Non-contact IC card reader, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a non-contact IC card reader that improves the reading performance of two or more types of non-contact media.SOLUTION: A card reader 4 is a non-contact IC card reader including an antenna A that performs non-contact communication with non-contact media including a card 2, a display unit 12 that displays information, and a control unit 10 that controls the display unit 12. When non-contact communication with two or more types of non-contact media is performed, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 12 to alternately display non-contact communication marks of the two or more types of non-contact media at specific intervals. The control unit 10 also alternately performs non-contact communication with the two or more types of non-contact media via the antenna, and reads non-contact information of each of the two or more types of non-contact media. The control unit 10 then performs processing corresponding to the two or more types of non-contact information that have been read.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a non-contact IC card reader, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a card medium including an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip (hereinafter, the card medium is simply referred to as a "card"). In recent years, there has also been an IC card with a wireless function (hereinafter, referred to as a "non-contact IC card") incorporating an IC chip capable of wireless non-contact communication (hereinafter, referred to as a "non-contact IC"). Using a recording medium such as this non-contact IC card, it is also possible to perform non-contact settlement. Furthermore, not only cards but also smartphones, mobile phones, smartwatches, IC tags with wireless functions (RFID tags, Radio Frequency Identifier Tags), etc. are generally used for settlement (these wireless function-equipped media including non-contact IC cards are hereinafter referred to as "non-contact media"). In these non-contact media, non-contact communication can be performed by a card reader / writer with a non-contact communication function equipped with an antenna (hereinafter, referred to as a "non-contact IC card reader"), and information can be obtained. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an example of a card reader that can read and write by contacting an IC chip and also has the function of a non-contact IC card reader.

[0003] Here, conventionally, in a non-contact IC card reader, when reading a non-contact medium such as a credit card, it is necessary to visibly indicate a non-contact communication mark such as a symbol mark indicating this reading position according to the standard. For this reason, the non-contact communication mark for credit cards has been printed on the surface of the reading part of the device and presented to the user. On the other hand, even when reading a contactless medium such as FeliCa (registered trademark) used for electronic money, etc., it is necessary to indicate a contactless communication mark at the reading position. For this reason, also in the case of FeliCa (registered trademark), similarly, a contactless communication mark for FeliCa (registered trademark) was printed on the surface of the reading part of the device and presented to the user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in conventional contactless IC card readers that can read multiple contactless media such as credit cards and FeliCa (registered trademark) with the same device, it was not possible to print and arrange each contactless communication mark at the same position. For this reason, it was necessary to print one or both of the contactless communication marks shifted from the center. That is, although the contactless antenna has a position with high reading sensitivity such as near the center of the antenna due to its characteristics, different contactless communication marks could not be arranged at the same position simultaneously. For this reason, the reading performance of each contactless medium has deteriorated.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a contactless IC card reader that improves reading performance while presenting a plurality of contactless communication marks and solves the above - mentioned problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A contactless IC card reader according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a contactless IC card reader including an antenna that performs contactless communication with a contactless medium including a card, a display unit that displays information, and a control unit that controls the display unit. When performing contactless communication with two or more types of the contactless media, the control unit causes the display unit to alternately display contactless communication marks of the two or more types of contactless media at specific intervals, alternately performs contactless communication with the two or more types of contactless media via the antenna, reads contactless information of the two or more types of contactless media respectively, and performs processing corresponding to the read contactless information of the two or more types. By configuring in this way, the reading performance can be improved in a card reader that reads two or more types of contactless media.

[0008] A contactless IC card reader according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes an input unit that acquires an instruction by a user. When the read contactless information is two or more types, the control unit selects any of the contactless information based on the instruction of the user, and performs processing for settlement corresponding to the selected contactless information.

[0009] A contactless IC card reader according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in that the control unit alternately reads the contactless information of EMV and FeliCa (registered trademark) as the two or more types of contactless media.

[0010] An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by a contactless IC card reader including an antenna that performs contactless communication with a contactless medium including a card, a display unit that displays information, and a control unit that controls the display unit. When performing contactless communication with two or more types of the contactless media by the control unit, the display unit is caused to alternately display contactless communication marks of the two or more types of contactless media at specific intervals, the antenna is caused to alternately perform contactless communication with the two or more types of contactless media, the contactless information of the two or more types of contactless media is caused to be read respectively, and processing corresponding to the read contactless information of the two or more types is caused to be performed. By configuring in this way, it is possible to improve the reading performance in a card reader that reads two or more types of non-contact media.

