Tablet devices

Abstract

This allows for a larger display screen on the front of the tablet device, and also makes it easier to insert cards into the payment terminal located on the back of the tablet device. [Solution] The tablet terminal 1 comprises a housing 10, a payment machine 2 having a slit 23 for inserting a magnetic card 7 and mounted on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and a guide member 30 provided on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 adjacent to the payment machine 2 without contacting at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine 2. The guide member 30 has a guide surface 35 that guides the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23, and the guide surface 35 is positioned upstream of the slit 23 in the insertion direction R1 of the magnetic card 7.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tablet terminal with a payment function installed inside an automobile.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, it has been increasingly common to install a tablet terminal with a payment function in front of the rear seat of a taxi, display an image such as an advertisement on its display screen, and use the payment device provided on the tablet terminal and a payment card such as a credit card to pay the taxi fare. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses using a tablet terminal as a management terminal for settling taxi fares, attaching the tablet terminal behind the head of the passenger seat, and allowing a passenger in the rear seat to operate the tablet terminal to settle the fare.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, conventionally, since the payment device was arranged on the front side of the tablet terminal with the above-mentioned payment function, the size of the display screen had to be reduced by the amount of the arrangement space for the payment device. Therefore, in order to enlarge the display screen of the tablet terminal, it is conceivable to arrange the payment device on the back side of the tablet terminal. However, when the payment device is arranged on the back side of the tablet terminal, it is difficult for a passenger in a taxi to visually recognize the position of the slit of the payment device, and there is a problem that it is difficult to insert a card into the slit of the payment device.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a tablet terminal that can enlarge the display screen on the front of the tablet terminal and makes it easier to insert a card into the payment terminal located on the back of the tablet terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, The casing and A payment device having a slit for inserting a magnetic card and mounted on the back of the housing, On the rear surface of the housing, a guide member is provided adjacent to the payment machine without contacting at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine, Equipped with, A tablet terminal is provided in which the guide member has a guide surface that guides the magnetic card toward the slit, and the guide surface is positioned upstream of the slit in the direction in which the magnetic card is inserted.

[0007] To solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, The casing and A payment device having a slit for inserting a magnetic card and mounted on the back of the housing, On the rear surface of the housing, a guide member is provided adjacent to the payment machine without covering the rear surface of at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine, Equipped with, A tablet terminal is provided in which the guide member has a guide surface that guides the magnetic card toward the slit, and the guide surface is positioned upstream of the slit in the direction in which the magnetic card is inserted.

[0008] The housing has a recess formed on the back surface of the housing, The payment machine is mounted in the recess of the housing, The payment machine may be positioned in the recess such that the slit is exposed from the side of the housing.

[0009] The guide member may be attached to the rear surface of the housing such that the guide surface protrudes outward from at least one side surface of the housing.

[0010] The guide surface may be curved such that the gap between the guide surface and the back surface of the housing narrows as it approaches the slit.

[0011] The guide member may be configured separately from the housing and detachably fixed to the rear surface of the housing.

[0012] The payment machine further has an insertion slot for inserting a contact-type IC card, The payment machine may be positioned in the recess such that both the slit and the insertion opening are exposed from the side surface of the housing.

[0013] The system further includes a partition plate that separates the space between the slit and the insertion opening, The partition plate may be configured to guide the contact-type IC card toward the insertion slot.

[0014] A partition plate that separates the space between the slit and the insertion opening, A fixing cover for securing the payment terminal to the rear of the housing, Furthermore, The partition plate may be configured to be integrated with the fixing cover.

[0015] The aforementioned tablet device is installed inside the vehicle, The tablet device is installed on the back of the front seat of the car such that its display screen faces the rear seat of the car. The payment terminal may use information read from the magnetic card or contact-type IC card to settle the vehicle fare.

[0016] In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a housing, a payment device having a slit for inserting a magnetic card and an insertion port for inserting a contact-type IC card, and being mounted on the back surface of the housing, a partition plate provided adjacent to the payment device without contacting at least a predetermined portion of the payment device and partitioning the space between the slit and the insertion port, A tablet terminal comprising these is provided.

[0017] In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a housing, a payment device having a slit for inserting a magnetic card and an insertion port for inserting a contact-type IC card, and being mounted on the back surface of the housing, a partition plate provided adjacent to the payment device without covering at least the back surfaces of the slit and the insertion port and partitioning the space between the slit and the insertion port, A tablet terminal comprising these is provided.

[0018] The front surface of the partition plate may guide the insertion of the contact-type IC card into the insertion port.

[0019] The back surface of the partition plate may guide the insertion of the magnetic card through the slit.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, the display screen on the front side of the tablet terminal can be enlarged, and it is possible to facilitate the insertion of a card into the payment device arranged on the back side of the tablet terminal.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a taxi payment system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the front side of the tablet terminal according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the back side of the tablet device according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the back side of a tablet device to which the stay according to the same embodiment is attached. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the front side of a tablet device attached to a sheet according to the same embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the back side of a tablet device attached to a sheet according to the same embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a payment terminal according to the same embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the back side of the tablet terminal with the payment terminal according to the same embodiment removed. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the rear side of the fixed cover according to the same embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the back side of the guide member of the tablet terminal according to the same embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the front side of the guide member of the tablet terminal according to the same embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a partially enlarged side view showing the arrangement of the guide member and the slit of the payment machine according to the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely illustrative to facilitate understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustrations.

[0023] [1. Overview of the taxi payment system] First, with reference to Figure 1, an overview of a taxi payment system 100 to which a tablet terminal 1 according to one embodiment of this disclosure is applied will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the taxi payment system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0024] In the following description of this embodiment, the example of a taxi is described for the vehicle in which the tablet terminal 1 is installed inside the vehicle. However, the vehicle of this disclosure is not limited to the example of a taxi, and may be various types of vehicles, such as ride-sharing vehicles like NRS vehicles, buses, and other commercial vehicles that transport passengers. NRS is an abbreviation for Nippon-style Ride Share ("Nippon-style Ride Share" or "Nihon-gata Ride Share"). Ride-sharing refers to a service in which ordinary drivers transport users for a fee using their private cars, etc. Ride-sharing vehicles are private cars or commercial vehicles, etc., used in ride-sharing.

[0025] Furthermore, in the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, the up, down, left, and right directions refer to the directions when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet device 1 from the front, the front direction (front side) refers to the direction towards the user when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet device 1 from the front, and the back direction (rear side) refers to the direction towards the user when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet device 1 from the front.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the taxi payment system 100 according to this embodiment comprises a tablet terminal 1, a payment machine 2, a driver terminal 3, a meter device 4, and a printer 5. The tablet terminal 1 and the driver terminal 3 are wirelessly connected, for example, via Wi-Fi, and are configured to communicate wirelessly with each other. The tablet terminal 1 and the driver terminal 3 may also be connected to each other via cellular communication through a server (not shown). In addition, the driver terminal 3, the meter device 4, and the printer 5 are wired to each other via a wired cable, but they may also be connected wirelessly.

[0027] The tablet device 1 is installed inside the taxi. For example, the tablet device 1 is installed in a position inside the taxi that faces the rear seat area, for example, in a position where the display screen 12 faces the passengers in the rear seat area, and in a position where the passengers in the rear seat can see the display screen 12 (for example, in the front, left, right, or diagonally forward side in the direction of travel of the taxi within the rear seat area). For example, the tablet device 1 is installed on the back of the passenger seat, with the display screen 12 facing the rear of the taxi. This allows passengers sitting in the rear seat of the taxi to see the display screen 12 of the tablet device 1 which is located in front of them.

[0028] Furthermore, the driver terminal 3, meter device 4, and printer 5 are arranged, for example, around the driver's seat of the taxi. The driver terminal 3 is a terminal device used by the taxi driver for their work. The driver terminal 3 can, for example, display various information related to taxi operations (e.g., pickup requests, maps, traffic information, etc.), allow the driver to input their own work status, and transmit information regarding the taxi's operating status to the taxi operator's server device. The driver terminal 3 is installed in a position within the taxi that is easily accessible to the driver. Alternatively, the driver terminal 3 may not be fixed in a specific position within the vehicle, but rather placed freely within the vehicle so that the driver can pick it up at will.

[0029] The meter device 4 is a device that calculates and displays the taxi fare. The meter device 4 calculates the taxi fare based on factors such as the distance traveled by the taxi from the passenger's pick-up location to their destination, the duration of the ride, the time of day, whether a pick-up was requested, and whether any additional services were provided. The printer 5 is connected to the meter device 4 and prints receipts for the taxi fare calculated by the meter device 4.

[0030] [2. Configuration of tablet terminal and payment terminal] Next, with reference to Figure 1, the configuration of the tablet terminal 1 and payment device 2 according to this embodiment, and the payment method using the tablet terminal 1 and payment device 2 will be explained in more detail.

[0031] The tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment is a tablet terminal with a payment function for settling taxi fares. For this purpose, a payment device 2 is incorporated into the tablet terminal 1, and the tablet terminal 1 and the payment device 2 are integrated. In other words, the tablet terminal 1 can also be said to be a payment terminal equipped with the computer functions of a tablet PC (for example, various functions that a general computer has, such as image display, audio output, input, communication, calculation, and recording).

