Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device that executes processing corresponding to contact or non-contact even if a user does not specify contact or non-contact.SOLUTION: An insertion section 20 includes an insertion slot H into which a card is inserted, and an antenna A that performs non-contact communication with a non-contact medium including a card 2. The card 2 inserted through the insertion slot H of the insertion section 20 is transported through a transport path. An IC contact block contacts a contact IC chip of the card 2 transported through the transport path to read and write information. If the non-contact medium is detected with the antenna but the card 2 is not inserted into the insertion slot H for a certain period of time, the control unit 10 performs a process according to information obtained by performing non-contact communication with the non-contact medium by the antenna.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a contactless information processing device and information processing method that performs contact communication and contactless communication, particularly for payment. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been card media containing an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip (hereinafter, card media will be simply referred to as "cards," and cards containing an IC chip will be simply referred to as "IC cards"). Among these IC cards, there are also card media such as smart cards (hereinafter referred to as "contact IC cards") that contain a "contact IC," which is an IC chip with contacts (external terminals) exposed on the surface of the card. The specifications for these contact IC cards are defined in ISO 7816 and other standards, and information is read and written using a card reader / writer (hereinafter simply referred to as "contact IC reader") that has an IC contact block that contacts the external terminals.

[0003] Meanwhile, in recent years, IC cards (hereinafter referred to as "contactless IC cards") with wireless capabilities that incorporate an IC chip (hereinafter referred to as "contactless IC") that enables wireless contactless communication have also become available. It is also possible to make contactless payments using recording media such as these contactless IC cards. Furthermore, it has become common to make payments not only with cards but also with smartphones, mobile phones, smartwatches, IC tags with wireless capabilities (RFID tags, Radio Frequency Identifier Tags), and the like (these media with wireless capabilities, including contactless IC cards, are hereinafter referred to as "contactless media"). With these contactless media, information can be acquired through contactless communication using a card reader / writer with a contactless communication function and an antenna (hereinafter referred to as a "contactless IC reader"). For example, Patent Document 1 describes an example of such a contactless IC reader. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-114069 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventionally, even when settlement is made using a contactless IC card, a contact IC reader and a contactless IC reader are provided separately and are controlled separately. For this reason, the user of the card reader must directly specify whether to use a contact IC or contactless communication, and the appropriate processing must be performed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and aims to provide an information processing device that can execute processing corresponding to each mode without the user having to specify whether it is contact or non-contact, thereby resolving the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an insertion unit including an insertion port into which a card is inserted and an antenna that performs contactless communication with a contactless medium including the card; a transport path along which the card inserted through the insertion port of the insertion unit is transported; an IC contact block that contacts the IC chip of the card transported along the transport path to read and write information; and a control unit that, when the antenna detects the contactless medium but the card is not inserted into the insertion port for a certain period of time, performs contactless communication with the contactless medium using the antenna and performs processing according to the information obtained. With this configuration, even if the user does not specify whether it is contact or non-contact, it is possible to execute the corresponding process.

[0008] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, after performing contactless communication using the antenna, the control unit acquires information about the IC chip using the IC contact block, and then performs processing according to the information acquired by the IC contact block. By configuring in this way, it is possible to reliably give priority to processing by the contact IC chip and perform processing in line with the user's intentions.

[0009] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit imposes fewer restrictions when information is acquired by the IC contact block than when information is acquired by non-contact communication with the non-contact medium using the antenna. With this configuration, processing by the contact IC chip is given priority, and processing can be performed in line with the user's intention.

[0010] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, when the IC contact block fails to read or write information from the IC chip, the control unit performs contactless communication with the contactless medium using the antenna and executes processing according to the information obtained. With this configuration, even if the reading or writing of information to the contact IC fails, the processing can be performed on the contactless IC via contactless communication without instructing the processing again.

