Card reader and card removal detection method

Abstract

To provide a motor-conveyed card reader that detects removal of a card during the insertion thereof.SOLUTION: A card 2 is inserted into an insertion slot S. A gate sensor 50 detects the card 2 card into the insertion slot S. The card 2 inserted through the insertion slot S is conveyed on a conveyance path C. A conveyance unit includes a drive unit 20, such as a motor, and conveys the card 2 in the conveyance path C. A conveyance detection sensor detects the card 2 being conveyed on the conveyance path C. If the conveyance detection sensor turns from off to on to off while the gate sensor 50 is on, a control unit 10 causes the drive unit 20 to rotate in a first direction only for a specific time and then in a second direction only for a specific time. If the load is smaller when the drive unit 20 is rotated in a direction in which the card 2 moves in a direction of the insertion slot S than when rotated in an opposite direction, the control unit determines that the card 2 has been removed during the insertion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention particularly relates to a card reader for reading a card and a card extraction detection method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a card reader / writer (hereinafter simply referred to as "card reader") that reads information from and writes information to a card-shaped medium (hereinafter simply referred to as "card"). The card reader includes a magnetic head for writing magnetic information to the card, a sensor for detecting the position of the card in the conveyance path, and the like.

[0003] Referring to Patent Document 1 as an example of a conventional card reader, there is a manual card processing device in which a user manually operates a card, including a card insertion portion for inserting a card, a card storage portion for storing the card in a state where the rear end portion of the inserted card is exposed from the card insertion portion, a reading portion for reading the recording information of the card stored in the card storage portion, a first detection portion for detecting that the card has been inserted from the card insertion portion into the card storage portion, a second detection portion disposed on the back side in the insertion direction of the card from the first detection portion for detecting that the card has been inserted, and a state monitoring portion for detecting fraud based on the relationship of card detection in the first detection portion and the second detection portion.

[0004] On the other hand, there is also a motor conveyance type card reader that conveys a card by a driving portion such as a motor. In such a motor conveyance type card reader, usually, when a card is detected at the card insertion portion, the card is inserted into the conveyance path by the driving portion and read.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] In this case, even with a motor-driven card reader, it was possible for a card to be pulled out by the user while it was being inserted, for some reason. In that case, an error would occur due to status monitoring, such as that performed by the card reader described in Patent Document 1, requiring a service person to be called.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a motor-driven card reader that can detect when a card is removed by a user while it is being inserted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising: an insertion slot into which a card is inserted; an insertion detection sensor for detecting that a card has been inserted into the insertion slot; a transport path for transporting the card inserted from the insertion slot; a transport unit including a drive unit for transporting the card within the transport path; a transport detection sensor for detecting the card being transported along the transport path; and a control unit that, when the insertion detection sensor is ON and the transport detection sensor changes from OFF to ON to OFF, rotates the drive unit in a first direction for a specific time, then rotates it in a second direction for the same specific time, and determines that the card has been withdrawn during insertion if rotating the drive unit in the direction that moves the card toward the insertion slot results in less load than rotating it in the opposite direction. This configuration allows for detection when a user removes a card that is currently inserted.

[0009] A card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit calculates the acceleration time to reach the target speed, whether or not there is a stall during acceleration, and the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration, based on the rotation time in the first direction and the rotation time in the second direction, and makes the above determination. This configuration makes it possible to reliably determine whether a card being inserted has been pulled out or if an abnormality has occurred.

[0010] A card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the first direction is a forward rotation direction that transports the card in the insertion direction, and the second direction is a reverse rotation direction that transports the card in the ejection direction. This configuration allows for reliable detection of load being placed on the drive unit due to pulling.

[0011] A card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit determines that the card was pulled out during insertion if any of the following conditions occur as conditions for the determination: the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction becomes greater than the sum of the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction and an acceleration threshold; there is a stall during acceleration in the forward rotation direction; the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction becomes greater than the sum of the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction and a torque threshold; or the torque output of the drive unit reaches a limit value after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction. This configuration ensures reliable detection of the card being removed during insertion.

[0012] A card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit determines that the card has not been pulled out during insertion if any of the following conditions occur as conditions for the determination: the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction is equal to or greater than the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction plus an acceleration threshold; the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction is equal to or greater than the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction plus a torque threshold; or the torque output of the drive unit reaches a limit value after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction. This configuration ensures reliable detection of any abnormalities other than the card being pulled out during insertion.

[0013] A card removal detection method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a card removal detection method performed by a card reader comprising: an insertion slot into which a card is inserted; an insertion detection sensor for detecting that a card has been inserted into the insertion slot; a transport path for transporting the card inserted from the insertion slot; a transport unit including a drive unit for transporting the card within the transport path; and a transport detection sensor for detecting the card being transported along the transport path, wherein the card reader determines that the card was removed during insertion if, while the insertion detection sensor is ON, the transport detection sensor changes from OFF to ON to OFF, the drive unit is rotated in a first direction for a specific time, and then rotated in a second direction for a specific time, and the load on the drive unit is reduced when rotating it in the direction that the card moves toward the insertion slot than when rotating it in the opposite direction. This configuration allows for detection when a user removes a card that is currently inserted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, when the insertion detection sensor is ON and the transport detection sensor changes from OFF to ON to OFF, the drive unit is rotated in a first direction for a specific time, then rotated in a second direction for a specific time, and when rotating the drive unit in the direction that moves the card toward the insertion slot results in less load than rotating it in the opposite direction, it is determined that the card has been pulled out during insertion, thereby providing a motor-driven card reader that can detect when a card being inserted is pulled out by the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of the card reader of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a simplified side cross-sectional view of the card reader shown. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of the card removal detection process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of the card removal detection process.