[0032] The payment terminal 2 according to this embodiment is configured as a separate device from the tablet terminal 1 and is detachably attached to the tablet terminal 1. For example, the payment terminal 2 is detachably attached to the back side of the tablet terminal 1. This allows a commercially available payment terminal 2 to be retrofitted to the tablet terminal 1. Thus, the payment terminal 2 attached to the tablet terminal 1 may be a payment terminal manufactured by a manufacturer other than the manufacturer of the tablet terminal 1 itself, and manufactured to comply with various regulations regarding card payments. This makes it possible to easily and inexpensively manufacture a tablet terminal 1 with payment functionality by combining the tablet terminal 1 and a commercially available payment terminal 2. The payment terminal 2 may also be built into the tablet terminal 1 and not detachable.

[0033] The tablet device 1 is equipped with a relatively large screen (for example, 13.3 inches), and the majority of the front of the tablet device 1 is occupied by a large display screen 12. The tablet device 1 includes, for example, an interface for image input / output (display device, camera, etc.), an interface for audio input / output (microphone, speaker, etc.), and a touch panel for information input as a user interface. The display screen 12 of the tablet device 1 displays various images, whether still images or videos. Here, the images may be any images representing various types of information, such as advertisements, news, weather forecasts, video content (for example, movies, television programs, videos or still images from image distribution services, etc.), taxi service details, taxi fare information, payment information, map information showing the taxi's current location or destination, the current time, menu images, etc.

[0034] The tablet terminal 1 can communicate wirelessly via Wi-Fi or the like with various in-vehicle devices installed inside the taxi (e.g., the driver's terminal 3). The tablet terminal 1 may also be equipped with a communication device having, for example, a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card or an embedded SIM (e-SIM), an antenna, and a control board. This allows the tablet terminal 1 to communicate wirelessly with various external devices installed outside the taxi via a network such as a mobile network.

[0035] Payment terminal 2 is a payment terminal for electronically settling various charges. Taxi passengers can pay for their taxi fare by having payment terminal 2 read the information recorded on a payment card, such as a magnetic card 7, a contact IC card 8, or a contactless IC card 9. Here, magnetic card 7, contact IC card 8, contactless IC card 9, etc., may be any card with payment functionality, such as a credit card, electronic money card, debit card, prepaid card, or point card.

[0036] The magnetic card 7 is a card in which various information is recorded on a magnetic stripe tape attached to the surface of the card. The information recorded on the magnetic stripe tape of the magnetic card 7 is read by a magnetic card reader installed in the payment terminal 2. When a passenger inserts the portion of the magnetic stripe tape of the magnetic card 7 into the straight groove-shaped slit 23 formed on the side of the payment terminal 2, the information recorded on the magnetic card 7 is read by the payment terminal 2.

[0037] The contact-type IC card 8 is an IC card in which the IC chip is exposed on the surface of the card. The information recorded on the IC chip of the contact-type IC card 8 is read by a contact-type IC card reader provided on the payment terminal 2. When a passenger inserts the contact-type IC card 8 into the slot 24 formed on the side of the payment terminal 2, the IC chip of the contact-type IC card 8 and the reading terminal of the IC card reader come into contact, and the information recorded on the contact-type IC card 8 is read by the payment terminal 2.

[0038] On the other hand, the contactless IC card 9 is an IC card in which an IC chip and a wireless communication antenna are built into the card. The information recorded on the IC chip of the contactless IC card 9 is read by a contactless reader / writer 25 built into the payment terminal 2. The reader / writer 25 is an example of a contactless reader device and is equipped with a contactless communication antenna and control board. When a passenger brings the contactless IC card 9 close to the payment terminal 2, wireless communication is conducted between the IC chip of the contactless IC card 9 and the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2 according to a predetermined communication standard, and the information recorded on the contactless IC card 9 is read by the payment terminal 2.

[0039] Here, the wireless communication standard for the contactless IC card 9 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, NFC (Near Field Communication). NFC is an international standard for proximity-type wireless communication with a communication range of up to approximately 10 cm. Examples of standards that utilize NFC technology include FeliCa® (Type-F), Type-A, and Type-B. Contactless payment using credit cards, smartphones, etc. (so-called touch payment) utilizes the international standard NFC. In contactless payment by the payment device 2 according to this embodiment, for example, the NFC wireless communication protocol can also be used.

[0040] When paying for a taxi fare, passengers can operate the touch panel on the display screen 12 at the front of the tablet terminal 1 to select their desired payment method from among several payment methods displayed on the display screen 12. The payment methods may include one or more of the following: contact payment using a magnetic card 7, contact payment using a contact-type IC card 8, contactless payment using a contactless IC card 9, payment using a QR code (registered trademark), and cash payment.

[0041] In this embodiment, since the payment terminal 2 is located on the back side of the tablet terminal 1, it is difficult for passengers to see the payment terminal 2 when viewed from the front side of the tablet terminal 1, making it difficult to pinpoint its location. Furthermore, the size of the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 is much larger than the size of the contactless IC card 9. Therefore, it is anticipated that passengers will have difficulty determining which part of the large tablet terminal 1 to hold their contactless IC card 9 when they select contactless payment.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, when a passenger selects contactless payment using a contactless IC card 9, the tablet terminal 1 displays information 121 indicating the position to hold the contactless IC card 9 over the tablet terminal 1 at a predetermined position on the display screen 12 (in the example of Figure 1, the center of the right edge of the display screen 12), as shown in Figure 1. This information 121 allows the passenger to easily understand where to hold the contactless IC card 9 over the tablet terminal 1.

[0043] Then, when a passenger brings the contactless IC card 9 close to a predetermined position on the display screen 12 shown by the information 121 (i.e., holds the contactless IC card 9 over the device), wireless communication is performed between the contactless IC card 9 and the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2, and the taxi fare is paid contactlessly. During this contactless payment, the contactless IC card 9 is held over the display screen 12 on the front side of the tablet terminal 1, while the payment terminal 2 is located on the back side of the tablet terminal 1. Therefore, the contactless IC card 9 on the front side of the tablet terminal 1 and the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2 on the back side transmit and receive electromagnetic waves through the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 (i.e., through the display device) to perform short-range wireless communication. This also enables contactless payment between the contactless IC card 9 and the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2. Therefore, by placing the payment terminal 2 on the back side of the tablet terminal 1, the display screen 12 on the front side of the tablet terminal 1 can be made as large as possible (for example, 13 inches or larger), and contactless payment using a contactless IC card 9 and the payment terminal 2 can also be suitably realized.

[0044] In the above description, the contactless IC device used for contactless payment was described as a contactless IC card 9. However, the contactless IC device described in this disclosure is not limited to the contactless IC card 9. The contactless IC device is any device equipped with an IC chip and antenna for contactless communication and having a contactless communication function. For example, it may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or notebook PC, or it may be a smartwatch, headphones, earphones, smart glasses, smart accessories, or various other wearable devices. For example, a taxi passenger can pay for taxi fares, pickup fees, reservation fees, and various other charges by holding a contactless IC device such as a smartphone over a designated area on the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1.

[0045] [3. Tablet device configuration] [3.1. Overall configuration of the tablet device] Next, the configuration of the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the front side of the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the rear side of the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment.

[0046] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment is a rectangular flat-type computer terminal device that is elongated in the left-right direction. The tablet terminal 1 comprises a housing 10, a display screen 12, a payment terminal 2, and a guide member 30.

[0047] The casing 10 is the exterior material of the tablet terminal 1 and is made of, for example, plastic. The casing 10 is composed of multiple components (casing pieces) combined together. The casing 10 forms the outer shape of the tablet terminal 1. Various devices such as a control board (not shown), a display device, and a battery are housed inside the casing 10. The casing 10 has the function of covering and protecting these various devices.

[0048] The control board (not shown) is equipped with, for example, at least one processor, at least one memory, storage, and a communication device. The processor is composed of a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor is connected to the memory, storage, and communication device. The processor performs various processes related to the functions of the tablet terminal 1 by executing programs stored in the memory or storage. For example, the processor functions as a control unit that controls various operations of the tablet terminal 1 (e.g., arithmetic processing, image display, audio output, communication, power on / off, etc.).

[0049] Memory is a storage medium that stores programs and other data. Memory includes, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). ROM is non-volatile memory that stores programs used by the processor and data necessary to run those programs. RAM is volatile memory that temporarily stores data such as variables, arithmetic parameters, and calculation results used in processes executed by the processor. Programs stored in ROM are read into RAM and executed by the processor. Storage is a memory device for storing various types of information and data, and is composed of semiconductor memory, etc. A communication device is a device for communicating with an external device connected to the tablet terminal 1 by wire or wireless connection. The communication device establishes a communication connection with the external device according to a predetermined protocol and transmits and receives various types of information and data to and from the external device.