[0011] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing method executed by an information processing device having an insertion port into which a card is inserted, an insertion section including an antenna that performs contactless communication with a contactless medium including the card, a transport path along which the card inserted from the insertion port of the insertion section is transported, and an IC contact block that contacts the IC chip of the card transported along the transport path to read and write information, and is characterized in that when the antenna detects the contactless medium but the card is not inserted into the insertion port for a specific period of time, the antenna performs contactless communication with the contactless medium and performs processing according to the information obtained. With this configuration, even if the user does not specify whether it is contact or non-contact, it is possible to execute the corresponding process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, if a contactless medium is detected but a specific period of time has passed without a card being inserted, an information processing device can be provided that performs processing according to the information obtained through contactless communication, thereby allowing the user to perform processing corresponding to either contact or contactless without having to specify whether the medium is contactless or contactless. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart of contact / non-contact information acquisition processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the contact / contactless information acquisition process shown in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] <Embodiment> [Configuration of card reader 1] First, the system configuration of a card reader 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The card reader 1 according to this embodiment is an example of an information processing device that can read or write information from or to a medium including a card 2 in response to an instruction from a higher-level device 3. In this embodiment, the card reader 1 has the functions of both a contact IC reader and a contactless IC reader. Specifically, the card reader 1 has an antenna A for contactless media mounted near the insertion slot H of the card 2 (on the bezel), and an IC contact block 22 for contact ICs mounted inside the device. The control configuration and functional configuration of the card reader 1 will be described later.

[0015] Card 2 is an example of an IC card with a wireless function according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, card 2 is provided with IC chip 2b, which is a contact IC, its external terminal, and further has a built-in electromagnetic induction antenna, and is described as a card having the functions of both a contact IC card and a contactless IC card. Card 2 may be, for example, an IC credit card conforming to the EMV (Europay, MasterCard, VISA protocol) standard used for payments at banks, etc. Specifically, card 2 may be, for example, a rectangular card made of vinyl chloride and having a thickness of approximately 0.7 to 0.8 mm. In this embodiment, card 2 has a built-in contactless IC that may also be used as IC chip 2b. That is, in card 2, the contact IC and the contactless IC may be the same IC chip or separate IC chips. Furthermore, when card 2 is a contactless IC card, it may be a proximity contactless IC card, in which case it may be a card conforming to any of Type A, Type B, FeliCa (registered trademark), or other standards.

[0016] Various application software (hereinafter simply referred to as "apps") for executing credit card payments, debit card payments, other point payments, etc., and various data are stored in a recording medium such as a flash memory or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) in the IC chip 2b of the card 2. The IC chip 2b of the card 2 may also include an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Additionally, the card 2 may be formed with a magnetic stripe as a magnetic recording medium, in which a magnetic signal is stored.

[0017] In this embodiment, in addition to the card 2, other contactless media that can be used include smartphones, mobile phones, smartwatches, RFID tags, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "smartphones, etc."). The card 2 may be a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) card having a thickness of about 0.18 to 0.36 mm, a paper card having a predetermined thickness, or the like.

[0018] The higher-level device 3 may be, for example, a payment PC (Personal Computer), a cash register, a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal, an ATM (Automated Teller Machine), a payment terminal at a hospital, a store server, or other terminal for settlement (payment), a kiosk terminal, a payment terminal at a gas station, roadside equipment, an in-vehicle device at a taxi, a ticket issuing system for a public transport company, a point card payment system at a convenience store, a member card issuing system at a retail store, a card issuing and payment system for a gaming machine, an entrance / exit management system, etc. (hereinafter referred to simply as "ATM, etc.").

[0019] Next, the control configuration and functional configuration of the card reader 1 will be described. The card reader 1 comprises a reader control device 1a and a contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b. Of these, the reader control device 1a is a device that includes a control board for controlling the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b, a power supply circuit, and the like. The contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b is a device configured to include a circuit for connecting to the contact IC and a contactless communication circuit for communicating with a contactless medium.

[0020] The reader control device 1a includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, and a connection unit 12 as a control configuration.

[0021] The control unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as "CPU, etc.") The control unit 10 may also include a timer that measures time by counting a clock, etc.

