed at a constant speed in the direction of arrow A in the figure. Then, the magnetic head is fixed, and the fixed magnetic head is brought into contact with the surface of the magnetic stripe 2.1. Information is recorded as magnetic changes on the magnetic stripe 2 according to a conventionally well-known theory. The magnetic stripe 2 shown in FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the state in which the magnetization recording has been completed, and a magnetization pattern is formed in the magnetic stripe 2 as a parallel recording section 3 in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. , information can be read only along the direction of arrow A.

However, when information is stored on a magnetic card using conventional storage methods, the magnetic head is fixed in the direction in which the magnetic card is moved to magnetically record the information. For example, J
According to the IS standard, only a maximum of 72 characters can be recorded, and the amount of information that can be recorded is extremely limited.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In this way, with the conventional method of recording information on magnetic cards,
Since the magnetic head is fixed in the direction of conveyance of the card and information is recorded along the direction of conveyance of the magnetic card, there is a limit to its recording capacity.

Because of these shortcomings, in recent years there have been new devices that can record a large amount of information on thin card-shaped carriers, called IC cards that have a built-in high-density integrated circuit, and devices that can record large amounts of information optically using laser light. A so-called memorizing laser card has also been developed. However, I
In addition to being expensive, C cards also have the disadvantage that the contacts for inputting and outputting data must be precisely machined, which increases the price. In addition, zero-order laser cards, which are extremely susceptible to static electricity, can store an extremely large amount of data, and the laser cards themselves are relatively inexpensive. However, laser card writing/reading devices for writing information to and reading information from laser cards require extremely high accuracy and have the drawback of being extremely expensive.

Means for Solving Problems] In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a magnetic card in which a magnetic recording band is provided on a part of a thin flat carrier, and a plurality of The first information is recorded on the track, and the second information is recorded in the slightly triangular remainder where the first information could not be recorded at the leading or trailing edge of the magnetic recording belt in the same direction as the traveling direction of the magnetic recording belt. The present invention provides a method for recording information on a magnetic card, characterized in that information is recorded on a magnetic card.

[Function] In the present invention, a magnetic card is formed by coating a magnetic stripe on the surface of a carrier, and information can be sequentially written on the magnetic stripe in tracks diagonal to the direction in which the card travels. Therefore, the amount of information to be written can be extremely large, and the manufacturing cost of the card itself can be reduced. When recording the first information on this magnetic stripe diagonally with respect to its traveling direction, there is a slightly triangular portion at the tip or rear end of the magnetic stripe where the first information cannot be written. However, second information can be written in the remainder of this triangular shape in parallel to the direction in which the magnetic card travels.

This second information can be used for the reading start time for the card, the heading of the second information, etc., and is extremely effective in actual use of the magnetic card.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, FIG. 3 shows the direction in which information is recorded on a magnetic card according to the present invention. As described above, this magnetic card has the same structure as the conventional magnetic card shown in FIG. 1, and has a magnetic stripe 2 coated with a magnetic recording medium in the form of a strip attached to the surface of the magnetic card l. This magnetic card 1 is conveyed in the direction indicated by A in FIG.

First information is sequentially recorded on this magnetic stripe 2 in a large number of tracks in the direction of arrow B in the figure by a rotating head that is inclined with respect to its length direction, thereby forming a helical recording section 5. .

In this helical recording section 5, a large number of trunks are recorded so as to approach each other in sequence and become parallel to the B direction, and recording is performed sequentially from one side of the magnetic stripe 2 to the other side. It is something. In this way, a large amount of information is recorded diagonally with respect to the length direction of the magnetic stripe 2 in the direction B, forming the helical recording section 5, but the front end and the rear end of the magnetic stripe 2 in the traveling direction are slightly different from each other. There remains a triangular shaped portion where no trunk can be formed by the helical recording portion 5. In other words, when recording is performed by bringing the rotating head into contact with the magnetic stripe 2 in the B direction, the tip of the magnetic stripe 2 is considered to be one track, and the portion recorded from one side of the magnetic stripe 2 to the other side is considered as one track. This is because the rear end cannot be long enough to form one track, and a slightly triangular unrecordable portion inevitably occurs. However, in the remaining recording portion of this triangular magnetic stripe 2, second information is recorded in the direction of arrow C in the figure by a fixed magnetic head parallel to the transport direction A of the magnetic card 1. The recording section 6 is now formed. This parallel recording section 6
Information is written and read using a magnetic head that is fixed with respect to the traveling direction A of the magnetic card l.
The contents of the second information recorded here will be explained in detail later. It goes without saying that the recording portion of the helical recording section 5 and the recording section of the parallel recording section 6 are installed at a distance that will prevent them from interfering with each other.

