Card reader, card processing device, and card transport method

Abstract

To easily eliminate or prevent slippage of card media. [Solution] The card reader 1 comprises a transport path 20, a transport mechanism 2, an auxiliary transport mechanism 3, and a control unit 4. The transport mechanism has a plurality of transport rollers 21 arranged along the transport path, a plurality of opposing rollers 22 positioned opposite the plurality of transport rollers, and a first drive unit 23 that rotates the plurality of transport rollers. The auxiliary transport mechanism has an auxiliary roller 30, a pressing part positioned opposite the auxiliary roller, and a second drive unit 31 that moves the auxiliary roller or the pressing part in a direction that brings the auxiliary roller and the pressing part closer together and in a direction that moves the auxiliary roller and the pressing part apart. The control unit has a determination unit 41 and a transport assistance processing unit 42. The determination unit determines whether the card medium has slipped on the transport path. If slippage is determined, the transport assistance processing unit controls the second drive unit to bring the auxiliary roller and the pressing part closer together and sandwich the card medium between the auxiliary roller and the pressing part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a card reader, a card processing device, and a card conveyance method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a media processing device including a conveyance mechanism for conveying a card-shaped recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a card medium) and a magnetic head for writing or reading magnetic information to or from the conveyed card medium has been known. Patent Document 1 discloses a media processing device including, in addition to a magnetic head, a thermal head for performing printing on a card medium by a thermal method.

[0003] The media processing device described in Patent Document 1 has a conveyance mechanism including a plurality of conveyance rollers arranged along a conveyance path and rotated by a motor, and a plurality of conveyance pulleys arranged opposite to the plurality of conveyance rollers, and conveys the card medium by sandwiching it between the conveyance rollers and the conveyance pulleys. The magnetic head is disposed on the back side of the card medium conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and writes or reads magnetic information to or from a magnetic stripe formed on the back surface of the card medium. The thermal head is disposed on the front side of the card medium conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and performs printing on the front surface of the card medium.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] <000002​​​​​​​​​​​​Some card media may have fingerprints or other dirt on them, and the transport rollers that come into contact with the card media gradually become dirty as the dirt is transferred from the card media. The transport mechanism transports the card media using the frictional force between the card media and the transport rollers, but if the transport rollers become dirty, the frictional force between the card media and the transport rollers decreases, which may cause the card media to slip. If the transport speed of the card media fluctuates due to slipping, it may interfere with writing or reading information to or from the card media.

[0006] While periodic cleaning of the device could be considered to prevent slippage, it is difficult to keep the conveyor rollers clean at all times even with cleaning, and slippage can still occur. Therefore, a mechanism is desired that can easily resolve or prevent slippage even if it occurs or is predicted for the card medium.

[0007] This disclosure provides a card reader, a card processing device, and a card transport method that can easily eliminate or prevent slippage of card media against transport rollers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A card reader according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a transport path, a transport mechanism, an auxiliary transport mechanism, and a control unit. The transport mechanism has a plurality of transport rollers arranged along the transport path, a plurality of opposing rollers arranged opposite to the plurality of transport rollers, and a first drive unit for rotating the plurality of transport rollers. The auxiliary transport mechanism has an auxiliary roller, a pressing unit arranged opposite to the auxiliary roller, and a second drive unit for moving the auxiliary roller or the pressing unit in a direction toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit and in a direction toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit. The control unit controls the first drive unit and the second drive unit. The control unit has a determination unit and a transport assistance processing unit. The determination unit determines whether the card medium has slipped on the transport path. If the determination unit determines that a slip has occurred, the transport assistance processing unit controls the second drive unit to bring the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit closer together, thereby sandwiching the card medium between the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, slippage of the card medium against the transport roller can be easily eliminated or prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a card reader according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the functional configuration of the control unit of a card reader. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a card medium. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit of a card reader. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a card transport method according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of card transport during normal ticket issuance. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of card transport during normal payment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of card transport during ticket issuance when a slip occurs. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of card transport following Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of card transport during settlement when a slip occurs. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an example of card transport following Figure 10. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a card processing device equipped with a card reader. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing a card reader, a card processing device, and a card conveyance method according to the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited by these embodiments. Also, the embodiments can be appropriately combined as long as the processing contents do not conflict. In addition, in the following embodiments, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0012] Also, in the embodiments shown below, expressions such as "constant", "orthogonal", "vertical", or "parallel" may be used, but these expressions do not necessarily require strict "constant", "orthogonal", "vertical", or "parallel". That is, each of the above expressions allows for deviations such as manufacturing accuracy or installation accuracy. Also, each of the figures referred to below is schematic for convenience of explanation. Therefore, details may be omitted, and the dimensional ratios do not necessarily match the actual ones.

[0013] Also, in each of the drawings referred to below, for ease of explanation, an orthogonal coordinate system may be shown that defines the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction that are orthogonal to each other, with the positive Z-axis direction being the vertically upward direction. The X-axis direction is the conveyance direction of the card medium, and the Y-axis direction may indicate a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction on a horizontal plane with respect to the card medium surface. The Z-axis direction is the thickness direction of the card medium.

[0014] <Schematic Configuration of Card Reader> Referring to FIG. 1, the schematic configuration of a card reader 1 according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a card reader 1 according to an embodiment. The card reader 1 shown in FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross section obtained by cutting the card reader 1 along the X-axis direction and in the Z-axis direction, that is, the thickness direction of the card reader 1.

[0015] The card reader 1 according to this embodiment is installed, for example, at the gate of a parking lot or a bicycle parking area, and is mounted on a card processing device that issues and collects a card medium 5. For example, the card processing device is installed at the entrance gate of a parking lot or the like and issues the card medium 5. Further, the card processing device is installed at the exit gate of a parking lot or the like, and settles the fees of the parking lot or the like using the card medium 5 and collects the card medium 5. At that time, the card reader 1 conveys the card medium 5, writes and reads magnetic information, and so on.

[0016] The card reader 1 includes a conveyance path 20, a conveyance mechanism 2, an auxiliary conveyance mechanism 3, and a control unit 4. The card reader 1 has an upper guide portion 12 and a lower guide portion 13, and the space between the upper guide portion 12 and the lower guide portion 13 serves as the conveyance path 20. The upper side of the conveyance path 20 is the upper guide portion 12, and the lower side of the conveyance path 20 is the lower guide portion 13.

[0017] The conveyance path 20 is a passage through which the card medium 5 is conveyed. Here, the card medium 5 is a card-shaped recording medium. The card medium 5 may be, for example, a thin paper card or a PET (Poly Ethylene Terephthalate) card with a thickness of about 0.18 mm to about 0.3 mm. A magnetic layer is formed on the back surface of the card medium 5, and a rewritable layer on which printing is performed by a thermal method is formed on the front surface. The card reader 1 can write and read magnetic information on the back surface of the card medium 5 and perform thermal printing on the front surface of the card medium 5.

[0018] The card medium 5 is transported along a transport path 20 inside the card reader 1. The transport path 20 has an opening 8 through which the card medium 5 passes, and an opening 9 through which the card medium 5 is discharged to the outside or inserted from the outside. In Figure 1, when the card medium 5 is issued, the card medium 5 supplied from the card processing device (described later) passes through the opening 8, is transported along the transport path 20 in the negative X-axis direction, and is discharged to the outside through the opening 9. When the card medium 5 is retrieved, the card medium 5 is inserted through the opening 9, transported along the transport path 20 in the positive X-axis direction, passes through the opening 8, and is sent to the card processing device. In one embodiment, the openings 8 and 9 are located on the sides of the card reader 1. Specifically, the opening 8 is located on the side of one end (here, the positive X-axis direction side) in the transport direction of the card reader 1, and the opening 9 is located on the side of the other end (here, the negative X-axis direction side) in the transport direction of the card reader 1.

[0019] The conveying mechanism 2 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 21, a plurality of opposing rollers 22, and a first drive unit 23. The plurality of conveying rollers 21 are arranged along the conveying path 20. The plurality of opposing rollers 22 are positioned opposite the plurality of conveying rollers 21. The plurality of conveying rollers 21 are rotatably mounted on the lower guide section 13. The plurality of opposing rollers 22 are rotatably mounted on the upper guide section 12. In Figure 1, three conveying rollers 21 and three opposing rollers 22 are shown, but the number of conveying rollers 21 and opposing rollers 22 is not limited to this.

[0020] The first drive unit 23 includes, for example, a drive motor (not shown), pulleys fixed to the rotation axes of the multiple conveyor rollers 21, and belts stretched across the pulleys, and these are arranged in the lower guide unit 13. The conveyor rollers 21 are connected to the drive motor by belts, gears, etc. The drive motor may be, for example, a DC motor.