Embodiments of the Invention

[0016] <Embodiment> 〔Configuration of Card Reader 1〕 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example of the configuration in an embodiment of the card reader 1 of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the card reader 1 is an example of a card reader connected to an ATM, a terminal of a kiosk, a ticket issuing system of a transportation facility, a point card issuing system such as a convenience store, a member card issuing system of a retail store, a card issuing / payment system of a gaming machine, an entrance / exit management system, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as "ATM etc.").

[0017] First, the control configuration of the card reader 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The card reader 1 is, for example, a motor conveyance type (automatic type) card reader / writer device capable of reading (reading) and writing (writing) information to / from the card 2. In this case, the card reader 1 reads and writes magnetic signals to / from the card 2 for settlement etc. by the card 2. In addition, the card reader 1 may be capable of encrypting or decrypting the information to be read or written.

[0018] The card reader 1 according to this embodiment is configured such that the upper device 3 is connected and the card 2 is read and written according to the instruction of the upper device 3. The card reader 1 can be connected to the upper device 3 by, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus), RS-232C, etc.

[0019] Card 2 is a contact or contactless IC card, and / or a magnetic card equipped with a magnetically recordable magnetic stripe. Card 2 is, for example, a rectangular polyvinyl chloride card with a thickness of about 0.7 to 0.8 mm. Card 2 has a magnetic stripe formed on it on which magnetic data is recorded. Card 2 may also have an IC chip embedded in it. In this case, Card 2 may have both an IC and a magnetic stripe. Card 2 may also be a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) card with a thickness of about 0.18 to 0.36 mm, or a paper card of a predetermined thickness. Card 2 stores information about user P, monetary value information, etc.

[0020] The higher-level device 3 includes embedded personal computers (PCs) such as ATMs, factory computers (FCs), and servers. In this embodiment, the host device 3 is equipped with a touch panel display or the like operated by user P, and controls the card reader 1 to issue instructions for payment and issuance of card 2.

[0021] The card reader 1 according to this embodiment may include an IC contact block for reading and writing IC information of an IC card, an RF (Radio Frequency) antenna or electromagnetic induction antenna and its circuit for reading and writing information to a contactless IC card, etc. Furthermore, the card reader 1 may include a card printer unit such as an ink ribbon type thermal transfer printer, inkjet printer, dot matrix printer, or engraving device that prints on the card 2 in color or black and white. Furthermore, card reader 1 may include an image reader (scanner) that optically reads photographs, text, etc., that are optically printed on card 2.

[0022] In addition, the card reader 1 may be connected to a card hopper or the like that stores multiple cards 2 and sends the stored cards 2 toward the card reader 1. Furthermore, the card reader 1 may be connected to a collection unit for collecting card 2, and a shredder for shredding the collected card 2.

[0023] Next, we will explain the control configuration of card reader 1 in more detail. The card reader 1 mainly consists of a control unit 10, a transport unit 11, a pre-head 12, a shutter mechanism 13, a sensor group 15, and a magnetic head 14.

[0024] The control unit 10 controls the entire card reader 1. The control unit 10 is a control calculation means that includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The control unit 10 includes non-temporary recording media such as non-volatile ROM (Read Only Memory) and volatile RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0025] Of these, the ROM is a non-volatile memory that stores data and control programs necessary for the various operations of the card reader 1. The ROM may also be a rewritable, non-temporary recording medium such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) or flash memory. In this embodiment, the ROM may store as data characteristic values ​​related to the motor output characteristics of the drive unit 20, which will be described later, as well as acceleration threshold, stall threshold, torque threshold, limit values, and other setting values.

[0026] The RAM is used as a working area when the control unit 10 executes a program stored in the ROM. The RAM stores temporary data including the detection status of each sensor in the sensor group 15, time-series data of encoder values, torque output data, history data of the processing that the control unit 10 was executing immediately before, and communication data with the host device 3.

[0027] The control unit 10 executes processing based on the control program and data stored in the ROM. This controls each part of the card reader 1. In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 10 can calculate the torque output of the drive unit 20 from the duty cycle when PWM controlling the drive unit 20 of the transport unit 11.

[0028] The transport unit 11 includes the drive unit 20 and is a mechanism for transporting the card 2 within the transport path C (Figure 2) of the card reader 1. Details of the transport unit 11 will be described later.

[0029] The pre-head 12 is a magnetic head, etc., used solely to detect when a user P's card other than card 2 is inserted into the card reader 1. The pre-head 12 is located inside the card insertion section that constitutes the front end portion of the card reader 1.

[0030] The shutter mechanism 13 is a mechanism that drives a shutter member to prevent external dust and foreign matter from entering. The shutter mechanism 13 is located, for example, in the card insertion section of the card reader 1. The shutter mechanism 13 moves the shutter member between a closed position that blocks the transport path C and an open position that opens the transport path C, powered by a solenoid (not shown).

