Information input/ output unit

• US 6,910,634 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2000
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Satoshi, Kaneko, Toshiyuki, Shimizu, Shin, Inose, Fumiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa M.
• Application Number:
  US10/129,846
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 235/486, 343/895, 343/702, 342/42
• US Class Current: 235/486
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07775 the antenna being on-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

An information input/output unit according to the present invention includes a receiving cavity capable of accommodating therein two different species of noncontact information media having shapes differing from each other and an antenna part capable of performing communication by radio with the noncontact information media. The unit can communicate with a close-fit-type noncontact information medium without fail and preferably with predetermined degree of freedom for the shapes of the media.

Claims

1. An information input/output unit comprising:

a main body having an antenna part for exchanging information with noncontact information media; and

a position regulating device for selectively regulating positions of at least a part of a periphery of said noncontact information media in dependence on the species of said noncontact information media, respectively, such that said antenna part can face oppositely a location at which said communication-destined antenna is incorporated in the noncontact information medium of any species inserted in said input/output unit as selected;

wherein said input/output unit performs information exchange with plural species of noncontact information media of different shapes incorporating internally communication-destined antennas at predetermined positions, respectively.

2. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, wherein said position regulating device has a corrugated surface which is brought into contact with said noncontact information media.

3. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, wherein said position regulation device comprises a positioning portion for positioning the noncontact information media having a curvilinear surface contour while engaging with said curvilinear surface contour.

4. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, wherein the shapes of the noncontact information media include those of a card and a token.

5. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, wherein said noncontact information media includes a coil-on IC chip.

6. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, wherein said position regulating device includes a notch which can facilitate a manual removal of said noncontact information media therefrom.

7. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, further comprising a pop-up mechanism which enables a mechanical removal of said noncontact information media from said position regulating device.

8. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, further comprising a first indicator indicating that communication with said noncontact information medium media is being performed.

9. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 8, further comprising a second indicator indicating that an error is occurring in the communication with said noncontact information medium media.

10. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, further comprising a third indicator indicating on/off-state of an electric power supply.

11. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, wherein said noncontact information media have different thicknesses, respectively.

12. The information input/output unit set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said position regulating device has a structure selectively receiving the noncontact information media based on the kind and the shape of the noncontact information media.