[0022] In this embodiment, when the control unit 10 detects a non-contact medium including a card 2 using the antenna A but a specific time has passed without the card 2 being inserted into the insertion slot H, the control unit 10 performs non-contact communication with the non-contact medium using the antenna A and executes processing according to the information obtained.

[0023] On the other hand, after performing contactless communication via antenna A, if the control unit 10 acquires information from the IC chip 2b via the IC contact block 22, it executes processing according to the information acquired by the IC contact block 22. In this case, the control unit 10 imposes fewer restrictions when the information is acquired by the IC contact block 22 than when the information is acquired by contactless communication with the contactless medium using the antenna A. Specifically, the amount of payment may be changed as a restriction.

[0024] Furthermore, if the IC contact block 22 fails to read or write information from or to the IC chip 2b, the control unit 10 may perform contactless communication with the contactless medium via the antenna A and execute processing according to the information acquired.

[0025] The storage unit 11 is a non-transitory recording medium such as a ROM including a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a flash memory. In this embodiment, the ROM of the storage unit 11 stores various setting values, control programs, temporary data, etc. The control programs include an OS (Operating System), various applications, etc. Among these, the various applications may include a payment application for executing various processes related to the contact IC reader and the contactless IC reader.

[0026] The connection unit 12 includes physical and logical layer circuits for a USB (Universal Serial Bus), RS-232C, a LAN (Local Area Network) such as Ethernet (registered trademark), or other dedicated interfaces (hereinafter simply referred to as "USB, etc.") The connection unit 12 transmits control signals (hereinafter referred to as "commands") to the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b, and transmits and receives various information.

[0027] In the contact IC contactless IC reader 1b of this embodiment, an insertion slot H into which a card 2 is inserted and an antenna A (described later) are integrated as an insertion section 20 in a portion (bezel) of the housing of the contact IC contactless IC reader 1b that is exposed to the outside of an ATM, etc. Contactless communication can be performed by bringing a contactless medium, including a card 2, close to this insertion section 20.

[0028] Furthermore, the insertion slot H is provided with a sensor S that detects the insertion of the card 2. The sensor S may be an optical sensor or a switch, etc. Additionally, the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b has a transport path C formed therein along which the card 2 inserted through the insertion slot H of the insertion section 20 is transported.

[0029] The contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b includes a contactless communication unit 21 and an IC contact block 22 as control components for contactless communication and connection with the contact IC.

[0030] The non-contact communication unit 21 is a circuit for performing non-contact communication with a non-contact medium including the card 2. In this embodiment, the non-contact communication unit 21 includes a circuit for performing non-contact communication by short-range wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). The non-contact communication unit 21 is connected to an antenna A.

[0031] Antenna A is an RF (Radio Frequency) antenna or the like that is provided near the insertion slot H of the insertion portion 20 and performs contactless communication with a contactless medium. This antenna A may also be an NFC antenna or the like that is manufactured by printing or winding.

[0032] The contactless communication unit 21 and the antenna A enable transmission and reception of payment information via contactless communication with a contactless medium. In this embodiment, even if the card 2 is inserted into the insertion slot H without being held directly over the antenna A, information on the card 2 may be acquired through contactless communication.

[0033] The IC contact block 22 includes terminals, mechanisms, and circuits for reading and writing information from and to the IC chip 2b of the card 2. In this embodiment, the IC contact block 22 comes into contact with the external terminals of the IC chip 2b of the card 2 transported along the transport path C to read and write information.

[0034] In addition to the above, the reader control device 1a and the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b also include necessary circuits, devices, mechanisms, etc. For example, the reader control device 1a includes an interface for connecting to the higher-level device 3, an LED for displaying the status, etc.

