Card scanner and program

Abstract

To provide a card scanner, etc. that can avoid information management risks.SOLUTION: A control device 20 of a card scanner includes image reading means 203 that reads the image of the card by a scanner, and determining means 204 that determines the front and back of the card and the top and bottom on the basis of the image of the card. The image reading means 203 can read images on both sides of the card while avoiding a predetermined non-reading area of the card when reading the images used for determination by the determining means 204.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a card scanner and its program.

Background Art

[0002] In identity verification services in administrative procedures, financial institutions, etc., the use of ID cards (identity verification cards) such as my number cards and driver's licenses has been increasing.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a card scanner that reads an ID card. By inserting the ID card into the card scanner and reading the image of the ID card with the scanner, it becomes possible to obtain character information on the face of the ID card, etc. by OCR (Optical Character Recognition) processing, and to achieve improved work efficiency and service quality.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, ID cards are not always inserted correctly into the card scanner, and there are cases where the front and back or the top and bottom of the ID card are inserted incorrectly. Therefore, some card scanners have a function of determining the front and back or the top and bottom from the image of the ID card read, and can perform appropriate processing according to the correctness of the front and back or the top and bottom.

[0006] However, ID cards also contain personal and sensitive information, and reading an ID card stores this information in RAM or similar systems. Reading this information in situations not directly related to the core business, such as determining the front / back or orientation of an ID card, is something that should be avoided as much as possible, even with appropriate measures such as data erasure, due to the risks to information management.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a card scanner and the like that can avoid risks in terms of information management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The first invention for solving the aforementioned problem is: It is a card scanner, The system includes an image reading means for scanning an image of a card, and a determination means for determining the front and back and top and bottom of the card based on the image of the card, wherein the image reading means reads the image used for determination by the determination means while avoiding predetermined non-readable areas of the card. The card scanner has a transmission means for transmitting an image of a predetermined surface of the card that does not have the non-readable area to a destination, and the image reading means reads the entire predetermined surface of the card with the scanner after the determination means has determined both the front and back and the top and bottom of the card, based on the determination result of the determination means for the front and back of the card, and acquires it as an image to be transmitted by the transmission means. This is a card scanner characterized by the following features. The second invention is a card scanner comprising: an image reading means for reading an image of a card using a scanner; a determination means for determining the front and back and top and bottom of a card based on the image of the card; the image reading means, when reading an image used for determination by the determination means, reads the image while avoiding predetermined non-readable areas of the card; the card scanner has a transmission means for transmitting an image of a predetermined side of the card that does not have the non-readable areas to a destination; the image reading means, when reading the image transmitted by the transmission means, reads the entire predetermined side of the card using the scanner based on the determination result of the front and back of the card by the determination means; the card has an IC chip; the card scanner has an IC reading means for reading data in the IC chip using authentication information for reading data in the IC chip received from the destination; and the transmission means further transmits the data to the destination.

[0009] The first invention and the second The card scanner of this invention reads the image of a card while avoiding predetermined non-readable areas, determines the front / back and orientation of the card based on the image, and can perform appropriate processing according to the determination result. Non-readable areas of the card are not scanned at all, and therefore, information from non-readable areas is never stored in RAM or other memory. This avoids reading information from non-readable areas of the card in situations not directly related to the core business, such as determining the front / back and orientation of the card, thereby mitigating information management risks. Furthermore, the entire image of a designated surface of the card can be sent to the recipient's computer or other device, thereby streamlining operations at the recipient's location. Furthermore, the card scanner of the second invention can read data stored in the IC chip of a card and transmit it to the recipient, thereby streamlining operations at the recipient.

[0010] When the image reading means reads the image used for determination by the determination means, it is desirable that it reads both sides of the card. This allows for accurate determination of the front and back sides and the orientation of a card from images of both sides.

[0011] Preferably, the scanner consists of a pair of scanners that read each side of the card. Alternatively, it is also preferable that the scanner consists of only one scanner that reads one side of the card, and that the card scanner is equipped with a flipping mechanism that flips the card upside down. In the former case, both sides of the card can be read simultaneously, while in the latter case, one scanner is sufficient by simply flipping the card over.

[0012] The aforementioned unreadable area is, for example, an area on the card that contains personal information or sensitive information. This prevents the reading of personal information and sensitive data, such as the individual number on a My Number card, in situations that are not directly related to the employee's primary duties.

