JPS6320587A - Information card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the erroneous action, the destruction of an internal circuit, etc. by executing the input of an electric power source electric power and the input and output of a signal through plural magnetic linking coils which are not exposed to the external part. CONSTITUTION:When an information card 24 is inserted, an alternating current electric power outputted from an oscillating circuit 11 is supplied through magnetic linking coils 14 and 24 to an information card 20 side and an input signal Si is converted to a signal for transmission by a transmitting circuit 12 and transmitted through magnetic linking coils 15 and 25 to the information card 20 side. After the alternating current electric power is converted to a direct current voltage Vdc stabilized by an electric power source 28, the power is supplied to respective circuits in an IC 27 as a power source. The signal for transmission is converted to the original signal Si by a receiving circuit 29, and a memory control circuit 31 designates an address based upon the information included in the input signal Si, writes the information to a memory 32, and thereafter, the circuit 31 outputs the writing completing signal. The signal is converted to the signal for transmission by a transmitting circuit 30, and thereafter, the signal is supplied through magnetic linking coils 26 and 16 to a receiving circuit 13, converted to an original signal So and outputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention is applicable to office automation.
Automation, OA), Factory Automation,
Information cards such as IC cards used in fields such as n, FA), etc., especially non-power supply (no built-in battery) and non-contact type coaxial arrangement that does not have contact terminals for power and signal input/output, free insertion direction. It is about a shaped information card.

(Prior Art) A general information card has an integrated circuit such as a semiconductor memory built into a card body made of plastic or the like, and a contact terminal for connecting to an external device is provided on the card surface.

Conventionally, technologies in this field include ■Nikkei Mechanical, (1985-10-21) Nikkei McGraw-Hill Co., Ltd.
G Card JP, 187-170, Nikkei Electronics, (1985-12-2) Nikkei McGraw-Hill Co., Ltd.
Electronics manufacturers entering the LG card market (Part 1) JP, 275-292, ■Nikkei Electronics, (1985-12-8) Nikkei McGraw-Hill Co., Ltd.
Electronics Manufacturers Floating into the IC Card Market (Part 2)” P, 249-282, ■Jitsukai 1987-109
There was one described in Publication No. 168. The configuration will be explained below using figures.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional information card, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of its implementation.

In FIG. 2, 1 is an external device for reading and writing information, and 2 is an information card. Direct current power supplies VC and E are supplied from the external device 1 to the information card 2, and the external device 1 and Between information card 2 person, output signal l
101 to l10n are exchanged. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the information card 2 has a rectangular card body 3 made of plastic or the like, and the card body 3 has a plurality of power and signal ports exposed on its surface. A contact terminal 4 is provided, and an electronic integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as IC) 5 is provided inside. I(:5 has a semiconductor memory 6 and a microprocessor 7 that controls writing and reading of information to and from the memory 6.

This kind of information card? Now, when it is inserted into the external device 1, the terminals 4 on the card 2 side come into contact with the terminals on the external device 1 side, and the information stored in the memory 6 can be read out by the external device 211 through these terminals 4, etc. Information on the external device 1 side is written into the memory 6.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the information card with the above configuration, since the terminal 4 is exposed to the outside, the terminal contact portion may become dirty, oxidized, corroded, worn out, etc., resulting in poor contact or leakage. Malfunctions caused by current, and breakdown of IC5 caused by static electricity and external voltage occurred, resulting in reliability problems.

In order to eliminate this problem, a non-contact type is developed in which the terminal 4 is not exposed on the surface of the card body 3 and the battery, oscillator, loop antenna, etc. are built into the card body 3, and the signal is sent from the loop antenna using the battery. An information card has also been proposed, but the card body 3 becomes thicker due to battery attachment, and problems arise such as battery replacement.

Furthermore, the direction in which the information card 2 is inserted into the external device 1 is limited to a certain direction because it is necessary to bring the terminal 4 on the card 2 side into contact with the terminal on the external device 1 side. If it is inserted, it must be inserted again from the correct direction, which is disadvantageous and inconvenient in use.

The present invention solves problems that the prior art had, such as low reliability, thickening of the card due to battery attachment,
The present invention provides an information card that solves the problems of inconvenience such as battery replacement and restrictions on the direction of insertion.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides information reading,
Or in an information card for reading and writing. A nearly rectangular card body and a plurality of magnetic coupling coils arranged coaxially and symmetrically with respect to the center line of each side of the card body to receive external AC power and send and receive signals to and from the outside. , a power supply circuit that converts AC power input through these magnetic coupling coils into DC power for power supply, a reception circuit that receives signals input through the magnetic coupling coils, and output signals to the magnetic coupling coils. The magnetic coupling coil comprises a transmitting circuit for transmitting data, a memory for storing information, and a memory control circuit for controlling the operation of the memory based on the signal received by the receiving circuit and for supplying the signal to the transmitting circuit. power supply circuit, reception circuit,
A transmitting circuit, a memory, and a memory control circuit are housed within the card body.