Next, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the tip of the magnetic stripe 2 to show the recorded contents of the second information in the parallel recording section 6 in a building block manner. Here, in the parallel recording section 6, for example, a password known only to the user of the magnetic card l, a data name of information recorded in the helical recording section 5, the data number, etc. are digitally recorded. It is something.

Next, FIG. 5 shows the external appearance of a magnetic card writer/reader for embodying this new information recording method. This magnetic card writer/reader 10 has a slightly rectangular outer shape, and a slit-shaped insertion opening 11 that opens in the vertical direction is opened at a position biased to one side of the front panel.
A slit-shaped discharge port 12 that opens vertically is opened at a position biased toward the other side of the front surface of the panel. The magnetic card 1 is inserted through an insertion slot 11, and is ejected from an ejection slot 12 when information has been written or read.

FIG. 6 shows the internal structure of the magnetic card writer/reader 10 described above. Inside this magnetic card write/read 8110, a pair of rollers 13 are installed near the aforementioned insertion slot.
．． 14 is a pivot support. And magnetic card reader/writer 1
A helical recording mechanism 15 is installed at the back position of 0. This helical recording mechanism 15 has almost the same structure as that commonly used in video tapes and the like, as is well known in the art, and has a cylindrical outer periphery. The lower part thereof is a fixed cylinder 16 whose cylindrical axis is inclined by an angle θ with respect to the vertical direction, and an inclined card guide 17 is formed as a stepped portion on the outer periphery of the lower part of this fixed cylinder 16. A fixed head 18 is attached to the side surface of the fixed cylinder 16 at a position where the tangent line from the feed roller 13.14 touches.

Further, a cylindrical rotary cylinder 19 is mounted on the upper part of the fixed cylinder 16 so as to be able to rotate at high speed with both axes being the same. The rotary heads 20 are mounted at equal intervals from the bottom of the rotary cylinder 19 to four locations around it. In addition, this magnetic card writing/reading machine 1
0 and on the side opposite to the helical recording mechanism 15, rollers 22 and 23 are in contact with each other and are pivotally supported 2, and furthermore, a pair of rollers 24 is located close to the above-mentioned discharge port 12.
．． 25 is in contact and is pivotally supported.

Next, the operation of recording the first and second information on the magnetic card 1 will be explained with reference to FIG.