[0015] Preferably, the card scanner has an image processing means that rotates the image of the predetermined side of the card according to the determination result of the determination of the top and bottom of the card by the determination means. By rotating the image according to the orientation determination of the card, it is possible to always send an image with a consistent orientation to the recipient.

[0016] The scanner is a line scanner that scans cards in transit, and the longitudinal direction of the line scanner is arranged perpendicular to the card transport direction in a plan view. When the image reading means reads the image used for the determination, it is desirable that only a portion of the image sensors in the longitudinal direction of the line scanner are operated. This makes it possible to read the image on the card while avoiding the unreadable areas on the card.

[0017] The 3The invention has a control device for a card scanner, an image reading means for reading an image of a card by a scanner, and a determination means for determining the front / back and orientation of the card based on the image of the card. When reading an image used for the determination by the determination means, the image reading means reads the image while avoiding a predetermined non-reading area of the card. U-system control device The control device has a transmission means for transmitting an image of a predetermined surface of the card that does not have the non-readable area to a destination, and the image reading means reads the entire predetermined surface of the card with a scanner after the determination means has determined both the front and back and the top and bottom of the card, based on the determination result of the determination means for the front and back of the card, and acquires it as an image to be transmitted by the transmission means. It is a program for causing it to function as a control device characterized by the above. The fourth invention is a program for causing a control device for a card scanner to function as a control device having an image reading means for reading an image of a card by scanning, a determination means for determining the front and back and top and bottom of a card based on the image of the card, wherein the image reading means is a control device that reads an image while avoiding a predetermined non-readable area of ​​the card when reading an image used for determination by the determination means, the control device has a transmission means for transmitting an image of a predetermined side of the card that does not have the non-readable area to a destination, the image reading means reads the entire predetermined side of the card by scanning based on the determination result of the front and back of the card by the determination means when reading an image transmitted by the transmission means, the card has an IC chip, the control device has an IC reading means for reading data in the IC chip using authentication information for reading data in the IC chip received from the destination, and the transmission means further transmits the data to the destination.

Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide a card scanner or the like that can avoid risks in information management.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] Figure showing the card reading system 1. [Figure 2] Figure showing the card 10. [Figure 3] Figure showing the configuration of the card scanner 2. [Figure 4] Figure showing the functions of the card scanner 2. [Figure 5] Flowchart showing the card reading process. [Figure 6] Figure for explaining the upper scanner 24 and the lower scanner 25. [Figure 7] Figure for explaining the insertion pattern of the card 10 and the reading range R. [Figure 8] Figure showing the configuration of the card scanner 2a. [Figure 9] Figure for explaining the inversion of the card 10.

Embodiment for Implementing the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[0021] (1. Card Reading System 1) Figure 1 shows a card reading system 1 having a card scanner 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the card reading system 1 is configured by connecting the card scanner 2 and a computer 3 in a communicative manner.

[0022] The card scanner 2 optically reads the image on the surface of card 10 and also reads the data stored in the IC chip (not shown) on card 10.

[0023] Computer 3 is a higher-level device for performing administrative procedures and identity verification tasks. As part of this, it acquires various information from the image of card 10 and receives data stored on the IC chip from card scanner 2. Computer 3 can be a general personal computer equipped with a control unit, memory unit, communication unit, etc., but is not limited to this.

[0024] Card 10 is the medium to be read by the card scanner 2, and in this embodiment, it is an identification document. An identification document is a medium used for administrative procedures and identity verification by various government agencies, financial institutions, mobile phone carriers, etc., and in this embodiment, it is specifically a My Number Card. However, the card 10 to be read is not limited to this, and may be a driver's license, employee ID card, or various other types of cards.

[0025] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are schematic diagrams showing the front and back of Card 10 (My Number Card), respectively, and are schematic representations with some parts of the Card 10's face omitted.

[0026] Card 10 is formed on a rectangular base material by printing or other means, creating various card information. For example, for the My Number Card, the front side will have a facial image 101, name, address, date of birth, gender, expiration date, etc. The back side will have the personal number 103, name, date of birth, etc.

