JP2698677B2 - IC card and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a structure of an IC card capable of transmitting, receiving, or transferring information using light as a medium, and reading, transmitting, or transferring information of the IC card. The present invention relates to an electronic device that can be used.

(Prior art)

Conventionally, as disclosed in JP-A-59-72583, JP-A-60-41162, or JP-A-62-124998, a light modulation element made of liquid crystal is provided in an IC card, and the light modulation element is driven to transmit light. Alternatively, there is a type in which the information of the IC card is transmitted to an external electronic device by using light as a medium, and a light receiving element is provided on the IC card to transmit the information of the external electronic device to the IC card. Was.

For example, as shown in the plan view of the IC card shown in FIG. 11, the IC card main body 3 is provided with a light modulation element 3a made of liquid crystal and a light receiving element 3b made of a solar cell.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As described above, in the conventional device, the light modulating element 3a made of liquid crystal and the light receiving element 3b made of a solar cell or the like provided on the IC card are provided at separate positions from each other, so that they have a lot of space. Was required.

In external electronic devices, a pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element are provided for the light modulating element 3a of the IC card corresponding to the positions of the light modulating element 3a and the light receiving element 3b of the IC card, respectively. It is necessary to input card information, provide a light emitting element for the light receiving element 3b of the IC card, and output the information to the IC card.

Furthermore, in order to transmit information between IC cards, the IC card storing the information is set in an external electronic device, and the information is temporarily input to the external electronic device via the light modulation element of the IC card. Then, another IC card to be transmitted next had to be newly set in the external electronic device, and the information stored in the external electronic device had to be output to the newly set another IC card. . For this reason, there have been disadvantages in that the operation is complicated and an information transmission error occurs.

An object of the present invention is to efficiently utilize the space of an IC card and to simultaneously mount a plurality of IC cards on an external electronic device to transfer information between the external electronic device and the IC card and between the IC card and another IC card. It is intended to be quick and easy.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention includes a light modulation element, a semiconductor memory, and a semiconductor control circuit for transmitting or blocking light from a window provided on a substrate, in order to eliminate the above-described disadvantages,
In an IC card that transmits information to an external electronic device using light as a medium, a light receiving element is provided inside a light receiving area of the light modulating element, and light transmitted through the light modulating element passes through the light receiving element provided on the same IC card Things.

An external electronic device comprising a light emitting element, a light modulating element, and a light receiving element on which a plurality of IC cards can be mounted. Two sets of a light emitting element, a light modulating element, and a light receiving element are provided. On the optical path of each of the light emitting elements are configured in the opposite direction so that the light projection directions of the light face each other, and the plurality of IC cards are mounted between the light emitting elements,
It is configured so that the window of the IC card coincides with the optical path.

[Action]

The IC card includes an IC card main body, a light modulation element, a light receiving element formed on a part of the light modulation element, a power supply unit, a semiconductor control circuit, and an LSI containing a semiconductor memory.

When information is transmitted from an IC card to an external electronic device, the light emitting element of the external electronic device generates light, and the light modulating element of the IC card set on the optical path is driven by the LSI to store information in the memory of the IC card. Is converted into a series of operations for transmitting or blocking light of the light modulation element, so that the light of the light emitting element is modulated by the light modulation element of the IC card to become a light modulation signal. This light modulation signal is input to a light receiving element of an external electronic device, converted into digital information again, and transmitted to the external electronic device.

When transmitting information from an external electronic device to the IC card, a series of digital information of the external electronic device is converted into a series of operations of transmitting or blocking light of the light modulation element, so that the light of the light emitting element is modulated. It becomes an optical modulation signal. This light modulation signal is input to a light receiving element formed on the light modulation element of the IC card, converted into digital information again, and transmitted to the IC card.

When transmitting information from one IC card to the other IC card, those IC cards are simultaneously attached to an external electronic device.