[0021] The transport rollers 21 are arranged at intervals shorter than the length of the card medium 5 in the X-axis direction, which is the transport direction. Therefore, the card medium 5 is always sandwiched between one or two sets of transport rollers 21 and opposing rollers 22. The control unit 4 controls the first drive unit 23 to supply current to the drive motor and rotate the drive motor connected to the transport rollers 21. The transport rollers 21 rotate in accordance with the rotation of the drive motor. When the card medium 5 is supplied to the transport path 20, the card medium 5 moves along the transport path 20 while sandwiched between the transport rollers 21 and opposing rollers 22, due to the frictional force between the transport rollers 21 and the card medium 5 generated by the rotation of the transport rollers 21.

[0022] The auxiliary transport mechanism 3 includes an auxiliary roller 30, a print head 7, and a second drive unit 31. The auxiliary roller 30 is rotatably mounted on the lower guide unit 13. The auxiliary roller 30 is positioned opposite the print head 7. The auxiliary roller 30 is positioned at the same height as the transport roller. The auxiliary roller 30 may be, for example, a platen roller. The auxiliary roller 30, being a platen roller, has a length in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (Y-axis direction) that is longer than that of the transport roller 21, and a length that is approximately the same as the width of the card medium 5 in the Y-axis direction (width on the shorter side).

[0023] The print head 7 is mounted on the upper guide section 12 so as to be able to move up and down. The print head 7 may be a thermal head that prints on the card medium 5 using a thermal printing method. The print head 7 may be a so-called thermal transfer type thermal head that has multiple heating elements in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the card reader 1 and prints on the front surface of the card medium 5 using the heat from the heating elements. The print head 7 is an example of a pressing section.

[0024] In one embodiment, the second drive unit 31 has, for example, a linear solenoid and moves the print head 7 in a direction that brings the auxiliary roller 30 closer to the print head 7 and in a direction that moves the auxiliary roller 30 away from the print head 7. In the example shown in Figure 1, the second drive unit 31 raises and lowers the print head 7 to the positions shown by the solid line and the dashed line. The print head 7 prints at the position shown by the solid line and retracts to the position shown by the dashed line.

[0025] In this example, the second drive unit 31 moves the print head 7, but the second drive unit 31 may also move the auxiliary roller 30. That is, the second drive unit 31 may move the auxiliary roller 30 in a direction that brings the auxiliary roller 30 closer to the print head 7 and in a direction that moves the auxiliary roller 30 away from the print head 7.

[0026] The print head 7 is installed near the transport path 20 on which the card medium 5 moves in the upper guide section 12. The control unit 4 controls the second drive unit 31 to lower the print head 7 in the direction that brings the auxiliary roller 30 closer to the print head 7, that is, in the direction shown by the solid line in Figure 1, shortly before the card medium 5 is transported and passes the print head 7. The control unit 4 also controls the print head 7 so that printing is performed on the front surface of the card medium 5 when the card medium 5 is transported and passes the print head 7. The front surface of the card medium 5 is made of a heat-sensitive material that changes color with heat. The control unit 4 controls the second drive unit 31 to energize at least one of the multiple heating elements. As a result, printing is performed on the front surface of the card medium 5 by the heat from the energized heating element. The control unit 4 also controls the first drive unit 23 to rotate the auxiliary roller 30, thereby bringing the print head 7 into close contact with the card medium 5.

[0027] During printing, the print head 7 descends and moves across the card medium 5, potentially causing wear on the contact surface between the print head 7 and the card medium 5. Therefore, the print head 7 is designed to move away from the card medium 5 when not printing. In other words, when not printing, the control unit 4 controls the second drive unit 31 to raise the print head 7 in the direction that separates the auxiliary roller 30 from the print head 7, i.e., in the direction shown by the dashed line in Figure 1. Furthermore, the control unit 4 does not supply power to the heating element of the print head 7 when not printing.

[0028] The card reader 1 further includes a magnetic head 6. The magnetic head 6 is positioned near the transport path 20 on which the card medium 5 of the lower guide section 13 moves, and writes or reads magnetic information on the back of the card medium 5 as it is transported and passes through the magnetic head 6. For example, the magnetic head 6 writes and reads magnetic information on the card medium 5 when it is issued, and reads magnetic information when the card medium 5 is collected. In one embodiment, the length of the magnetic head 6 in the Y-axis direction and the length of the transport roller 21 may be shorter than the length of the transport path 20 in the Y-axis direction, and they may overlap in a side view. In the example in Figure 1, the magnetic head 6 is located behind the transport roller 21 in the Y-axis direction, but it is not limited to this.

[0029] In one embodiment, the card reader 1 has three sensors 61 to 63. The sensors 61 to 63 are arranged along the transport path 20 and detect the position of the card medium 5 on the transport path 20. For example, each of the sensors 61 to 63 may be a sensor having one light-emitting element and one light-receiving element arranged opposite each other. For example, each of the sensors 61 to 63 detects that the card medium 5 is located at each of the positions of the sensors 61 to 63 when the light-receiving element does not receive light from the light-emitting element. Each of the sensors 61 to 63 detects that the card medium 5 is not located at each of the positions of the sensors 61 to 63 when the light-receiving element receives light from the light-emitting element. Note that the number and type of sensors 61 to 63 are not limited to these. Also, the positions of the sensors 61 to 63 do not have to be arranged along the transport path 20 as long as they can detect the position of the card medium 5 on the transport path 20.

[0030] Some card media 5 may have fingerprints or other dirt attached to them, and the transport rollers 21 that come into contact with the card media 5 gradually become dirty as the dirt is transferred from the card media 5. The transport mechanism 2 transports the card media 5 by the frictional force between the card media 5 and the transport rollers 21, but if the transport rollers 21 become dirty, the frictional force between the card media 5 and the transport rollers 21 may decrease or fluctuate, which may cause the card media 5 to slip. On the other hand, the control unit 4 controls the writing and reading of the magnetic head 6 on the premise that the card media 5 is transported at a constant speed. Therefore, if the transport speed of the card media 5 fluctuates due to slipping, there is a risk that errors may occur in the writing or reading of magnetic information or other information to or from the card media 5 by the magnetic head 6. In addition, if it becomes difficult to transport the card media 5 due to slipping, it may become impossible to issue, settle, or collect the card media.

[0031] While periodic cleaning of the device could be considered to prevent slippage, it is difficult to keep the conveyor rollers 21 clean at all times even with cleaning, and slippage can still occur. Therefore, a mechanism is desired that can easily resolve or prevent slippage even if it occurs or is predicted for the card medium 5.

[0032] Therefore, a card reader 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure performs card transport in a manner that can easily eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5 against the transport roller 21. For example, if slippage occurs during the transport of the card medium 5, the card reader 1 uses in combination a transport mechanism 2 including a transport roller 21 that normally transports the card medium 5 and an auxiliary transport mechanism 3, which is a separate transport mechanism.

[0033] In one embodiment, if slippage of the card medium 5 occurs, the card reader 1 brings the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30 closer together, sandwiching the card medium 5 between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30. In this state, the control unit 4 controls the first drive unit 23 to supply current to the drive motor, and rotates the drive motor connected to the transport roller 21 and the auxiliary roller 30 to control the rotation of the transport roller 21 and the auxiliary roller 30.

[0034] According to this, in addition to the frictional force between the transport roller 21 and the card medium 5, the frictional force between the auxiliary roller 30 and the card medium 5, generated by the rotation of the auxiliary roller 30, is added as a transport force to the card medium 5. Unlike the transport roller 21, the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30 do not contribute to the normal transport of the card medium 5, and therefore are less prone to soiling than the transport roller 21. Therefore, by sandwiching the card medium 5 between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, frictional force can be applied to the card medium 5. This makes it easy to eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to the card medium 5.

[0035] As mentioned above, the print head 7 is a thermal head, and the auxiliary roller 30 may be a platen roller. By sandwiching the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 between the thermal head and the platen roller, frictional force can be applied to the card medium 5. This makes it easy to eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5. Furthermore, since the slippage is eliminated or prevented by utilizing the thermal head and platen roller mounted on the card reader 1, the above-mentioned slippage can be easily eliminated or prevented without adding any new parts to the card reader 1.

[0036] In particular, the platen roller is wide because it is positioned opposite the heating element of the thermal head, which is widely distributed throughout the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the card reader 1. Therefore, when the platen roller is pressed against by the thermal head, a relatively large transport force can be obtained. As a result, the card reader 1 can effectively eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5.