[0027] In addition, the contact terminals 102 of the IC chip are exposed on the back of the card 10. The IC chip stores some or all of the information on the card 10, or other information, as data. The IC chip can communicate using either contact or contactless methods, and in this embodiment, the data in the IC chip is read by contactless communication.

[0028] (2. Card Scanner 2) Figure 3 shows the configuration of the card scanner 2. As shown in Figure 3, the card scanner 2 includes a card slot 21, a card insertion detection sensor 22, a card transport mechanism 23, an upper scanner 24, a lower scanner 25, an IC reader / writer 26, a communication interface 27, and a control device 20, etc.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the card slot 21 is located on the front of the housing of the card scanner 2. The card scanner 2 allows for the insertion and ejection of the card 10 through the card slot 21.

[0030] The card insertion detection sensor 22 detects the card 10 inserted into the card slot 21.

[0031] The card transport mechanism 23 includes transport rollers and a motor that drives the transport rollers, and transports the card 10 inserted into the card slot 21 within the housing.

[0032] The upper scanner 24 and lower scanner 25 are a pair of line scanners that optically read images of the card 10. The upper scanner 24 and lower scanner 25 are positioned above and below the card 10 as it is transported by the card transport mechanism 23, respectively. By scanning the card 10 from above and below while it is being transported, they acquire images of both sides of the card 10.

[0033] The IC reader / writer 26 is an IC reader / writer that reads data from the IC chip of the card 10. As described above, in this embodiment, the data from the IC chip is read by contactless communication.

[0034] Communication I / F27 is a communication interface for communicating with computer 3. The communication method can be wired or wireless. Communication I / F27 is composed of, for example, USB or Bluetooth®.

[0035] The control device 20 is connected via a bus to the card insertion detection sensor 22, card transport mechanism 23, upper scanner 24, lower scanner 25, IC reader / writer 26, and communication interface 27, and controls the operation of each part.

[0036] The control device 20 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, storage unit, etc. The CPU calls programs stored in storage media such as the storage unit and ROM into the work memory area on the RAM and executes them, and drives and controls each part connected via the bus.

[0037] The memory unit includes flash memory, hard disk drives, solid-state drives, etc., and stores programs executed by the CPU, data necessary for program execution, the operating system, etc. The program stored in this unit is an application program that causes the control unit 20 to execute the processes described later.

[0038] Figure 4 shows the functions of the card scanner 2. As shown in Figure 4, the control device 20 of the card scanner 2 includes a detection means 201, a transport means 202, an image reading means 203, a determination means 204, an image processing means 205, an IC reading means 206, a transmission means 207, and the like.

[0039] The detection means 201 is such that the control device 20 detects the insertion of the card 10 using the card insertion detection sensor 22.

[0040] The transport means 202 is a system in which the control device 20 transports the inserted card 10 using the card transport mechanism 23.

[0041] The image reading means 203 is used by the control device 20 to read an image of the card 10 using the upper scanner 24 and the lower scanner 25. In particular, in this embodiment, the image of the card 10 is read twice: once when determining the front and back and top and bottom orientation of the inserted card 10, and again when transmitting an image of the entire card 10 to the computer 3 as part of administrative procedures or identity verification. The former reading (when determining the front and back, etc.) is sometimes called a "pre-scan," and the latter reading (when transmitting the entire image) is sometimes called a "main scan."

[0042] The determination means 204 determines the front and back and top and bottom orientation of the card 10 from the image read by the control device 20. The top and bottom orientation of the card 10 refers to the top and bottom of the card 10 as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b).

[0043] The image processing means 205 performs necessary image processing on the overall image of the card 10 that the control device 20 transmits to the computer 3. In particular, in this embodiment, the image is rotated according to the determination result of the determination of the orientation of the card 10 by the determination means 204.

[0044] The IC reading means 206 is controlled by the control device 20, which controls the IC reader / writer 26 to read the data in the IC chip of the card 10.

[0045] The transmission means 207 is used by the control device 20 to transmit the overall image of the card 10 and the data within the IC chip to the destination computer 3 via the communication interface 27.

[0046] (3. Card reading process) Next, the card reading process in the card reading system 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 5, etc. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the card reading process, and each step in Figure 5 is executed by the control device 20 controlling each part of the card scanner 2.

[0047] When a card 10 is inserted into the card slot 21, the card scanner 2 first detects the card 10 using the card insertion detection sensor 22 (S101).