A series of digital information from one IC card that outputs information is converted into a series of operations for transmitting or blocking light from the light modulator, so that the light from the light emitting element of the external electronic device is modulated and modulated. Signal. The light modulation signal is input to a light receiving element formed in a part of the light modulation element of the other IC card from which information is to be input, and is converted into digital information again, and the information of one IC card is converted to the other IC card. Is transmitted to

The external electronic device of the present invention is configured such that the light emitting direction of each of the set of the light emitting element and the light receiving element is opposite. Since the transmission of information between the IC cards is directional with respect to the light emitting direction, the information of the other IC card can be similarly transmitted to one of the IC cards by using the light in the opposite direction.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration perspective view showing an example of an IC card 2 of the present invention and an electronic system organizer 1 as an external electronic device.
As is well known, the electronic system organizer 1 retrieves necessary data from a database stored in a semiconductor memory built in the IC card 2 by appropriately operating various operation keys 12 for each purpose. And a function of sequentially displaying the data on the liquid crystal display device 13 and inquiring the target data into a database to display the details on the liquid crystal display device 13.

The electronic system notebook 1 according to the present invention is an IC card insertion slot.
11 has a structure in which a plurality of IC cards 2 can be inserted.

FIG. 2 is a sectional structural view of the IC card 2 of the present invention,
A window 21 is provided in a synthetic resin substrate 20, and a light modulation element 23 made of liquid crystal for transmitting or blocking light is provided. A part of the light modulation element 23 includes a solar cell, a phototransistor, or the like. Is formed.

Further, an LSI 25 containing a semiconductor memory and a control circuit is soldered to the board 20, and power is supplied from a power supply unit using a battery (not shown) as a power supply to the board 20 and printed on the board 20 via wiring (not shown).

The output signal of the LSI 25 drives the light modulation element 23 via wiring (not shown) printed on the substrate 20. On both sides of the substrate 20 on which these components and wiring are mounted, light modulation elements
A surface film 26 having a translucent window 22 corresponding to the light receiving area 23 is attached.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a plan view and an elevation view, respectively, of the IC card of the present invention. A light modulating element 23 is provided inside the translucent window 22, and a part of the light modulating element 23 includes a light receiving element 24.
Are formed. The light receiving element 24 is connected to the LSI 25 via a SnO ₂ transparent conductor 27 provided on the light modulation element 23.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the IC card of the present invention. Power is supplied from a power supply unit 28 to an LSI 25 containing a semiconductor memory and a control circuit (not shown), and the LSI 25 drives the light modulation element 23 by an internal control circuit. A series of digital information in the semiconductor memory is converted by the light modulation element 23 into a series of operations for transmitting or blocking light incident from outside.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the electronic organizer 1 according to the present invention.

The electronic system organizer has a power supply 15 for supplying power to each unit and a control unit 14 in which a program for executing a schedule function for searching for phone numbers in alphabetical order or initials or for organizing memory contents in date order is recorded. A keyboard 12 for selecting these programs to be executed and inputting data, a liquid crystal display 13 for displaying input data and output data, and an IC card inserted from the IC card insertion slot 11 in one direction. A light-emitting element 16a that emits light, a light-modulation element 17a composed of a liquid crystal element that modulates the light and sends a signal to a mounted IC card, and a light-receiving element 18a that is formed on a part of the light modulation element 17a One optical transceiver A
A light emitting element 16b which is located at a position opposite to the light transmitting / receiving section A via a plurality of IC cards and emits light in a direction opposite to the light emitting element 16a of the light transmitting / receiving section A; IC
An optical modulator 17b for sending a signal to the card, and the optical modulator 1
The light receiving element 18b is formed in a part of the light receiving element 7b, and the second light transmitting / receiving section B includes the light receiving element 18b.

The optical transmission / reception unit A and the optical transmission / reception unit B in FIG. 5 are inside the IC card insertion slot 11 shown in the schematic configuration perspective view of the electronic system notebook 1 in FIG. In the opposite position. The optical paths (not shown) of the optical transmitting / receiving section A, the optical transmitting / receiving section B, and the plurality of IC cards are substantially the same, and the optical modulating element 23 and the light receiving element 24 mounted on the IC card 2 are connected to the optical transmitting / receiving section A or the optical transmitting / receiving section. It is possible to transmit information to and from the part B using light as a medium.