[0050] [3.2. Front view of the tablet device] As shown in Figure 2, a rectangular display screen 12, elongated horizontally, is provided on the front side of the casing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. The display screen 12 is the display screen of a display device built into the tablet terminal 1. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED). The area of ​​the display screen 12 occupies most of the front area of ​​the tablet terminal 1. The outer periphery of the rectangular display screen 12 is surrounded by a rectangular frame (so-called bezel) which is the front part of the casing 10. The size of the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment is, for example, 13.3 inches, which is a relatively large screen for a tablet terminal display screen. However, the size of the display screen 12 is not limited to this example and may be larger or smaller. A camera 13 is also provided at the top center of the display screen 12. Images of passengers' faces or irises captured by camera 13 can be used, for example, for identity verification when logging into tablet terminal 1 or making payments, or for facial recognition when using the My Number system.

[0051] [3.3. Configuration of the back of the tablet device] As shown in Figure 3, the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1 is provided with a payment terminal 2, a fixing cover 14, ventilation holes 16, a guide member 30, and the like.

[0052] In this embodiment, the tablet terminal 1 has a payment terminal 2 mounted on the back surface 10b of the tablet terminal 1, and at least a part of the payment terminal 2 (for example, a card insertion portion such as a slit 23 or an insertion slot 24) is exposed to the outside from the side surface 10c of the housing 10. In order to expose the card insertion portion of the payment terminal 2 from the side surface 10c of the housing 10, the payment terminal 2 is positioned along one of the four sides (top, bottom, right, and left) of the housing 10 on the back surface 10b of the rectangular flat housing 10 (the right side in the illustrated example). In other words, the payment terminal 2 is positioned along one of the four sides (top, bottom, right, and left) of the rectangular back surface 10b of the housing 10 (the right side in the illustrated example). This allows the payment terminal 2 to be installed on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 such that a part of the payment terminal 2 (the card insertion portion) is exposed from the side surface 10c of the housing 10.

[0053] In this embodiment, the payment terminal 2 is positioned along the right side surface 10c (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "right side surface 10c") of the housing 10 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10. As a result, when the tablet terminal 1 is viewed from the front, the payment terminal 2 is positioned on the right side of the housing 10, and the card insertion portion of the payment terminal 2 is exposed from the right side surface 10c of the housing 10. Therefore, right-handed passengers can easily insert / swipe / tap a payment card (such as the magnetic card 7, contact IC card 8, or contactless IC card 9 in Figure 1) to the payment terminal 2 positioned on the right side of the tablet terminal 1. However, the embodiment is not limited to this example. For example, the payment terminal 2 may be positioned along the left side, top, or bottom of the four sides (top, bottom, right, and left) of the housing 10 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, or it may be positioned at one of the four corners of the housing 10.

[0054] Furthermore, the payment terminal 2 is detachably attached to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 using a fixing cover 14. The fixing cover 14 is an example of a fixing member for fixing the payment terminal 2 to the back surface 10b of the housing 10. The fixing cover 14 is a separate component from the housing 10 and is composed of, for example, a cover-like plate material that partially covers the payment terminal 2. In order not to interfere with the contactless communication of the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2, the fixing cover 14 is preferably made of a material other than metal, such as a non-conductive material such as plastic. With the payment terminal 2 sandwiched between the back surface 10b of the housing 10 and the fixing cover 14, the outer periphery of the fixing cover 14 is screwed to the back surface 10b of the housing 10.

[0055] As a result, the payment terminal 2 is fixed to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 with the inner portion of the payment terminal 2 in the left-right direction (the right portion in the rear view of Figure 2) covered by the fixing cover 14, and the outer portion of the payment terminal 2 in the left-right direction (the left portion in the rear view of Figure 2) exposed to the outside without being covered by the fixing cover 14. Consequently, the outer portion of the payment terminal 2 (the portion where the card insertion slit 23 and insertion slot 24 are located) is exposed to the outside from the right side surface 10c of the housing 10. Therefore, passengers can insert a magnetic card 7 into the slit 23 exposed from the right side surface 10c of the housing 10, or insert a contact-type IC card 8 into the insertion slot 24 exposed from the right side surface 10c of the housing 10. Passengers can also hold a contactless IC card 9 over the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2 located on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 from the front side of the housing 10 (the display screen 12 side).

[0056] Furthermore, the guide member 30 is attached to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 at a position adjacent to the payment terminal 2 without contacting the payment terminal 2. The guide member 30 has the function of guiding the magnetic card 7 when a passenger inserts the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23 of the payment terminal 2. The tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment is characterized by being equipped with this guide member 30, and the details of the guide member 30 will be described later.

[0057] Furthermore, numerous ventilation holes 16 are formed through the central part of the back surface 10b of the housing 10. These ventilation holes 16 allow heat from various devices installed inside the housing 10 to be released to the outside of the housing 10, thereby enabling air cooling of those devices.

[0058] [4. How to install the tablet device] Next, with reference to Figures 4 to 6, a method for installing the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment inside a car (for example, a taxi) will be described. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the rear side of the tablet terminal 1 with the stay 40 according to this embodiment attached. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the front side of the tablet terminal 1 attached to the seat 6 according to this embodiment. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the rear side of the tablet terminal 1 attached to the seat 6 according to this embodiment.

[0059] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, for example, the tablet terminal 1 is attached and secured to the rear side of the front seat (passenger seat or driver's seat) 6 of the taxi using a stay 40. In this case, the tablet terminal 1 is attached to the rear side of the seat 6 with the display screen 12 facing the rear passenger in the direction of travel of the taxi, so that the display screen 12 faces the passenger in the rear seat. Thus, the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment is attached to the rear side of the passenger seat 6 of the taxi. However, the invention is not limited to this example, and when a passenger is sitting in the passenger seat, the tablet terminal 1 may be attached near the dashboard in front of the passenger seat.

[0060] As shown in Figure 4, the stay 40 is an example of a mounting device for attaching the tablet terminal 1 to the rear side of the seat 6. For example, the stay 40 may be a mounting bracket made up of a combination of multiple metal members. The stay 40 is detachably attached to the back surface 10b of the tablet terminal 1. The stay 40 comprises a first stay 41 attached to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1, a second stay 42 configured to fit into the first stay 41, and a cover 43 covering the outside of the second stay 42. The second stay 42 has two bushings 42a.

[0061] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the passenger seat 6 of a taxi comprises a headrest 62, a seat back 64, two headrest shafts 66, and a seat surface (not shown). The headrest shafts 66 are rod-shaped metal fittings that connect the headrest 62 and the seat back 64 in the vertical direction. The upper end of the headrest shaft 66 is fixed to the headrest 62, and the lower end of the headrest shaft 66 is detachably attached to the seat back 64.

[0062] The tablet device 1 is attached to the rear side of the headrest 62 of the seat 6 to be mounted using a stay 40. A brief explanation of this mounting method is as follows: First, the headrest 62 is removed from the seat back 64 along with the headrest shaft 66. Next, the two headrest shafts 66 of the headrest 62 are pressed into the two bushings 42a of the second stay 42, thereby attaching the second stay 42 to the headrest shaft 66. Next, the first stay 41 is attached to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet device 1. Furthermore, the second stay 42, which is attached to the headrest shaft 66, is fitted into the first stay 41 attached to the tablet device 1, thereby fixing the first stay 41 and the second stay 42 together. As a result, the tablet device 1 is fixed to the headrest shaft 66 via the first stay 41 and the second stay 42. Next, the cover 43 is attached to the front side (the side opposite to the tablet device 1) of the second stay 42. Next, the two headrest shafts 66 of the headrest 62 are aligned with the insertion holes in the seat back 64 and inserted, thereby attaching the headrest 62 to the seat back 64. As a result, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tablet terminal 1 is attached and secured to the rear side of the headrest 62 of the seat 6.

[0063] [5. Configuration of the payment terminal and the mounting structure of the payment terminal and tablet terminal] Next, with reference to Figures 7 to 9, the configuration of the payment device 2 incorporated into the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment and the structure for attaching the payment device 2 to the tablet terminal 1 will be described in detail. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the payment device 2 according to this embodiment. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the back side of the tablet terminal 1 with the payment device 2 according to this embodiment removed. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the back side of the fixed cover 14 according to this embodiment.

[0064] As shown in Figure 7, the payment terminal 2 is a small terminal unit (payment terminal) for card payments. The payment terminal 2 can independently perform payment processing using multiple types of payment cards (for example, the magnetic card 7, contact-type IC card 8, contactless IC card 9, etc.). The payment terminal 2 comprises a housing 20 having a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a slit 23 and insertion opening 24 (card insertion portion) formed on one side 20c of the housing 20, a contactless reader / writer 25 provided inside the housing 20, a magnetic card reader (not shown), and a contact-type IC card reader (not shown).

[0065] Slit 23 is a straight groove-shaped slit for inserting a magnetic card 7. Slit 23 is formed so as to be cut inward from the side surface 20c of the housing 20 of the payment machine 2. The longitudinal direction of slit 23 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the side surface 20c of the housing 20. Slit 23 extends from one end to the other along the longitudinal direction of the side surface 20c, traversing the side surface 20c. The width of slit 23 is slightly greater than the thickness of the magnetic card 7. A magnetic card reader (not shown) is provided inside the housing 20 at a position adjacent to slit 23.