[0035] On the other hand, the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b may include a CPU that responds to commands from the reader control device 1a, a magnetic head that reads and writes the magnetic stripe of the card 2, and a transport unit such as a motor, pulleys, and belt that transports the card 2. In addition, the insertion unit 20 may be equipped with a shutter mechanism that prevents insertion. This shutter mechanism includes a solenoid and shutter member that seals the insertion slot H to prevent the insertion of the card 2 in response to an instruction from the higher-level device 3, etc. Furthermore, the reader control device 1a and the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b may be integrally formed, or may be connected to each other by a device including a substrate.

[0036] [Contact and non-contact information acquisition processing] Next, contact / contactless information acquisition processing according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the contactless information acquisition process according to this embodiment, when a contactless medium is detected by antenna A, contactless communication is initiated to acquire information. However, when a card 2 is inserted into insertion slot H, information is acquired by IC contact block 22 as a contact IC reader. Here, when a specific time has passed without card 2 being inserted into insertion slot H, contactless communication is performed with antenna A with the contactless medium, and processing is performed according to the acquired information. In the contact / contactless information acquisition process of this embodiment, the control unit 10 mainly executes a control program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 11 using hardware resources in cooperation with each unit. This contact / contactless information acquisition process is a process by which the control unit 10 executes the information processing method according to this embodiment. The contact / contactless information acquisition process will be described in detail below for each step with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0037] (Step S101) First, the control unit 10 performs a card insertion detection process. Here, the user brings the card 2 or a contactless medium such as a smartphone close to the card reader 1, or inserts the card 2 through the insertion slot H.

[0038] According to FIG. 3(a), when a user wants to use a contactless medium, the user brings the contactless medium including the contactless IC close to the insertion portion 20, and in some cases touches it. 3(b), when a user wants to use the contact IC of the card 2, the user inserts the card 2 including the IC chip 2b into the transport path C through the insertion slot H of the insertion unit 20. However, in this embodiment, even in this case, it is possible to detect the non-contact medium of the card 2.

[0039] In this state, the control unit 10 instructs the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b to wait for the insertion of the card 2. In this embodiment, the control unit 10 transmits a command to the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b via the connection unit 12 to inquire whether or not the card 2 has been inserted. In response to this, the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b replies with a signal from the sensor S of the insertion unit 20.

[0040] (Step S102) Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the card 2 has been inserted. The control unit 10 determines "Yes" if the signal from the sensor S of the insertion unit 20 indicates that the card 2 has been inserted into the insertion slot H. Otherwise, that is, if the card 2 has not been inserted, the control unit 10 determines "No." If the answer is Yes, the control unit 10 advances the process to step S112. If the answer is No, the control unit 10 advances the process to step S103.

[0041] (Step S103) If the card 2 is not inserted, the control unit 10 performs a non-contact communication detection process. The control unit 10 instructs the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b to wait for contactless communication. In this embodiment, the control unit 10 transmits a command inquiring whether a contactless IC has been detected by contactless communication via the connection unit 12. In response to this, the contact IC / contactless IC reader 1b detects the contactless IC by the contactless communication unit 21 and replies whether contactless communication has started.

[0042] (Step S104) Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a contactless medium has been detected. If the control unit 10 detects the contactless IC of the contactless medium through contactless communication, the control unit 10 determines "Yes." Otherwise, the control unit 10 determines "No." If the answer is Yes, the control unit 10 advances the process to step S105. If No, the control unit 10 returns the process to step S101 and continues to detect the insertion of the card 2.

[0043] (Step S105) When non-contact communication is detected, the control unit 10 performs a non-contact communication card insertion detection process. The control unit 10 detects the insertion of the card 2 into the insertion slot H while continuing the contactless communication. During this contactless communication, the control unit 10 performs various contactless communication processes such as processing of the contactless medium and the EMV contactless payment method, acquires information from the contactless IC, and stores it in the storage unit 11. The control unit 10 detects the insertion of the card 2 into the insertion slot H in the same manner as in step S101.

