JP3717136B2 - Gap size detection method, gap size detection laminate, and gap size detection device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a method for detecting the size of a gap in a conveyance path through which a card passes in an automatic ticket gate for a train, an automatic ticket gate for a bus, or a card insertion device such as a credit card or prepaid card reader. is there. The present invention also relates to a gap dimension detecting laminate and a gap dimension detecting apparatus which are directly used for carrying out this method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In train and bus automatic ticket gates, telephone card type telephones, and credit card and prepaid card readers, the magnetic card is passed between the transport roller and the magnetic head to read the contents of the card or to create new data. Is written. In this case, in order to surely perform reading and writing by the magnetic head, it is necessary to appropriately manage the contact pressure between the magnetic head and the card.
[0003]
Further, it is necessary to appropriately manage the gap size with the read head even in a card other than the magnetic card. For this reason, it is necessary to accurately adjust the gap formed between the read head and the conveying roller facing the read head based on the thickness of the card. Conventionally, the machine was disassembled and adjusted by applying a thickness gauge, or the card was repeatedly inserted and adjusted.
[0004]
[Problems of conventional technology]
As described above, the conventional method of adjusting the size of the gap by passing the card through the gap many times is troublesome and requires a long adjustment time.
[0005]
In particular, in an automatic ticket gate that is extremely frequently used, an operator must inspect every morning, and it is a big problem that the work efficiency is poor because of this time-consuming work. In addition, it depends on the experience and intuition of the operator, and there is a problem that the adjustment of the gap is subjective and uneven or is likely to be inaccurate.
[0006]
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and can easily and accurately measure the gap through which the card passes, and the gap adjustment can be performed objectively and accurately without relying on the experience and intuition of the operator. It is a first object of the present invention to provide a gap size detection method that makes it possible. It is a second object of the present invention to provide a gap size detection laminate that is directly used in the implementation of this method. It is a third object of the present invention to provide a gap size detecting device which is directly used for carrying out this size.
[0007]
[Structure of the invention]
According to the present invention, a first object is a method for detecting a dimension of a gap for passing a card, and electrically detects a pressure applied in the thickness direction arranged substantially along the insertion direction of the card. An elastic mat having a thickness that gradually decreases in the card insertion direction is passed through the gap in a state where the pressure sensor overlaps at least the pressure sensor. This is achieved by a gap dimension detecting method characterized in that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor of the first sensor is stored, and the stored pressure is read after passing through the gap to determine the dimension of the gap.
[0008]
The elastic mat used here may have a thickness that changes stepwise toward the tip, but may also be one that is continuously inclined. The pressure data detected by each pressure sensor when the laminated body of the elastic mat and the pressure measurement board is passed through the gap is temporarily stored in the memory part provided on the pressure measurement board, and the contents of this memory part after passing through the gap Can be transferred to the external host computer via a wiring code, and the pressure distribution can be analyzed by this external host computer. The pressure data detected when the laminated body passes through the gap can be read by a reader provided in the conveyance path in a non-contact manner via an antenna, and further transferred from the reader to an external host computer.
[0009]
The second object includes an elastic mat having a stepped portion that increases stepwise from the front end, and a pressure measurement substrate having a number of pressure sensors stacked on the elastic mat and arranged along the stepped portion. This is achieved by a gap size detecting laminate. It may be a continuous slope instead of the stepped portion. Here, the pressure sensor may be a load cell using a strain gauge or a diffusion type semiconductor pressure sensor. In addition, two sheets are prepared by coating a number of parallel thin-line electrodes formed on one side of the insulating sheet with a thin film of pressure-sensitive resistance ink, and the sheets are stacked so that the electrodes of each sheet are substantially orthogonal to each other. Thus, the intersection of each electrode can be used as a pressure sensor. In this case, a large number of pressure sensors are arranged in a matrix, and a two-dimensional pressure distribution can be detected.
[0010]
The pressure measurement board has a microcomputer, a semiconductor memory, and an external connection terminal. Pressure data is stored in the semiconductor memory when passing through the gap, and connected to an external host computer via the external connection terminal after passing through the gap. Data can be transferred to an external host computer. Data transfer may be performed wirelessly. For example, a single chip computer and an antenna are provided in the laminate, and data is transferred between the reader antenna provided in the card transport path. In this case, the single chip computer includes a processing unit that processes the output of the pressure sensor, a modulation unit, and a transmission / reception unit.
[0011]
As a power source for a laminated microcomputer, a semiconductor memory, a single chip computer, etc., a battery having a plate shape or a foil shape can be used. In this case, a switch is provided in the laminate, and the switch is manually turned on immediately before the laminate is put into the conveyance path, or this switch is automatically turned on by the pressure of the conveyance roller or the like while moving in the conveyance path. You may do it. It is also possible to form a magnetic field in the card transport path, charge a capacitor or the like using a magnetic induction electromotive force generated when passing through the magnetic field, and use the charged charge as a power source.