[0037] In one embodiment, the card reader 1 may determine that a slip has occurred or is occurring if an error occurs in writing or reading magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. If the card reader 1 determines that a slip has occurred or is occurring, it may transport the card medium 5 using auxiliary transport by the print head 7 and auxiliary rollers 30 in conjunction with the retry process of writing or reading to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. Hereinafter, "a slip has occurred or is occurring" may be referred to simply as "a slip has occurred."

[0038] If slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, errors may occur in the writing or reading of magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6, which may result in the card medium 5 being unable to be issued or collected. Therefore, the card reader 1 determines that a slip has occurred if an error occurs in the writing or reading of magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. This determination includes both determining that a slip has actually occurred and predicting the occurrence of a slip before it actually occurs. The card reader 1 can then easily eliminate or prevent the slip by applying transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 using the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. As a result, the card medium 5 is transported at a constant speed, and the card reader 1 can reduce the occurrence of errors in the writing or reading of magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. Consequently, the card reader 1 can suppress or reduce problems related to the issuance, settlement, and collection of the card medium 5.

[0039] If sensors 61-63 detect that the card medium 5 is positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, the control unit 4 may control the second drive unit 31 to bring the print head 7 closer to the auxiliary roller 30 so that the card medium 5 is sandwiched between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30. For example, the control unit 4 may determine that the card medium 5 is positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30 when the card medium 5 is detected by sensor 62 located on one side of the transport direction of the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30 (for example, the negative X-axis side) and sensor 63 located on the other side of the transport direction (for example, the positive X-axis side).

[0040] If the print head 7 remains in contact with the auxiliary roller 30 even when the card medium 5 is not positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, wear may shorten the lifespan of the print head 7. In addition, interference between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30 may hinder the transport of the card medium 5, change the transport speed of the card medium 5, and cause write or read errors in the magnetic head 6.

[0041] Therefore, when the card reader 1 detects that the card medium 5 is positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, it moves the print head 7 in a direction that brings it into contact with the card medium 5. This allows the card reader 1 to avoid the possibility of shortening the lifespan of the print head 7. In addition, the card reader 1 can prevent interference with the transport of the card medium 5 and prevent write or read errors of the magnetic head 6.

[0042] After the print head 7 is brought close to the auxiliary roller 30 and the card medium 5 is sandwiched between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, if sensors 61-63 detect that the card medium 5 is not positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, the control unit 4 may control the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 away from the auxiliary roller 30. For example, the control unit 4 may determine that the card medium 5 is not positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30 if the card medium 5 is not detected by sensors 62 and 63.

[0043] If the card medium 5 is not positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30 after being sandwiched between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, and the print head 7 remains in contact with the auxiliary roller 30, wear may shorten the lifespan of the print head 7. Therefore, if the card reader 1 detects that the card medium 5 is not positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, it can avoid shortening the lifespan of the print head 7 by moving the print head 7 away from the auxiliary roller 30.

[0044] Furthermore, if slippage is detected, the control unit 4 may control the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 toward the auxiliary roller 30 without supplying power to the heating element of the print head 7, thereby sandwiching the card medium 5 between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30.

[0045] When the card reader 1 assists in transporting the card medium 5 by bringing the print head 7 into contact with it, it does not supply power to the heating element of the print head 7 to prevent the print head 7 from overheating. This allows the card reader 1 to easily eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5 while protecting the print head 7, including the heating element, and its surrounding components. Furthermore, the card reader 1 can suppress unintended printing on the card medium 5.

[0046] <Functional Configuration of the Control Unit> The functional configuration of the control unit 4 of the card reader 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 4 of the card reader 1. The control unit 4 of the card reader 1 is connected to the higher-level control unit 100 and can communicate with the higher-level control unit 100. The control unit 4 controls each component such as the magnetic head 6, the print head 7, the first drive unit 23, the second drive unit 31, and sensors 61 to 63. The control unit 4 has a transport processing unit 40, a determination unit 41, a transport assistance processing unit 42, a notification unit 43, and a storage unit 44.

[0047] The transport processing unit 40 controls the transport mechanism 2 to transport the card medium 5. For example, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to rotate the transport roller 21 so that the card medium 5 is sandwiched between the transport roller 21 and the opposing roller 22, and the card medium 5 is transported by the frictional force generated between the transport roller 21 and the card medium 5.

[0048] The determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 has slipped on the transport path 20. The determination unit 41 may also determine that a slip has occurred if an error occurs in writing or reading magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6.

[0049] If slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, the transport speed of the card medium 5 decreases, which may cause errors in writing or reading magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. Therefore, in one embodiment, the determination unit 41 determines that slippage has occurred if an error occurs in writing or reading magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. This determination includes cases where it is determined that slippage has actually occurred, and cases where it is predicted that slippage will occur before it actually occurs. If it is determined that slippage has occurred, the control unit 4 applies a transport force from the auxiliary transport mechanism 3 to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20, in addition to the transport force from the transport mechanism 2. This allows the card reader 1 to easily eliminate or prevent slippage. This reduces the likelihood of errors occurring in writing or reading magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6.

[0050] Figure 3 shows an example of a card medium 5. A printing area 5a is formed on the front surface of the card medium 5, where printing is performed using a thermal method. Magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3 are formed on the back surface of the card medium 5. The control unit 4 controls the print head 7 to print character information 50 on the printing area 5a of the card medium 5. The character information 50 is, for example, information such as the date and time of receipt. The control unit 4 controls the magnetic head 6 to write and read desired magnetic information 51 to the magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3 by changing the magnetism of the magnetic particles in the magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3. As a result, the magnetic information 51 is recorded on the card medium 5. The entirety of the magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3 is subject to read errors. The interval determination described later is also subject to the entirety of the magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3. In Figure 3, a portion of the magnetic information 51 written to the magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3 is illustrated as magnetic information 52.

[0051] The determination unit 41 may measure the number of retries for writing or reading the magnetic information 51 by the magnetic head 6. When a retry is performed, the control unit 4 reverses the transport roller 21 to return the card medium 5 to the upstream side of the magnetic head 6 (in this case, the side where the opening 8 is located). Then, the control unit 4 rotates the transport roller 21 to transport the card medium 5 in the negative X-axis direction while the magnetic head 6 writes or reads the magnetic information 51. The number of retries is the number of times the magnetic head 6 attempts to write or read the magnetic information 51 again when the writing or reading fails. The transport assistance processing unit 42 may continue to assist the transport of the card medium 5 by the auxiliary transport mechanism 3 until the writing or reading of the magnetic information 51 by the magnetic head 6 is successful, as long as the number of retries does not exceed a predetermined reference number.

[0052] The determination unit 41 can eliminate or prevent slippage within a predetermined time by continuing to assist the transport of the card medium 5 by the auxiliary transport mechanism 3 until the writing or reading of magnetic information 51 by the magnetic head 6 is successful, as long as the number of retries does not exceed the reference number.

[0053] The transport assistance processing unit 42 controls the auxiliary transport mechanism 3 to assist in the transport of the card medium 5. For example, if slippage is detected by the determination unit 41, the transport assistance processing unit 42 controls the second drive unit 31 to bring the auxiliary roller 30 and the print head 7 closer together, thereby sandwiching the card medium 5 between the auxiliary roller 30 and the print head 7. In this way, the transport assistance processing unit 42 assists in the transport of the card medium 5 by the transport roller 21 through the frictional force generated between the auxiliary roller 30 and the card medium 5.

[0054] For example, if the number of retries exceeds a standard number, the transport assistance processing unit 42 may control the second drive unit 31 to separate the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30. If the number of retries exceeds a standard number, the transport assistance processing unit 42 determines that it cannot resolve or prevent slippage within a predetermined time and stops the transport assistance of the card medium 5 by the auxiliary transport mechanism 3 by separating the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30. This reduces unnecessary transport assistance operations.

[0055] The notification unit 43 may notify the upper control unit 100 of a transport error due to slippage if the number of retries for writing or reading by the magnetic head 6 exceeds a certain number.

[0056] If the number of retries exceeds a certain limit, the notification unit 43 notifies the higher-level control unit 100 of a transport error due to slippage, thereby prompting the higher-level control unit 100 to perform maintenance such as cleaning the card reader 1 or replacing parts of the card reader 1.

[0057] The memory unit 44 may store various measured values ​​and other information, such as the number of retries and the number of transport error notifications from the notification unit 43.

[0058] <Hardware configuration of the control unit> The hardware configuration of the control unit 4 of the card reader 1 will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 4 of the card reader 1.

