JP2580964B2 - Embossed card reader - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an embossed card reader, and more particularly to an embossed card reader having improved reading performance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional embossed card reader.

A conventional embossed card reader includes an LED array 1 for projecting light onto an embossed card 6, a lens array 2 for condensing light reflected from the embossed card 6, and a light receiving element for collecting light condensed by the lens array 2. CCD sensor 3
And a processing circuit 4 for processing an output signal of the CCD sensor 3.

The light projected from the LED array 1 strikes the embossed card 6, and among the light reflected in four directions due to the unevenness of the embossed card 6, the light entering the lens array 2 is focused and forms an image on the CCD sensor 3. In the image formed on the CCD sensor 3, the unevenness of the embossed card 6 becomes a shadow, and the unevenness can be recognized as a character.

[0005] The shadow of the image formed on the CCD sensor 3 is output as the intensity of the output of the CCD sensor 3.

[0006]

However, in this conventional embossed card reader, the angle of the LED array 1 with respect to the embossed card 6 and the angle of the lens array 2 and the CCD sensor 3 with respect to the embossed card 6 are fixed. CC of embossed card 6
The intensity of the output of the D sensor 3 appeared, and the density of the tint block could not be adjusted. Therefore, since the device is designed with the tint block of the embossed card 6 having an average tint block average, the tint block becomes difficult to see when the tint block of the embossed card 6 is extremely dark or light. is there.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an embossed card reader having improved reading performance of an embossed card.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and comprises a light source for projecting light onto an embossed card, and a light reflected from the embossed card to receive an electric signal. A light receiving unit for conversion, a processing circuit for detecting unevenness of the embossed card based on the electric signal, and a projection angle variable mechanism for changing an angle at which light is projected on the embossed card are provided.

[0009] In addition, instead of the projection angle variable mechanism, a light receiving angle variable mechanism for changing an angle at which reflected light from the embossed card is received may be provided.

Further, instead of the variable projection angle mechanism, a projection light receiving angle that changes these angles so that the angle at which light is projected onto the embossed card and the angle at which light reflected from the embossed card is received are the same. It may be provided with a variable mechanism.

[0011]

The light from the light source is reflected by the emboss card, received by the light receiving section, and converted into an electric signal. The processing circuit reads an image on the embossed card based on the electric signal.
On the embossed card, information on unevenness and copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is formed. The projection light receiving angle variable mechanism moves the light source or light receiving unit to increase the incident angle or reflection angle of the light on the embossed card for those with low tint block, and for those with high tint block density. Reduces the angle of incidence or reflection of light on the embossed card.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embossed card reader according to the present invention has an LED array 1 as a light source for projecting light onto the embossed card 6, and a light receiving unit for receiving reflected light from the embossed card 6 and converting it into an electric signal. Lens array 2 and CC
D sensor 3 and an embossed card 6 based on the electric signal.
A processing circuit 4 for detecting the unevenness of the projection light; a projection light receiving angle variable mechanism 5 for changing the angles at which the light is projected onto the embossed card 6 and the angle at which the reflected light from the embossed card 6 is received are the same; It is provided with.

The lens array 2 focuses the incident light, out of the light scattered on the unevenness of the embossed card 6, and forms an image of the reflected light on the light receiving surface of the CCD sensor 3. CC
The D sensor 3 outputs the density of the light image formed on the light receiving surface as the intensity of the output signal. The processing circuit 4 receives the output signal of the CCD sensor 3, performs processing by an electric circuit, binarizes the image of the embossed card 6, and outputs it to an output medium (not shown) such as a printer, a display, or a hard disk.
Format that is easy to output to The variable projection light receiving angle mechanism 5
It is composed of a stepping motor (not shown) and the like.
The ED array 1, the lens array 2, and the CCD sensor 3 are rotated in the opening direction a or the closing direction b about the embossed card 6, for example, as a center O.

Next, the operation of the embossed card reader according to the present invention will be described.

The light entering the lens array 2 includes not only the light shading due to the unevenness but also the intensity of the light due to the shading of the tint block of the embossed card 6. If the angle of incidence of light with respect to the embossed card 6 is small, the influence of the density of the tint block of the embossed card 6 decreases, and the influence of the density of the tint block increases as the incident angle increases.

The density of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern of the embossed card 6 is not uniformly determined, and thus varies.

For this reason, the LE for the embossed card 6
The angle of the D array 1, the lens array 2 and the CCD sensor 3 is changed by a projection / reception angle changing mechanism 5 which changes the angles in accordance with the density of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern.

For example, when the density of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern of the embossed card 6 is low, the influence of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is increased by making the incident angle larger than the standard angle (see FIG. 2).

When the density of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern of the embossed card 6 is high, the angle of incidence is made smaller than the standard angle to reduce the influence of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern (see FIG. 3).

In place of the variable projection light receiving angle mechanism 5,
A variable projection angle mechanism that changes only the angle at which light is projected onto the embossed card 6 may be used, or a variable light reception angle mechanism that changes only the angle at which light reflected from the embossed card 6 is received may be used.

[0021]

As described above, according to the embossed card reader according to the present invention, since the mechanism for varying the angle between the light source and the light receiving portion with respect to the embossed card is provided, the tint block of the embossed card at the light receiving portion is provided. Since the influence can be adjusted, the reading performance of the embossed card can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a main part of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 LED array (light source) 2 Lens array (light-receiving part) 3 CCD sensor (light-receiving part) 4 Processing circuit 5 Projection light-receiving angle variable mechanism 6 Emboss card

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A light source for projecting light onto an embossed card;
A light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the embossed card and converts the reflected light into an electric signal; a processing circuit that detects unevenness of the embossed card based on the electric signal; and a projection angle variable that changes an angle at which light is projected on the embossed card. An embossed card reader having a mechanism. 2. A light source for projecting light onto the embossed card;
A light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the embossed card and converts it into an electric signal; a processing circuit that detects unevenness of the embossed card based on the electric signal; and a light receiving unit that changes an angle at which the reflected light from the embossed card is received An embossed card reader having a variable angle mechanism. 3. A light source for projecting light onto the embossed card;
A light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the embossed card and converts it into an electric signal, a processing circuit that detects unevenness of the embossed card based on the electric signal, and an angle at which light is projected on the embossed card and the embossed card. An embossed card reader comprising a projection light receiving angle variable mechanism for changing the angles at which reflected light is received so as to be the same.