[0011] A program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a program executed by a non-contact IC card reader including an antenna that performs non-contact communication with a non-contact medium including a card, a display unit that displays information, and a control unit that controls the display unit. When the control unit performs non-contact communication with two or more types of the non-contact media, the display unit alternately displays non-contact communication marks of the two or more types of non-contact media at specific intervals, and alternately performs non-contact communication with the two or more types of non-contact media via the antenna, reads non-contact information of the two or more types of non-contact media respectively, and performs processing corresponding to the read non-contact information of the two or more types. By configuring in this way, it is possible to improve the reading performance in a card reader that reads two or more types of non-contact media.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, by alternately displaying non-contact communication marks of two or more types of non-contact media at specific intervals on the display unit to alternately perform non-contact communication, reading non-contact information of the two or more types of non-contact media respectively, and performing processing corresponding to the read non-contact information of the two or more types, it is possible to provide a non-contact IC card reader that presents a plurality of non-contact communication marks at the same position and improves the reading performance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] <Embodiment> 〔Configuration of Card Reader 4〕 First, with reference to FIG. 1, the system configuration of the card reader 4 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The card reader 4 according to the present embodiment is an example of a non-contact IC card reader capable of reading (reading) or writing (writing) information with a medium including a card 2 according to an instruction from a host device 3. In the present embodiment, the card reader 4 may include a contact IC reader and a magnetic card reader function in addition to the function of the non-contact IC card reader. The control configuration and functional configuration of the card reader 4 will be described later.

[0015] The card 2 is an example of a non-contact medium according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, an example in which the card 2 incorporates an electromagnetic induction antenna and is an NFC (Near Field Communication) recording medium having the function of a non-contact IC card will be described. The card 2 may be, for example, an IC credit card conforming to the EMV (Europay, MasterCard, VISA protocol) standard used for settlement by a bank or the like. In addition, the card 2 may have a function of transmitting and receiving non-contact information according to the NFC Type A or Type B (hereinafter simply referred to as "Type A / B") standard corresponding to EMV Contactless for performing settlement by non-contact IC. Furthermore, the card 2 may have a function of transmitting and receiving non-contact information according to another NFC, for example, NFC Type F of the FeliCa (registered trademark) standard. Additionally, the card 2 may be a card capable of non-contact communication according to other standards.

[0016] In the present embodiment, the card 2 may be, for example, a rectangular vinyl chloride card having a thickness of about 0.7 to 0.8 mm. In this embodiment, a magnetic stripe 2a in which magnetic signals are stored may be formed on the card 2 as a magnetic recording medium. Also, in this embodiment, the card 2 is provided with an IC chip (hereinafter referred to as "contact IC") having contacts (external terminals) exposed on the card surface, and the IC chip 2b and its external terminals are provided, and a non-contact IC that may be used in combination with the IC chip 2b is incorporated. That is, in the card 2, the contact IC and the non-contact IC may be the same IC chip or separate IC chips.

[0017] Various application software (Application Software, hereinafter simply referred to as "app") for performing, for example, credit card settlement, debit card settlement, and other point settlements, and various data are stored in a recording medium such as a flash memory or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) in the IC chip 2b of the card 2. Further, the IC chip 2b of the card 2 may include an MPU (Micro Processing Unit).

[0018] Note that the card 2 may be a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) card having a thickness of about 0.18 to 0.36 mm, a paper card having a predetermined thickness, or the like. Also, as the non-contact medium according to this embodiment, in addition to the above-described card-shaped medium, it is possible to use a smartphone, a mobile phone, a smartwatch, an RFID tag, or the like (hereinafter referred to as "smartphone etc.").

[0019] The host device 3 is, for example, an ATM (Automated Teller Machine), a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal, a cash register, a PC (Personal Computer) for settlement, a settlement terminal in a hospital, etc., a store server, other terminals for settlement (settlement), a kiosk terminal, a payment terminal at a gas station, roadside equipment, an in-vehicle device such as a taxi, a ticket issuing system for transportation, a point card settlement system in a convenience store, etc., a member card issuing system in a retail store, a card issuing payment system for a gaming machine, an entrance / exit management system, etc. (hereinafter, simply referred to as "ATM, etc.").

[0020] In this embodiment, the card reader 4 and the host device 3 are connected by a LAN (Local Area Network) such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), RS-232C, Ethernet (registered trademark), or other dedicated interfaces (hereinafter, simply referred to as "USB, etc.").

[0021] Next, the control configuration and functional configuration of the card reader 4 will be described. The card reader 4 includes, as a control configuration, a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, a display unit 12, an input unit 13, a non-contact communication unit 14, an IC contact block 15, and a magnetic head 16.