[0059] The control unit 4 processes computer-executable instructions that the card reader 1 is to execute. The control unit 4 may be configured to control each element of the card reader 1 to perform various processes. In one embodiment, some or all of the control unit 4 may be included in the card reader 1. As illustrated in Figure 4, the control unit 4 may include a CPU 141, a memory 142, and a communication interface (IF) 143.

[0060] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 141 may be configured to perform various control operations by reading a program from memory 142 and executing the read program. This program may be pre-stored in memory 142, or it may be obtained via a medium when needed. The obtained program is stored in memory 142 and read from memory 142 and executed by the CPU 141. The medium may be various storage media readable by a computer, or it may be a communication line connected to the communication interface 143. In the card reader 1, the CPU 141 provides overall control over each component, such as the magnetic head 6, print head 7, first drive unit 23, second drive unit 31, and sensors 61-63. Memory 142 may include RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 143 communicates with the card reader 1 and the upper control unit 100 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0061] The transport processing unit 40, determination unit 41, and transport assistance processing unit 42 illustrated in Figure 2 are implemented, for example, by a CPU 141. The notification unit 43 is implemented, for example, by a communication interface 143. The storage unit 44 is implemented, for example, by a memory 142.

[0062] <Card transport method> A card transport method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 11. First, an example of a normal card transport method will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7, and then an example of a card transport method during slippage will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 8 to 11. Figure 5 is a flowchart of an example of a card transport method according to one embodiment. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of card transport during normal ticket issuance. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of card transport during normal settlement. Note that in Figures 6 to 11, the upper guide portion 12 and the lower guide portion 13 are omitted from the illustration for the sake of explanation.

[0063] The card reader 1 may be mounted on the ticket issuing device or on the payment device. Figure 12 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a card processing device on which the card reader 1 is mounted. As shown in Figure 12, the ticket issuing device 130 has a card supply mechanism 32 and a card discharge unit 33. The card supply mechanism 32 supplies card media 5 to the card reader 1. The card media 5 passes through the transport path 20 of the card reader 1 and is discharged from the card discharge unit 33. The ticket issuing device 130 is connected to a gate opening / closing device (not shown) that has, for example, a gate bar for opening and closing the entrance to a parking lot or bicycle parking area.

[0064] The payment device 131 includes a card collection mechanism 34 and a card insertion section 35. The card medium 5 is inserted through the card insertion section 35, passes through the transport path 20 of the card reader 1, is discharged to the card collection mechanism 34, and is collected by the card collection mechanism 34. The payment device 131 is connected to a gate opening and closing device, such as a gate bar that opens and closes the exit of a parking lot or bicycle parking area.

[0065] The card reader 1 may be mounted on a device that has both the functions of a ticket issuing device 130 and a payment processing device 131. A device that has the functions of a ticket issuing device 130 and / or a payment processing device 131 and is equipped with the card reader 1 is an example of a card processing device equipped with the card reader 1.

[0066] <Card transport during normal ticket issuance> First, we will describe an example of normal card transport during ticket issuance when the card reader 1 is mounted on the ticket issuing device 130. In the ticket issuing device 130, when a user attempts to enter a parking lot or bicycle parking area, the upper control unit 100 controls the card supply mechanism 32 to supply the card medium 5 to the card reader 1, and this process begins.

[0067] (Step S1: Start of transporting the card medium) When the card medium 5 is supplied to the card reader 1, in step S1 of Figure 5, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to drive the drive motor and rotates the transport roller 21 to transport the card medium 5 along the transport path 20. At this time, as shown in Figure 6(a), the card medium 5 transported from the card supply mechanism 32 is inserted into the card reader 1 through the opening 8 of the card reader 1, is sandwiched between the transport roller 21 and the opposing roller 22, and is transported in the transport direction. The transport direction of the card medium 5 at the time of ticket issuance is the negative X-axis direction from the opening 8 to the opening 9.

[0068] (Step S2: Start writing / reading magnetic information) Next, in step S2 of Figure 5, the transport processing unit 40 transports the card medium 5 and controls the magnetic head 6 to write magnetic information to the back surface of the card medium 5. At this time, as shown in Figure 6(b), the card medium 5 is transported up to the magnetic head 6, and the magnetic head 6 records magnetic information, such as the entry time. If the writing of magnetic information to the card medium 5 is complete, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to transport the card medium 5 in the positive X-axis direction opposite to the transport direction, and reads the magnetic information recorded on the card medium 5 with the magnetic head 6. This allows the transport processing unit 40 to confirm that the correct magnetic information is recorded on the card medium 5. This reading of magnetic information is performed by the magnetic head 6 one or more times until it is confirmed in step S4 that the correct magnetic information is recorded on the card medium 5. The reading of the magnetic information recorded on the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6 may also be performed in the process of step S2. Furthermore, the reading of magnetic information recorded on the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6 may be performed during the loop processing of steps S3, S4, S9, and S10 (which may include S12 to S15).

[0069] (Step S3: Retry Check) Next, in step S3 of Figure 5, the determination unit 41 determines whether the writing and reading of magnetic information by the magnetic head 6 is being retried. The determination unit 41 may also determine whether a retry is in progress based on the number of retries. For example, at the start of the card transport method in Figure 5, the initial value of the number of retries is set to "0". If the number of retries is "0", the determination unit 41 determines that a retry is not in progress (step S3: No) and proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the number of retries is "1" or more, the determination unit 41 determines that a retry is in progress (step S3: Yes) and proceeds to step S12.

[0070] (Step S4: Magnetic information recording determination) In step S4, the determination unit 41 determines whether the magnetic information is correctly recorded on the card medium 5. The determination unit 41 may perform the process in step S4 at regular intervals since the start of reading in step S2 or the determination in the previous step S4.

[0071] If the determination unit 41 determines that the magnetic information is correctly recorded on the card medium 5 (step S4: Yes), the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the determination unit 41 determines that the magnetic information is not correctly recorded on the card medium 5 (step S4: No), it determines that an error occurred in writing or reading the magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6, and proceeds to step S9, where the transport processing unit 40 executes a retry process. The retry process performed when such a magnetic information reading error occurs will be described later.

[0072] (Step S5: Completion of writing / reading magnetic information) If, in step S4, it is determined that the magnetic information has been correctly recorded on the card medium 5 (step S4: Yes), then in step S5, the transport processing unit 40 terminates the writing and reading of the magnetic information.

[0073] (Step S6: Printing) Next, in step S6, the transport processing unit 40 controls the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 toward the auxiliary roller 30. Then, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to drive the drive motor and rotate the transport roller 21 to transport the card medium 5, while controlling the print head 7 to print character information 50 such as the entry time on the print area 5a of the card medium 5. At this time, power is supplied to the heating element of the print head 7. Also, as shown in Figure 6(c), the print head 7 is moved toward the auxiliary roller 30, and the auxiliary roller 30 is rotated to print while keeping the card medium 5 in close contact.

[0074] (Step S7: Issuance of card media) Next, in step S7 of Figure 5, the transport processing unit 40 rotates the transport roller 21 to transport the card medium 5 to the opening 9 and dispenses the card medium 5 from the opening 9. At this time, as shown in Figure 6(d), the print head 7 is moved away from the auxiliary roller 30. The dispensed card medium 5 is then acquired by the user.

[0075] (Step S8: Card medium transport complete) When the card medium 5 is acquired by the user, in step S8, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to stop the drive of the drive motor, stops the rotation of the transport roller 21, and ends the transport of the card medium 5.

[0076] (Step S9: Retry process) In step S9 of Figure 5, the transport processing unit 40 performs a retry process and adds "1" to the retry count. If a retry is performed, the transport processing unit 40 reverses the transport roller 21 to return the card medium 5 to the upstream side of the magnetic head 6 (in this case, the side where the opening 8 is located). Then, the transport processing unit 40 rotates the transport roller 21 to transport the card medium 5 in the negative X-axis direction while the magnetic head 6 writes or reads the magnetic information 51.

[0077] (Step S10: Determine the number of retries) Next, in step S10, the determination unit 41 determines whether the number of retries is equal to or greater than a preset threshold. If the determination unit 41 determines that the number of retries is less than the threshold (step S10: No), it returns to step S3. If the determination unit 41 determines that the number of retries is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S10: Yes), it proceeds to step S11.

[0078] (Step S11: End of transport and error handling) In step S11, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to stop the drive of the drive motor, stops the rotation of the transport roller 21, and ends the transport of the card medium 5. The transport processing unit 40 notifies the upper control unit 100 of a transport error due to slippage.