Next, two IC cards 2a are stored in the electronic system notebook 1 described above.
Regarding the transmission of mutual information when the first and second cards are mounted, the first case is to transmit information from the electronic system notebook 1 to the IC cards 2a and 2b simultaneously, the second is to transfer information from the IC card 2a to the electronic system notebook 1; 1st IC card 2a and 2nd IC card
The case of transmitting information to and from 2b will be described. Sixth
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a case where information is transmitted from the electronic system organizer 1 to a plurality of IC cards 2a and 2b. The light emitting element 16a emits light according to a drive signal from the control unit 14 of the electronic system organizer 1.

At this time, a series of information to be output to the IC cards 2a and 2b is converted into a series of operations of transmitting or blocking light and output to the light modulation element 17a. Then, the light of the light emitting element 16a is modulated by the light modulating element 17a and transmitted to the IC cards 2a and 2b having the same optical path without being disturbed by the light receiving element 18a.

Since the respective light modulation elements 23a and 23b of the IC cards 2a and 2b are controlled so that both light are transmitted as an initial state, the light modulation signal of the electronic system notebook 1 is changed to the IC card.
Each of the light receiving elements 24a, 24b of 2a, 2b easily reaches and is converted into an electric signal, and each of the LSIs 25a,
The information is stored in the semiconductor memory built in 25b, and the transmission of the information ends.

FIG. 7 shows a case where information is transmitted from the IC card 2a to the electronic system organizer 1.

In response to a drive signal from the controller 14 of the electronic system organizer 1, the light emitting element 16a and the light emitting element 16b shown in the block diagram of FIG. 5 emit light at the opposite positions via the IC cards 2a and 2b.

At this time, the IC card that you want to output to the electronic system notebook 1
When the series of information of 2a is converted into a series of operations of transmitting or blocking light and output to the light modulation element 23a, the IC card 2b
Of the electronic system notebook 1 is controlled so that light is transmitted as an initial state.
The light 16b passes through the light modulator 23b of the IC card 2b and is modulated by the light modulator 23a of the IC card 2a. The light modulation signal of the IC card 2a reaches the light receiving element 18a of the electronic organizer 1, is converted into an electric signal, is stored in the semiconductor memory built in the control unit, and the transmission of information is completed.

The light modulating element 17a of the electronic organizer 1 is controlled to transmit light as an initial state, similarly to the light modulating element 17b shown in the block diagram of FIG.

Therefore, the light modulation signal of the IC card 2a arriving at the light receiving element 18a passes through the light modulation element 17a and reaches the light emitting element 16a, but has no effect.

FIG. 8 shows an example of transmitting information from the first IC card 2a to the second IC card 2b.

An IC card is generally a power supply circuit using a battery as power, and does not include a light-emitting element such as an LED that consumes a large amount of power.

Therefore, a drive signal is output from the control unit 14 so that the light emitting element 16a of the electronic system organizer 1 is used as a light emitting source. When a series of digital information of the IC card 2a is converted into a series of operations of transmitting or blocking light and output to the light modulation element 23a, the light modulation element 17a of the electronic system notebook 1 and the IC card 2b
The light modulation element 23b is controlled to transmit light as an initial state. Therefore, the light from the light emitting element 16a is
The light passes through 7a and is modulated by the light modulation element 23a of the IC card 2a to become a light modulation signal. Further, the light modulation signal of the IC card 2a is
The light passes through the light modulation element 23b of the IC card 2b, reaches the light receiving element 24b, is converted into an electric signal, is stored in the semiconductor memory built in the LSI 25b of the IC card 2b, and the transmission of information is completed.

In the example of FIG. 8, the first IC card 2a to the second IC card
2b, the information is transmitted to the second IC card 2b.
In order to transmit information from the first IC card 2a to the first IC card 2a, the light source as a medium for transmitting information is the light emitting element 16a shown in FIG.
And the opposite via the IC cards 2a and 2b, and the light emitting element 16b shown in FIG. 5 may be used.