[0022] The control unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. (hereinafter, simply referred to as "CPU, etc."). The control unit 10 may be provided with a timer that measures time by counting a clock or the like.

[0023] In this embodiment, when the control unit 10 performs non-contact communication with two or more types of non-contact media, the display unit 12 alternately displays the non-contact communication marks of the two or more types of non-contact media at specific intervals. Specifically, the control unit 10 alternately displays those different non-contact communication marks at specific time intervals at a location where the sensitivity of the antenna A of the display unit 12 is good, and performs non-contact communication. In this embodiment, the location where the sensitivity of this antenna A is good is the midpoint of the diagonal line of the display unit 12, that is, the center and its periphery (hereinafter simply referred to as "center"). Then, the control unit 10 alternately performs non-contact communication with two or more types of non-contact media via the antenna, and reads the non-contact information of the two or more types of non-contact media respectively. In this embodiment, in these cases, the control unit 10 acquires the non-contact information of the type of non-contact media for which the display is being performed by non-contact communication, and performs corresponding processing.

[0024] Specifically, when the card 2 of this embodiment has functions of EMV contactless and FeliCa (registered trademark) as two or more types of non-contact media, the control unit 10 can alternately read the non-contact information of EMV and FeliCa (registered trademark). That is, in this embodiment, when the user holds or presses the card 2 near the display unit 12 (hereinafter simply referred to as "touching, etc."), the non-contact information of EMV and FeliCa (registered trademark) is read by NFC.

[0025] On this basis, the control unit 10 performs processing corresponding to the two or more types of non-contact information read. Specifically, when the non-contact information read is of one type, the control unit 10 performs processing for settlement corresponding to that non-contact information. On the other hand, when the non-contact information read is two or more types, the control unit 10 may select any non-contact information based on the user's instruction, and perform processing for settlement corresponding to the selected non-contact information. In this embodiment, the control unit 10 causes the user to instruct with the input unit 13 which of EMV and FeliCa (registered trademark) to use for settlement, and transmits the non-contact information corresponding to the instruction to the host device 3.

[0026] The storage unit 11 is a non-temporary recording medium such as a ROM including a RAM (Random Access Memory), a flash memory, etc. In the ROM of the storage unit 11, in this embodiment, various setting values, control programs, temporary data, etc. are stored. This control program includes an OS (Operating System), various applications, etc. Among these, the various applications may include a settlement application for executing various processes related to a magnetic recording medium, a contact IC, and a non-contact IC card reader.

[0027] The display unit 12 includes a liquid crystal display (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL display (organic electro-luminescence display, Organic Light Emitting Diode display), a vacuum fluorescent display, an electronic paper, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) for status display, etc. In this embodiment, the display unit 12 can display a plurality of types of non-contact communication marks, the settlement status, the user's selection screen, etc.

[0028] The input unit 13 is a numeric keypad for inputting a personal identification number (PIN), etc., function keys such as F1 to F4 for selecting a settlement type, etc. In this embodiment, this numeric keypad may be covered with an enclosure so that the pressing of the keys cannot be seen by others. Note that the display unit 12 and the input unit 13 may be configured as an integrated touch pad or touch panel.

[0029] The non-contact communication unit 14 is a circuit for performing non-contact communication with a non-contact medium including the card 2. In the present embodiment, the non-contact communication unit 14 includes a circuit for performing non-contact communication by short-range wireless such as NFC (Near Field Communication), BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), etc. The non-contact communication unit 14 is connected to the antenna A. The antenna A is an RF (Radio Frequency) antenna or the like that is provided around the display unit 12 and performs non-contact communication with the non-contact medium. In the present embodiment, this antenna A may be an NFC antenna manufactured by printing or winding. With this non-contact communication unit 14 and antenna A, it becomes possible to transmit and receive non-contact information by non-contact communication with the non-contact medium.

[0030] The IC contact block 15 includes terminals, mechanisms, and circuits for reading and writing information with the IC chip 2b of the card 2. In the present embodiment, the IC contact block 15 contacts the external terminals of the IC chip 2b of the card 2 inserted into the IC insertion portion C and reads and writes information.

[0031] The magnetic head 16 includes a head for reading and writing the magnetic signal of the magnetic stripe 2a of the card 2 and an encoding / decoding circuit or the like. The magnetic head 16 may be an encryption head that reads and writes encrypted magnetic signals.