[0079] The above describes an example of a normal card transport method during ticket issuance, referring to steps S1 to S11 in Figure 5 and Figure 6. An example of a card transport method during ticket issuance when the card is slipping will be described later, referring to Figures 5, 8, and 9.

[0080] <Card transport during normal payment> Next, an example of normal card transport during payment when the card reader 1 is mounted on the payment device 131 will be described. In the payment device 131, when a user is about to leave the parking lot or bicycle parking area and inserts the card medium 5 into the card insertion section 35, this process begins.

[0081] (Step S1: Start of transporting the card medium) When the card medium 5 is inserted into the card insertion section 35, in step S1 of Figure 5, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to rotate the transport roller 21, thereby transporting the card medium 5 along the transport path 20. At this time, as shown in Figure 7(a), the transported card medium 5 is inserted into the card reader 1 through the opening 9, is sandwiched between the transport roller 21 and the opposing roller 22, and is transported in the transport direction. The transport direction of the card medium 5 during settlement is the positive X-axis direction from the opening 9 to the opening 8.

[0082] (Step S2: Start writing / reading magnetic information) Next, in step S2 of Figure 5, the transport processing unit 40 transports the card medium 5 while controlling the magnetic head 6 to read the magnetic information recorded on the back of the card medium 5. At this time, as shown in Figure 7(b), the card medium 5 is transported to the magnetic head 6, and the magnetic head 6 reads the magnetic information, including, for example, the entry time of a vehicle.

[0083] (Step S3: Retry Check) Next, in step S3, the determination unit 41 determines whether the reading of magnetic information by the magnetic head 6 is being retried. The determination unit 41 may also determine whether a retry is in progress based on the number of retries. For example, at the start of this process, the initial value of the number of retries is set to "0". If the determination unit 41 determines that the number of retries is "0", it determines that a retry is not in progress (step S3: No) and proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the determination unit 41 determines that the number of retries is "1" or more (step S3: Yes), it determines that a retry is in progress and proceeds to step S12.

[0084] (Step S4: Magnetic information recording determination) In step S4, the determination unit 41 determines whether the magnetic information is correctly recorded on the card medium 5. The determination unit 41 may perform the process in step S4 at regular intervals since the start of reading in step S2 or the determination in the previous step S4.

[0085] If the determination unit 41 determines that the magnetic information is correctly recorded on the card medium 5 (step S4: Yes), the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the determination unit 41 determines that the magnetic information is not correctly recorded on the card medium 5 (step S4: No), it determines that an error occurred in reading the magnetic information from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6, and proceeds to step S9, where the transport processing unit 40 executes a retry process. The retry process performed when such a magnetic information reading error occurs will be described later.

[0086] (Step S5: Completion of reading magnetic information) If, in step S4, it is determined that the magnetic information has been correctly recorded on the card medium 5 (step S4: Yes), then in step S5, the transport processing unit 40 terminates reading the magnetic information.

[0087] (Step S6: Printing) Next, in step S6, the transport processing unit 40 controls the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 toward the auxiliary roller 30. Then, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to drive the drive motor and rotate the transport roller 21 to transport the card medium 5, while controlling the print head 7 to print text information 50 such as "used" on the print area 5a of the card medium 5. At this time, power is supplied to the heating element of the print head 7. Also, as shown in Figure 7(c), the print head 7 is moved toward the auxiliary roller 30.

[0088] (Step S7: Card medium retrieval) Next, in step S7 of Figure 5, the transport processing unit 40 transports the card medium 5 to the opening 8 by rotating the transport roller 21 and recovers the card medium 5 by discharging it from the opening 8 to the card recovery mechanism 34. At this time, as shown in Figure 7(d), the print head 7 is moved away from the auxiliary roller 30. The card medium 5 is discharged from the opening 8 toward the card recovery mechanism 34 and recovered by the card recovery mechanism 34. The transport processing unit 40 also transmits the read magnetic information to the higher-level control unit 100. The higher-level control unit 100 receives the magnetic information, calculates the settlement fee based on the received magnetic information, and transmits the calculated settlement fee to the settlement device 131. The settlement device 131 performs the predetermined settlement process.

[0089] (Step S8: Card medium transport complete) Once the user completes the payment, in step S8, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to stop the drive of the drive motor, stops the rotation of the transport roller 21, and ends the transport of the card medium 5.

[0090] (Step S9: Retry process) In step S9 of Figure 5, the transport processing unit 40 performs a retry process and adds "1" to the retry count. If a retry is performed, the transport processing unit 40 reverses the transport roller 21 to return the card medium 5 to the upstream side of the magnetic head 6 (in this case, the side where the opening 8 is located). Then, the transport processing unit 40 rotates the transport roller 21 to transport the card medium 5 in the negative X-axis direction while reading the magnetic information 51 with the magnetic head 6.

[0091] (Step S10: Determine the number of retries) Next, in step S10, the determination unit 41 determines whether the number of retries is equal to or greater than a preset reference number. If the determination unit 41 determines that the number of retries is less than the reference number (step S10: No), it returns to step S3. If the transport processing unit 40 determines that the number of retries is equal to or greater than the reference number (step S10: Yes), it proceeds to step S11.

[0092] (Step S11: End of transport and error handling) In step S11, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to stop the drive of the drive motor, stops the rotation of the transport roller 21, and ends the transport of the card medium 5. The transport processing unit 40 notifies the upper control unit 100 of a transport error due to slippage.

[0093] The above describes an example of a normal card transport method during settlement, referring to steps S1 to S11 in Figure 5 and Figure 7. An example of a card transport method during settlement when the card is slipping will be described later, referring to Figures 5, 10, and 11.

[0094] <Card handling during ticket issuance when the ticket slips> Next, when the card reader 1 is mounted on the ticket issuing device 130, an example of card transport during ticket issuance when a slip occurs will be explained with reference to Figures 5, 8, and 9. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of card transport during ticket issuance when a slip occurs. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of card transport following Figure 8.

[0095] (Step S12: Determining the position of the card medium) When a ticket is issued, the processes in steps S1 to S3 of Figure 5 are executed, and the card medium 5 transported from the card supply mechanism 32 is inserted into the card reader 1 through the opening 8 of the card reader 1, as shown in Figure 8(a). In step S3, if the determination unit 41 determines that a retry is in progress (step S3: Yes), that is, if it determines that the number of retries is "1" or greater, it proceeds to step S12 to determine whether the card medium 5 is positioned below the print head 7. The determination unit 41 may determine whether the card medium 5 is positioned below the print head 7 based on the position of the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 detected by sensors 61 to 63. If the determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 is positioned below the print head 7 (step S12: Yes), it proceeds to step S13. At this time, as shown in Figure 8(b), the card medium 5 has been transported to below the print head 7. If the determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 is not positioned below the print head 7 (step S12: No), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0096] (Step S13: Print head lowering) If it is determined that the card medium 5 is positioned below the print head 7, in step S13 of Figure 5, the transport assistance processing unit 42 controls the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 toward the auxiliary roller 30 without supplying power to the heating element of the print head 7. At this time, as shown in Figure 8(c), the print head 7 descends and sandwiches the card medium 5 between it and the auxiliary roller 30. By sandwiching the card medium 5 between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, frictional force can be applied to the card medium 5. This makes it easy to eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing and reading information to the card medium 5.

[0097] (Step S14: Determining the position of the card medium) Next, in step S14 of Figure 5, the determination unit 41 determines whether the card medium 5 is located below the print head 7. If the determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 is not located below the print head 7 (step S14: Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if the determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 is located below the print head 7 (step S14: No), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0098] (Step S15: Print head rises) If it is determined that the card medium 5 is not positioned below the print head 7 (step S14: Yes), in step S15, the transport assistance processing unit 42 controls the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 away from the auxiliary roller 30, and then proceeds to step S4. At this time, as shown in Figure 8(d), the print head 7 rises and moves away from the auxiliary roller 30, thereby avoiding the possibility of wear on the print head 7.

[0099] In step S4, if the determination unit 41 determines that the magnetic information is not recorded correctly (step S4: No), the process proceeds to step S9. Then, as long as the number of retries is less than the reference number, the transport processing unit 40 and the transport assistance processing unit 42 execute a loop process that includes the retry processing in steps S4, S9 to S11 and / or the transport assistance processing in steps S12 to S15. As a result, the transport state shown in Figures 8(c) and (d) is repeated. In step S10, if it is determined that the number of retries is equal to or greater than the reference number (step S10: Yes), the transport termination and error processing in step S11 is executed. Also, if it is determined in step S4 that the magnetic information is recorded correctly (step S4: Yes), the transport processing unit 40 proceeds to step S5 and terminates the writing and reading of the magnetic information.

