Card reader and method for controlling card reader

• US 10,528,771 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Negishi, Akihiro, Orii, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyen K
• Application Number:
  US15/563,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20190332825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 235441
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/06 Guiding cards; Checking correct operation of card-conveying mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/067 Checking presence, absence, correct position, or moving status of cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/077 with intermittent movement; Braking or stopping movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/085 using an arrangement for locking the inserted card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0026 the galvanic contacts of the connector adapted for landing on the contacts of the card upon card insertion

Abstract

A card reader may include a card passage where a card passed; a contact block including IC contact springs; a card insertion detection mechanism; a lock member; a lock member drive mechanism that moves the lock member between a pulling-out prevention position and a pulling-out feasible position; a lock member detection mechanism; and a control unit structured to control the card reader. The lock member may include a pulling-out prevention part. A distance between the front end of the IC card and the pulling-out prevention part may be shorter than a length of the IC card in the moving direction of the IC card. The control unit detects that insertion of the IC card has been completed the IC card has been inserted to the contact position and the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position.

Claims

1. A card reader for use with a contact type IC card comprising an IC chip having an external connection terminal,

the card reader comprising:

a card passage where the IC card is passed;

an IC contact block comprising a plurality of IC contact springs structured to contact with the external connection terminal of the IC card;

a card insertion detection mechanism structured to detect that the IC card has been inserted to a contact position where the external connection terminal is contacted with the IC contact springs;

a lock member structured to move between a pulling-out prevention position and a pulling-out feasible position;

a lock member drive mechanism structured to move the lock member between the pulling-out prevention position and the pulling-out feasible position;

a lock member detection mechanism structured to move that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position; and

a control unit structured to control the card reader,

wherein

an inserting direction-side end of the IC card is referred to as a front end, and a pulling-out direction-side end of the IC card is referred to as a rear end,

the lock member comprises with a pulling-out prevention part with which the rear end of the IC card is contacted when the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position,

a distance in a moving direction of the IC card between the front end of the IC card at the time when the card insertion detection mechanism starts to detect that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position and the pulling-out prevention part at the time when the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position is shorter than a length of the IC card in the moving direction of the IC card, and

the control unit is structured to detect that insertion of the IC card has been completed when the card insertion detection mechanism detects that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position and the lock member detection mechanism detects that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position.

2. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is structured such that, in response to the control unit detecting that the insertion of the IC card has been completed, the control unit transmits an insertion completion detection signal to a host control unit that is a control unit of a host apparatus on which the card reader is mounted, and activates the IC card, based on an activation command that is transmitted from the host control unit in order to activate the IC card.

3. The card reader according to claim 1, further comprising

an insertion start detection mechanism structured to detect that the IC card has been inserted into an insertion port for the IC card.

4. The card reader according to claim 3, wherein

the control unit is structured to transmit an insertion completion undetection signal to the host control unit when the card insertion detection mechanism does not detect that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position or when the lock member detection mechanism does not detect that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position, within a predetermined period of time after the insertion start detection mechanism has detected that the IC card has been inserted into the insertion port.

5. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is structured such that,

in response to the card insertion detection mechanism detecting that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position, the control unit causes the lock member drive mechanism to move the lock member located at the pulling-out feasible position, toward the pulling-out prevention position, and continues to actuate the lock member drive mechanism for a predetermined period of time until the lock member detection mechanism detects that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position, after the card insertion detection mechanism has detected that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position.

6. A method for controlling the card reader for use with an IC card, the card reader comprising:

an insertion start detection mechanism structured to detect that the IC card has been inserted into an insertion port for the IC card;

a card insertion detection mechanism structured to detect that the IC card has been inserted to a contact position; and

a lock member structured to move between a pulling-out prevention position and a pulling-out feasible position,

the method comprising;

a card insertion wait command receiving step comprising receiving a card insertion wait command from a host control unit that is a control unit of a host apparatus on which the card reader is mounted;

an insertion start determining step comprising, in response to reception of the card insertion wait command from the host control unit, determining within a predetermined first period of time whether the insertion start detection mechanism has detected that the IC card has been inserted into the insertion port;

a card insertion determining step comprising, in response to determining in the insertion start determining step that the IC card has been inserted into the insertion port, determining within a predetermined second period of time whether the card insertion detection mechanism has detected that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position; and

a lock member position determining step of, in response to determining in the card insertion determining step that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position, determining within a predetermined third period of time whether the lock member detection mechanism has detected that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position,

wherein

in response to determining in the insertion start determining step that the IC card is not inserted into the insertion port, an insertion start undetection signal is transmitted to the host control unit, and the card insertion wait command receiving step is carried out again, and

when it is determined in the card insertion determining step that the IC card is not inserted to the contact position or it is determined in the lock member position determining step that the lock member is not located at the pulling-out prevention position, an insertion completion undetection signal is transmitted to the host control unit, and the card insertion wait command receiving step is carried out again.