[0032] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the external configuration of the card reader 4 according to the present embodiment will be described. The card reader 4 of the present embodiment is externally exposed, and the display unit 12 is provided at the center of the touch portion T where non-contact communication is performed by touching an NFC non-contact medium or the like.

[0033] The antenna A is provided inside the housing so as to surround the display unit 12. Specifically, the antenna A may be a coil antenna arranged around the display unit 12, a plurality of antennas (groups), or the like. As described above, the antenna A may be arranged at the center of the display unit 12 so as to have the best sensitivity. That is, by bringing the non-contact medium including the card 2 closer to the center of the display unit 12, non-contact communication can be performed. Note that even at a location other than the center of the display unit 12, good non-contact communication with the card 2 may be possible by performing sensitivity increasing processing such as an increase in the current applied to the antenna A.

[0034] The IC contact block 15 is provided in an IC insertion portion C, which is a slit formed inside the device and corresponding to the thickness of the card 2. In the present embodiment, when the card 2 is inserted from the insertion port H to the innermost end of the IC insertion portion C and gripped, the IC contact block 15 can perform contact communication with the contact IC.

[0035] The magnetic head 16 protrudes from the side surface of the groove G at a height such that the card 2 can be slid, and is provided at a position where the magnetic information on the magnetic stripe 2a can be read and written. That is, when the card 2 is slid along the groove G by the user, the magnetic head 16 can read and write magnetic information.

[0036] In addition to this, the insertion port H may be provided with a sensor S for detecting the insertion of the card 2. The sensor S may be an optical sensor, a switch, or the like. Furthermore, the card reader 4 may include, as other necessary circuits, devices, mechanisms, etc., for example, an interface for connecting to the host device 3, an LED for status display, and the like.

[0037] [Two - type non - contact information acquisition process] Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a description will be given of the two - type non - contact information acquisition process according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the two - type non - contact information acquisition process according to this embodiment, when performing non - contact communication with two or more types of non - contact media, the display unit 12 alternately displays the non - contact communication marks of two or more types of non - contact media at specific intervals. Then, non - contact communication with two or more types of non - contact media is alternately performed via the antenna A, and the non - contact information of two or more types of non - contact media is respectively read. And the process corresponding to the read non - contact information of two or more types is performed. The two - type non - contact information acquisition process of this embodiment is mainly executed by the control unit 10, which collaborates with each unit and uses hardware resources to execute a control program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 11. This two - type non - contact information acquisition process is a process for the control unit 10 to execute the information processing method according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3, the details of the two - type non - contact information acquisition process will be described step by step.

[0038] (Step S101) First, the control unit 10 performs a read start process. In response to an instruction from the host device 3, the control unit 10 starts preparing to read a medium including the card 2. According to FIG. 4a, the control unit 10 first causes the display unit 12 to display a screen example 500, which is a selection screen for reading non - contact media, contact ICs, magnetic cards, etc. Note that this selection may also be performed by the host device 3.

[0039] Here, when the reading of non - contact media is selected, the user brings a non - contact medium such as a card 2 including a non - contact IC or a smartphone close to the vicinity of the display unit 12. On the other hand, if it is a reading of a contact IC, the user inserts the card 2 from the insertion port H to the innermost end in the IC insertion part C. Thereby, the IC chip 2b of the card 2 is read by the IC contact block 15. Or, if it is a reading of a magnetic card, the user slides the card 2 along the groove G. Thereby, the magnetic information is read by the magnetic head 16.

[0040] Hereinafter, the processing when reading a contactless medium is selected will be described. In the present embodiment, as an example of performing contactless communication with two or more types of the contactless media, the processing of FeliCa (registered trademark) and EMV contactless will be described.

[0041] (Step S102) Here, the control unit 10 performs the first mark display process. The control unit 10 causes the display unit 12 to display a contactless communication mark corresponding to the first contactless medium. According to FIG. 4b, the control unit 10 causes the mark F, which is a mobile contactless IC communication mark of FeliCa (registered trademark), to be displayed at the center of the display unit 12 as a contactless communication mark, as in the screen example 501. Thereby, the user can touch, etc. with the center of the display unit 12 where the sensitivity of the antenna A is good as the target for FeliCa (registered trademark).

[0042] (Step S103) Next, the control unit 10 and the contactless communication unit 14 perform the first polling process. The control unit 10 transmits a command for performing contactless communication to the contactless communication unit 14 to start contactless communication with the first contactless medium. For example, the contactless communication unit 14 activates the IC chip 2b of the card 2 or the like by electromagnetic induction by the antenna A and starts polling for receiving a contactless communication signal. In the present embodiment, here, the contactless IC of FeliCa (registered trademark) is activated. Alternatively, the contactless communication unit 14 may receive a polling radio wave output from a contactless IC such as a smartphone.