[0048] Then, the card scanner 2 transports the inserted card 10 by the card transport mechanism 23, and while transporting the card 10, scans (pre-scans) the card 10 with the upper scanner 24 and the lower scanner 25 to read images of both sides of the card 10 (S102). Here, the insertion direction and transport direction of the card 10 correspond to the longitudinal direction of the card 10.

[0049] As described above, the upper scanner 24 and lower scanner 25 are line scanners and have multiple image sensors arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 6, the longitudinal direction of the upper scanner 24 and lower scanner 25 is perpendicular to the transport direction of the card 10 (see arrow in Figure 6) in a plan view. The upper scanner 24 and lower scanner 25 are divided into multiple units A to C along the longitudinal direction, and the image sensors of the upper scanner 24 and lower scanner 25 are controlled for each of these units A to C. In S102, by operating only the image sensors of some units B, an image of a portion of the card 10 is read. This portion is defined as a portion that does not include the personal identification number 103 on the card 10, as will be described later.

[0050] Figure 7 shows the range R of the card 10 read in S102 for each insertion pattern of the card 10 into the card scanner 2. There are four types of insertion patterns for the card 10: (1) standard insertion, (2) upside down insertion, (3) backside insertion, and (4) backside upside down insertion.

[0051] (1) Standard insertion is when the card 10 is inserted with its front surface facing upwards, and the top and bottom of the card 10 are the same as in Figures 2(a) and (b). In this embodiment, this is defined as the state in which the front and back and top and bottom of the card 10 are correctly inserted. In this case, the contact terminals 102 of the card 10 appear on the left side of the image in the reading range R by the lower scanner 25.

[0052] (2) Inverted insertion is when the front surface of card 10 is facing upwards, but the top and bottom of card 10 are reversed compared to Figures 2(a) and (b). In this case, the front and back of card 10 are correct, but the top and bottom of card 10 are incorrect, and the contact terminals 102 of card 10 appear on the right side of the image in the reading range R by the lower scanner 25.

[0053] (3) In the case of back insertion, the front side of card 10 is facing downwards, but the orientation of card 10 is the same as in Figures 2(a) and (b). In this case, the front and back of card 10 are incorrect, but the orientation of card 10 is correct, and the contact terminals 102 of card 10 appear on the left side of the image within the reading range R by the upper scanner 24.

[0054] (4) Inverted insertion of the back side occurs when the front side of card 10 is facing downwards, and the top and bottom of card 10 are also reversed as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b). In this case, both the front and back and the top and bottom of card 10 are incorrect, and the contact terminals 102 of card 10 appear to the right of the image in the reading range R by the upper scanner 24.

[0055] In this embodiment, in all cases, the reading range R by the upper scanner 24 and the lower scanner 25 does not include the personal information of the cardholder, namely the personal identification number 103. That is, in S102, the area on the card 10 that includes the personal identification number 103 is predetermined as a non-readable area, and the reading range R is set to avoid this non-readable area.

[0056] Returning to the explanation of Figure 5, the card scanner 2 determines the front and back sides and top and bottom orientation of card 10 from the image read in S102 (S103).

[0057] In this embodiment, depending on the front / back and top / bottom orientation when inserting the card 10, as described above, the contact terminals 102 appear in either the image of the reading range R by the upper scanner 24 or the lower scanner 25, and the position of the contact terminals 102 in the image of the reading range R differ. Therefore, in S103, the presence and position of the contact terminals 102 are detected in the image of the reading range R by the upper scanner 24 and the lower scanner 25, and it is possible to determine which of the following insertion patterns is used: (1) standard insertion, (2) inverted insertion, (3) backside insertion, or (4) backside inverted insertion.

[0058] The card scanner 2 transports the card 10 in the opposite direction to return the card 10 to its original position, and then scans the entire surface of the card 10 again with the upper scanner 24 or the lower scanner 25 (main scan) to read an image of the entire surface of the card 10 that does not contain personal information 103 (non-readable area) (S104).