[0100] Next, in step S6, the transport processing unit 40 controls the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 toward the auxiliary roller 30, energizes the heating element of the print head 7, and prints the entry time on the card medium 5. At this time, as shown in Figure 9(e), the transport processing unit 40 lowers the print head 7 and printing is performed by the print head 7.

[0101] Next, in step S7, the transport processing unit 40 moves the print head 7 away from the auxiliary roller 30 and ejects the card medium 5 to issue a ticket. At this time, as shown in Figure 9(f), the print head 7 rises and printing by the print head 7 stops.

[0102] Next, in step S8, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to stop the drive of the drive motor, stops the rotation of the transport roller 21, and ends the transport of the card medium 5.

[0103] <Card handling during settlement when the card slips> Next, when the card reader 1 is mounted on the settlement device 131, an example of card transport during settlement when a slip occurs will be described with reference to Figures 5, 10, and 11. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of card transport during settlement when a slip occurs. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of card transport following Figure 10.

[0104] (Step S12: Determining the position of the card medium) At the time of settlement, the processes in steps S1 to S3 of Figure 5 are executed, and the card medium 5 transported from the card insertion unit 35 is inserted into the card reader 1 through the opening 9, as shown in Figure 10(a). In step S3, if the determination unit 41 determines that a retry is in progress (step S3: Yes), that is, if it determines that the number of retries is "1" or greater, it proceeds to step S12 to determine whether the card medium 5 is positioned below the print head 7. The determination unit 41 may determine whether the card medium 5 is positioned below the print head 7 based on the position of the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 detected by sensors 61 to 63. If the determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 is positioned below the print head 7 (step S12: Yes), it proceeds to step S13. At this time, as shown in Figure 10(b), the card medium 5 has been transported to below the print head 7. If the determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 is not positioned below the print head 7 (step S12: No), it proceeds to step S4.

[0105] (Step S13: Print head lowering) If it is determined that the card medium 5 is positioned below the print head 7, in step S13 of Figure 5, the transport assistance processing unit 42 controls the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 toward the auxiliary roller 30 without supplying power to the heating element of the print head 7. At this time, as shown in Figure 10(c), the print head 7 descends and sandwiches the card medium 5 between it and the auxiliary roller 30. By sandwiching the card medium 5 between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, frictional force can be applied to the card medium 5. This makes it easy to eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in reading information from the card medium 5.

[0106] (Step S14: Determining the position of the card medium) Next, in step S14 of Figure 5, the determination unit 41 determines whether the card medium 5 is located below the print head 7. If the determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 is not located below the print head 7 (step S14: Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if the determination unit 41 determines that the card medium 5 is located below the print head 7 (step S14: No), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0107] (Step S15: Print head rises) If it is determined that the card medium 5 is not positioned below the print head 7 (step S14: Yes), in step S15, the transport assistance processing unit 42 controls the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 away from the auxiliary roller 30, and then proceeds to step S4. At this time, as shown in Figure 10(d), the print head 7 rises and moves away from the auxiliary roller 30, thereby avoiding the possibility of wear on the print head 7.

[0108] In step S4, if the determination unit 41 determines that the magnetic information is not recorded correctly (step S4: No), the process proceeds to step S9. Then, as long as the number of retries is less than the reference number, the transport processing unit 40 and the transport assistance processing unit 42 execute a loop process that includes the retry processing in steps S4, S9 to S11 and / or the transport assistance processing in steps S12 to S15. As a result, the transport state shown in Figures 10(c) and (d) is repeated. In step S10, if it is determined that the number of retries is equal to or greater than the reference number (step S10: Yes), the transport termination and error processing in step S11 is executed. Also, if it is determined in step S4 that the magnetic information is recorded correctly (step S4: Yes), the transport processing unit 40 proceeds to step S5 and terminates the reading of the magnetic information.

[0109] Next, in step S6, the transport processing unit 40 controls the second drive unit 31 to move the print head 7 toward the auxiliary roller 30, energizes the heating element of the print head 7, and prints the used character onto the card medium 5. At this time, as shown in Figure 11(e), the print head 7 descends and printing is performed by the print head 7.

[0110] Next, in step S7, the transport processing unit 40 moves the print head 7 away from the auxiliary roller 30 and discharges the card medium 5 from the opening 8 to the card recovery mechanism 34, thereby recovering the card medium 5. At this time, as shown in Figure 11(f), the print head 7 rises and printing by the print head 7 stops. The transport processing unit 40 also transmits the read magnetic information to the higher-level control unit 100. The higher-level control unit 100 receives the magnetic information and performs predetermined settlement processing using the settlement device 131 based on the received magnetic information.

[0111] Next, in step S8, the transport processing unit 40 controls the first drive unit 23 to stop the drive of the drive motor, stops the rotation of the transport roller 21, and ends the transport of the card medium 5.

[0112] <Other examples of card transport> A card transport method according to one embodiment of this disclosure is not limited to the card transport method described above, but may include the following card transport methods.

[0113] If the card reader 1 can detect slippage using sensors such as sensors 61-63 positioned to detect slippage of the card medium 5, it does not need to perform slip detection processing by detecting write or read errors with the magnetic head 6. In this case, the card reader 1 does not need to have a magnetic head 6 and a print head 7, as long as it can write and read character information.

[0114] Furthermore, the determination unit 41 may measure the transport time or transport speed of the card medium 5 from two or more positions of the card medium 5 detected by sensors such as sensors 61 to 63. The determination unit 41 may determine that a slip has occurred if the measured transport time is longer than a predetermined reference time, or if the measured transport speed is slower than a predetermined reference speed. For example, the determination unit 41 measures the time it takes for the card medium 5 to pass between sensors 61 to 63. The determination unit 41 may then determine that a slip has occurred if these measured times are longer than the reference time.

[0115] When slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, the transport time of the card medium 5 increases or the transport speed slows down. Therefore, the determination unit 41 determines that slippage has occurred if the transport time of the card medium 5 is longer than the standard time or if the transport speed of the card medium 5 is slower than the standard speed. This determination includes cases where it is determined that slippage has actually occurred and cases where it is predicted that slippage will occur before it actually occurs. If it is determined that slippage has occurred, the control unit 4 applies transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 using the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. This allows the card reader 1 to easily resolve or prevent slippage. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to or from the card medium.

[0116] Furthermore, the determination unit 41 measures the current value supplied to the first drive unit 23 to rotate the transport roller 21, and may determine that slip has occurred if the current value exceeds a preset range of a first determination value. If slip has occurred, the control unit 4 applies transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 using the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to or from the card medium 5.

[0117] When slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, the current value supplied to the first drive unit 23 increases to increase the transport force of the transport rollers 21, or decreases because the transport force of the transport rollers 21 decreases due to the slippage. Therefore, the determination unit 41 determines that slippage has occurred or is occurring if the current value supplied to the first drive unit 23 exceeds a preset range of a first determination value. The range of the first determination value is the range of current values ​​in which it can be determined that slippage has not occurred. This determination includes cases in which it is determined that slippage has actually occurred and cases in which it is predicted that slippage will occur before it actually occurs. When slippage has occurred or is determined to have occurred, the control unit 4 applies transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 by the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to or from the card medium.

[0118] Furthermore, if slipping makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, the bit interval may become smaller if slipping occurs during writing, or larger if slipping occurs during reading. Therefore, the determination unit 41 measures the bit interval of the magnetic information read from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6, and if the measured bit interval exceeds the range of a preset second determination value, it may determine that slipping has occurred or has occurred. The range of the second determination value is the range of bit intervals in which it can be determined that no slipping has occurred.

[0119] As illustrated in Figure 3, the magnetic information 52 in magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3 is magnetic signals pre-stored at intervals D along the longitudinal direction of the card medium 5. The magnetic information 52 in magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3 includes information such as the date and time of receipt, which is written when the card is received.

[0120] The determination unit 41 may measure the bit interval of the magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3 read from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. For example, the bit interval may be the length of the interval D between the magnetic information 52 (magnetic signals) of the magnetic signal layers Tr1 to Tr3 read from the card medium 5 within a predetermined time. If the measured bit interval exceeds the range of a preset second determination value, the determination unit 41 may determine that a slip has occurred or is occurring.