[0066] The insertion slot 24 is a long, narrow, straight slot for inserting a contact-type IC card 8. The insertion slot 24 is recessed in the side surface 20c of the housing 20 of the payment machine 2, and the longitudinal direction of the insertion slot 24 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the side surface 20c of the housing 20. On the same side surface 20c of the housing 20, the slit 23 and the insertion slot 24 are adjacent to each other and arranged in parallel. The width of the long, narrow insertion slot 24 is slightly greater than the thickness of the contact-type IC card 8, and the length of the insertion slot 24 is slightly greater than the length of the short side of the contact-type IC card 8. Inside the housing 20, a contact-type IC card reader (not shown) having contact-type reading terminals is provided at a position adjacent to the inside of the insertion slot 24.

[0067] The contactless reader / writer 25 is a reader and writer device for contactless communication with contactless IC cards 9, smartphones, and other contactless IC devices. The contactless reader / writer 25 is an example of the contactless writer device of this disclosure. The reader / writer 25 comprises a loop antenna for contactless communication and a control board on which an IC chip for contactless communication is mounted. The loop antenna of the reader / writer 25 is positioned parallel to the front surface 20a of the housing 20. This allows the reader / writer 25 to perform contactless communication with directionality perpendicular to the front surface 20a of the housing 20. The reader / writer 25 can communicate various types of information, including payment information, to contactless IC cards 9, smartphones, and other contactless IC devices in accordance with a predetermined communication standard such as NFC.

[0068] The contactless reader / writer 25 is positioned biasedly to one side of the internal space of the payment machine 2's housing 20 (the space opposite to where the slits 23 and insertion slots 24 are installed). In the example shown in Figure 7, when viewed from the front 20a of the payment machine 2's housing 20, the slits 23 and insertion slots 24 are located on the right side of the housing 20, while the reader / writer 25 is biased to the left side of the housing 20. This allows for the efficient arrangement of multiple devices, such as the reader / writer 25, magnetic card reader, and contact reader, inside the housing 20 of the payment machine 2, enabling a smaller payment machine 2.

[0069] Furthermore, the casing 20 of the payment terminal 2 is provided with a connector (not shown), to which a cable 17 connected to the control board of the tablet terminal 1 is connected. This allows various types of information, including payment information, to be sent and received between the payment terminal 2 and the tablet terminal 1 via the cable 17.

[0070] Next, referring to Figure 8, we will describe the structure for attaching the payment device 2, which has the configuration described above, to the back of the tablet terminal 1.

[0071] As shown in Figure 8, a recess 18 is formed in the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1 for mounting the payment device 2. The recess 18 is formed in the back surface 10b of the housing 10, which is a roughly rectangular flat plate. Preferably, the recess 18 is formed across the back surface 10b and at least one side surface 10c of the housing 10. The recess 18 functions as a mounting part for mounting the payment device 2 to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. A cable 17 for connecting the control board inside the tablet terminal 1 and the payment device 2 is arranged in the recess 18. The recess 18 has a shape that corresponds to the flat, roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape of the payment device 2, and the shape of the recess 18 is a flat, roughly rectangular parallelepiped recessed space. In this way, the recess 18 has a shape that can be fitted with the payment device 2 shown in Figure 7.

[0072] The recess 18 is provided on the back surface 10b of the rectangular flat housing 10, along the right side surface 10c, which is one of the four sides (top, bottom, right side, left side) of the housing 10. In other words, the recess 18 is formed spanning the back surface 10b and the right side surface 10c of the housing 10, and is a notched recess created by partially cutting away the back surface 10b and the right side surface 10c of the housing 10. The recess 18 has one rectangular bottom surface 18a and three horizontally elongated side wall surfaces 18d, 18e, and 18f. The bottom surface 18a of the recess 18 has a rectangular shape corresponding to the front surface 20a of the housing 20 of the payment machine 2 shown in Figure 7. The three side wall surfaces 18d, 18e, and 18f of the recess 18 each have a rectangular shape corresponding to the three sides 20d, 20e, and 20f of the housing 20 of the payment machine 2 shown in Figure 7. Thus, the bottom surface 18a is surrounded on three sides by the upper side wall surface 18d, the left side wall surface 18e, and the lower side wall surface 18f of the recess 18, but the remaining right side is open as there is no side wall surface.

[0073] The payment terminal 2 is mounted in a recess 18 formed across the back 10b and right side 10c of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. The payment terminal 2 is mounted in the recess 18 so as to fit into it. As shown in Figure 3, the payment terminal 2 is fixed in the recess 18 by attaching the fixing cover 14 to the back 10b of the housing 10 from the back side of the payment terminal 2, with the payment terminal 2 sandwiched between the recess 18 and the fixing cover 14. In this state, with the payment terminal 2 mounted in the recess 18, the three sides 20d, 20e, and 20f of the housing 20 of the payment terminal 2, other than side 20c, are surrounded by the three side walls 18d, 18e, and 18f of the recess 18. In addition, a part of the back 20b of the housing 20 of the payment terminal 2 (the right side when viewed from the rear) is covered by the fixing cover 14. On the other hand, a portion of the side 20c and back 20b of the casing 20 of the payment terminal 2 (the left side when viewed from the rear) is not covered by the casing 10 or the fixed cover 14 of the tablet terminal 1 and is exposed to the outside.

[0074] Here, with reference to Figure 9, the fixed cover 14 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 9, the fixed cover 14 is, for example, a cover member that is substantially rectangular in shape overall. The fixed cover 14 is a member for fixing the payment machine 2 to the recess 18 of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. The fixed cover 14 comprises, for example, a U-shaped outer edge portion 141, a flat portion 142 provided in the center of the outer edge portion 141, a first stepped portion 143 connecting the outer edge portion 141 and the flat portion 142, two extending portions 144, 144 extending in the same direction from the outer edge portion 141, and a second stepped portion 145 connecting the outer edge portion 141 and the extending portions 144, 144.

[0075] The outer edge portion 141 is, for example, a U-shaped frame-like portion that contacts the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. This U-shaped outer edge portion 141 is fitted into a recess 18 (see Figure 8) formed on the back surface 10b of the housing 10. When the outer edge portion 141 and the recess 18 are fitted together, the three outer surfaces 141a of the U-shaped outer edge portion 141 contact the three side walls 18d, 18e, and 18f of the recess 18, respectively.

[0076] The flat portion 142 is a flat area surrounded by the U-shaped outer edge portion 141. The flat portion 142 is, for example, rectangular, and the three sides of the outer edge of the flat portion 142 are connected to the outer edge portion 141 via the first stepped portion 143. As a result, the flat portion 142 is positioned to protrude further back than the outer edge portion 141 (towards the rear when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and towards the front in the vehicle on which the tablet terminal 1 is installed). The combined portion of the flat portion 142 and the first stepped portion 143 constitutes a portion that bulges outwards towards the rear of the fixed cover 14 (towards the rear when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and towards the front in the vehicle on which the tablet terminal 1 is installed), and is shaped to conform to the outer shape of the payment machine 2. This bulging portion of the fixed cover 14 (the portion composed of the flat portion 142 and the first stepped portion 143) forms a storage space 146 inside the fixed cover 14. The storage space 146 functions as a space for housing the payment machine 2 inside the fixed cover 14.

[0077] The two extending portions 144, 144 are plate-like portions that extend parallel to each other from both the upper and lower ends of the U-shaped outer edge portion 141 toward the right in the front view of the tablet terminal 1 (to the left in the rear view in Figure 9). The extending portions 144, 144 are the portions that come into contact with the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. These extending portions 144, 144, together with the U-shaped outer edge portion 141, are fitted into the recess 18. A partition plate 36 is integrally provided at the ends of the extending portions 144, 144. The partition plate 36 is a thin, flat plate-like portion provided to connect the ends of the two extending portions 144, 144 (the left ends in the rear view in Figure 9) in the vertical direction. Thus, the fixed cover 14 according to this embodiment is integrally configured with the partition plate 36. Details of the partition plate 36 will be described later.

[0078] Second stepped portions 145, 145 are provided between the extended portions 144, 144 and the U-shaped outer edge portion 141. Due to the presence of the second stepped portions 145, 145, the thickness of the outer edge portion 141 is greater than the thickness of the extended portions 144, 144, and the outer edge portion 141 is positioned to protrude further to the rear side (the rear side when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and the front side in the vehicle on which the tablet terminal 1 is installed) than the extended portions 144, 144. The U-shaped frame-like portion consisting of the outer edge portion 141 and the extended portions 144, 144 fits into a recess 18 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 and functions as a base for attaching the fixing cover 14 to the recess 18. To screw the fixed cover 14 into the recess 18, two screw-receiving bosses 141b, 141b are formed on the outer edge portion 141, and two screw-receiving bosses 144b, 144b are also formed on the extended portions 144, 144. The height of the boss 141b on the outer edge portion 141 is greater than the height of the boss 144b on the extended portion 144.

[0079] Furthermore, in the fixed cover 14, a roughly rectangular opening 147 is formed inside the U-shaped portion that is locked by the two extended portions 144, 144 and the partition plate 36. The opening 147 communicates with the storage space 146 surrounded by the flat portion 142 and the first stepped portion 143. The opening 147 and the storage space 146 serve as installation spaces for arranging the payment machine 2.