[0059] In S104, depending on the result of the front / back determination of card 10 in S103, scanning is performed using either the upper scanner 24 or the lower scanner 25. Specifically, if S103 determines that (1) standard insertion or (2) upside-down insertion, the front side of card 10 is facing upwards, so the entire front surface of card 10 is scanned using the upper scanner 24. On the other hand, if S103 determines that (3) backside insertion or (4) backside upside-down insertion, the front side of card 10 is facing downwards, so the entire front surface of card 10 is scanned using the lower scanner 25. In this case, the upper scanner 24 and the lower scanner 25 enable all units A to C in Figure 6 to capture an image of the entire surface.

[0060] Then, the card scanner 2 performs image processing on the image of the entire surface of card 10 that was read in S104 (S105).

[0061] This image processing includes various image processing steps necessary as preprocessing for suitable handling of the image of card 10 in computer 3. In particular, in this embodiment, the image is rotated according to the result of determining the orientation of card 10 in S103. That is, if S103 determines (2) upside down insertion or (4) backside upside down insertion, the orientation of card 10 at the time of insertion is incorrect, so in S105, the image read in S104 is rotated 180° to correct the orientation of card 10. On the other hand, if S103 determines (1) standard insertion or (3) backside insertion, the orientation of card 10 at the time of insertion is correct, and the above image rotation is not performed.

[0062] Subsequently, the card scanner 2 transmits an image of the entire surface of the card 10 to the destination computer 3 (S106).

[0063] Computer 3 can perform various processes using the image transmitted from card scanner 2. For example, it can read the characters displayed on the surface of card 10 using OCR processing to obtain information such as the cardholder's name and date of birth, which can then be used for business purposes. In this embodiment, in particular, the PIN (authentication information) used to read the IC chip is obtained from the characters on the surface of card 10, and the PIN is transmitted to card scanner 2 to instruct it to read the IC chip.

[0064] When the card scanner 2 receives a PIN from the computer 3 (S107), it transports the card 10 and reads the data in the IC chip of the card 10 using the PIN with the IC reader / writer 26 (S108).

[0065] Subsequently, the card scanner 2 transmits the data read in S108 to the computer 3 (S109). The computer 3 can then use the received data for its business operations. Meanwhile, the card scanner 2 transports the card 10 to the card slot 21 and ejects the card 10 from the card slot 21 (S110), thus ending the process.

[0066] As described above, the card scanner 2 of this embodiment treats the personal identification number 103 on the card 10 as a non-readable area, reads the image of the card 10 while avoiding it, determines the front / back and top / bottom orientation of the card 10 based on the image, and can perform appropriate processing according to the determination result. The personal identification number 103 on the card 10 is not scanned at all, and therefore the personal identification number 103 is never stored in RAM or the like, even for a moment. This avoids reading the personal identification number 103 in situations not directly related to the core business, such as determining the front / back and top / bottom orientation of the card 10, thereby avoiding information management risks.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front and back sides and top and bottom orientation of the card 10 can be accurately determined from the images of both sides of the card 10 obtained by the upper scanner 24 and the lower scanner 25 during pre-scanning. In addition, both sides of the card 10 can be read simultaneously by the upper scanner 24 and the lower scanner 25, leading to faster processing.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the process at the receiving computer 3 can be streamlined by transmitting an image of the entire surface of the card 10. In this case, whether the surface of the card 10 is facing upwards or downwards can be determined from the pre-scan result, and the entire surface of the card 10 can be read by the upper scanner 24 or the lower scanner 25 according to the determination result.

[0069] In this embodiment in particular, the computer 3 obtains the PIN from the image of the card 10, and the card scanner 2 reads the data in the IC chip using the PIN and transmits it to the receiving computer 3, thereby streamlining operations at the receiving computer. However, depending on the nature of the operations on the computer 3 side, the data in the IC chip may not be necessary. In this case, the card scanner 2 transmits an image of the entire surface of the card 10 to the computer 3 (S106 in Figure 5), and then ejects the card 10 from the card slot 21 (S110) to end the process.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by rotating the image on card 10 in S105 according to the result of determining the orientation of card 10 in S103 in Figure 5, an image with a constant orientation can always be sent to the destination computer 3.

[0071] In this embodiment, line scanners are used as the upper scanner 24 and lower scanner 25, and during pre-scanning, only the image sensor of a portion of unit B in the longitudinal direction is operated. This makes it possible to read the image of card 10 while avoiding the personal number 103 on card 10.