(Function) According to the present invention, since the information card is configured as described above, the plurality of magnetic coupling coils can receive and input AC power contactlessly with an external device without being restricted in the direction of insertion. ,
It functions to send and receive output signals, and the power supply circuit functions to convert AC power from the magnetic coupling coil into DC power and supply it to internal circuits. Further, the receiving circuit and the transmitting circuit receive and transmit signals to and from external devices.

As a result, signals can be exchanged without power and without contact, without being restricted in the direction of insertion. Therefore, the problem of rhii can be eliminated.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information card with a coaxial arrangement and a free insertion direction, showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 10 is an external device, and an information card 20 is inserted into this external device 10.

The external device IO has an oscillation circuit 11 that outputs AC power, a transmission circuit 12 that converts an input signal Si into a transmission signal, and a reception circuit 13 that converts the transmission signal into an output signal SO, and each of these circuits 11 , 12.13 are connected to magnetic coupling coils 14, 15.18, respectively.

On the other hand, the information card 20 has a substantially rectangular card body 21 made of plastic or the like.
Inside are magnetic coupling coils 14, 15, on the external device IO side.
Magnetic coupling coils 24, 25, and 26 facing the magnetic coupling coil 16 are provided, and an IC 27 is housed therein. IC27
Inside, there is a power supply circuit 28 connected to the magnetic coupling coil 24.
, a receiving circuit 29 and a transmitting circuit 30 connected to the magnetic coupling coils 25 and 28, respectively, a memory control circuit 31 and a memory 3 connected to the receiving circuit 29 and the transmitting circuit 30, respectively.
2 is provided.

The power supply circuit 28 is a circuit that converts the AC power input through the magnetic coupling coil 14.24 into a stabilized DC voltage Vdc, and the reception circuit 29 converts the transmission signal input through the magnetic coupling coil 15.25 into the original signal. A circuit that converts into
The transmitting circuit 30 is a circuit that converts the output signal of the memory control circuit 31 into a transmission signal and sends it to the 81-air coupling coil 28.18. The memory control circuit 31 is composed of, for example, a microprocessor, and is a circuit that controls reading and writing of the memory 32, performs serial/parallel conversion of data, and the like. The memory 32 is a medium for storing various information, and includes a read-only memory (ROM) and a writable ROM.
CPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EE
FROM), UV erasable and writable ROM (
EPROM), etc.

Note that the input signal Si in the external device 1O is a serial signal for initial setting (initial setting) of the memory control circuit 31 on the information card 20 side, control signals for reading and writing information, and signals to be written to the memory 32. (serial). Further, the output signal So is obtained by serializing the readout information of the memory 32, the operation confirmation signal inside the information card, etc. within the memory control circuit 31.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of mounting the information card 20 in FIG. 1. In this information card 20, the card body 2
The circular magnetic packing coils 24, 25.
8 are arranged in a circle.

Corresponding to each of these magnetic coupling coils 24 to 26, magnetic coupling coils 14 to 16 on the external device IO side are also arranged in the same manner.

Next, the operation will be explained.

When the information card 20 is inserted into the external device IO, the AC power output from the oscillation circuit 11 in the external device 10 is supplied to the information card 20 side through the magnetic coupling coil 14.24, and the input signal Si is supplied to the transmission circuit 12. It is converted into a transmission signal and transmitted to the information card 20 side through the magnetic coupling coil 15.25.

The AC power supplied to the magnetic coupling coil 24 on the information card 20 side is converted into DC 1E voltage Vdc stabilized by the power supply circuit 2, and then supplied to each circuit in the IC 27 as power. Further, the transmission signal inputted to the magnetic coupling coil 25 is converted into the original signal Si by the receiving circuit 29, and is given to the memory control circuit 31. After writing information into the memory 32 by specifying an address based on information, for example write information, a write completion signal is output.

After this signal is converted into a transmission signal by the transmission circuit 30,
The signal is transmitted to the receiving circuit 13 on the external device 10 side through the magnetic coupling coils 26 and 18.

The receiving circuit 13 converts the given transmission signal into the original signal So.
and outputs the signal SO.

Here, the magnetic coupling coils 24 to 2B on the information card 20 side
are arranged in a circle with the magnetic coupling coils 14 to 16 on the external device 10 side.
0, magnetic coupling coils 24-26 and 14-1
Since the connectivity of B is constant, the above operation is always possible.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information card with a coaxial arrangement and a free insertion direction, showing another embodiment of the present invention.