[0031] The magnetic head 14 is a magnetic head that reads and writes to the card 2 transported by the transport unit 11. In this embodiment, the magnetic head 14 contacts and slides against the magnetic stripe formed on the card 2 to write new magnetic data to the magnetic stripe or read recorded magnetic data. For this purpose, the magnetic head 14 is connected to a demodulation IC, which is a demodulation electronic component that demodulates the output analog output signal to generate a digital demodulated signal, and is connected to the control unit 10 via the IC. The magnetic head 14 may also be an encrypted magnetic head that supports encryption of magnetic signals.

[0032] The sensor group 15 consists of multiple sensors that detect the position of the card 2 being transported within the card reader 1. The sensor group 15 may include, for example, an optical sensor consisting of a light-emitting part including a light-emitting element (photodiode) and a light-receiving part including a light-receiving element (photosensor), a piezoelectric sensor or physical switch (hereinafter simply referred to as "switch") that detects the pressure of the press when in contact with the card 2, or a capacitive sensor that detects the capacitance of the card 2. By arranging multiple sensors of such a sensor group 15 at varying positions within the transport path C, the position of the card 2 in the transport path C can be detected in detail. The details of the arrangement of each sensor in this sensor group 15 will be described later.

[0033] Next, with reference to the side view configuration in Figure 2, the details and positional relationships of the sensor group 15 of the card reader 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In Figure 2, the X direction is the front-to-back direction of the card reader 1, the Z direction is the up-and-down direction of the card reader 1, and the Y direction is the left-to-right direction of the card reader 1, which is perpendicular to the front-to-back and up-and-down directions. Of the front-to-back directions, the X1 direction (pull-out direction, ejection direction) is the front side of the card reader 1, and the opposite X2 direction (pull-in direction, insertion direction) is the back side of the card reader 1.

[0034] The card reader 1 is mounted on the host device 3 such that its front end (front side) is positioned on the front side of the ATM or similar device. In addition, in this embodiment, the end of the card 2 that is transported in the transport path C toward the rear (direction X2) from the insertion opening S provided on the front (front) side is described as the front end, and the end of the card 2 that is discharged toward the insertion opening S toward the front (direction X1) is described as the rear end.

[0035] According to Figure 2, the card reader 1 is provided with an insertion slot S through which a card 2 is inserted and ejected, and a transport path C is formed inside the card reader 1. The card 2 inserted through the insertion slot S is transported along this transport path C. A pre-head 12, a shutter mechanism 13, and a magnetic head 14 are provided from the front to the back of this transport path C, respectively. The pre-head 12 and the magnetic head 14 are positioned to face the transport path C from above and / or below.

[0036] Here, we will describe the details of the transport unit 11 according to this embodiment. The transport unit 11 transports the card 2 within the transport path C. The transport unit 11 is composed of a transport mechanism including, for example, a drive unit 20, pulleys, belts, and rollers.

[0037] The drive unit 20 is a stepping motor or the like that transmits driving force to the pulley via a drive belt. A rotary encoder (hereinafter simply referred to as an encoder) is mounted on the drive unit 20, and the rotational position and speed of the drive unit 20's shaft can be detected. The drive unit 20 may also include a torque sensor that detects the torque output of the shaft. The pulley is a pulley or gear that is rotatably supported in the housing of the card reader 1. The belt is a power transmission belt made of rubber or elastomer that connects rollers.

[0038] The sensor group 15 is installed in the transport path C, from the front to the back, in the following order: gate sensor 50, first sensor 51, head sensor 54, second sensor 52, and third sensor 53.

[0039] The gate sensor 50 is an example of an insertion detection sensor according to this embodiment, and detects when a card 2 is inserted into or ejected from the insertion slot S. In this embodiment, for example, the gate sensor 50 may be a switch, optical sensor, or capacitive sensor that detects when a card 2 that has passed through the prehead 12 has passed through the shutter of the shutter mechanism 13.

[0040] The first sensor 51 is an example of a transport detection sensor that detects the card 2 being transported along the transport path C according to this embodiment. The first sensor 51 is located near the front roller. In this embodiment, the first sensor 51 is used to determine whether the card 2 has been withdrawn before the leading edge of the card 2 is inserted through the insertion slot S, detected by the gate sensor 50, and reaches the magnetic head 14.

[0041] The second sensor 52 is a sensor located near the rear roller. In this embodiment, the second sensor 52 is used to determine whether or not the card 2 was transported correctly when the card 2 is written to or read by the magnetic head 14.

[0042] The third sensor 53 is a sensor that detects the position of the card 2 when it reaches the far end of the transport path C. In other words, the third sensor 53 is positioned further back in the transport path C than the magnetic head 14 and is a sensor that detects the position of the card 2 being transported along the transport path C. In this embodiment, the third sensor 53 can detect when the card 2 has been transported and reached the far end of the transport path C.

[0043] The head sensor 54 is located before the second sensor 52 and is used to detect when the leading edge of the card 2 has reached the magnetic head 14. When the card 2 is detected by this head sensor 54, reading and / or writing of magnetic data is started.

[0044] In the case of an optical sensor, each sensor in the sensor group 15 may detect the insertion of card 2 by, for example, the optical path between the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part being blocked by card 2. In the case of a switch, card 2 may be detected by the generation of piezoelectricity due to the pressure of card 2 or by a change in the current value due to the conduction of the switch. In the case of a capacitive sensor, card 2 may be detected when the capacitance changes due to card 2.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, we will describe an example in which each sensor is in the "ON" state when card 2 is detected, and in the "OFF" state when it is not detected.