[0043] (Step S104) Next, the control unit 10 and the contactless communication unit 14 perform a specific time waiting process. The control unit 10 waits while having the display unit 12 display the contactless communication mark corresponding to the above-described first contactless medium for a specific time. This specific time may be a time when acquisition of contactless information for the first contactless medium is completed and the user can sufficiently recognize the contactless communication mark corresponding to the first contactless medium. Specifically, this specific time may be about several tens to several hundreds of milliseconds.

[0044] When contactless communication has been started by the above-described polling, during this specific time, the contactless communication unit 14 performs contactless communication with the first contactless medium. In the example of this embodiment, contactless information of NFC Type F's FeliCa (registered trademark) is acquired and stored in the storage unit 11 by DMA (Direct Memory Access) or the like. At this time, if the contactless communication unit 14 can acquire a plurality of pieces of contactless information, it may acquire all of them. In this embodiment, for example, it is possible to acquire contactless information corresponding to a plurality of types of FeliCa (registered trademark) such as Suica (registered trademark) and Edy (registered trademark).

[0045] (Step S105) Next, the control unit 10 and the contactless communication unit 14 perform an end-of-reading process. Regardless of whether the control unit 10 has acquired the contactless information of the first contactless medium, the control unit 10 ends the contactless communication with the first contactless medium. Specifically, the control unit 10 sends a command to end reading to the contactless communication unit 14 to end the reading.

[0046] (Step S106) Next, the control unit 10 performs a second mark display process. The control unit 10 causes the display unit 12 to display the contactless communication mark corresponding to the second contactless medium. According to FIG. 4c, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 12 to display, as a non-contact communication mark, a mark E which is an EMV contactless payment symbol mark, at the center of the screen example 502. As a result, the user can touch, for example, the center of the display unit 12 where the sensitivity of the antenna A is good, with respect to EMV contactless touch payment.

[0047] (Step S107) Next, the control unit 10 and the non-contact communication unit 14 perform a second polling process. The control unit 10 transmits a command for performing non-contact communication to the non-contact communication unit 14 to start non-contact communication with the second non-contact medium. Here, similar to the first polling process described above, the non-contact communication unit 14 activates the IC chip 2b of the card 2 or the like to start polling for receiving a non-contact communication signal, or receives a polling signal for a smartphone or the like. Here, NFC Type A / B polling for EMV contactless is started.

[0048] (Step S108) Next, the control unit 10 and the non-contact communication unit 14 perform a specific time waiting process. The control unit 10 waits while causing the display unit 12 to display the non-contact communication mark corresponding to the second non-contact medium for a specific time. This process is performed in the same manner as step S104 described above.

[0049] Here, if non-contact communication has been started by polling, during this specific time, the non-contact communication unit 14 performs non-contact communication with the second non-contact medium. In the example of this embodiment, NFC Type A / B non-contact information is acquired and stored in the storage unit 11. Here too, a plurality of types of non-contact information can be acquired. For example, information on cards of the VISA (registered trademark) brand, MasterCard (registered trademark) brand, and other types of non-contact information can be acquired.

[0050] (Step S109) Next, the control unit 10 and the non-contact communication unit 14 perform a read completion process. Regardless of whether the control unit 10 has acquired the non-contact information of the second non-contact medium, the control unit 10 terminates the non-contact communication with the second non-contact medium. This process is also performed in the same manner as step S105 described above. In this way, at specific time intervals (specific intervals), the non-contact communication marks of two or more non-contact media are alternately displayed at the specific intervals, and non-contact communication with two or more non-contact media is alternately performed via the antenna, enabling the non-contact information of two or more non-contact media to be read respectively.

[0051] (Step S110) Next, the control unit 10 determines whether only one of them has been read. The control unit 10 determines Yes when only one of the first non-contact medium and the second non-contact medium has been successfully read and only a single non-contact information has been acquired. On the other hand, the control unit 10 determines No when multiple non-contact information has been acquired even if only one of the first non-contact medium and the second non-contact medium has been successfully read. Further, the control unit 10 determines No in other cases. In the case of Yes, the control unit 10 proceeds with the process to step S113. In the case of No, the control unit 10 proceeds with the process to step S111.