First, insert the magnetic card 1 on which information is to be recorded into the insertion slot 1 from the direction D in the state shown in FIG. 5 or 6.
Insert into 1. Then, the magnetic card 1 is held between the rollers 13 and 14 as shown in FIG. This roller 13.
The magnetic card l conveyed at step 14 is further transferred to the back,
The card is transported in the direction of the helical recording mechanism 15, and the card guide 1
It will move while touching the top surface of 7. Here, since a fixed head 18 is attached to the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder 16, this fixed head 18 first contacts the magnetic stripe 2 of the magnetic card 1, and records the second information at a position corresponding to the parallel recording section 6. Recording can be performed along the transport direction of the magnetic card l. The starting position of recording by this fixed head 18 is as shown in (b) in FIG. Further, the magnetic card 1 is transferred and advances while the bottom surface of the magnetic card 1 is in contact with the top surface of the card guide 17.
is bent and brought into contact along the curved surfaces of the fixed cylinder 16 and the rotating cylinder 19. When the magnetic card l is wound around the rotating cylinder 19 to a length of one-fourth of its circumference in a bent state, the rotating head 2° can come into contact with the entire width of the magnetic recording band for the first time. . As shown in FIG. 7 (c), when the magnetic stripe 2 comes into contact with a quarter of the outer circumference of the rotary cylinder 19, the rotary head 20 is attached to four locations on the rotary cylinder 19 at equal intervals. , one rotary head 20 can write one track of recording from the time it starts contacting the magnetic stripe 2 from one side to the other until it finishes contacting it. When the magnetic card 1 moves, the rotary cylinder 19 rotates at high speed, and each rotary head 20 contacts the magnetic stripe 2 from one side to the other by l tracks, so that each track is The first information can be written in a state where they do not overlap. The magnetic card 1 is still being transported, and just before the rear end of the magnetic card l passes the position where the fixed head 18 is provided, the helical recording section 5
The recording of the second information in the diagonal direction onto the magnetic stripe 2 is completed. The transferred magnetic card 1 is then held between the rollers 22 and 23, and is moved with its transfer direction reversed to the right angle direction. (See Figure 7 (d))
The magnetic card l is then reversed by rollers 22 and 23.
is held between rollers 24 and 25, and is discharged from the discharge port 12 in the E direction shown in FIG. 7 (E).

In this way, insert the magnetic card 1 inside the magnetic card reader/writer lO.
When moving, first information and second information are written in the parallel recording section 6 and the helical recording section 5, respectively, by the fixed head 18 and four rotating heads 20 provided in the helical recording mechanism 15. Become. When reading the information recorded in this way, the fixed head 18 is inserted by inserting the magnetic card l from the insertion slot 11 in the same manner as described above.
reads the first position of the data, and the information already written in the helical recording section 5 by the rotary head 20 can be read.

Incidentally, FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the recording method in the helical recording section 5.

That is, among the four rotary heads 20 attached to the rotary cylinder 19, the inclination angle of the gap between adjacent rotary heads 2o is changed, and the magnetic fields to be recorded are respectively recorded on adjacent tracks X and Y, which are sequentially recorded. It is also possible to perform recording so that the recording directions do not interfere with each other, so-called azimuth recording. According to this azimuth recording, the proximity between adjacent tracks X and Y can be made extremely high, and the degree of integration of tracks in the magnetic stripe 2 can be increased, so that the recording capacity of the second information can be increased. It is something.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the storage capacity can be dramatically increased while using a magnetic card having the same configuration as the conventional one. Therefore, it is possible to record information with a storage capacity comparable to that of an IC card or laser card while using an inexpensive magnetic card, and the mechanism for writing and reading that information is the same as the IC card or laser card's writing/reading device. Compared to this, the structure can be made extremely simple and inexpensive. Furthermore, the remaining slightly triangular portion at the leading or trailing edge of the magnetic stripe, which cannot be recorded with the helical recording section that records at an angle to the direction of travel of the magnetic card, is parallel to the direction of travel of the magnetic card. Since it is possible to record other information different from the information recorded in the helical recording section, it can be used for card selection and headings such as indexes, and the start of reading can be triggered by the magnetic reading signal. It is extremely effective because it can be carried out by

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the surface of a conventionally used magnetic card, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of writing information in a conventional magnetic card, and Fig. 3 is a recording method of a magnetic card according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged recording method at the beginning of the magnetic stripe in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the reader, FIG. 6 is a skeleton diagram showing the internal configuration of the same as above, and FIG.
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing the order of writing and reading information, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. 1...Magnetic card, 2...Magnetic stripe, 5...
- Helical recording section, 6... Parallel recording section. Patent Applicant Computer Service Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Hisashi Hibi Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 7 Figure 7 Figure 8

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a magnetic card in which a magnetic recording band is provided on a part of a thin flat carrier, the first information is recorded in a plurality of tracks that are inclined with respect to the traveling direction of the magnetic recording band, and the first information is recorded on the leading or trailing edge of the magnetic recording band. 1. A method for recording information on a magnetic card, characterized in that second information is recorded on the slightly triangular remaining portion in which the first information could not be recorded in the same direction as the traveling direction of the magnetic recording band.