JP2913133B2 - Magnetic head and card reader device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic head and a card reader for recording and reproducing data on a magnetic card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A card-type vending machine and a card-type public telephone are provided with a card reader device having a magnetic head therein, and when a magnetic card is inserted,
The value information of the inserted magnetic card is read by a magnetic head, and the sale of goods and telephone calls are permitted according to the value information. When an article is sold or a call is made, the sales amount and the call charge at this time are subtracted from the value information, and the remaining amount is recorded on a magnetic card by a magnetic head and the card is ejected.

[0003]

However, in such a card reader device, since recording on a magnetic card can be performed by a magnetic head, in recent years, only the card reader device has been deliberately removed from a body such as a vending machine. Take out,
There has been a case where a magnetic card is forged by the card reader device taken out.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent forgery of a magnetic card by the card reader device when the card reader device is intentionally taken out.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides a recording / reproducing operation for a magnetic card when an abnormality is detected when the card is removed from a card-type device such as a card-type vending machine. Is built in the magnetic head. In addition, the card reader device is provided with a non-operation circuit for disabling the recording / reproducing operation of the magnetic head when an abnormality is detected when the magnetic head is removed from the card type device. Further, a magnetic head having a built-in inactive circuit is provided in a card reader device.

[0006]

When an abnormality is detected when the magnetic head is removed from the card type device, the recording / reproducing operation for the magnetic card thereafter becomes inoperative by the built-in inoperative circuit. If an abnormality is detected when the card reader device is removed from the card-type device, the recording / reproducing operation of the magnetic head becomes inoperable by the inoperative circuit. Further, if an abnormality is detected when the card reader device is removed from the card type device, the subsequent recording / reproducing operation of the magnetic head having a built-in inoperative circuit becomes inoperative.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a magnetic head and a card reader device according to the present invention, and shows the configuration of the magnetic head. In the figure, 1 is a magnetic head, 2 is a magnetic head controller, 3 is a CPU, and 4 is an I / O.
, Q1 is a transistor, RL is a relay, and CL is a recording coil.

The magnetic head 1 is built in a card reader used for a card-type device such as a card-type public telephone or a card-type vending machine. When a magnetic card is inserted into the device, data is output to a recording coil CL. The data is recorded on the magnetic card inserted as described above.

Here, the card-type device such as the vending machine has a key 5 for opening and closing the door so that a door of a housing (not shown) of the device can be opened and maintenance of parts and the like inside the device can be performed. A micro switch 6 for detecting the turning operation of the key 5 is provided as shown in FIG. When the key 5 is turned to the left in the figure, the door can be opened. At this time, the projection 5a of the key 5 comes into contact with the microswitch 6 to close its contact, and the key 5 is closed.
When is turned clockwise, the door is closed, and at this time, the contact of the microswitch 6 is opened.

In addition, the card-type device is provided with a door opening detection switch 7 described later for detecting the opening of the door, and both the micro switch 6 and the contact of the door opening detection switch 7 are closed. In this case, a main control unit 10 described later provided in the apparatus recognizes that the door has been normally opened. When the main control unit 10 detects that only the contact point of the door open detection switch 7 is closed, the main control unit 10 recognizes that the door has been abnormally opened, and outputs a data signal a indicating the abnormality to the magnetic head 1 in this case. Upon receiving the data signal a, the CPU 3 in the magnetic head 1 drives the transistor Q1 via the I / O unit 4 to turn off the relay RL. As a result, the contact of the relay RL, which is incorporated in the recording coil CL and is normally made and closed, is brought into a break state, and hence the recording coil CL is turned off.
Even if data recorded on the magnetic card is output to the recording coil CL, data cannot be recorded on the magnetic card.

That is, the magnetic head 1 has a built-in non-operating circuit for disabling recording on the magnetic card, and when the door of the housing of the card-type device is opened intentionally, the non-operating circuit in the magnetic head 1 is provided. Is turned on to prevent data recording on the magnetic card after the magnetic head 1 is used. Therefore, even if the door of the apparatus is intentionally opened and the magnetic head is stolen, the stolen magnetic head cannot be used to forge a magnetic card. In the present embodiment, the recording coil CL is cut by opening the contact of the relay RL when the abnormal opening of the door is detected. However, in this case, a photothyristor may be used. The CL may be cut.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram of the above-mentioned card type device which performs magnetic recording on a magnetic card with a magnetic head. Here, in the card-type device, the main control unit 10, the microswitch 6 for detecting that the door of the housing of the device is opened by the key 5, and the door of the housing of the device are opened. It is composed of the above-described door open detection switch 7 for detecting that the power supply is off, other circuits 8, a power supply unit 9, and a reader / writer unit 11.