[0052] (Step S111) In cases other than where only one has been read, the control unit 10 determines whether both have been read. The control unit 10 determines Yes when both the first non-contact medium and the second non-contact medium have been successfully read and two types of non-contact information have been acquired. The control unit 10 also determines Yes when only one of the first non-contact medium and the second non-contact medium has been successfully read and multiple non-contact information has been acquired. The control unit 10 determines No in other cases, that is, when neither of them has been read. In the case of Yes, the control unit 10 proceeds with the process to step S112. In the case of "No", the control unit 10 returns the process to step S102. As a result, as shown in the screen example 503 of FIG. 4d, the mark F, which is a non-contact communication mark corresponding to the first non-contact medium, is displayed at the center of the display unit 12. Thereby, non-contact communication marks of respective types are alternately displayed, non-contact communication with respective non-contact media is alternately performed, and non-contact information of two or more types of non-contact media is read respectively.

[0053] In addition, when several seconds to about several tens of seconds have elapsed since the start of reading, when the cancel button of the input unit 13 is pressed, when there is an instruction from the host device 3, etc., the control unit 10 may cancel the reading of the non-contact medium.

[0054] (Step S112) When both are readable, the control unit 10 performs selection corresponding processing. The control unit 10 causes the display unit 12 to display brand names etc. corresponding to the plurality of read non-contact media, and requests the user to select a payment method by the input unit 13. According to FIG. 4e, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 12 to display a screen example 504 for allowing the user to select "transportation IC" corresponding to FeliCa (registered trademark) and "credit" corresponding to EMV contactless.

[0055] Or, when the control unit 10 has acquired non-contact information corresponding to a plurality of FeliCa (registered trademark)s, it requests the user to select a payment method such as Suica or Edy. Or, when the control unit 10 has acquired non-contact information of a plurality of EMV contactless, it requests the user to select a payment method such as VISA (registered trademark) or Mastercard (registered trademark).

[0056] When the control unit 10 acquires an instruction of the user's selection from the input unit 13, it selects any non-contact information based on the user's instruction for the selection, and transmits the selected non-contact information to the host device 3. At this time, non-contact information other than the selected one may be deleted from the storage unit 11.

[0057] (Step S113) Next, the control unit 10 performs settlement processing. In the present embodiment, as processing according to the acquired non-contact information, the control unit 10 performs settlement corresponding processing based on the selected non-contact information. Specifically, for example, the control unit 10 selects an application stored in the IC chip 2b, causes the IC chip 2b to execute and communicate, and acquires information regarding settlement. Here, in the case of a debit card or the like, the user may be made to input a password from the input unit 13 to perform the processing.

[0058] After this, the control unit 10 transmits and receives information regarding settlement to and from the host device 3, and performs settlement processing. According to FIG. 4f, the control unit 10 can cause the display unit 12 to display a message indicating that the settlement has been completed, such as on the screen example 505. As described above, the two-type non-contact information acquisition processing according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is terminated.

[0059] 〔Main effects of this embodiment〕 By configuring as described above, the following effects can be obtained. Conventionally, in a card reader that reads a non-contact IC of a credit card, it has been necessary to present a non-contact symbol mark indicating the center of the reading position. On the other hand, also in a card reader that reads a non-contact IC of FeliCa (registered trademark) used for electronic money or the like, it has been similarly necessary to present a non-contact symbol mark indicating the center of the reading position at the reading unit.

[0060] Here, in a conventional settlement terminal capable of reading a credit card, an electronic money card, and a smartphone with the same device, it has not been possible to arrange two non-contact symbol marks at the center of the reading unit, and it has been necessary to shift one or both of them from the center. Due to the characteristics of the antenna for non-contact communication, although the reading sensitivity is high at the center of the antenna, two non-contact symbol marks cannot be printed at the center simultaneously. Therefore, it was necessary to print and arrange each non-contact symbol mark at a position away from the center.

[0061] However, when the non-contact medium was touched aiming at a position away from the center, the reading performance deteriorated. For this reason, although it was necessary to increase the sensitivity by increasing the current value flowing through the antenna, problems such as an increase in noise and an increase in power consumption occurred.

[0062] On the other hand, the card reader 4 according to this embodiment is a non-contact IC card reader including an antenna A that performs non-contact communication with a non-contact medium including the card 2, a display unit 12 that displays information, and a control unit 10 that controls the display unit 12. The control unit 10, when performing non-contact communication with two or more types of non-contact media, causes the display unit 12 to alternately display non-contact communication marks of two or more types of non-contact media at specific intervals, performs non-contact communication with two or more types of non-contact media alternately via the antenna, reads non-contact information of two or more types of non-contact media respectively, and performs processing corresponding to the read non-contact information of two or more types.