[0072] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the reading range R shown in Figure 7 is set to avoid personal identification number 103, but the setting of the reading range R is not limited to this. Areas containing various types of personal information or sensitive information can be predetermined as non-readable areas and the system can be set to avoid them. "Personal information" refers to information that can identify a specific individual, as defined in Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Personal Information Protection Act. "Sensitive information" refers to information that should be handled with care, such as privacy and national secrets, as defined in Article 5, Paragraph 1 of the Financial Sector Guidelines. However, the reading range R can also be set to avoid non-readable areas containing information that poses risks in terms of information management other than personal information and sensitive information.

[0073] In this embodiment, the main scan in S104 of Figure 5 is performed on the entire surface of the card 10. However, depending on the type of card 10 and the nature of the work on the computer 3 side, the main scan in S104 may be performed on the entire back surface of the card 10. In this case, the non-readable area during the pre-scan in S102 is set from the information present on the surface of the card 10. In other words, the surface on which the main scan is performed in S104 is a surface that does not have a non-readable area (a predetermined surface).

[0074] In this embodiment, in S103 of Figure 5, the front / back and top / bottom orientation of the card 10 is determined by the presence and position of the contact terminals 102 within the image of the reading range R. However, the determination method is not limited to this, and it is also possible to determine the front / back and top / bottom orientation of the card 10 based on other elements within the image of the reading range R. For example, in the case of Figure 7, it is also possible to perform the determination using the area of ​​the face image 101, and it is also possible to determine the front / back and top / bottom orientation of the card 10 based on the presence and position of the area of ​​the face image 101.

[0075] Furthermore, the elements on the front and back of card 10 can be used to determine the front and back and top and bottom of card 10. In this case, the front and back and top and bottom of card 10 can be determined from an image read from only one side of card 10.

[0076] For example, in the case of Figure 7, both the area of ​​the face image 101 on the front of the card 10 and the contact terminals 102 on the back of the card 10 can be used to determine the front and back of the card 10 and its orientation from the image within the reading range R of the upper scanner 24. In other words, the front and back of the card 10 can be determined by whether the area of ​​the face image 101 or the contact terminals 102 appear in the image within the reading range R of the upper scanner 24, and the orientation of the card 10 can be determined by the position of the area of ​​the face image 101 or the contact terminals 102.

[0077] Furthermore, if at least one of the front / back or top / bottom orientation of card 10 is incorrect in S103 of Figure 5, card scanner 2 can eject card 10 from the card slot 21, and output a message via voice or display on a monitor (not shown) instructing the user to check the front / back and top / bottom orientation of card 10 and then reinsert card 10 correctly. Card scanner 2 can then either continue with the remaining processing from S104 onwards for the reinserted card 10, or restart the processing from S101.

[0078] Furthermore, the card scanner 2 of this embodiment reads data in the IC chip by performing contactless communication with the card 10, but it is also possible to perform contact-based communication in some cases. In this case, the IC reader / writer 26 is provided above and below the card 10 that is transported by the card transport mechanism 23, and one of them is operated according to the result of determining the front and back of the card 10 in S103.

[0079] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 6, the upper scanner 24 and lower scanner 25 have three units A to C in the longitudinal direction, but the number of units is not limited to three. In this embodiment, control is performed for each unit A to C, but it is also possible to control each image sensor, allowing for more detailed setting of the reading range R.

[0080] Furthermore, the configuration of the card scanner 2 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in card scanner 2a of Figure 8, by providing a reversal mechanism 231 in the card transport mechanism 23, it is possible to omit either the upper scanner 24 or the lower scanner 25, and only one scanner will suffice. Figure 8 shows an example in which the lower scanner 25 is omitted.

[0081] As shown in Figure 9, the inversion mechanism 231 inverts the card 10 vertically while maintaining its orientation, and a known mechanism can be used for this purpose.

[0082] In this case, at S102 in Figure 5, the card 10 can be pre-scanned using only the upper scanner 24 by utilizing the inversion mechanism 231. For example, after scanning the card 10 with the upper scanner 24, the card 10 is inverted using the inversion mechanism 231 as shown in Figure 9, and then scanned again with the upper scanner 24, thereby reading the reading range R on both sides of the card 10.