[0080] The payment machine 2 is fixed to the recess 18 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 by the fixed cover 14 configured as described above. Specifically, first, with the payment machine 2 housed in the accommodation space 146 and opening 147 of the fixed cover 14, the outer edge 141 and extended portions 144, 144 of the fixed cover 14 and the payment machine 2 are fitted into the recess 18 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10. Furthermore, in this fitted state, screws are screwed into the two bosses 141b on the outer edge 141 of the fixed cover 14 and the boss 144b on the extended portion 144, thereby screwing the fixed cover 14 to the recess 18 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10. As a result, the flat portion 142 of the fixed cover 14 presses the payment machine 2 toward the back surface 10b of the housing 10 and fixes it in place. In this way, the payment machine 2 can be suitably mounted to the recess 18 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 using the fixed cover 14.

[0081] As described above, in this embodiment, in order to install the payment device 2 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1, a recess 18 is formed in the back surface 10b of the housing 10 adjacent to the right side surface 10c, and the payment device 2 is mounted in the recess 18. This allows the portion of the housing 20 of the payment device 2, including the side surface 20c of the housing 20 which includes the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion opening 24), to be exposed from the right side surface 10c of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. Therefore, even if the payment device 2 is incorporated into the tablet terminal 1, the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion opening 24) of the payment device 2 can be exposed to the outside.

[0082] The recess 18 only needs to be formed on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and does not necessarily need to extend across both the back surface 10b and the side surface (e.g., the right side surface 10c) of the housing 10. Depending on the front-to-back position of the slit 23 and insertion opening 24 of the payment machine 2, the recess 18 does not need to be formed on the side surface (e.g., the right side surface 10c) of the housing 10. It is also possible to position the payment machine 2 in a shallow recess 18 formed on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 such that the slit 23 and insertion opening 24 of the payment machine 2 protrude and are exposed in the side direction (e.g., to the right).

[0083] If the card insertion portion (slit 23, slot 24) of the payment terminal 2 is exposed from the right side 10c of the tablet terminal 1's casing 10, a taxi passenger can easily find the card insertion portion of the payment terminal 2 exposed on the right side 10c when viewed from the front of the tablet terminal 1. Therefore, the passenger can easily insert a magnetic card 7 into the exposed slit 23 or a contact-type IC card 8 into the exposed slot 24 to make a smooth payment.

[0084] For example, if a passenger wants to pay for a taxi fare using a magnetic card 7, they insert the magnetic stripe portion of the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23 of the payment terminal 2, which is exposed from the right side 10c of the tablet terminal 1, in a predetermined direction (that is, they slide the magnetic card 7 in one direction from one end to the other of the slit 23). Then, the information recorded on the magnetic card 7 is read by the magnetic card reader of the payment terminal 2, and the payment process is executed.

[0085] Furthermore, if a passenger wishes to pay for a taxi fare using a contact-type IC card 8, they insert the portion of the contact-type IC card 8 containing the IC chip into the slot 24 of the payment terminal 2, which is exposed from the right side 10c of the tablet terminal 1. When the IC chip of the contact-type IC card 8 inserted into the slot 24 makes contact with the reading terminal of the IC card reader of the payment terminal 2, the information recorded on the contact-type IC card 8 is read by the IC card reader of the payment terminal 2, and the payment process is executed.

[0086] Furthermore, if a passenger wishes to pay for a taxi fare using a contactless IC card 9, they hold the contactless IC card 9 over a designated area on the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 (see Figure 1) and bring it close to the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2. Then, wireless communication is conducted between the IC chip of the contactless IC card 9 and the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2 according to a predetermined communication standard, the information recorded on the contactless IC card 9 is read by the reader / writer 25 of the payment terminal 2, and the payment process is executed.

[0087] As described above, in this embodiment, by mounting the payment device 2 in a recess 18 pre-formed in the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1, the payment device 2, which is manufactured separately according to predetermined regulations and standards, can be suitably retrofitted to the tablet terminal 1. Furthermore, even if the payment device 2 is retrofitted to the back surface 10b of the tablet terminal 1, the thickness of the tablet terminal 1 can be reduced.

[0088] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion slot 24) of the payment terminal 2 is exposed to the outside from the right side 10c of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. As a result, even if some kind of fraudulent device (for example, a skimming reader) is retrofitted to the card insertion portion, passengers and / or crew members can easily see the fraudulent device. Therefore, the occurrence of damage due to fraudulent acts such as card information skimming can be suppressed.

[0089] [6. Configuration of the guide member] [6.1. Overall configuration of guide members] Next, with reference to Figures 10 to 12, the configuration of the guide member 30 provided in the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the rear side of the guide member 30 of the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 11 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the front side of the guide member 30 of the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 12 is a partially enlarged side view showing the arrangement of the guide member 30 and the slit 23 of the payment machine 2 according to this embodiment.

[0090] As shown in Figures 10 to 12, a guide member 30 is provided on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment. In a rear view of the housing 10, the guide member 30 is positioned near the upper left corner of the back surface 10b of the housing 10. The guide member 30 is provided on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 adjacent to the payment machine 2 without contacting the payment machine 2. Specifically, the guide member 30 is positioned above the payment machine 2 mounted in the recess 18, adjacent to the payment machine 2. The guide member 30 is constructed separately from the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1 and is detachably fixed to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 by fixing means. The fixing means is preferably, for example, a screw, but is not limited to this example, and may be, for example, a bolt and nut, a detachable fitting structure or locking structure, etc.

[0091] Here, we will explain why the guide member 30 does not "contact" the payment terminal 2. The design values ​​of each component of the tablet terminal 1 (such as the housing 10 and the guide member 30) are set so that they do not contact the payment terminal 2, and with such settings, the condition that the guide member 30 does not "contact" the payment terminal 2 is met. However, in this case, the design values ​​of each component may be set so that it is acceptable even if the guide member 30 comes into contact with the payment terminal 2 due to, for example, design errors (precision errors) or mounting precision errors of each component. Alternatively, the design values ​​of each component may be set so that the guide member 30 does not come into contact with the payment terminal 2 even if these errors exist.

[0092] It is preferable that the guide member 30 does not come into contact with the payment machine 2, but contact between the guide member 30 and the payment machine 2 is not necessarily excluded. For example, the guide member 30 may partially come into contact with a part of the payment machine 2 other than the predetermined part. In this case, the guide member 30 may be positioned adjacent to the payment machine 2 without covering the back surface of at least the predetermined part of the payment machine 2. Thus, the guide member 30 only needs to not come into contact with at least the predetermined part of the payment machine 2, or not cover the back surface of at least the predetermined part of the payment machine 2. Here, the "predetermined part" may be, for example, the part of the payment machine 2 that forms the slit 23 or insertion opening 24 (i.e., the card insertion part), or it may be an area of ​​the back surface of the payment machine 2 that is not covered by the fixed cover 14. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 10 to 12, the guide member 30 may be configured not to come into contact with the payment machine 2 at all, including parts other than the predetermined part of the payment machine 2, or not to cover the entire back surface of the payment machine 2 at all.

[0093] The guide member 30 includes a guide portion 31 for guiding the magnetic card 7, a mounting portion 32 attached to the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and a stepped portion 33 connecting the guide portion 31 and the mounting portion 32. The guide portion 31, the mounting portion 32, and the stepped portion 33 are integrally formed from, for example, a single plastic component.

[0094] The guide section 31 is a part that guides the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23 of the payment terminal 2. The guide section 31 is positioned above the slit 23 of the payment terminal 2 on the rear 10b side of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. The guide section 31 is positioned at a distance from the rear 10b of the housing 10. The guide section 31 is also positioned to protrude outward (to the right) from the right side 10c of the housing 10. The guide section 31 is composed of a curved plate that curves upward toward the rear side (the rear side when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and the front side in a vehicle in which the tablet terminal 1 is installed).

[0095] The mounting portion 32 is a part for attaching the guide member 30 to the back surface 10b of the housing 10. The mounting portion 32 is made of a plate-shaped member that matches the shape of the mounting area on the back surface 10b of the housing 10. The mounting portion 32 is fixed to the mounting area on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 by known fixing means (e.g., screw fastening). The mounting portion 32 is fixed in contact with the back surface 10b of the housing 10 and supports the entire guide member 30. The stepped portion 33 is a stepped portion for connecting the mounting portion 32 and the guide portion 31. By the mounting portion 32 supporting the guide portion 31 via the stepped portion 33, the guide portion 31 is positioned away from the back surface 10b of the housing 10 and the payment machine 2.

[0096] [6.2. Guide surface] The front surface of the guide member 30 is a guide surface 35 for guiding the magnetic card 7. The guide surface 35 has the function of guiding the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23 of the payment machine 2. As shown in Figure 11, the guide surface 35 has a mark 35a printed, affixed, or engraved on it that indicates the insertion direction of the magnetic card 7 (in this embodiment, the direction from top to bottom of the tablet terminal 1, indicated by arrow R1; hereinafter sometimes referred to as "insertion direction R1"). In the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment, the insertion direction R1 of the magnetic card 7 is the direction from top to bottom along the right side surface 10c of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. The guide surface 35 is positioned upstream of the insertion direction R1 of the magnetic card 7 with respect to the slit 23.