[0063] With such a configuration, when alternately reading two or more types of non-contact information, the corresponding non-contact communication mark is displayed on the display unit 12 when alternately reading two or more types of non-contact information, so as to be displayed alternately. Then, after acquiring two or more types of non-contact information, processing of the read non-contact information is performed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a decrease in reading sensitivity due to printing the non-contact communication marks shifted, and improve the reading performance of two or more types of non-contact media. Also, the target for touching etc. is easy to understand, leading to an improvement in convenience. Furthermore, even if the user does not specify the type of non-contact medium, corresponding processing can be executed for each. Thereby, it becomes user-friendly. In addition, power consumption can also be suppressed.

[0064] In addition, the reading of each non-contact medium involves different processes. Therefore, the card reader 4 according to this embodiment performs the process corresponding to the applicable non-contact medium only when each non-contact communication mark is displayed.

[0065] With such a configuration, even when it seems to the user that non-contact information is being acquired simultaneously during a touch or the like, it becomes possible to acquire a plurality of non-contact information respectively. Therefore, the user does not need to repeatedly touch or the like, and thus convenience can be improved. Also, even when the reading of the non-contact information of one type of non-contact medium fails, it is possible to acquire the non-contact information by non-contact communication for another type of non-contact medium without instructing the process again. Therefore, the convenience for the user can be further enhanced.

[0066] Furthermore, conventionally, a mechanism such as a physical button or a touch panel for selecting the type of non-contact medium has been required. On the other hand, in the card reader 4 according to this embodiment, a mechanism for selecting the type of non-contact medium is no longer required. Therefore, the cost can be suppressed.

[0067] Also, (2) The card reader according to (1), further comprising an input unit 13 for acquiring an instruction from the user, wherein when the read non-contact information is two or more types, the control unit 10 selects any non-contact information based on the instruction of the user, and performs a settlement corresponding process based on the selected non-contact information.

[0068] With such a configuration, when the read non-contact information is plural, it is possible to request the user to make a selection and perform a settlement corresponding process after the selection. As a result, even when multiple pieces of contactless information are read during settlement using a card-shaped medium, smartphone, or the like, the user can be allowed to select the settlement method after detection. In addition, when a contactless medium storing only one piece of contactless information, such as a card or an IC tag, is touched or the like, settlement can be performed with just that. Therefore, the convenience for the user can be enhanced.

[0069] Further, in the card reader 4 according to this embodiment, the control unit 10 is the card reader as described in (1) or (2) that alternately reads the contactless information of EMV and FeliCa (registered trademark) as two or more types of contactless media. With such a configuration, the contactless information of EMV contactless and FeliCa (registered trademark) can be read by simply touching or the like once. In Japan, since the popularity of these is high, the convenience can be particularly enhanced.

[0070] 〔Other Embodiments〕 In the above-described embodiment, an example of the card reader 4 including the input unit 13 and the magnetic head 16 has been described. However, if it does not correspond to a debit card or the like, a numeric keypad for inputting a PIN number or the like may not be necessary, and the magnetic head 16 may not be provided either. Regarding the magnetic head 16, it may be configured to acquire only magnetic signals of point cards or the like other than settlement. By configuring in these ways, the cost can be reduced.

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, an example including the display unit 12 such as a liquid crystal or an organic EL display has been described. However, as the display unit 12, a mechanism may be provided in which a plurality of types of contactless communication marks are printed as watermarks on overlapping light guide plates and are switched on and lit by an LED or the like, so that the same position can be touched as the target.

[0072] Also, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the contactless communication unit 14 performs the process of the contactless communication itself with the card 2 to acquire contactless information. However, the contactless communication unit 14 may be configured to include only a communication circuit, and after the start of contactless communication, the control unit 10 performs information transmission and reception processing according to a communication protocol to acquire contactless information. By configuring in this way, costs can be reduced.

[0073] Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which a touch unit T is provided in the card reader 4 that inserts the card 2 into the IC insertion unit C and reads the IC chip 2b by the IC contact block 15 for touch and the like. However, it is possible to provide a display unit and a touch unit in a dip-type card reader in which the user inserts and removes the card 2 to read and write magnetic information, a transport-type card reader using a motor, etc., and perform the same processing as described above. Alternatively, it is also possible to execute the same processing for a card reader provided with a display unit of a large-screen touch panel display. By configuring in this way, it is possible to apply to various configurations of card readers.