[0044] (Step S106) Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the card 2 has been inserted. This determination is made in the same way as in step S102. The control unit 10 determines Yes if the card 2 has been inserted into the insertion slot H. The control unit 10 determines No if the card 2 has not been inserted into the insertion slot H. Here, the control unit 10 also determines No if it detects as a result of contactless communication that the contactless medium is a smartphone or the like other than the card 2 that includes a contact IC. If the answer is Yes, the control unit 10 advances the process to step S112. If the answer is No, the control unit 10 advances the process to step S107.

[0045] (Step S107) If the card 2 is not inserted, the control unit 10 performs an elapsed time confirmation process. After detecting the non-contact communication, the control unit 10 starts counting the timer and checks whether a specific time has elapsed. That is, when contactless communication is detected, the control unit 10 may have detected a contactless IC mounted on the card 2 to be inserted, and therefore monitors whether the card 2 is inserted for a specific time. This specific time is, for example, a time corresponding to the average ± standard deviation from when contactless communication is detected to when the card 2 is detected by the sensor S of the insertion unit 20 when the card 2 is inserted. More specifically, this specific time may be, for example, on the order of several hundred milliseconds to several seconds.

[0046] (Step S108) Next, the control unit 10 determines whether a specific time has elapsed. The control unit 10 refers to the timer, and if the specific time has elapsed, the control unit 10 determines "Yes." If the specific time has not yet elapsed, the control unit 10 determines "No." If the answer is Yes, the control unit 10 advances the process to step S109. If the result is No, the control unit 10 returns the process to step S105 and waits for detection of card insertion. At this time, if contactless communication is still ongoing, the control unit 10 continues contactless communication with the contactless medium.

[0047] (Step S109) Here, if a specific time has passed, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a contactless medium has been detected. This determination is made in the same way as in step S104. That is, the control unit 10 determines Yes if a contactless IC has been detected and contactless communication has been performed, and otherwise determines No. If the answer is Yes, the control unit 10 advances the process to step S110. If No, the control unit 10 ends the contact / contactless information acquisition process.

[0048] (Step S110) If a contactless medium is detected, the control unit 10 performs a process corresponding to the contactless acquired information. In this process, if the card 2 is not inserted for a specific time after detecting contactless communication, the control unit 10 performs a process corresponding to the contactless IC. Alternatively, as will be described later, even if the IC contact block 22 fails to read or write information from or to the IC chip 2b, the control unit 10 performs processing corresponding to the contactless IC.

[0049] Specifically, if non-contact communication is still in progress, the control unit 10 continues processing for the non-contact communication. Here, the control unit 10 continues the non-contact communication and acquires information from the non-contact medium. On the other hand, if acquisition of information from the non-contact medium through non-contact communication is completed, the control unit 10 stores this information in the storage unit 11 and ends the non-contact communication.

[0050] (Step S111) Next, the control unit 10 performs low-amount payment processing. The control unit 10 performs a payment process according to the limit when information is acquired through contactless communication with the contactless medium. Specifically, the control unit 10 performs a payment up to the amount set by the contactless communication, for example. Therefore, if the payment exceeds this amount, an error process may be performed between the control unit 10 and the higher-level device 3. Thereafter, the control unit 10 ends the contact / contactless information acquisition process.

[0051] (Step S112) Here, when the card 2 is inserted, the control unit 10 performs contact IC reading processing. When the card 2 is inserted, the control unit 10 performs processing on the contact IC. In this embodiment, even when the card 2 is inserted after detecting the contactless IC, the control unit 10 also performs processing on the contact IC. Specifically, the control unit 10 contacts the IC chip 2b, which is the contact IC of the card 2, via the IC setting block to read and write information.

[0052] (Step S113) Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not contact IC information has been acquired. The control unit 10 determines "Yes" if the IC contact block 22 can read and write information from and to the IC chip 2b of the card 2. The control unit 10 determines "No" in all other cases. If the answer is Yes, the control unit 10 advances the process to step S114. If No, the control unit 10 returns the process to step S109 and determines whether or not information has been acquired through contactless communication.

