Non-contact IC card reader/writer device, non-contact IC card, input device, and method of calculating location of non-contact IC card

• US 7,232,068 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Satoshi, Uchiyama, Takuya, Endo, Norio, Yatsu, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US10/625,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20040195324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 235449-451, 235/492, 235/472.02, 235/493, 235/435, 235/375, 235/380, 235/382, 235/487, 340/572.1, 340/825.36, 340/425.49, 340/439.13, 340/686.1, 340/5.61, 340/10.1, 342/42
• US Class Current: 235/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/758 using a signal generator powered by the interrogation signal
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

A non-contact IC card reader/writer device includes antennas that perform carrier wave transmission and reception with a non-contact IC card, an A/D converter that detects the voltage level of each carrier wave received from the non-contact IC card through the antennas, and a control unit that calculates the location of the non-contact IC card from the voltage levels detected by the A/D converter.

Claims

1. A non-contact IC card reader/writer device, comprising:

antennas that perform transmission and reception of carrier waves between the non-contact IC card reader/writer device and a non-contact IC card; and

a control unit to process signals obtained from the antennas and to calculate a location of the non-contact card;

wherein;

the antennas are arranged in a matrix on one plane; and

the control unit alternately drives the antennas, obtains location information from the non-contact IC card and, based thereon, calculates the two dimensional location of the non-contact IC card on said one plane, and detects a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card.

2. A non-contact IC card reader/writer device, comprising:

antennas that perform transmission and reception of carrier waves between the non-contact IC card reader/writer device and a non-contact IC card; and

a control unit to process signals obtained from the antennas and to calculate a location of the non-contact card;

wherein;

the antennas are arranged in a matrix on one plane; and

the control unit sequentially drives the antennas, calculates the two-dimensional location of the non-contact IC card on said one plane based on the distribution of the locations of the antennas that have received a response from the non-contact IC card, and detects a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card.

3. A non-contact IC card reader/writer device, comprising:

antennas that perform transmission and reception of carrier waves between the non-contact IC card reader/writer device and a non-contact IC card; and

a control unit to process signals obtained from the antennas and to calculate a location of the non-contact card;

wherein;

the antennas are arranged in a matrix on one plane, and further comprising;

a detector that drives all the antennas at once, and detects the voltage level of each of the carrier waves received from the non-contact IC card via the antennas; and

the control unit calculates the two-dimensional location of the non-contact IC card on said one plane, based on the voltage levels detected by the detector and the locations of antennas that have received the carrier waves, and detects a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card.

4. An input device, comprising:

a non-contact IC card reader/writer device;

antennas that perform transmission and reception of carrier waves between the non-contact IC card reader/writer device and a non-contact IC card;

a detector that detects the voltage level of each of the carrier waves received from the non-contact IC card via the antennas which are arranged in a matrix on one plane; and

a control unit that drives the antennas so that the antennas are alternatively, sequentially, or simultaneously driven, calculates a two-dimensional location of the non-contact IC card on said one plane from communications with the non-contact IC card, and detects a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card.

5. A method of detecting the location of a non-contact IC card, comprising:

performing carrier wave transmission and reception with the non-contact IC card through sequential driving of antennas arranged in a matrix on one plane;

processing signals obtained from carrier waves received by the antennas and calculating the location of the non-contact IC card, based on distribution of the locations of antennas that have received a response from the non-contact IC card; and

detecting a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card.

6. A method of detecting the location of a non-contact IC card, comprising:

performing carrier wave transmission and reception with the non-contact IC card through simultaneous driving of antennas arranged in a matrix on one plane;

detecting the voltage level of each carrier wave received from the non-contact IC card through the antennas;

processing signals obtained from carrier waves received by the antennas and calculating the location of the non-contact IC card, based on the voltage levels detected in the detecting step and the locations of antennas that have received the carrier waves; and

detecting a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card.

7. A method of detecting a location of a non-contact IC card, the method comprising:

performing carrier wave transmission and reception with the non-contact IC card through antennas of a non-contact IC card reader/writer device arranged in a matrix on one plane;

driving the antennas so that the antennas are alternatively, sequentially, or simultaneously driven;

calculating a two-dimensional location of the non-contact IC card on said one plane from communications with the non-contact IC card;

detecting an input operation performed on a touch pad by an operator, by detecting a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card; and

outputting input information detected from the touch pad, in response to a request issued from a device provided outside of the non-contact IC card reader/writer device.

8. A non-contact IC card reader/writer device, comprising:

antennas that perform transmission and reception of carrier waves between the non-contact IC card reader/writer device and a non-contact IC card; and

a control unit that drives the antennas so that the antennas are alternatively, sequentially, or simultaneously driven, calculates a two-dimensional location of the non-contact IC card on one plane from communications with the non-contact IC card, and detects a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card.

9. A method of detecting a location of a non-contact IC card, comprising:

performing carrier wave transmission and reception with the non-contact IC card through antennas of a non-contact IC card reader/writer device arranged in a matrix on one plane;

sequentially driving the antennas;

calculating a two-dimensional location of the non-contact IC card on said one plane from communications with the non-contact IC card; and

detecting a difference between successive locations of the non-contact IC card to provide a pointing function based on movement of the non-contact IC card.