[0097] The guide surface 35 is positioned away from the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. As a result, as shown in Figure 12, a gap 37 wide enough for the magnetic card 7 to pass through is formed between the guide surface 35 and the back surface 10b of the housing 10. This gap 37 extends downward toward the slit 23 of the payment machine 2. As indicated by arrow R1 in Figure 12, the gap 37 functions as a guide passage for the magnetic card 7 to pass through in the section from the position of the upper guide member 30 to the position of the slit 23 of the payment machine 2 below.

[0098] The guide surface 35 of the guide member 30 guides the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23 of the payment machine 2. Therefore, a taxi passenger can easily insert the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23 of the payment machine 2 in the correct insertion direction simply by sliding the magnetic card 7 downward along the guide surface 35.

[0099] Furthermore, it is desirable that the right side surface 33a of the stepped portion 33 of the guide member 30 (see Figure 12) be flush with the bottom surface of the slit 23 in the left-right direction. Also, as shown in Figure 12, the lower end on the back side of the gap 37 of the guide member 30 (i.e., the lower end of the guide surface 35 of the guide member 30) and the upper end on the back side of the slit 23 may be positioned on the same plane along the insertion direction R1. In addition, the guide surface 35 of the guide member 30 may be positioned slightly forward or slightly backward of the side wall surface on the back side of the slit 23. In this way, it is preferable that the relative position between the guide surface 35 of the guide member 30 and the slit 23 is appropriately adjusted so that the magnetic card 7 does not hit the top surface of the payment machine 2 and get stuck when the magnetic card 7 is inserted into the slit 23 along the guide member 30.

[0100] Furthermore, in a front view of the tablet terminal 1, the guide portion 31 and guide surface 35 of the guide member 30 protrude outward (to the right) from the right side 10c of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. Therefore, passengers can easily see the guide surface 35 protruding from the right side 10c of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1, and from the visible guide surface 35 and mark 35a, they can easily grasp the position and insertion direction R1 of the slit 23 through which the magnetic card 7 is inserted.

[0101] Furthermore, the guide surface 35 is curved so as to curve backward (towards the rear when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and towards the front in the vehicle on which the tablet terminal 1 is installed) as it approaches the slit 23 of the payment machine 2, so that the gap 37 between the guide surface 35 and the back surface 10b of the housing 10 narrows as it approaches the slit 23 of the payment machine 2. As described above, the guide member 30 is composed of a curved plate that curves backward (towards the rear when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and towards the front in the vehicle on which the tablet terminal 1 is installed) as it goes upward. For this reason, the guide surface 35 is also a curved surface that curves backward (towards the rear when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and towards the front in the vehicle on which the tablet terminal 1 is installed) as it goes upward. Consequently, the width of the gap 37 between the guide surface 35 and the back surface 10b of the housing 10 widens as it goes upward. In other words, the width of the gap 37 narrows as it goes downwards, and the width of the lowest end of the gap 37 is about the same as the width of the slit 23 of the payment machine 2.

[0102] As described above, in the guide member 30 according to this embodiment, the guide surface 35 is curved such that the gap 37 narrows as it approaches the slit 23 of the payment machine 2. As a result, as shown by arrow R1 in Figure 12, the magnetic card 7 can be smoothly inserted along the curved guide surface 35 to the slit 23.

[0103] [6.3. Partition Plates] Furthermore, in the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9 to 12, a partition plate 36 is provided adjacent to the card insertion portion of the payment machine 2. The partition plate 36 has the function of partitioning the space between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24 of the payment machine 2. The partition plate 36 is made of, for example, a flat plate of plastic.

[0104] As shown in Figures 10 to 12, the partition plate 36 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction (up and down direction) of the slit 23 and insertion opening 24 of the payment machine 2, and is positioned to partition the space between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24. More specifically, the partition plate 36 is positioned to divide the space facing the side 20c (e.g., the right side) of the payment machine 2 into a first space (the rear space to the right of the slit 23) facing the slit 23 on the rear side (the far side when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and the front side in the vehicle where the tablet terminal 1 is installed) and a second space (the front space to the right of the insertion opening 24) facing the insertion opening 24 on the front side (the near side when viewing the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 from the front, and the rear side in the vehicle where the tablet terminal 1 is installed). The partition plate 36 is positioned to protrude outward in the left-right direction (to the right in the front view in Figure 11) from the side 10c of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1 and the side 20c of the housing 20 of the payment machine 2. As shown in Figure 12, the thickness of the partition plate 36 is approximately the same as the distance between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24 on the side 20c of the payment machine 2. The partition plate 36 is slightly separated from the side 20c of the housing 20 of the payment machine 2 and does not come into contact with it.

[0105] As shown in Figure 9, the partition plate 36 according to this embodiment is integrally configured with the fixed cover 14. For example, the partition plate 36 and the fixed cover 14 may be configured as a single integrally molded component. The partition plate 36 is a thin, plate-like portion and is provided so as to protrude from the fixed cover 14 to the right in a front view (to the left in a rear view in Figure 9). The partition plate 36 is supported by two upper and lower extending portions 144, 144 of the fixed cover 14. An opening 147 for arranging the payment machine 2 is formed inside the U-shaped portion enclosed by the partition plate 36 and the two extending portions 144, 144.

[0106] The partition plate 36, which is integrally formed with the fixed cover 14, is attached to the housing 10 together with the fixed cover 14 and the payment machine 2. Specifically, first, the payment machine 2 is housed in the installation space consisting of the housing space 146 and the opening 147 of the fixed cover 14 as shown in Figure 9. In this state, the fixed cover 14 and the payment machine 2 are fitted into the recess 18 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and the fixed cover 14 is fixed by screwing it to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 from the back surface 20b side of the payment machine 2. Then, as shown in Figures 10 to 12, the partition plate 36, which is integrally formed with the fixed cover 14, protrudes outward from the right side surface 20c of the payment machine 2 in the left-right direction (left side in the rear view in Figure 10, and right side in the front view in Figure 11), while being positioned between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24 in the front-rear direction. By integrating the fixed cover 14 and the partition plate 36 in this way, the partition plate 36 can be easily positioned in the appropriate location between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24 simply by fixing the fixed cover 14 to the back surface 10b of the housing 10.

[0107] Similar to the guide member 30, the partition plate 36 also functions as a guide plate that guides the movement of the magnetic card 7 when it is inserted into the slit 23. As shown by arrow R1 in Figures 11 and 12, when inserting the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23, the magnetic card 7 first passes downward through the gap 37 between the guide surface 35 of the guide member 30 and the back surface 10b of the housing 10 and enters the slit 23. At this time, the magnetic card 7 comes into contact with the back surface 36b of the partition plate 36 which is positioned next to the slit 23, and the back surface 36b of the partition plate 36 corrects the direction of travel of the magnetic card 7 downward toward the slit 23. As a result, the magnetic card 7 is smoothly and straightly inserted into the slit 23 between the guide surface 35 of the guide member 30 and the back surface 36b of the partition plate 36. Then, the magnetic card 7 inserted into the slit 23 slides downward along the slit 23 and exits downward from the lower end of the slit 23.

[0108] Furthermore, the partition plate 36 also functions as a guide plate that guides the movement of the contact-type IC card 8 when it is inserted into the slot 24 of the payment terminal 2. As shown by arrow R2 in Figure 11, the contact-type IC card 8 is inserted from right to left (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "insertion direction R2") into the slot 24 exposed from the side 10c of the tablet terminal 1. During this insertion, the contact-type IC card 8 moves to the left while in contact with the front surface 36a of the partition plate 36 located on the back side of the slot 24. At this time, the contact-type IC card 8 slides along the front surface 36a of the partition plate 36, so that the direction of movement of the contact-type IC card 8 is corrected to match the appropriate insertion direction of the contact-type IC card 8 to the slot 24 (straight to the left). As a result, the contact-type IC card 8 is inserted smoothly and straight into the slot 24 along the front surface 36a of the partition plate 36. Then, when the contact-type IC card 8 is inserted into the insertion slot 24 to a predetermined depth, it comes into contact with the bottom of the insertion slot 24 and stops, and the IC chip of the contact-type IC card 8 makes contact with the reading terminal of the IC card reader.

[0109] Furthermore, in a front view of the tablet terminal 1, the partition plate 36 protrudes outward from the right side 10c of the casing 10 of the tablet terminal 1 (to the right in the front view of Figure 11). Therefore, passengers can easily see the partition plate 36 protruding from the right side 10c of the casing 10 of the tablet terminal 1, and from the visible partition plate 36, they can easily determine the position and insertion direction R2 of the insertion slot 24 through which the contact-type IC card 8 is inserted.