[0121] As described above, when slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, the transport speed of the card medium 5 fluctuates, causing a change in the bit interval of the magnetic information 52 read from the card medium 5 within a predetermined time. Therefore, the control unit 4 measures the bit interval of the magnetic information 52 read from the card medium 5 within a predetermined time by the magnetic head 6, and if the measured bit interval exceeds the range of a preset second determination value, it determines that slippage has occurred or has occurred. If slippage has occurred or has been determined to have occurred, the control unit 4 applies transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 by the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to or from the card medium 5.

[0122] The card reader 1 may have a spare magnetic head and spare transport rollers (not shown) that are not used for normal transport. The spare magnetic head, spare transport roller, or opposing rollers may be movable toward or away from the transport path 20. The card reader 1 may use the spare magnetic head or spare transport roller that is not normally used to sandwich the card medium 5 between the spare magnetic head and the opposing roller, or between the spare transport roller and the opposing roller. Unlike the normally used transport roller 21, the spare magnetic head or spare transport roller does not contribute to the normal transport of the card medium 5, and therefore is less prone to soiling than the transport roller 21. For this reason, the card reader 1 can apply frictional force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 by sandwiching the card medium 5 between the spare magnetic head or spare transport roller. This allows the card reader 1 to easily eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5. The spare magnetic head and spare transport roller are examples of pressing parts.

[0123] The height of the spare magnetic head or spare transport roller may be the same as the height of the transport roller 21 that is normally used, or it may be higher than the height of the transport roller 21. If the height of the spare magnetic head or spare transport roller is higher than the height of the transport roller 21, a higher frictional force can be applied to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 by gripping the card medium 5 more tightly.

[0124] The description above describes the case where the print head 7 is brought close to the auxiliary roller 30 to assist in the transport of the card medium 5, and no power is supplied to the heating element of the print head 7. However, the description is not limited to this, and printing may be performed while power is supplied to the heating element of the print head 7 to assist in the transport of the card medium 5.

[0125] Furthermore, if contact with the card medium 5 does not significantly shorten the lifespan of the print head 7, the print head 7 may be lowered while the card medium 5 passes beneath it, regardless of whether a write or read error occurs by the magnetic head 6.

[0126] <Effects and Actions> When slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, the transport speed of the card medium 5 decreases, and errors occur in writing or reading magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. The determination unit 41 determines that slippage has occurred or is occurring if an error occurs in writing or reading magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. If it is determined that slippage has occurred, the transport assistance processing unit 42 brings the auxiliary roller 30 and the print head 7 closer together and sandwiches the card medium 5 between the auxiliary roller 30 and the print head 7. The auxiliary roller 30 and the print head 7 are not used for normal transport of the card medium 5, unlike the transport roller 21, and are therefore less prone to getting dirty than the transport roller 21. Therefore, the card reader 1 can apply frictional force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 by sandwiching it between the auxiliary roller 30 and the print head 7. As a result, the card reader 1 can easily eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to the card medium 5.

[0127] Furthermore, the thermal head and platen roller mounted on the card reader 1 can be used for the print head 7 and auxiliary roller 30. Therefore, slippage can be easily eliminated or prevented without adding any new parts to the card reader 1.

[0128] In particular, the platen roller is wide because it is positioned opposite the heating element of the thermal head, which is widely distributed throughout the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the card reader 1. Therefore, when the platen roller is pressed against by the thermal head, a relatively large transport force can be obtained. As a result, the card reader 1 can effectively eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5.

[0129] If the card medium 5 is not positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30 after being sandwiched between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, and the print head 7 remains in contact with the auxiliary roller 30, wear may shorten the lifespan of the print head 7. Therefore, if the card reader 1 detects that the card medium 5 is not positioned between the print head 7 and the auxiliary roller 30, it moves the print head 7 away from the auxiliary roller 30. This avoids the possibility of shortening the lifespan of the print head 7.

[0130] When the card reader 1 assists in transporting the card medium 5 by bringing the thermal head into contact with it, it does not supply power to the heating element of the thermal head to prevent the thermal head from overheating. This allows the card reader 1 to easily eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5 while protecting the thermal head, including the heating element, and its surrounding components. Furthermore, it can suppress unintended printing on the card medium 5.

[0131] If slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, errors may occur in the writing or reading of magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6, which may result in problems such as being unable to issue or process payments for the card medium 5. Therefore, the card reader 1 determines that a slip has occurred if an error occurs in the writing or reading of magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. This determination includes both determining that a slip has actually occurred and predicting the occurrence of a slip before it actually occurs. The card reader 1 can then easily eliminate or prevent slippage by applying transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 using the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. This reduces the likelihood of errors occurring in the writing or reading of magnetic information to or from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6. As a result, the card reader 1 can suppress or reduce problems related to the issuance or processing of the card medium 5, for example.

[0132] When slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, the transport time increases or the transport speed decreases. Therefore, the card reader 1 determines that slippage has occurred if the transport time is longer than the standard time or the transport speed is slower than the standard speed. This determination includes both determining that slippage has actually occurred and predicting the occurrence of slippage before it actually occurs. The card reader 1 can then easily eliminate or prevent slippage by applying transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 using the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to the card medium 5.

[0133] When slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium, the current supplied to the first drive unit 23 to increase the transport force of the transport rollers 21 exceeds the range of a preset first determination value. Therefore, the card reader 1 determines that slippage has occurred if the current supplied to the first drive unit 23 exceeds the range of the first determination value. This determination includes cases where slippage has actually occurred and cases where slippage is predicted before it actually occurs. The card reader 1 can then easily eliminate or prevent slippage by applying transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 using the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to the card medium 5.

[0134] When slippage makes it difficult to transport the card medium 5, the transport speed of the card medium 5 fluctuates, causing a change in the bit interval of the magnetic information read from the card medium 5. Therefore, the card reader 1 measures the bit interval of the magnetic information read from the card medium 5 by the magnetic head 6, and determines that slippage has occurred if the measured bit interval exceeds the range of a preset second determination value. The card reader 1 can then easily eliminate or prevent slippage by applying transport force to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 using the auxiliary transport mechanism 3. As a result, the card reader 1 can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading information to the card medium 5.

[0135] The card reader 1 can eliminate or prevent slippage within a predetermined time by continuing to assist the transport of the card medium 5 by the auxiliary transport mechanism 3 until the magnetic information is successfully written or read by the magnetic head 6, as long as the number of retries does not exceed a standard number.

[0136] If the number of retries exceeds a certain limit, the card reader 1 determines that it cannot resolve or prevent slippage within a predetermined time and stops assisting the transport of the card medium 5 by the auxiliary transport mechanism 3 by separating the auxiliary roller 30 from the pressing part. This reduces unnecessary transport assistance operations.

[0137] Furthermore, a card processing device is provided that includes a card reader 1 according to one embodiment of this disclosure and a card recovery mechanism for recovering card media 5 discharged from the card reader 1. The card processing device may be a ticket issuing device 130 and / or a settlement device 131.

[0138] The card processing device, which collects cards ejected from the card reader 1, can apply a transport force from the auxiliary transport mechanism 3 to the card medium 5 on the transport path 20 if the card reader 1 determines that slippage has occurred in the card medium 5. Therefore, the card processing device can easily eliminate or prevent slippage of the card medium 5. As a result, the card processing device can transport the card medium 5 at the set speed in the card reader 1, thereby suppressing or reducing errors in writing or reading magnetic information to the card medium 5. This allows the card processing device to collect the card medium smoothly.

[0139] The card medium 5 can record information about the date and time of parking or bicycle parking, and the card processing device may collect the card medium 5 used for the parking lot or bicycle parking area. The card processing device installed at the entrance or exit of the parking lot or bicycle parking area can automatically and easily resolve or prevent slippage of the card medium 5 at the card reader 1. This allows the card processing device to smoothly issue, process payments for, and collect card mediums 5 at the entrance or exit of the parking lot or bicycle parking area.