In this circuit, the magnetic coupling coils 14.24 in FIG. 1 are omitted, and the magnetic coupling coils 15.25 are used for both power transmission and signal transmission. Further, the transmitting circuit 12 modulates the AC power with the input signal Si, and transmits it to the magnetic coupling coil 15.
25 to the information card 20 side, and furthermore, the receiving circuit 29 on the information card 20 side extracts only the signal quality of the transmission signal input from the magnetic coupling coil 25 and uses it as a basis. The circuit configuration is such that the signal Si is converted into the signal Si. In this way, the magnetic coupling coil 14
．． Even if 24 is omitted, the same operation as that of the circuit shown in FIG. 1 will be performed.

6 and 7 are plan views showing examples of mounting the information card 20 of FIG. 5. FIG. In the information card 20 shown in FIG. 6, the magnetic coupling coils 25 and 2fli are arranged in a circle with the intersection of center lines X and Y as the center point, and in the information card shown in FIG. A shaped magnetic coupling coil 25 and a circular magnetic coupling coil 26 are arranged coaxially. A magnetic coupling coil 15.18 on the external device 10 side is also arranged corresponding to the magnetic coupling coil 25.28 in FIGS. 6 and 7. Therefore, no matter which direction the information card 20 is inserted, the same operation can be performed.

Each of the above embodiments has the following advantages.

■ The internal circuit terminals are not exposed to the outside as in the past,
Since power can be received, signals can be received, and output can be performed without contact, there is no contact failure caused by dirt, oxidation, corrosion, wear, etc. on the terminal contact parts as in conventional methods, and there is no possibility of failure or malfunction due to leakage current. In addition, there is no need to protect internal circuits from external voltage or static electricity, and therefore high reliability can be achieved.

■ Completely sealed structure improves explosion-proof and waterproof properties. Therefore, in addition to regular OAa equipment and FA equipment,
It can also be applied to equipment in adverse environments or in locations that require explosion-proof measures.

- Since there is no built-in battery, there is no need to replace the battery, and the card body 21 can be made thinner by the amount of space required to install the battery. Additionally, it is expected to have a longer lifespan than conventional solar cells with built-in solar cells.

■ The magnetic coupling coils 24 to 26 on the information card 20 side are arranged symmetrically and coaxially with respect to the center lines Even if it is reversed and inserted into the external sheath [10], the movement is rotational. In this way, there is no restriction on the insertion direction of the information card 20, which improves usability.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and can be modified in many ways. For example, the shape and arrangement of the magnetic coupling coils 24 to 26 may be modified to a shape other than that shown in the diagram, or the IC 27 may be modified.
It is also possible to modify the internal circuit configuration to other types such as a hybrid system.

(Effects of the Invention) As described in detail above, according to the present invention, input of power supply and output of signals are performed through a plurality of magnetic coupling coils that are not exposed to the outside, so that connection with external devices is achieved. This prevents malfunctions caused by poor contact and leakage current, as well as damage to internal circuits caused by static electricity and external voltage. Moreover, since the magnetic coupling coils are disposed symmetrically and coaxially with respect to the center line of each side of the card body, there is no restriction on the direction in which the information card is inserted, improving usability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the configuration of an information card with a coaxial arrangement and free insertion direction showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of a conventional information card, and Fig. 3 shows an implementation example of Fig. 2. 4 is a plan view showing the implementation example of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the structure of an information card with a coaxial arrangement and free insertion direction showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. Figure 7 is the fifth
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of implementation in the figure. 10...external device, 11...oscillation circuit, 12.30...transmission circuit, 13.29...
...Receiving circuit, 14, 15.1B, 24°25.28
...Magnetic coupling coil, 20...Information card, 21...Card body, 27...
IC128...Power supply circuit, 31...Memory control circuit, 32...Memory. Applicant's agent Yasushi Kakimoto Figure 2: A perspective view of an exhilarating example of Figure 3 Figure 4: An example of implementation of Figure 1

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A nearly rectangular card body and multiple magnetic couplings arranged coaxially and symmetrically with respect to the center line of each side of the card body to receive external AC power and send and receive signals to and from the outside. a power supply circuit that converts AC power input through these magnetic coupling coils into DC power for power supply; a receiving circuit that receives signals input through the magnetic coupling coils; and a receiving circuit that receives output signals from the magnetic coupling coils. a memory for storing information; and a memory control circuit for controlling the operation of the memory based on the signal received by the receiving circuit and for providing the signal to the transmitting circuit, , power supply circuit, receiving circuit, transmitting circuit,
An information card characterized in that a memory and a memory control circuit are housed within the card body. 2. 2. The information card according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of magnetic coupling coils include a magnetic coupling coil for power reception, a magnetic coupling coil for signal reception, and a magnetic coupling coil for signal transmission. 3. 2. The information card according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of magnetic coupling coils include a magnetic coupling coil for power reception and signal reception, and a magnetic coupling coil for signal transmission.