[0110] Furthermore, the end face of the partition plate 36 includes two inclined surfaces 36c, 36c, one above the other. These two inclined surfaces 36c, 36c are inclined so that they protrude outward in the left-right direction (to the right in the front view of Figure 11) as they move from both ends in the vertical direction toward the center. In addition, a wedge-shaped notch 36d is formed between these two inclined surfaces 36c, 36c. The notch 36d indicates the insertion direction R2 of the contact-type IC card 8. With these inclined surfaces 36c, 36c and the notch 36d of the partition plate 36, passengers can more easily grasp the position of the insertion slot 24 of the contact-type IC card 8 and the insertion direction R2.

[0111] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, it is preferable that the back surface 36b of the partition plate 36 is flush with the front side wall surface of the slit 23 (the left side wall surface in Figure 12). This allows the back surface 36b of the partition plate 36 to guide the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23 more smoothly, making it easier to insert the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23. Similarly, it is preferable that the front surface 36a of the partition plate 36 is flush with the rear side wall surface of the insertion opening 24 (the right side wall surface in Figure 12). This allows the front surface 36a of the partition plate 36 to guide the contact-type IC card 8 toward the insertion opening 24 more smoothly, making it easier to insert the contact-type IC card 8 into the insertion opening 24.

[0112] [6.4. Summary of Guide Components and Partition Plates] As described above, in the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment, in addition to the guide member 30 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, a partition plate 36 is provided on the right side surface 10c of the housing 10. The partition plate 36 and the guide member 30 guide the downward movement (direction of arrow R1) of the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23, allowing the magnetic card 7 to be smoothly inserted into the slit 23. Furthermore, the partition plate 36 also guides the lateral insertion (direction of arrow R2) of the contact-type IC card 8 into the insertion slot 24, enabling the contact-type IC card 8 to be smoothly inserted into the insertion slot 24.

[0113] Furthermore, the guide member 30 and partition plate 36 described above do not come into contact with the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion opening 24) of the payment machine 2, nor do they cover the card insertion portion. Thus, the guide member 30 and partition plate 36 according to this embodiment have a shape that does not come into contact with the payment machine 2, or a shape that does not obscure the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion opening 24) of the payment machine 2, in order to prevent skimming crimes. Therefore, the tablet terminal 1 according to this embodiment complies with various regulations concerning card payments. These regulations may include, for example, regulations prohibiting the retrofitting of separate devices or members in contact with the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion opening 24) of the payment machine 2, or covering the card insertion portion with separate devices or members. According to this embodiment, while complying with such regulations, the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion opening 24) of the payment machine 2 is exposed from the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1, and the guide member 30 and partition plate 36 are detachably installed around the card insertion portion. This allows taxi passengers to easily insert a magnetic card 7 or a contact-type IC card 8 into the slit 23 or slot 24 of the payment device 2 that has been retrofitted to the tablet terminal 1.

[0114] Similar to the guide member 30, it is preferable that the partition plate 36 does not come into contact with the payment machine 2, but contact between the partition plate 36 and the payment machine 2 is not necessarily excluded. For example, the partition plate 36 may come into contact with the payment machine 2 in part.

[0115] As described above, the guide member 30 and partition plate 36 according to this embodiment are attached to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1, and do not come into contact with the payment terminal 2, nor do they cover the back surface of the payment terminal 2. In contrast, attaching parts such as a fixing cover (including those that are separate from or integrated with the partition plate), a partition plate (if it is separate from the fixing cover), or a partition (if it is integrated with the fixing cover) to the payment terminal 2 is problematic because it is difficult to detect if an unauthorized device, such as one for skimming, is attached to the part. In other words, the card insertion portion (slit 23 and / or insertion opening 24) of the payment terminal 2 is hidden by the part, making it difficult to detect if an unauthorized device is attached, which is problematic. Similarly, attaching the part to the housing 10 at the lower position of the payment terminal 2 by screws or the like while covering the back surface of the card insertion portion (slit 23 and / or insertion opening 24) of the payment terminal 2 is also problematic for the same reasons.

[0116] [7. Summary] (1) As described above, according to this embodiment, a tablet terminal 1 is provided, comprising a housing 10, a payment machine 2 having a slit 23 for inserting a magnetic card 7 and mounted on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and a guide member 30 provided on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 adjacent to the payment machine 2 without contacting at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine 2, wherein the guide member 30 has a guide surface 35 that guides the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23, and the guide surface 35 is positioned upstream of the slit 23 in the insertion direction R1 of the magnetic card 7.

[0117] (2) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a tablet terminal 1 is provided, comprising a housing 10, a payment machine 2 having a slit 23 for inserting a magnetic card 7 and mounted on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and a guide member 30 provided adjacent to the payment machine 2 on the back surface 10b of the housing 10 without covering at least a predetermined portion of the back surface of the payment machine 2, wherein the guide member 30 has a guide surface 35 that guides the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23, and the guide surface 35 is positioned upstream of the slit 23 in the insertion direction R1 of the magnetic card 7.

[0118] With the configuration described in (1) or (2), the guide surface 35 of the guide member 30 provided on the back surface 10b of the tablet terminal 1 can guide the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23 of the payment machine 2. Passengers can easily insert the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23 of the payment machine 2 in the appropriate insertion direction R1 simply by sliding the magnetic card 7 along the guide surface 35. Furthermore, the guide member 30 according to this embodiment does not contact at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine 2, or does not cover at least a predetermined portion of the back surface of the payment machine 2. Therefore, even if it is desired to satisfy some standard or regulation regarding the payment machine 2, it is considered advantageous that the guide member 30 has a shape that does not contact the payment machine 2, or a shape that does not obstruct the view of the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion opening 24) of the payment machine 2, in order to prevent skimming crimes. In addition, by positioning the payment machine 2 on the back surface 10b of the tablet terminal 1, the area of ​​the display screen 12 provided on the front of the tablet terminal 1 can be made larger. Therefore, the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 with card payment functionality can be maximized.

[0119] (3) The housing 10 has a recess 18 formed on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and the payment machine 2 is detachably mounted in the recess 18 of the housing 10, and the payment machine 2 may be positioned in the recess 18 such that the slit 23 is exposed from the side surface 10c of the housing 10.

[0120] With this configuration, the payment terminal 2 can be attached to the tablet terminal 1 by mounting it in a recess 18 pre-formed in the casing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. This allows the payment terminal 2, which is manufactured separately according to predetermined regulations and standards, to be suitably retrofitted to the tablet terminal 1. Furthermore, even if the payment terminal 2 is retrofitted to the back surface 10b of the tablet terminal 1, the thickness of the tablet terminal 1 can be reduced. Moreover, the slit 23 for the magnetic card 7 of the payment terminal 2 is exposed from the side surface 10c of the casing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. As a result, even if some kind of fraudulent device (for example, a skimming reader) is retrofitted to the slit 23, passengers and crew members can easily see the fraudulent device. Therefore, the occurrence of damage such as card information skimming can be suppressed.

[0121] (4) The guide member 30 may be attached to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 such that the guide surface 35 protrudes outward from at least one side surface 10c of the housing 10.

[0122] With this configuration, when a passenger views the tablet terminal 1 from the front, they can easily see the guide surface 35 that protrudes outward from the side 10c of the housing 10 of the tablet terminal 1. Therefore, through the guide surface 35 they can easily grasp the position and insertion direction R1 of the slit 23 through which the magnetic card is inserted. In addition, by sliding the magnetic card 7 along the guide surface 35 that protrudes outward from the side 10c of the housing 10, the passenger can easily and smoothly insert the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23.

[0123] (5) The guide surface 35 may be curved such that the gap 37 between the guide surface 35 and the back surface 10b of the housing 10 becomes narrower as it approaches the slit 23.

[0124] This configuration allows passengers to insert the magnetic card 7 more smoothly through the gap 37 between the curved guide surface 35 and the back surface 10b of the housing 10 to the slit 23.

[0125] (6) The guide member 30 may be configured separately from the housing 10 and be detachably fixed to the back surface 10b of the housing 10.

[0126] With this configuration, the guide member 30 can be attached to the back surface 10b of the tablet terminal 1's housing 10, rather than to the payment terminal 2, allowing the guide member 30 to be freely designed so as not to come into contact with the payment terminal 2 or its card insertion area (slit 23, insertion opening 24).

[0127] (7) The payment terminal 2 may further have an insertion slot 24 for inserting a contact-type IC card 8, and the payment terminal 2 may be positioned in the recess 18 such that both the slit 23 and the insertion slot 24 are exposed from the side surface 10c of the housing 10.

[0128] With this configuration, the slit 23 for the magnetic card 7 and the insertion slot 24 for the contact-type IC card 8 are exposed from the side 10c of the housing 10. Therefore, even if some unauthorized device (for example, a skimming reader) is later attached to the slit 23 or insertion slot 24, passengers and crew members can easily see the unauthorized device. Thus, the occurrence of damage such as card information skimming can be suppressed.

[0129] (8) The device may further include a partition plate 36 that divides the space between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24, and the partition plate 36 may be configured to guide the contact-type IC card 8 toward the insertion opening 24.