[0046] Next, the functional configuration of the control unit 10 according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, when the gate sensor 50 is ON and the first sensor 51 changes from OFF to ON to OFF, the control unit 10 rotates the drive unit 20 in the first direction for a specific time, and then rotates it in the second direction for a specific time. Then, the control unit 10 determines that the card 2 was pulled out during insertion if rotating the drive unit 20 in the direction that the card 2 moves toward the insertion opening S (card ejection direction) results in less load than rotating it in the opposite direction (card insertion direction).

[0047] Specifically, the control unit 10 may calculate and determine the acceleration time to reach the target speed, whether or not there is a stall during acceleration, and the torque output of the drive unit 20 after acceleration is completed, based on the rotation time in the first direction and the rotation time in the second direction. Here, the first direction may be the forward rotation direction that transports card 2 in the insertion direction, and the second direction may be the reverse rotation direction that transports card 2 in the discharge direction.

[0048] More specifically, the control unit 10 can determine that card 2 was pulled out during insertion if any of the following conditions occur: condition (A) the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction becomes greater than the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction plus an acceleration threshold; condition (B) there is a stall during acceleration in the forward rotation direction; condition (C) the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction becomes greater than the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction plus a torque threshold; and condition (D) the torque output of the drive unit 20 reaches its limit value after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction.

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 10 can also determine that the card 2 was not pulled out during insertion if any of the following conditions are met: condition (E) the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction is equal to or greater than the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction plus an acceleration threshold; condition (F) the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction is equal to or greater than the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction plus a torque threshold; or condition (G) the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction reaches its limit value. In this case, if the control unit 10 determines that the card 2 was not removed during insertion, it may determine that an abnormality has occurred, for example, that a security risk has occurred.

[0050] [Card removal detection process] Next, the card removal detection process according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. This card removal detection process is the process by which the control unit 10 executes the card removal detection method according to this embodiment.

[0051] In the card removal detection process according to this embodiment, the gate sensor 50 detects that a card 2 has been inserted into the insertion slot S. When the gate sensor 50 is ON and the first sensor 51 changes from OFF to ON to OFF, the drive unit 20 is rotated in the first direction for a specific time. After that, it is rotated in the second direction for a specific time, and if rotating the drive unit 20 in the direction that moves the card 2 toward the insertion slot S results in less load than rotating it in the opposite direction, it is determined that the card 2 was removed during insertion.

[0052] In this embodiment, the card removal detection process is mainly performed by the control unit 10, which works in cooperation with each unit to execute a control program stored in the built-in storage medium using hardware resources. The details of the card removal detection process according to this embodiment will be explained step by step below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 3.

[0053] (Step S101) First, the control unit 10 performs the card transport process. The control unit 10 detects, using the gate sensor 50, that card 2 has been inserted through the insertion slot S. The control unit 10 then initializes the card reader 1 and rotates the drive unit 20 of the transport unit 11 in the forward direction. As a result, the control unit 10 transports the card 2 towards the magnetic head 14 of the card reader 1 from the front side (X1 direction) to the back side (X2 direction) of the transport path C. Then, with the gate sensor 50 turned ON, card 2 is transported towards the first sensor 51. The prehead 12 then confirms that card 2 is a magnetic card with a magnetic stripe. After this, the leading edge of card 2 reaches the first sensor 51, and it switches from OFF to ON. Figure 4(a) shows the state of card 2 in this condition.

[0054] (Step S102) Next, the control unit 10 determines whether the first sensor 51 has changed from off to on to off. As described above, the control unit 10 detects an abnormal state when the gate sensor 50 is ON, the first sensor 51 changes from OFF to ON, and then back to OFF, and determines "Yes". Figure 4(b) shows an example of the state of card 2 in this condition, where user P is attempting to remove card 2 while it is still being inserted, for some reason such as user P deciding to use a different card.

[0055] On the other hand, the control unit 10 determines No in all other cases, that is, in the normal state where the first sensor 51 remains on after being switched from off, and the card 2 is transported to the back and the gate sensor 50 is turned off. The control unit 10 also determines No in other cases, such as when the card is still being transported.

[0056] If the answer is Yes, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S103. If the answer is No, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S111.

[0057] (Step S103) When the gate sensor 50 is ON and the first sensor 51 changes from OFF to ON to OFF, the control unit 10 performs a forward rotation process. When the control unit 10 detects a change in the gate sensor 50, such as when a card is being taken in, and the transport unit is already rotating in the direction of transporting the card 2 in the insertion direction (forward rotation direction), it stops temporarily. Subsequently, the control unit 10 rotates the drive unit 20 in the forward rotation direction for a specific period of time. This specific period may be, for example, a few milliseconds to a dozen seconds.

[0058] (Step S104) Next, the control unit 10 performs acceleration-stall torque acquisition processing. The control unit 10 acquires characteristic values ​​related to the motor output characteristics of the drive unit 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 10 calculates the acceleration time until the target speed is reached. Specifically, the control unit 10 may, for example, acquire the value of the encoder while it is rotating as time-series data, calculate the angular velocity from this, and calculate the time until this angular velocity reaches the target speed as the acceleration time. This target speed may be, for example, the normal transport speed when the card 2 is transported within the transport path C. In addition, this normal transport speed may be set to an appropriate value based on the torque output of the motor of the drive unit 20, etc.