[0140] Furthermore, the following additional information is disclosed regarding the above embodiments. <Note> (1) Conveyor path and A conveying mechanism having a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying path, a plurality of opposing rollers positioned opposite to the plurality of conveying rollers, and a first drive unit for rotating the plurality of conveying rollers, An auxiliary transport mechanism having an auxiliary roller, a pressing part positioned opposite the auxiliary roller, and a second drive unit that moves the auxiliary roller or the pressing part in a direction toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller, A control unit that controls the first drive unit and the second drive unit, Equipped with, The control unit, A determination unit for determining slippage of the card medium on the transport path, When the slip is detected by the determination unit, the transport assistance processing unit controls the second drive unit to bring the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit closer together, thereby sandwiching the card medium between the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit. A sharp, card reader. (2) The pressing portion is a thermal head, The auxiliary roller is a platen roller, as described in (1) of the card reader. (3) The system includes a sensor for detecting the position of the card medium on the transport path, The second drive unit moves the thermal head, The transport assistance processing unit, when the sensor detects that the card medium is positioned between the thermal head and the platen roller, controls the second drive unit to move the thermal head toward the platen roller so that the card medium is sandwiched between the thermal head and the platen roller, as described in (2). (4) The card reader according to (3), wherein the transport assistance processing unit brings the thermal head close to the platen roller and sandwiches the card medium between the thermal head and the platen roller, and when the sensor detects that the card medium is not positioned between the thermal head and the platen roller, the second drive unit controls the thermal head to move the thermal head away from the platen roller. (5) The thermal head has a heating element, The card reader according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein, when the slip is determined by the determination unit, the pre-transport assistance processing unit controls the second drive unit to move the thermal head toward the platen roller so that the card medium is sandwiched between the thermal head and the platen roller. (6) The system has a magnetic head that writes or reads magnetic information from the card medium being transported by the transport mechanism, The determination unit, If an error occurs in writing or reading the magnetic information to or from the card medium by the magnetic head, the slip occurs or is determined to have occurred. A card reader as described in any one of (1) to (5). (7) The card reader is equipped with a sensor that detects the position of the card medium on the transport path. The card reader according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the determination unit measures the transport time or transport speed of the card medium from the position of the card medium detected by the sensor, and determines that the slip occurs or has occurred if the transport time is longer than a predetermined reference time or if the transport speed is slower than a predetermined reference speed. (8) The determination unit, A card reader according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the current value of the current supplied to the first drive unit to rotate the transport roller is measured, and if the current value exceeds a range of a preset first determination value, the slip occurs or is determined to have occurred. (9) The determination unit, The card reader according to (6), which measures the bit interval of the magnetic information read from the card medium by the magnetic head, and determines that a slip occurs or has occurred if the measured bit interval exceeds the range of a preset second determination value. (10) The determination unit, The number of retries for writing or reading the magnetic information by the magnetic head is measured. The aforementioned transport assistance processing unit is: The card reader according to (6), wherein the auxiliary transport mechanism continues to assist in transporting the card medium until the magnetic head successfully writes or reads the magnetic information, as long as the number of retries does not exceed a predetermined reference number. (11) The transport assistance processing unit is, The card reader according to (10), wherein if the number of retries exceeds the reference number, the second drive unit is controlled to separate the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit. (12) The card reader is connected to a higher-level processing unit. The control unit, The card reader according to (11), further comprising a notification unit that notifies the higher-level processing unit of a transport error due to slipping when the number of retries exceeds the reference number. (13) A card reader described in any one of (1) to (12), A card processing device comprising a card retrieval mechanism for retrieving the card medium discharged from the card reader. (14) The aforementioned card medium is capable of recording information about the date and time of parking or the date and time of bicycle parking. The card processing device is the card processing device according to (13) for collecting the card medium for use in a parking lot or bicycle parking area. (15) Conveyor path and A conveying mechanism having a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying path, a plurality of opposing rollers positioned opposite to the plurality of conveying rollers, and a first drive unit for rotating the plurality of conveying rollers, An auxiliary transport mechanism having an auxiliary roller, a pressing part positioned opposite the auxiliary roller, and a second drive unit that moves the auxiliary roller or the pressing part in a direction toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller, A control unit that controls the first drive unit and the second drive unit, A card transport method performed in a card reader equipped with, A step of determining the slippage of the card medium on the transport path, A card transport method comprising the step of, when the slip is detected, controlling the second drive unit to bring the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit closer together so that the card medium is sandwiched between the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit.

[0141] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Indeed, the embodiments described above can be embodied in a variety of forms. Furthermore, the embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0142] 1...Card reader, 2...Transport mechanism, 3...Auxiliary transport mechanism, 4...Control unit, 5...Card medium, 6...Magnetic head, 7...Print head, 20...Transport path, 21...Transport roller, 22...Opposite roller, 23...First drive unit, 30...Auxiliary roller, 31...Second drive unit, 40...Transport processing unit, 41...Determination unit, 42...Transport assistance processing unit, 43...Notification unit, 100...Higher-level control unit, 130...Ticket issuing device, 131...Payment device

Claims

1. Conveyor path and A conveying mechanism having a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying path, a plurality of opposing rollers positioned opposite to the plurality of conveying rollers, and a first drive unit for rotating the plurality of conveying rollers, An auxiliary transport mechanism having an auxiliary roller, a pressing part positioned opposite the auxiliary roller, and a second drive unit that moves the auxiliary roller or the pressing part in a direction toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller, A control unit that controls the first drive unit and the second drive unit, Equipped with, The control unit, A determination unit for determining slippage of the card medium on the transport path, When the slip is detected by the determination unit, the transport assistance processing unit controls the second drive unit to bring the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit closer together, thereby sandwiching the card medium between the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit. A sharp, card reader.

2. The pressing portion is a thermal head, The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary roller is a platen roller.

3. The system includes a sensor for detecting the position of the card medium on the transport path, The second drive unit moves the thermal head, The card reader according to claim 2, wherein when the transport assistance processing unit detects that the card medium is positioned between the thermal head and the platen roller by the sensor, it controls the second drive unit to move the thermal head toward the platen roller so that the card medium is sandwiched between the thermal head and the platen roller.

4. The card reader according to claim 3, wherein the transport assistance processing unit brings the thermal head close to the platen roller and sandwiches the card medium between the thermal head and the platen roller, and when the sensor detects that the card medium is not positioned between the thermal head and the platen roller, the second drive unit controls the thermal head to move the thermal head away from the platen roller.

5. The thermal head has a heating element, The card reader according to claim 2, wherein, when the slip is determined by the determination unit, the pre-transport assistance processing unit controls the second drive unit to move the thermal head toward the platen roller so that the card medium is sandwiched between the thermal head and the platen roller, without energizing the heating element.

6. The transport mechanism has a magnetic head that writes or reads magnetic information from the card medium being transported by the transport mechanism, The determination unit, If an error occurs in writing or reading the magnetic information to or from the card medium by the magnetic head, the slip occurs or is determined to have occurred. The card reader according to claim 1.

7. The card reader is equipped with a sensor that detects the position of the card medium on the transport path. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit measures the transport time or transport speed of the card medium from the position of the card medium detected by the sensor, and determines that slip occurs or has occurred if the transport time is longer than a predetermined reference time, or if the transport speed is slower than a predetermined reference speed.

8. The determination unit, The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the current value of the current supplied to the first drive unit to rotate the transport roller is measured, and if the current value exceeds a range of a preset first determination value, the slip occurs or is determined to have occurred.

9. The determination unit, The card reader according to claim 6, wherein the magnetic head measures the bit interval of the magnetic information read from the card medium, and if the measured bit interval exceeds a range of a preset second determination value, the slip occurs or is determined to have occurred.

10. The determination unit, The number of retries for writing or reading the magnetic information by the magnetic head is measured. The transport assistance processing unit is, The card reader according to claim 6, wherein the auxiliary transport mechanism continues to assist in transporting the card medium until the magnetic head successfully writes or reads the magnetic information, as long as the number of retries does not exceed a predetermined reference number.

11. The transport assistance processing unit is, The card reader according to claim 10, wherein if the number of retries exceeds the reference number, the second drive unit is controlled to separate the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit.

12. The card reader is connected to a higher-level processing unit. The control unit, The card reader according to claim 11, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the higher-level processing unit of a transport error due to slippage when the number of retries exceeds the reference number.

13. A card reader according to any one of claims 1 to 12, A card processing device comprising a card retrieval mechanism for retrieving the card medium discharged from the card reader.

14. The aforementioned card medium is capable of recording information about the date and time of parking or the date and time of bicycle parking. The card processing device according to claim 13, wherein the card processing device collects the card medium for use in a parking lot or bicycle parking area.

15. Conveyor path and A conveying mechanism having a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying path, a plurality of opposing rollers positioned opposite to the plurality of conveying rollers, and a first drive unit for rotating the plurality of conveying rollers, An auxiliary transport mechanism having an auxiliary roller, a pressing part positioned opposite the auxiliary roller, and a second drive unit that moves the auxiliary roller or the pressing part in a direction toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller and the pressing part toward the auxiliary roller, A control unit that controls the first drive unit and the second drive unit, A card transport method performed in a card reader equipped with, A step of determining the slippage of the card medium on the transport path, A card transport method comprising the step of, when the slip is detected, controlling the second drive unit to bring the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit closer together so that the card medium is sandwiched between the auxiliary roller and the pressing unit.

Images