[0130] With this configuration, the front surface 36a of the partition plate 36 can guide the contact-type IC card 8 toward the insertion slot 24 of the payment machine 2. Therefore, passengers can easily insert the contact-type IC card 8 into the insertion slot 24 of the payment machine 2 in the appropriate insertion direction R2 simply by sliding the contact-type IC card 8 along the partition plate 36. In addition, the back surface 36b of the partition plate 36 can also guide the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23 of the payment machine 2. Furthermore, the partition plate 36 does not come into contact with the payment machine 2 and does not cover the back of the payment machine 2. Therefore, it is considered advantageous for the partition plate 36 to have a shape that does not come into contact with the payment machine 2, or a shape that does not obstruct the view of the card insertion part (slit 23, insertion slot 24) of the payment machine 2, in order to prevent skimming crimes.

[0131] (9) The device further comprises a partition plate 36 that divides the space between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24, and a fixing cover 14 that fixes the payment machine 2 to the back surface 10b of the housing 10, wherein the partition plate 36 may be formed integrally with the fixing cover 14.

[0132] With this configuration, by fixing the fixed cover 14, which is integrally formed with the partition plate 36, to the back surface 10b of the housing 10, the partition plate 36 can be easily positioned in the appropriate location between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24 simply by fixing the fixed cover 14.

[0133] (10) The tablet terminal 1 may be installed inside the vehicle (e.g., a taxi), with the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 facing the rear seat of the vehicle, and the tablet terminal 1 may be installed on the back side of the front seat (e.g., seat 6) of the vehicle, and the payment terminal 2 may be configured to pay the vehicle fare using information read from a magnetic card 7 or a contact IC card 8.

[0134] With this configuration, a passenger sitting in the back seat of a car (e.g., a taxi) can easily and quickly make a cashless payment for the car fare by viewing the display screen 12 of a tablet terminal 1 that is mounted facing backward on the back of the front seat (e.g., seat 6), and using the payment terminal 2 attached to the tablet terminal 1 and a magnetic card 7 or contact-type IC card 8 owned by the passenger.

[0135] (11) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a tablet terminal 1 is provided, comprising a housing 10, a payment machine 2 having a slit 23 for inserting a magnetic card 7 and an insertion opening 24 for inserting a contact-type IC card 8, and mounted on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and a partition plate 36 provided adjacent to the payment machine 2 without contacting at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine 2, and partitioning the space between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24.

[0136] (12) Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a tablet terminal 1 is provided, comprising a housing 10, a payment machine 2 having a slit 23 for inserting a magnetic card 7 and an insertion opening 24 for inserting a contact-type IC card 8, and mounted on the back surface 10b of the housing 10, and a partition plate 36 provided adjacent to the payment machine 2 without covering at least the back surfaces of the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24 of the payment machine 2, and partitioning the space between the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24.

[0137] With the configuration described in (11) or (12), the back surface 36b of the partition plate 36 can guide the magnetic card 7 toward the slit 23 of the payment machine 2. Passengers can easily insert the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23 of the payment machine 2 in the appropriate insertion direction R1 simply by sliding the magnetic card 7 along the back surface 36b of the partition plate 36. In addition, the front surface 36a of the partition plate 36 can guide the contact-type IC card 8 toward the insertion opening 24 of the payment machine 2. Passengers can easily insert the contact-type IC card 8 into the insertion opening 24 of the payment machine 2 in the appropriate insertion direction R2 simply by sliding the contact-type IC card 8 along the front surface 36a of the partition plate 36. Furthermore, the partition plate 36 according to this embodiment does not abut at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine 2, or does not cover at least the back surfaces of the slit 23 and the insertion opening 24 of the payment machine 2. Therefore, even if the payment terminal 2 is to meet certain standards or regulations, it is advantageous that the partition plate 36 has a shape that does not come into contact with the payment terminal 2, or that the card insertion portion (slit 23, insertion slot 24) of the payment terminal 2 is not obscured, in order to prevent skimming crimes. Furthermore, by placing the payment terminal 2 on the back 10b side of the tablet terminal 1, the area of ​​the display screen 12 provided on the front of the tablet terminal 1 can be made larger. Thus, the display screen 12 of the tablet terminal 1 with card payment functionality can be maximized.

[0138] (13) The front surface 36a of the partition plate 36 may be configured to guide the insertion of the contact-type IC card 8 into the insertion slot 24.

[0139] (14) The back surface 36b of the partition plate 36 may be configured to guide the insertion of the magnetic card 7 into the slit 23.

[0140] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0141] For example, the above embodiment describes an example in which the tablet terminal 1 is installed in a vehicle such as a taxi or ride-sharing vehicle, but the invention is not limited to such examples. The tablet terminal of the present invention may be installed inside various vehicles such as buses, trains, aircraft, and ships, or it may be installed in stores, shopping centers, amusement facilities, public facilities, etc. Furthermore, when the tablet terminal 1 is used for other purposes in this way, the tablet terminal 1 may be attached to the installation target by a different mounting component instead of the stay 40 described above, or the tablet terminal 1 may be installed in an appropriate way, such as by placing the tablet terminal 1 on a tablet stand.

[0142] Furthermore, although the fixed cover 14 and the partition plate 36 were integrally constructed in the above embodiment, the invention is not limited to this example. For example, the fixed cover 14 and the partition plate 36 may be constructed as separate components. In this case, for example, the fixed cover 14 and the partition plate 36 may be separated at the position of the second stepped portion 145 shown in Figure 9, and the fixed cover 14 and the partition plate 36 may be attached to the back surface 10b of the housing 10 as separate components.

[0143] Furthermore, although the guide member 30 and the partition plate 36 were made of separate components in the above embodiment, the invention is not limited to this example. For example, the guide member 30 and the partition plate 36 may be made as a single unit. This reduces the number of additional components that need to be attached to the tablet terminal 1. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0144] 1. Tablet device 2 Payment terminal 3. Crew terminal 4 Meter device 6 sheets 7 Magnetic card 8. Contactless IC card 9. Contactless IC card 10 cabinets 10b Back 10c side 12 Display screen 14 Fixed cover 18 recesses 20 cabinets 20c side 23 slits 24 Insertion opening 25 Leader / Writer 30 Guide member 31 Guide section 32 Mounting part 33 Stepped section 35 Guide surface 36 partition plates 36a front 36b back 37 gaps 40 Stay

Claims

1. The casing and A payment device having a slit for inserting a magnetic card and mounted on the back of the housing, On the rear surface of the housing, a guide member is provided adjacent to the payment machine without contacting at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine, Equipped with, The tablet terminal wherein the guide member has a guide surface that guides the magnetic card toward the slit, and the guide surface is positioned upstream of the slit in the direction in which the magnetic card is inserted.

2. The casing and A payment device having a slit for inserting a magnetic card and mounted on the back of the housing, On the rear surface of the housing, a guide member is provided adjacent to the payment machine without covering the rear surface of at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine, Equipped with, The tablet terminal wherein the guide member has a guide surface that guides the magnetic card toward the slit, and the guide surface is positioned upstream of the slit in the direction in which the magnetic card is inserted.

3. The housing has a recess formed on the back surface of the housing, The payment machine is mounted in the recess of the housing, The payment machine is positioned in the recess such that the slit is exposed from the side of the housing. The tablet terminal according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The guide member is attached to the rear surface of the housing such that the guide surface protrudes outward from at least one side surface of the housing. The tablet terminal according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The guide surface is curved such that the gap between the guide surface and the back surface of the housing narrows as it approaches the slit. The tablet terminal according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The guide member is constructed separately from the housing and is detachably fixed to the rear surface of the housing. The tablet terminal according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The aforementioned payment machine further has an insertion slot for inserting a contact-type IC card, The payment machine is positioned in the recess such that both the slit and the insertion opening are exposed from the side of the housing. The tablet terminal according to claim 3.

8. The system further includes a partition plate that separates the space between the slit and the insertion opening, The partition plate guides the contact-type IC card toward the insertion slot. The tablet terminal according to claim 7.

9. A partition plate that separates the space between the slit and the insertion opening, A fixing cover for securing the payment terminal to the rear of the housing, Furthermore, The partition plate is formed integrally with the fixed cover. The tablet terminal according to claim 7.

10. The aforementioned tablet device is installed inside the vehicle, The tablet device is installed on the back of the front seat of the car such that its display screen faces the rear seat of the car. The payment machine settles the vehicle fare using information read from the magnetic card or contact-type IC card. The tablet terminal according to claim 1 or 2.

11. The casing and A payment device having a slit for inserting a magnetic card and an opening for inserting a contact-type IC card, which is mounted on the back of the housing, A partition plate is provided adjacent to the payment machine without contacting at least a predetermined portion of the payment machine, and partitions the space between the slit and the insertion opening. A tablet device equipped with the following features.

12. The casing and A payment device having a slit for inserting a magnetic card and an opening for inserting a contact-type IC card, which is mounted on the back of the housing, A partition plate is provided adjacent to the payment machine without covering at least the back of the slit and the insertion opening of the payment machine, and partitions the space between the slit and the insertion opening. A tablet device equipped with the following features.

13. The front surface of the partition plate guides the insertion of the contact-type IC card into the insertion slot. The tablet terminal according to claim 11 or 12.

14. The back surface of the partition plate guides the insertion of the magnetic card into the slit. The tablet terminal according to claim 11 or 12.

Images