[0059] Next, the control unit 10 also obtains (ii) whether or not there is a stall during acceleration from the time-series data mentioned above. The control unit 10 calculates angular acceleration from angular velocity using the time-series data, and may determine that a stall has occurred if this angular acceleration falls below the stall threshold. In other words, the control unit 10 detects that the transport speed decreases (stall "occurs") due to the user P removing card 2, etc.

[0060] Next, the control unit 10 (iii) acquires the torque output after acceleration is complete. Specifically, the control unit 10 acquires, for example, the torque output after the angular velocity calculated from the time-series data described above reaches the target speed as the torque output after acceleration is complete. For example, the practical maximum torque output of the drive unit 20 may be set as the "limit value" for this torque output.

[0061] (Step S105) Next, the control unit 10 performs reverse rotation processing. The control unit 10 temporarily stops the drive unit 20 and rotates it for a specific time in the reverse rotation direction to transport the card 2 in the discharge direction. In this embodiment, this specific time may be the same as the specific time in step S103 described above.

[0062] (Step S106) Next, the control unit 10 performs acceleration-stall torque acquisition processing. In this process, similar to step S104, the control unit 10 calculates and obtains characteristic values ​​related to the motor output characteristics of the drive unit 20. In this case, the control unit 10 may obtain the absolute value of each value without sign distinction.

[0063] (Step S107) Next, the control unit 10 performs a conditional judgment process. The control unit 10 compares the characteristic values ​​related to the motor output characteristics of the drive unit 20 acquired for forward rotation and reverse rotation, according to the following conditions.

[0064] Condition (A) is that (i) the acceleration time was greater than or equal to the forward rotation time plus the acceleration threshold. In other words, condition (A) is when the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction is greater than the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction plus the acceleration threshold. This acceleration threshold can be set appropriately from the acceleration actually obtained during the extraction process. Condition (B) is that (ii) there was a stall during acceleration in the forward rotation. In other words, condition (B) is the case when there was a stall during acceleration in the forward rotation direction.

[0065] Condition (C) is that (iii) the torque output after acceleration is complete is forward rotation ≥ reverse rotation + torque threshold. In other words, condition (C) is when the torque output of the drive unit 20 after acceleration is complete in the forward rotation direction is greater than the sum of the torque output of the drive unit 20 after acceleration is complete in the reverse rotation direction plus the torque threshold. This torque threshold can be appropriately set from the torque output actually obtained during extraction. Condition (D) is that (iii) the torque output after acceleration is complete has reached the limit value in forward rotation. In other words, condition (D) is when the torque output of the drive unit 20 reaches the limit value after acceleration in the forward rotation direction is complete.

[0066] Condition (E) is that (i) the acceleration time was such that the reverse rotation ≥ forward rotation + acceleration threshold. In other words, condition (E) is when the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction is greater than or equal to the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction plus the acceleration threshold. Condition (F) is that (iii) the torque output after acceleration is complete is reverse rotation ≥ forward rotation + torque threshold. In other words, condition (F) is when the torque output of the drive unit 20 after acceleration is complete in the reverse rotation direction is greater than or equal to the torque output of the drive unit 20 after acceleration is complete in the forward rotation direction plus the torque threshold. Condition (G) is that (iii) the torque output after acceleration is complete has reached the limit value in the reverse rotation. In other words, condition (G) is when the torque output of the drive unit 20 reaches the limit value after acceleration in the reverse rotation direction is complete.

[0067] (Step S108) Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a card has been removed based on the above conditions. For each of the above conditions, if any of conditions (A) to (D) are met and / or conditions (E) to (G) are not met, the control unit 10 determines that a card has been removed and determines "Yes". In other words, if these conditions are met, the control unit 10 can determine "Yes" because rotating the drive unit 20 in the reverse direction (X1 direction) in which the card 2 moves toward the insertion opening S puts less load on the unit than rotating it in the reverse direction (X2 direction) in the forward direction. In all other cases, the control unit 10 determines that no card has been removed and determines "No". If the answer is Yes, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S109. If the answer is No, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S110.

[0068] (Step S109) If a card is removed, the control unit 10 performs a card removal response process. The control unit 10 notifies the host device 3 that card 2 has been removed. As a result, the higher-level device 3 may display a warning message such as "Do not remove the inserted card" on its display unit. In this case, since it is assumed that card 2 was withdrawn after it was inserted, the control unit 10 may further drive the drive unit 20 of the transport unit 11 in the reverse rotation direction to transport card 2 toward the front (X1 direction) and discharge it. Furthermore, the control unit 10 may wait for the card 2 to be inserted again. Subsequently, the control unit 10 terminates the card removal detection process.

[0069] (Step S110) If it is determined that no card was removed, the control unit 10 performs error processing. The control unit 10 determines that an abnormality has occurred because, even though the card was not removed, the gate sensor 50 was ON and the first sensor 51 changed from OFF to ON to OFF, and then performs error-related processing. In this embodiment, the control unit 10 notifies the host device 3 of an error, assuming that the gate sensor 50 or the first sensor 51 has malfunctioned, or that an abnormal card 2, a component for illegally obtaining information written on a magnetic card (i.e., skimming), or an insertion component for pressing during standby (hereinafter referred to as a skimming component or simply a "skimming component") has been inserted. Subsequently, the control unit 10 may be locked to prevent reading of card 2.