[0074] Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example of selecting two types of contactless information has been described. However, it is also possible to select more than two types of contactless information. In this case, these contactless communication marks more than two types may be alternately displayed to acquire contactless information. Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which contactless communication is performed with a corresponding contactless medium when the contactless communication mark is being displayed. However, the display of the contactless communication mark and the contactless communication do not have to be synchronized. That is, for example, even while an EMV contactless contactless communication mark is being displayed, FeliCa (registered trademark) contactless communication may be performed, or vice versa.

[0075] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example of performing EMV contactless and FeliCa (registered trademark) processing as two types of non-contact information has been described. However, it is also applicable to other NFC standards such as MIFARE, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and processing by other short-range wireless communication, etc.

[0076] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example of causing the user to perform any one of payments using a non-contact IC, a contact IC, and a magnetic card has been described. However, without causing the user to make this selection, when the non-contact communication mark is displayed on the display unit 12, it may be configured to acquire the information of the contact IC of the card 2 inserted from the insertion port H or to read the magnetic signal with the magnetic head 16. That is, various payment information may be acquired during non-contact communication.

[0077] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, when a plurality of non-contact information is acquired, although the user is made to select which one to use for payment, this may be automatically selected in order of priority according to an instruction from the host device 3 or the like. Alternatively, when a plurality of payment information is acquired as described above, it may be possible to select which one to prioritize from the host device 3. In this case, it is also possible to automatically select a payment method with higher security or a higher payment amount, an input method that does not require a PIN, etc. Furthermore, it may be possible to change the priority order according to the payment amount or the like.

[0078] By configuring in this way, it becomes possible to cope with a flexible configuration. That is, even when the user accidentally inserts the card 2 into the IC insertion unit C, it is possible to perform processing by non-contact communication intended for non-contact communication, for example, payment using another payment method or a point card. Therefore, the convenience of the user can be improved.

[0079] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example using a single card reader 4 has been described. However, the processing of the present embodiment can also be executed in a card reader integrated with other types of devices such as a POS (Point Of Service) device, a ticket vending machine, a ticket gate device, and a gate device.

[0080] Needless to say, the configurations and operations of the above embodiments are examples, and can be appropriately changed and executed without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Signs

[0081] 2 Card 2a Magnetic stripe 2b IC chip 3 Higher-level device 4 Card reader 10 Control unit 11 Storage unit 12 Display unit 13 Input unit 14 Non-contact communication unit 15 IC contact block 16 Magnetic head 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505 Screen examples A Antenna C IC insertion part G Groove H Insertion port T Touch part

Claims

1. A non-contact IC card reader comprising: an antenna for performing non-contact communication with a non-contact medium including a card; a display unit for displaying information; and a control unit for controlling the display unit, wherein the control unit when performing non-contact communication with two or more types of the non-contact media, causes the display unit to alternately display non-contact communication marks of the two or more types of non-contact media at specific intervals, performs non-contact communication with two or more types of the non-contact media via the antenna alternately, reads non-contact information of the two or more types of non-contact media respectively, and performs processing corresponding to the read non-contact information of the two or more types A non-contact IC card reader characterized by the above.

2. further comprising an input unit for acquiring an instruction by a user, the control unit when there are two or more types of the read non-contact information, selects any one of the non-contact information based on the instruction of the user, and performs processing for settlement corresponding to the selected non-contact information The non-contact IC card reader according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. the control unit alternately reads the non-contact information of NFC Type EMV and Felica as the two or more types of non-contact media The non-contact IC card reader according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. An information processing method executed by a non-contact IC card reader comprising: an antenna for performing non-contact communication with a non-contact medium including a card; a display unit for displaying information; and a control unit for controlling the display unit, wherein by the control unit when performing non-contact communication with two or more types of the non-contact media, causes the display unit to alternately display non-contact communication marks of the two or more types of non-contact media at specific intervals, causes non-contact communication with two or more types of the non-contact media via the antenna to be performed alternately, and causes non-contact information of the two or more types of non-contact media to be read respectively, causes processing corresponding to the read non-contact information of the two or more types to be performed An information processing method characterized by the above.

5. A program executed by a non-contact IC card reader comprising: an antenna for performing non-contact communication with a non-contact medium including a card; a display unit for displaying information; and a control unit for controlling the display unit, wherein by the control unit when performing non-contact communication with two or more types of the non-contact media, causes the display unit to alternately display non-contact communication marks of the two or more types of non-contact media at specific intervals, Cause non-contact communication with two or more types of the non-contact media via the antenna alternately, and cause the non-contact information of two or more types of the non-contact media to be read respectively. Cause processing corresponding to the read non-contact information of two or more types to be performed. A program characterized by the above.

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