JPS63246291A - Ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a so-called IC card in which an integrated circuit such as a memory or a microprocessor is built into a card-like case.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, data communication between an IC card and an external device has been performed by physically connecting the electric circuits of both devices using a connector having a metal terminal. In addition, power is supplied to the IC card through a connector using a metal terminal, or
Either the battery could be housed in the card itself.

However, such conventional IC cards have problems such as physical deterioration of the metal terminals, which can cause contact failures and reduce reliability, and static electricity that passes through these contacts, which can cause element destruction and malfunction. there were. Also,
With the battery storage model, there was always the risk of the battery running out, and a replacement lid had to be provided, making it impossible to use with confidence from a waterproof standpoint.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a contactless IC card that is excellent in reliability and durability and is easy to use for the user. There is a particular thing.

c. Means for Solving Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides means for receiving external signal light and converting it into an electrical signal in an IC card in which an integrated circuit is built into a card-like case. and externally based on the output from the integrated circuit.

Means for transmitting signal light are arranged at points symmetrical positions with respect to the center of the card, and planar coils for receiving power supplied to the integrated circuit, the converting means, and the light transmitting means by electromagnetic induction are placed approximately at the center of the card. It is characterized by being placed in the center.

[Function] In the present invention, with the above configuration, the signal light sent from the external device to the IC card is converted into an electrical signal by the light reception conversion means, and predetermined processing is performed within the integrated circuit. The result of the processing is sent out as an electrical signal, and based on this electrical signal, an optical signal is sent from the light sending means to an external device. Thus, data communication is performed between the IC card and the external device in a non-contact manner. Note that power is supplied to the means and device that performs the above-mentioned actions via a planar coil that receives power supply from an external device.

Since the light receiving and converting means and the light transmitting means are respectively arranged at points symmetrical positions with respect to the center of the IC card, and the planar coil is arranged approximately at the center of the IC card,
The above-described data communication is performed regardless of the direction in which the IC card is inserted or placed.

Therefore, it is possible to obtain a contactless IC card which is highly reliable and durable, and which is easy to use for the user.

[Example code] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the IC card of the present invention, where 1 is an IC card body, 2.2 is a window formed on the front and back surfaces of this body 1, and 3.3 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the IC card of the present invention. is a transparent plate covering this window, 4.4 is a phototransistor placed inside window 2.2, 5 and 5 are light emitting diodes placed inside window 2, 6 is an integrated circuit built into card body 1, and 7 is a planar coil for receiving power, which is also built into the card body 1.

Here, it is preferable that the IC card main body 1 is entirely formed into a thin plate shape using plasticag and molded in a completely sealed state.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a reader/writer 1 as an example of an external device for data communication with the IC card according to the present invention.
It is a schematic diagram showing 0.

Here, 12 is a cylindrical part that faces the window 2 when the IC card main body is attached to this reader/writer, and the tip of the cylindrical part faces the phototransistor 4 and light emitting diode 5, respectively. A light emitting diode 15 and a phototransistor 14 are provided for optical coupling.

16 is a data transfer signal line connected to these elements 14 and 15.

17 is a core with two poles 17A and 178 facing each other with a predetermined gap, 18 is a coil wound around this core 17, and 19 is an AC power source that supplies power to this coil. the gap formed between
That is, the magnetism generating section 20 is set to be located approximately at the center of the IC card body 1, that is, at the center of the planar coil 7 when the IC card is attached to the reader/writer.

Next, Figure 3 shows the IC card body 1 and the reader/writer l.
An example of a control circuit in O is shown as a block diagram.

In the figure, 21 is a rectifying and smoothing circuit, 22 is a stabilizing circuit, and 23 is a reset circuit, which are connected to a CPU 27 and a serial/parallel conversion circuit 26.

24 and 33 are power amplifier circuits, which are connected to the light emitting diode and diodes 5 and 15 described above.

25 and 32 are waveform shaping circuits, which are similarly connected to the photodiodes 4 and 14 described above. 28 is IC
ROM that stores card control programs and data
It is.

30 and 31 are a CPU and a serial/parallel converter of the reader/writer 10.

In the above configuration, one of the windows 2 of the IC card body 1, the cylindrical body part 12 of the reader/writer, and the planar coil 7
The reader/writer 1
When power is supplied from the AC power source 19 of 0, the magnetic generator 2
A magnetic field is generated at 0, which is induced in the planar coil 7 of the IC card body 1 and converted into electric power. Then, it is manually supplied to the rectifying and smoothing circuit 21 and becomes DC power. This power is made into a constant voltage by the stabilizing circuit 22, and supplies the necessary power to each part. Further, the power from the stabilizing circuit 22 is also supplied to the reset circuit 23, which supplies power to each section and generates an initial reset signal to bring it into an operating state.

In response to this signal, the CPU 27 applies a signal indicating that power has been supplied to the power amplifier circuit 24 as a serial signal through the serial/parallel conversion circuit 26. ``This output signal causes the light emitting diode 5 to blink, is received by the phototransistor 14 of the reader/writer 10, is waveform-shaped into a digital signal by the waveform shaping circuit 32, is converted into a parallel signal by the serial/parallel conversion circuit 31, and is input to the CPU 30.

The CPU 30 detecting the completion of the power supply sends a signal to the power amplification circuit 33 via the serial/parallel conversion circuit 31 in order to read the internal data of the ROM 2B in the IC card main body 1.

This signal blinks the light emitting diode 15, is received by the phototransistor 4, and is received by the waveform shaping circuit 25. It enters the CPt 127 through the serial/parallel conversion circuit 26.

The CPU 27 transmits the contents of the ROM 28 to the CPU 30 based on instructions from the CPU 30 in the reader/writer 10, and mutual communication is performed.

After such communication is completed, the IC card main body 1 is removed from the reader/writer 10 and carried by the user.

In this embodiment, windows are also provided on the front and back sides of the IC card, and a phototransistor and a light emitting diode are provided on each window as a set and symmetrically. It can be used without worrying about front and back, insertion direction, etc.

Although an example is shown in which an AC power source is directly used as the Irr& source of the external device, it goes without saying that if the power source is DC, it may be converted to AC using an oscillator or the like.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, since the present invention does not have electrical contacts, it is possible to prevent poor contact of contacts and element destruction due to static electricity, and improve reliability. Furthermore, since signals are received and received using light, there is no influence from radio wave interference, and there are no restrictions on where it can be used.

In addition, since the power supply is also conducted in a non-contact manner, the entire card can be completely sealed, which is advantageous in terms of waterproofness and significantly improves durability. It is possible to obtain an IC card that is extremely easy to use since it is not affected by the direction or the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a reader/writer for an IC card according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a control circuit for an IC card and a reader/writer. be. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...IC card body, 2...Window, 4.14...Phototransistor, 5.15...Light emitting diode, 6...Integrated circuit, 7...Planar coil, 20... Magnetism generating part. A plan view showing one row of shells according to the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An IC card in which an integrated circuit is housed in a card-like case, comprising means for receiving signal light from the outside and converting it into an electrical signal, and sending signal light based on the output from the integrated circuit to the outside. and a planar coil for receiving power supply power to be supplied to the integrated circuit, the converting means, and the light transmitting means by electromagnetic induction at approximately the center of the card. I, which is characterized by being placed in the
C card.