[0053] (Step S114) When the contact IC information is acquired, the control unit 10 performs a contact IC information corresponding process. The control unit 10 performs EMV standard processing for the contact IC, etc. For example, the control unit 10 selects an application stored in the contact IC, executes the application on the contact IC, communicates, and acquires payment information.

[0054] (Step S115) Next, the control unit 10 performs a payment amount increase process. The control unit 10 reduces the restrictions when information is acquired by the IC contact block 22. Specifically, the control unit 10 performs processing related to a payment with an upper limit of an amount greater than the amount set by contactless communication, for example. In this case, too, if the payment is greater than this upper limit, error processing may be performed between the control unit 10 and the higher-level device 3. This completes the contact / non-contact information acquisition process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] [Major Effects of the Present Embodiment] The above configuration can provide the following effects. Conventionally, contact IC readers and contactless IC readers were prepared separately and controlled separately. In this case, the user had to specify whether to communicate with the contact IC or the contactless IC. This made the user's operation cumbersome.

[0056] In contrast, the card reader 1 of this embodiment is characterized as an information processing device that includes an insertion port H into which a card 2 is inserted, an insertion section 20 including an antenna A that performs contactless communication with a contactless medium including the card 2, a transport path C along which the card 2 inserted from the insertion port H of the insertion section 20 is transported, an IC contact block 22 that contacts the IC chip 2b of the card 2 transported along the transport path C to read and write information, and a control section 10 that, when a non-contact medium is detected by the antenna A but no card 2 is inserted into the insertion port H for a specific period of time, performs contactless communication with the contactless medium including the card 2 using the antenna A and executes processing according to the information obtained.

[0057] With this configuration, after detecting the medium with antenna A, control unit 10 waits for a specific time to elapse without card 2 being inserted into insertion slot H, and then executes processing on the contactless IC through contactless communication with the contactless medium. This allows the corresponding processing to be executed without the user having to specify whether to use a contact IC or a contactless IC. Furthermore, since the user does not have to specify whether to use a contact IC or a contactless IC, it is easy to use and user-friendly.

[0058] In addition, for card 2 that includes both a contact IC and a contactless IC, processing using the IC chip 2b that the user intends can be performed. That is, if card 2 is inserted, the contact IC is used, and if not inserted, the contactless IC can be used for contactless communication. In this case, since the specified time is short, the user does not have to wait long, improving user convenience. Furthermore, a single card reader 1 can handle both contact IC cards and contactless media, thereby reducing costs.

[0059] Furthermore, in the card reader 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 10 is characterized in that, after performing contactless communication via the antenna A, when it acquires information on the IC chip 2b via the IC contact block 22, it executes processing corresponding to the contact IC in accordance with the information acquired by the IC contact block 22. This configuration reliably prioritizes processing by the IC chip 2b of the inserted card 2, allowing processing to be performed in line with the user's intention. In other words, when the card 2 is inserted, it is assumed that the user intended to perform contact IC processing, and the relevant processing can be performed. This improves user convenience.

[0060] In the card reader 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 10 is characterized as an information processing device that imposes fewer restrictions when information is acquired by the IC contact block 22 than when information is acquired by non-contact communication with a non-contact medium using antenna A. With this configuration, priority is given to the IC chip 2b with high security, and the processing intended by the user can be performed. For example, if the processing using the IC chip 2b of the inserted card 2 is set to a higher amount than the upper limit for processing using contactless communication, the payment intended by the user can be performed. In other words, for small payments, it is sufficient to simply hold the card 2 over the card, and for larger payments, inserting the card 2 allows for larger payments. This improves user convenience.

[0061] In the card reader 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 10 is characterized in that, when the IC contact block 22 fails to read or write information from the IC chip 2b, the control unit 10 is an information processing device that executes processing corresponding to the contactless IC in accordance with the information obtained by contactless communication with the contactless medium via antenna A. With this configuration, even if the reading or writing of information via communication fails due to reasons such as the contact IC terminal being dirty, the processing can be performed on the contactless IC via contactless communication without instructing the processing again, thereby improving user convenience.