As described in FIG. 8, when a series of information of the IC card 2b is output to the light modulation element 23b, the light of the light emitting element 16b of the electronic organizer 1 passes through the light modulation element 17b and passes through the IC card 23b.
And arrives at the light receiving element 24a of the IC card 2a and is converted into an electric signal. Further, the information is stored in the semiconductor memory built in the IC card 2a, and the transmission of the information ends.

Up to now, the case where there are two IC cards has been described, but the same applies to a case where there are a plurality of IC cards.

Furthermore, even when the front and back of the IC card are mounted upside down, two sets of light emitting elements, light modulating elements, and light receiving elements of the electronic system organizer, and plural sets of light modulating elements and light receiving elements of the IC card are provided. Are provided at positions where the optical paths of light, which are the mediums for transmitting the information, are the same, so that information can be transmitted in the same manner.

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a processing procedure of the control unit 14 of the electronic system organizer 1 when information is transmitted from the electronic system organizer 1 to the IC cards 2a and 2b. Processing such as data search and inquiry, reading of various operation keys 12, and display on the liquid crystal display device 13 performed by the system organizer 1 is performed.
It is determined whether it is necessary to transmit information to the cards 2a and 2b.
If necessary, in step S3, the light emitting element 16a is instructed to generate light. In step S4, the optical modulation element 17a is instructed to perform optical modulation, and a series of digital information to be transmitted is converted into a series of states of transmitting or blocking light of the optical modulation element 17a and output to the IC cards 2a and 2b. Is done. In step S5, it is determined whether transmission of a series of digital information has been completed,
When the processing is completed, in step S6, an instruction to turn off the light of the light emitting element 16a of the electronic system organizer 1 is issued. The series of digital information to be transmitted has a destination code corresponding to the IC card to be transmitted at the beginning, and can be transmitted to one or both of the IC cards 2a and 2b.

FIG. 10 shows that when an optical modulation signal is output from the electronic organizer 1 to the IC cards 2a and 2b, each LSI 2
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a processing procedure performed by a control circuit built in 5a, 25b, and the IC card 2a will be described. In step S11, other processing such as initial setting so that light is transmitted through the light modulation element 23a and checking the storage capacity of the semiconductor memory built in the LSI 25a is performed, and in step S12 whether or not there is a light modulation signal That is, the light receiving element 24a
Detects if information has been entered into the If there is information, start reading immediately, and in step S13 various ICs
It reads the destination code unique to the card and determines whether it is addressed to itself. If it is not addressed to yourself, return to step S11.If addressed to yourself, read a series of information following the destination code and read
The data is stored and stored in a semiconductor memory built in the LSI 25a.

Similarly, to transmit information from the IC card 2a to the electronic system organizer 1, for example. By operating the keyboard 12 of the electronic system organizer 1 and outputting the destination code and the information transmission instruction signal specific to the IC card 2a from the electronic system organizer 1 as an optical modulation signal, whether or not both the IC cards 2a and 2b have information. That is, it is detected whether or not information is input to each of the light receiving elements 24a and 24b, and if there is information, reading is started immediately, and first, the own destination code and the information transmission instruction signal are output together. Determine if it has come.

When the optical modulation signal includes the destination code unique to the IC card 2a and the information output instruction signal, the IC card 2a determines this and prepares to transmit information from the IC card 2a. When the output of the optical modulation signal ends, the electronic system organizer 1 turns off the light emitting element 16a, emits the light emitting element 16b at the opposite position via the IC cards 2a and 2b, and outputs the optical modulation signal of the IC card 2a. It can be so. The IC card 2a knows that the light emitting element 16b of the electronic system organizer 1 has emitted light from the light receiving element 24a, starts modulation of the light modulating element 23a, and outputs a light modulation signal. This light modulation signal is a light receiving element of the electronic system notebook 1.
18a, information is transmitted from the IC card 2a to the electronic system organizer 1.

Further, in order to transmit information from the IC card 2a to the IC card 2b, the user operates the keyboard 12 of the electronic system organizer 1 to output the destination code of the IC card 2a and the information output instruction signal from the electronic system organizer 1 as an optical modulation signal. Then, it outputs the destination code of the IC card 2b and the information input instruction signal as an optical modulation signal.