[0070] (Step S111) Under normal conditions, the control unit 10 performs the normal transport process. The control unit 10 continues the normal card reading process, driving the drive unit 20 of the transport unit 11 in the forward rotation direction, and continues transporting the card 2 to the far end towards the back (X2 direction). In other words, the control unit 10 detects the leading edge of the card 2 with the head sensor 54 and reads the magnetic signal of the magnetic stripe of the card 2 with the magnetic head 14. Alternatively, the control unit 10 may read the necessary IC information from the IC on card 2 using an IC contact block. Similarly, the control unit 10 may activate a contactless IC using an RF antenna or an electromagnetic induction antenna and read the necessary IC information. Furthermore, if an image reader is provided, the control unit 10 may also read images such as photographs and text that are optically printed on the card 2. The control unit 10 then transports the card 2 by the transport unit 11 until the leading edge of the card 2 is detected by the second sensor 52 and then by the third sensor 53. This allows the magnetic signal to be read and transmitted to the higher-level device 3.

[0071] Subsequently, the control unit 10 ejects the card 2 to the insertion slot S. Specifically, the control unit 10 drives the drive unit 20 of the transport unit 11 in the reverse rotation direction, transporting the card 2 toward the front (X1 direction) until it is ejected. At this point, the inversion signal of the magnetic stripe of card 2 may be acquired once again. Subsequently, the control unit 10 continues to transport the card 2 until the rear end of the card 2 is detected by the gate sensor 50 and the first sensor 51 is turned off. As a result, the card 2 is ejected and stops with its rear end protruding from the insertion slot S. In this state, the user P may be notified via voice or other means by displaying on the display of the host device 3, "Card reading is complete, please remove the card from the slot S." The card removal detection process according to the embodiment of the present invention is now complete.

[0072] [Main effects of this embodiment] By configuring it as described above, the following effects can be obtained. Conventionally, even with motor-driven card readers, it was possible for a card to be pulled out by user P while it was being inserted, for reasons such as user P inserting the wrong card or intending to use a different card. If such a card removal occurred, an error would be detected by a status monitor, such as the one described in Patent Document 1, requiring a service person to be called.

[0073] In contrast, (1) a card reader 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising: an insertion slot S into which a card 2 is inserted; a gate sensor 50 that detects when a card 2 is inserted into the insertion slot S; a transport path C through which the card 2 inserted from the insertion slot S is transported; a transport unit 11 including a drive unit 20 that transports the card 2 within the transport path C; a first sensor 51 that detects the card 2 being transported along the transport path C; and a control unit 10 that, when the gate sensor 50 is ON and the first sensor 51 changes from OFF, ON, OFF, rotates the drive unit 20 in a first direction for a specific time, then rotates it in a second direction for a specific time, and determines that the card 2 was pulled out during insertion if rotating the drive unit 20 in the direction that moves the card 2 toward the insertion slot S results in less load than rotating it in the opposite direction.

[0074] By configuring it in this way, it is possible to provide a motor-driven card reader 1 that can determine whether the change in the first sensor 51 between on and off is due to the removal of card 2 or something else (an abnormality). This reduces the workload for service personnel caused by the card reader 1 malfunctioning due to the removal of card 2 by user P, and reduces maintenance costs. Furthermore, it becomes possible to detect with near certainty that card 2 is being removed by user P while it is being inserted, without adding any special hardware. In other words, even if the hardware configuration is the same as conventional motor-driven card readers, the removal of card 2 can be detected simply by changing (updating or adding) the software. This also reduces the cost associated with adding functionality.

[0075] (2) The card reader 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit 10 calculates and determines the acceleration time to reach the target speed, whether or not there is a stall during acceleration, and the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration, based on the rotation time in the first direction and the rotation time in the second direction, and makes a determination. This configuration makes it possible to reliably determine whether card 2 is being pulled out during insertion or if an abnormality has occurred. In other words, the load in the first direction and the load in the second direction can be accurately evaluated by the acceleration time to reach the target speed, whether or not there is a stall during acceleration, and the torque output of the drive unit 20 after acceleration is complete, allowing for a more reliable determination of whether the card has been pulled out.

[0076] (3) The card reader 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the first direction is a forward rotation direction that transports the card 2 in the insertion direction, and the second direction is a reverse rotation direction that transports the card 2 in the ejection direction, as described in (1) or (2). This configuration makes it possible to reliably detect when a load is placed on the drive unit 20 due to card removal. In other words, normally, when card removal occurs, rotating the drive unit 20 in the reverse direction (X1 direction) as the card 2 moves towards the insertion opening S places less load than rotating it in the reverse direction (X2 direction) as it moves forward. This can be easily detected.

[0077] (4) The card reader 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit 10 determines that the card 2 was pulled out during insertion if any of the following conditions occur: (A) the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction becomes greater than the sum of the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction and an acceleration threshold; (B) there is a stall during acceleration in the forward rotation direction; (C) the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction becomes greater than the sum of the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction and a torque threshold; and (D) the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction reaches a limit value. This configuration allows for more reliable detection of when card 2 is withdrawn during insertion. In other words, it is possible to reliably detect that rotating the drive unit 20 in the reverse direction (X1 direction) results in less load than rotating it in the forward direction (X2 direction).