[0062] Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, an example in which priority is given to obtaining and processing information using a contact IC has been described. However, it is also possible to configure the system so that the acquisition and processing of information via non-contact communication takes priority. That is, if both types of information are acquired, the information acquired via non-contact communication may be given priority for processing. In this case, the higher-level device 3 may be able to select which information to prioritize. This configuration allows for flexible configuration, meaning that even if the user accidentally inserts card 2, the intended contactless communication process, such as payment with another payment method or a point card, can still be performed.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which processing is performed according to information acquired from either a contactless IC or a contact IC. However, in addition to this, processing may be performed according to the acquired information on the magnetic information of the magnetic card, and these may also be selected by the user. Such a configuration allows for flexible configuration.

[0064] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the reader control device 1a changes the payment limit. However, the upper device 3 may change the payment limit and change the payment amount, etc. Also, it is possible to configure the upper device 3 to display the change on a display device to alert the user. This configuration allows for a flexible system configuration depending on the type of payment, standards, etc.

[0065] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which antenna A is provided to be held over the bezel of insertion portion 20, but it is also possible to provide an antenna for contactless communication within transport path C. This antenna within transport path C may be provided separately from antenna A. With this configuration, even if card 2 is inserted through slot H without being held over antenna A, stable contactless communication can be performed to obtain information. Therefore, even if the IC contact block 22 fails to read or write information from the contact IC, errors due to contactless communication can be reduced, making it easier to obtain information. As a result, more stable payments and other transactions can be made with fewer security vulnerabilities.

[0066] In the above embodiment, an example in which the sensor S is provided in the insertion section 20 has been described. However, the sensor S may be provided in the conveying path C, or another sensor may be provided. In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the card reader 1 is of a motor-driven transport type. However, it is also possible to use a dip-type card reader in which the user inserts and removes the card 2 . This configuration makes it possible to apply the invention to a variety of card readers.

[0067] Additionally, in the above embodiment, an example in which a card reader is used as the information processing device has been described. However, the processing of this embodiment can also be performed in other types of devices, such as a POS (Point Of Service) device, a ticket vending device, a ticket gate device, a gate device, etc.

[0068] It goes without saying that the configurations and operations of the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1 card reader 1a Reader control device 1b Contact IC / Contactless IC Reader 2 Cards 2b IC chip 3 Upper device 10 Control Unit 11 Storage section 12 Connection 20 Insertion section 21 Non-contact communication unit 22 IC contact blocks A Antenna C transport path H insertion port S sensor

Claims

1. an insertion section including an insertion slot into which a card is inserted and an antenna for performing contactless communication with a contactless medium including the card; a transport path along which the card inserted through the insertion opening of the insertion unit is transported; an IC contact block that contacts the IC chip of the card transported along the transport path to read and write information; and a control unit that, when a specific time has elapsed since the antenna detected the contactless medium but the card has not been inserted into the insertion slot, performs contactless communication with the contactless medium via the antenna and executes processing according to information acquired.

1. An information processing device comprising:

2. The control unit After non-contact communication is performed using the antenna, When the information of the IC chip is acquired by the IC contact block, a process is executed according to the information acquired by the IC contact block.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The control unit When information is acquired by non-contact communication with the non-contact medium using the antenna, Less restrictive when information is acquired by the IC contact block 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

4. The control unit If the IC contact block fails to read or write information from or to the IC chip, The antenna communicates with the non-contact medium in a non-contact manner and executes processing according to the acquired information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

5. an insertion section including an insertion slot into which a card is inserted and an antenna for performing contactless communication with a contactless medium including the card; a transport path along which the card inserted through the insertion opening of the insertion unit is transported; an IC contact block that contacts an IC chip of the card transported through the transport path to read and write information, When the contactless medium is detected by the antenna but the card is not inserted into the insertion slot for a specific period of time, the antenna performs contactless communication with the contactless medium and executes processing according to the information obtained.

1. An information processing method comprising:

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