[0083] The determination in S103 can be performed in the same manner as described above using images of the reading area R on both sides of the card 10, and in S104, the card 10 can be flipped over as necessary based on the determination result of the front and back of the card 10 in S103, thereby allowing the upper scanner 24 to scan the entire surface of the card 10.

[0084] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed herein, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 1: Card reading system 2, 2a: Card scanner 3: Computer 10: Card 20: Control device 21: Card slot 22: Card insertion detection sensor 23: Card transport mechanism 24: Top scanner 25: Lower scanner 26: IC Reader / Writer 27: Communication I / F 101: Face image 102: Contact terminal 103: Personal Number 201: Detection means 202: Conveying means 203: Image reading method 204: Judgment means 205: Image processing means 206: IC reading method 207: Transmission method 231: Reversal mechanism

Claims

1. A card scanner, An image reading means that reads the image of a card using a scanner, A determination means for determining the front and back and top and bottom of a card based on the image of the card, It has, The image reading means reads the image used for determination by the determination means, while avoiding predetermined non-readable areas of the card. The card scanner has a transmission means for transmitting an image of a predetermined surface of the card that does not have the non-readable area to a destination. The card scanner is characterized in that, after the determination means has determined both the front and back and the top and bottom of the card, the image reading means reads the entire predetermined surface of the card with the scanner based on the determination result of the determination means, and acquires it as an image to be transmitted by the transmission means.

2. A card scanner, An image reading means that reads the image of a card using a scanner, A determination means for determining the front and back and top and bottom of a card based on the image of the card, It has, The image reading means reads the image used for determination by the determination means, while avoiding predetermined non-readable areas of the card. The card scanner has a transmission means for transmitting an image of a predetermined surface of the card that does not have the non-readable area to a destination. When the image reading means reads the image transmitted by the transmission means, it reads the entire predetermined surface of the card with a scanner based on the determination result of the determination means for the front and back of the card. The aforementioned card has an IC chip, The card scanner has an IC reading means that reads data in the IC chip using authentication information for reading data in the IC chip received from the destination. The card scanner is characterized in that the transmission means further transmits the data to the destination.

3. The card scanner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the image reading means reads both sides of the card when reading the image used for determination by the determination means.

4. The card scanner according to claim 3, characterized in that the scanner is provided as a pair of scanners that read each side of the card.

5. The scanner provided consists of only one scanner that reads one side of the card. The card scanner according to claim 3, characterized in that the card scanner includes a flipping mechanism for flipping the card upside down.

6. The card scanner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the non-readable area is an area on the card that contains personal information or sensitive information.

7. The card scanner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it has an image processing means for rotating an image of a predetermined surface of a card according to the determination result of the determination of the top and bottom of the card by the determination means.

8. The scanner is a line scanner that scans cards in transit. The longitudinal direction of the line scanner is positioned perpendicular to the card transport direction in a plan view. The card scanner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the image reading means operates only a portion of the image sensors in the longitudinal direction of the line scanner when reading the image used for the determination.

9. The control unit of the card scanner An image reading means that reads the image of a card using a scanner, A determination means for determining the front and back and top and bottom of a card based on the image of the card, It has, The image reading means is a control device that reads an image used for determination by the determination means while avoiding a predetermined non-readable area of ​​the card, The control device has a transmission means for transmitting an image of a predetermined surface of the card that does not have the non-readable area to a destination. The program for causing the image reading means to function as a control device is characterized in that, after the determination means has determined both the front and back and top and bottom of the card, the entire predetermined surface of the card is read by a scanner based on the determination result of the determination means, and acquired as an image to be transmitted by the transmission means.

10. The control unit of the card scanner An image reading means that reads the image of a card using a scanner, A determination means for determining the front and back and top and bottom of a card based on the image of the card, It has, The image reading means is a control device that reads an image used for determination by the determination means while avoiding a predetermined non-readable area of ​​the card, The control device has a transmission means for transmitting an image of a predetermined surface of the card that does not have the non-readable area to a destination. When the image reading means reads the image transmitted by the transmission means, it reads the entire predetermined surface of the card with a scanner based on the determination result of the determination means for the front and back of the card. The aforementioned card has an IC chip, The control device has an IC reading means that reads data in the IC chip using authentication information for reading data in the IC chip received from the destination, The transmission means is further a program for causing it to function as a control device characterized by transmitting the data to the destination.

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