[0078] (5) The card reader 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit 10 determines, as a condition for determination, that the card 2 has not been pulled out during insertion if any of the following conditions occur: (E) the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction is equal to or greater than the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction plus an acceleration threshold; (F) the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction is equal to or greater than the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction plus a torque threshold; or (G) the torque output of the drive unit 20 after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction reaches a limit value. This configuration ensures that when the transport detection sensor changes from off to on to off, it can reliably detect that something other than the removal of card 2 during insertion has occurred, i.e., that an abnormality has occurred. This allows for the detection of a load that differs from what would occur if card 2 were removed during insertion. Therefore, security can be improved.

[0079] (6) The card reader 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit 10 determines that a condition has been met and that a card has been removed when any of conditions (A) to (D) is met and / or conditions (E) to (G) are not met, as described in (5). This configuration ensures reliable detection of card 2 being removed during insertion. Furthermore, when the transport detection sensor changes from off to on to off, it can reliably detect that an anomaly other than card 2 being removed during insertion has occurred. This reduces the burden on service personnel due to card removal while improving security.

[0080] [Other embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the gate sensor 50 is used as the insertion detection sensor and the first sensor 51 is used as the transport detection sensor. However, it is also possible to use pre-head and / or head sensors, etc., positioned in an appropriate location, which can also be used for card detection, as insertion detection sensors and / or transport detection sensors, for the purposes of this application.

[0081] Specifically, for example, the prehead 12 may detect the card 2 instead of the insertion detection sensor. In this case, the control unit 10 can determine that the card 2 has been removed when the magnetic signal of the card 2 is no longer detected, or when a signal corresponding to the position of the leading edge of the magnetic stripe is detected.

[0082] Furthermore, the control unit 10 may be configured to determine that card 2 has been removed when card 2 is pulled out, moves towards the front (X1 direction), and a magnetic signal is detected by the pre-head 12. In addition, it may be possible to monitor the continuity of the magnetic data read by the pre-head 12 to detect card removal or abnormality. In this case, it may also detect that the magnetic data read by the pre-head 12 has been reversed.

[0083] Alternatively, if the head sensor 54 and the second sensor 52 are used as transport detection sensors, the rear end of the card 2 may be inside the transport path C. In this case, an abnormality may be determined by judging only the occurrence of conditions (F) to (G) among the above conditions, or by detecting withdrawal according to conditions (A) to (C).

[0084] Furthermore, a configuration in which a second sensor 52 is also used as a transport detection sensor is also possible. In addition to this configuration, a gate sensor 50 may be used as an insertion detection sensor, and a first sensor 51 may be used as a transport detection sensor. In other words, a combination of one or more sensors may be used as an insertion detection sensor and / or a transport detection sensor. Furthermore, each sensor in the sensor group 15 may be used as an insertion detection sensor and / or a transport detection sensor to monitor state shifts. This configuration allows for more flexible detection of pull-outs and ensures reliable detection of abnormalities.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the removal of card 2 is detected by the insertion detection sensor and the transport detection sensor without adding any special hardware. However, in addition to the sensors mentioned above, an IC chip sensor may be used to monitor metals other than the IC chip, or a capacitance sensor may be used to monitor changes in capacitance to determine whether the chip has been pulled out or if an abnormality has occurred. Furthermore, the system may be further equipped with vibration sensors and acceleration sensors, and if these sensors detect shaking of the housing, it may be detected that card 2 may have been removed. In this case, if card 2 has already been inserted, the system may be configured to determine that it has been removed. This configuration allows for more reliable detection of card 2 being removed or an abnormality occurring.

[0086] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment mainly described an example of detecting the removal of card 2. However, the insertion of foreign objects into the card reader 1 may be detected more proactively by determining the occurrence of abnormalities other than the removal of card 2 as described above. Specifically, the insertion of a gap into the card reader 1 may be detected by determining the occurrence of abnormalities as described above.

[0087] Specifically, the gap has the following shape characteristics to prevent it from being detected by the optical sensor when inserted into the card reader: (1) Because the main body of the gap reacts to an optical sensor, a hole is made in a part of the main body to avoid the sensor. (2) The skimming device itself is made of a transparent sheet or the like, and the device itself does not react to the optical sensor, but it does react when the skimming head, which is on the same straight line as the sensor, passes over the optical sensor. (1)(2) In both cases, the sensor in the transport path C changes from on to off while the gap is being inserted, so the presence of a gap can be determined by detecting this change. However, conventionally, the same change occurred when card 2 was removed, making it impossible to distinguish between gap insertion and card removal.

[0088] In response to this, by detecting the removal of card 2 as the cause of the first sensor 51 changing between on and off, and then detecting the occurrence of an abnormality, gaps can be reliably detected. Furthermore, it is possible to add or improve the gap detection function simply by updating the software, without requiring additional hardware. In recent years, new skimming has occurred due to gaps with shapes and characteristics that cannot be detected by conventional methods, and even in such cases, gap detection can be made possible.