The reader / writer unit 11 for performing various processes on the magnetic card inserted into the apparatus is provided with a CP.
U20, I / O unit 21, ROM 22, RAM 23, timer unit 24, sensor buffer 30, motor control unit drive circuit 31, punch drive circuit 32, magnetic reproduction unit 33, write circuit 34, non-operation circuit 35, sensor 40, encoder It comprises a motor 41, a punch solenoid 42 and a magnetic head 43.

Here, when a magnetic card is inserted into the card-type device, the magnetic head 43 records data on the inserted magnetic card. However, as described above, when the state of the contacts of the micro switch 6 and the door opening switch 7 is detected by the main control unit 10 and it is recognized that the door is intentionally opened, the inoperative circuit 35 And data cannot be recorded on the magnetic card. In this case, the non-operation circuit 35 for bringing the magnetic head 43 into the non-operation state is provided by the magnetic head 4.
3 is provided outside without being built in.

FIG. 4 shows that the non-operation circuit 35 is connected to the magnetic head 43.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a main part when provided outside the device. A fuse F is connected to the recording coil CL of the magnetic head 43. Normally, data from the write circuit 34 is output to the recording coil CL via the fuse F, and magnetic recording can be performed on the magnetic card. However, when the main control unit 10 recognizes that the door has been opened intentionally and the data signal a to that effect is transmitted to the CPU 20, the CPU 20 outputs the signal “H” to the inactive circuit 35 via the I / O unit 21. "
The trigger signal c which changes from the level to the “L” level is output. This trigger signal c is supplied to the inverter 5 of the non-operation circuit 35.
0 is inverted and applied to transistor Q2,
As a result, the transistor Q2 turns on. A transistor Q that outputs a large current by turning on the transistor Q2
3 and Q4 are both turned on, and a large current flows through the recording coil CL connected to the outputs of the transistors Q3 and Q4. As a result, the fuse F is blown and the recording coil CL is disconnected.

In such a case, the CPU 20 outputs a data signal b to the write circuit 34 via the I / O section 21, and the data signal b is output from the write circuit 34 to the recording coil CL to be recorded on the magnetic card. Attempting to do so makes it impossible to record data because the recording coil CL is disconnected. Therefore, even if the door of the device is intentionally opened and the card reader / writer unit 11 is stolen, the card cannot be forged using the stolen card reader / writer unit.

In each of the above embodiments, the magnetic head to be disabled is described as a recording head having a recording coil. However, a reading head may be used, or both a recording head and a reading head may be used.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, when an abnormality is detected when a magnetic head for recording / reproducing to / from a magnetic card is removed from the card-type device, the built-in non-operation circuit is used for the subsequent operation. Since the recording / reproducing operation is disabled, the forgery of the magnetic card by the intentionally removed magnetic head can be prevented. Further, if an abnormality is detected when the card reader device is removed from the card type device, the recording / reproducing operation of the magnetic head is disabled by a non-operation circuit, so that the intentionally removed card is removed. Forgery of the card by the reader device can be prevented. In addition, if an abnormality is detected when the card reader device is removed from the card-type device, the subsequent recording / reproducing operation of the magnetic head having a built-in inoperative circuit is disabled, so that the card reader is intentionally deactivated. The device is removed, and the magnetic head in the device is removed to prevent forgery of the magnetic card by the removed magnetic head.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a magnetic head and a card reader device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing an open / closed state of a door of a casing in an apparatus using the apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a main part of the apparatus of the other embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,43 Magnetic head 2 Magnetic head control unit 3,20 CPU 4,21 I / O unit 6 Micro switch 7 Door open detection switch 10 Main control unit 11 Reader / writer unit 33 Magnetic reproduction unit 34 Write circuit 35 Non-operation circuit 50 Inverter CL Recording coil RL Relay F Fuse Q1-Q4 Transistor

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A magnetic head provided in various card-type devices for recording / reproducing information on / from a magnetic card, wherein a recording / reproducing operation for the magnetic card is performed when an abnormality is detected when the magnetic head is removed from the card-type device. 1. A magnetic head, comprising: a non-operating circuit for disabling the circuit. 2. A card reader device provided with a magnetic head for recording and reproducing information on and from a magnetic card disposed in various card-type devices, wherein when an abnormality is detected when the device is removed from the card-type device, A card reader device provided with a non-operation circuit for making a recording / reproduction operation of a magnetic head inoperative. 3. A card reader arranged in various card-type devices for processing a magnetic card, in which an error is detected when recording / reproducing information on / from the magnetic card and when the card-type device is removed from the card-type device. A card reader having a built-in non-operating circuit for disabling the recording / reproducing operation.