In order to transmit information from the IC card 2a to the IC card 2b, the light emission direction of the light emitting element 16a of the electronic system notebook 1 is
First, there is the light modulation element 23a of the IC card 2a, and the light modulation signal needs to be input to the light receiving element 24b of the IC card 2b.

When the IC cards 2a and 2b are mounted in the reverse order with respect to the light emitting element 16a, the light emitting element 17a located at a position opposite to the light emitting element 16a needs to be used as a light source. Therefore, the electronic system organizer 1 first needs to know the relative positions of the IC cards 2a and 2b, and outputs a relative position detection signal as an optical modulation signal from the IC card 2a which has been instructed to output information and has detected the signal as a light modulation signal. In the meantime, the light emitting source of the electronic
Switch from 16a to light emitting element 16b.

The IC card 2b instructed to input the information inputs the relative position detection signal, and can know from the detected timing whether the light source is the light emitting element 16a or 16b.

Next, the IC card 2b outputs this result to the electronic system organizer as an optical modulation signal, and the electronic organizer knows the relative positions of the IC cards 2a and 2b based on this signal, and sets the light emitting source to the light emitting element
If it is determined to be either the light emitting element 6a or the light emitting element 16b and a series of information of the IC card 2a is output as an optical modulation signal, the IC card 2b inputs this and transmission of information is completed.

As another embodiment relating to the light receiving element of the IC card, a light receiving element composed of a silicon solar cell is formed on the light modulation element in a pattern or a thinner film to improve light transmittance. You may have it.

〔The invention's effect〕

In the present invention, since the light receiving element is formed in the light receiving area of the light modulating element of the IC card so as to facilitate transmission of the light modulating signal, the light modulating element and the light receiving And are provided at separate positions from each other,
The space occupied by elements for information transmission is reduced, and more semiconductor elements can be formed by the extra space of the IC card. Further, information can be simultaneously transmitted to a plurality of IC cards from an external electronic device.

The present invention is also configured such that the light emitting directions of the light emitting elements of the external electronic device are opposite to each other via the IC card.
The transmission of information between the IC cards can be directly performed between the IC cards, so that the operability and the reliability of the information transmission can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an IC card and an electronic system organizer showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional structural view of the IC card of the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an IC card according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic organizer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the transmission of information from the notebook to the IC card, FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the transmission of information from the IC card to the electronic system notebook, and FIG. 8 is the transmission of information between the IC cards. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit of the electronic system organizer when transmitting information from the electronic system organizer to the IC card according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Flow chart showing the processing procedure of the control circuit of the IC card A. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a conventional IC card. 1 ... Electronic system notebook, 2 ... IC card, 20 ... substrate, 22 ... translucent window, 23 ... light modulation element, 24 ... light receiving element, 25 ... LSI, 26 ... surface film, 14 ... Control section of electronic system organizer, 16a ... Light emitting element, 16b ... Light emitting element, 17a ... Light modulation element, 17b ... Light modulation element, 18a ...
Light receiving element, 18b ... Light receiving element, 23a ... Light modulating element of IC card 2a, 23b ... Light modulating element of IC card 2b, 24a ... Light receiving element of IC card 2a, 24b ... Light receiving element of IC card 2b .

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An IC comprising a light modulation element for transmitting or blocking light from a window provided on a substrate, a semiconductor memory, and a semiconductor control circuit, and transmitting information to an external electronic device using the light as a medium. In the card, a light receiving element is provided inside the light receiving area of the light modulation element, and light transmitted through the light modulation element passes through the light receiving element provided on the same IC card.
IC card. 2. An external electronic device comprising a light emitting element, a light modulating element, and a light receiving element to which a plurality of IC cards according to claim 1 can be mounted, wherein a set of the light emitting element, the light modulating element, and the light receiving element is two. The light emitting elements are arranged in opposite directions so that the light projecting directions of the respective light emitting elements face each other on the same optical path.
An electronic device, wherein an IC card is mounted and a window of the IC card is configured to coincide with an optical path of the IC card.