[0089] In the above-described embodiment, the first direction is the forward rotation direction that transports the card 2 in the insertion direction, and the second direction is the reverse rotation direction that transports the card 2 in the discharge direction. However, these directions may be reversed. That is, the first direction may be the direction of reverse rotation, and the second direction may be the direction of forward rotation. By configuring it in this way, it becomes possible to determine, based on other conditions, whether card 2 is removed during insertion, or if an abnormality occurs.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, the card reader 1 is configured to read a card when the card 2 is inserted into the insertion slot S. However, the higher-level device 3 may be configured to read card 2 only after detecting that it has received a command related to card reading. Otherwise, if card 2 is inserted or removed, it may be considered an abnormality. This configuration allows for reliable detection of card 2 removal or malfunction, in conjunction with instructions from the higher-level device 3.

[0091] The above-described embodiment shows an example in which each of the above processes is executed by a control program stored in ROM. However, the above-described processes may be made possible by installing and executing a control program capable of performing each of these processes on a card reader equipped with a standard sensor group 15, thereby enabling the card reader 1 to function according to this embodiment. Therefore, service personnel may download and install the firmware, including this control program, from a recording medium such as a flash memory card or USB memory on which it is stored, or from a higher-level device 3 or another server. This makes it possible to use an existing magnetic card reader as the card reader 1 according to this embodiment by changing or updating the control program.

[0092] Furthermore, the control unit 10 may analyze the above-mentioned time-series data and calculate the average value, standard deviation, etc., of each characteristic value related to the motor output characteristics of the drive unit 20 when the card 2 is removed. Furthermore, the calculated values ​​may be used to calculate and update acceleration thresholds, torque thresholds, and limit values, etc. In addition, these values ​​and changes in values ​​can be used to train AI or statistical models such as multilayer neural networks (deep neural networks) to more reliably detect the occurrence of omissions and anomalies.

[0093] Furthermore, if the average distance or standard deviation of card 2 extraction deviates from the average, an alert may be sent to the administrator of card reader 1 regarding the need for maintenance or the possibility of a malfunction in card reader 1. This configuration enhances maintainability and security.

[0094] It goes without saying that the configuration and operation of the above embodiment are examples and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 1 card reader 2 cards 3. Higher-level equipment 10 Control Unit 11 Conveying section 12 Prehead 13. Shutter mechanism 14 Magnetic Heads 15 Sensor Groups 20 Drive unit 50 Gate Sensors 51 First Sensor 52 Second Sensor 53 Third Sensor 54 Head Sensor C Conveyor path P User S Insertion opening

Claims

1. A slot into which a card is inserted, An insertion detection sensor that detects when the card is inserted into the insertion slot, A transport path through which the card inserted from the aforementioned slot is transported, A transport unit including a drive unit that transports the card within the transport path, A transport detection sensor that detects cards being transported along the transport path, The control unit determines that the card was withdrawn during insertion if, while the insertion detection sensor is ON, the transport detection sensor changes from OFF to ON to OFF, and then the drive unit is rotated in a first direction for a specific time, and then rotated in a second direction for the same specific time, and if rotating the drive unit in the direction that moves the card toward the insertion slot results in less load than rotating it in the opposite direction, the control unit determines that the card was withdrawn during insertion. A card reader characterized by the following features.

2. The control unit, In the rotation time in the first direction and the rotation time in the second direction, Acceleration time to reach the target speed, Whether or not there is a stall during acceleration, and The torque output of the drive unit after acceleration is completed is calculated, and the above determination is made. The card reader according to feature 1.

3. The first direction is the forward rotation direction that transports the card in the card insertion direction. The second direction is the reverse rotation direction that transports the card in the discharge direction. The card reader according to feature 2.

4. The control unit, As further conditions for the aforementioned judgment, If the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction becomes greater than the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction plus an acceleration threshold, If a stall occurs during acceleration in the forward rotation direction, When the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction becomes greater than the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction plus a torque threshold, and If any of the following conditions occur after acceleration in the forward rotation direction is completed, such as the torque output of the drive unit reaching a limit value, it is determined that the card was pulled out during insertion. The card reader according to feature 3.

5. The control unit, As further conditions for the aforementioned judgment, If the acceleration time in the reverse rotation direction becomes greater than or equal to the acceleration time in the forward rotation direction plus an acceleration threshold, If the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration in the reverse rotation direction becomes equal to or greater than the torque output of the drive unit after the completion of acceleration in the forward rotation direction plus a torque threshold, If any of the following conditions occur after the acceleration in the reverse rotation direction is completed, the torque output of the drive unit reaches the limit value, It is determined that the aforementioned card was not removed while being inserted. The card reader according to feature 3 or 4.

6. A slot into which a card is inserted, An insertion detection sensor that detects when the card is inserted into the insertion slot, A transport path through which the card inserted from the aforementioned slot is transported, A transport unit including a drive unit that transports the card within the transport path, A card removal detection method performed by a card reader equipped with a transport detection sensor for detecting a card being transported along the transport path, wherein the card reader, When the insertion detection sensor is ON and the transport detection sensor changes from OFF to ON to OFF, the drive unit is rotated in the first direction for a specific time, and then rotated in the second direction for a specific time. If rotating the drive unit in the direction that moves the card toward the insertion slot results in less load than rotating it in the opposite direction, the system determines that the card was pulled out during insertion. A method for detecting card removal, characterized by the following features.

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