[0012]
A third object is a gap dimension detecting device for detecting a dimension of a gap through which a card is passed. The gap dimension detecting apparatus is provided in a gap dimension detecting laminated body that is passed through a path of the card, and the transport path of the card. A reader for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and information to and from the laminate, and an external host computer connected to the reader; the gap dimension detecting laminate from the front end toward the rear end An elastic mat formed with stepped portions that increase stepwise in a stepwise manner, a pressure measurement substrate that is stacked on the elastic mat and has a number of pressure sensors arranged along the stepped portion, and a processing unit that processes the output of the pressure sensor A single-chip computer including a modulation unit and a reception / transmission unit; and an antenna; the reader processes an external antenna, a transmission / reception unit, a demodulation unit, and an output of the demodulation unit to output an external host computer; A microcomputer that transmits and receives information to and from a computer; and the external host computer obtains a pressure receiving distribution based on data received by the reader and obtains a dimension of the gap. Achieved.
[0013]
[Action]
When the laminate passes through the gap, the elastic mat is impacted on the slope or step with a height corresponding to the size of the gap, and then the slope or step with a height higher than this height is affected by the amount of movement of the laminate. Correspondingly increasing pressure is applied in the thickness direction of the laminate.
[0014]
For this reason, the detection of the pressure sensor below the position (slope or step) where the impact is first applied and the pressure sensor below the position where the height gradually increases among the many pressure sensors on the pressure measurement board. Pressure increases. This pressure change is processed by the processing unit, stored in the memory unit, and later transferred to the external host computer. Further, the pressure change detected by the pressure sensor may be sent wirelessly via an antenna to a reader installed on the conveyance path side and transferred from the reader to an external host computer.
[0015]
The external host computer obtains the pressure distribution applied to the pressure measurement substrate when passing through the gap based on the read data, and obtains the gap dimension from this pressure distribution. In addition, by analyzing the change in the card width direction and the time change of this pressure distribution when the laminate passes through the gap, the quality of the conveyance path setting such as how much the laminate shakes left and right during conveyance is judged. You can also
[0016]
Embodiment
1 is a view showing a card transport path of an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view in the vicinity of a magnetic head, FIG. 3 is a principle explanatory view, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an elastic mat. 3A is a side view of the laminate, FIG. 3B is a plan view, and FIG. 3C shows a change in detected pressure.
[0017]
1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a rectangular magnetic card having a magnetic powder coating layer 12 on one surface of a plastic thin plate. The magnetic powder coating layer 12 is provided in parallel to the insertion direction of the magnetic card 10, that is, in parallel to the long side of the card 10. The automatic ticket gate takes the card 10 from the take-in rollers 14 and 14 and conveys the card 10 between the conveyer belts 16, 16 and 18 and 18, and the paper is discharged by the guide roller 20 and the discharge rollers 22 and 22.
[0018]
A data reading / writing unit 24 of the card 10 is interposed between the conveyor belts 16, 16 and 18, 18. That is, it has a transport roller 26 that is in rolling contact with the surface of the card 10 where the magnetic powder coating layer 12 is not present, and a magnetic head 28 that faces the roller 26 and contacts the magnetic powder coating layer 12 of the card 10. As the card 10 moves, the magnetic head 28 reads the data of the magnetic powder coating layer 12 and, on the contrary, writes new data.
[0019]
In this case, if the gap between the magnetic head 28 and the card 10 fluctuates, it is impossible to read / write data accurately. On the other hand, if the gap is too small, the card 10 may be damaged or the card may be jammed. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately manage the gap G (see FIG. 3) between the transport roller 26 and the magnetic head 28 so that the contact pressure of the magnetic head 28 to the card 10 is appropriate.
[0020]
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 30 denotes a laminate for detecting a gap dimension. The laminated body 30 is formed by laminating a pressure measurement substrate 32 (to be described later), an elastic mat 34 held in close contact with the substrate 32, and a sufficiently thin film 36 covering the elastic mat 34.
[0021]
The elastic mat 34 used here is made entirely of, for example, silicon rubber, and has a large number of striped ridges 38 parallel to the insertion direction A of the card 10 as shown in FIGS. On the upper surface of each ridge 38, a stepped step portion 40 that gradually decreases in the insertion direction A is formed. The height and number of the stepped portions 40 are determined according to the size of the gap G to be measured and the detection accuracy. For example, the difference in height of each step of the step portion 40 is 10 μm, and the height of the uppermost step of the step portion 40 is about 150 μm.
[0022]
Next, the pressure measurement substrate 32 will be described. The substrate 32 has a pair of upper and lower sheets 50, 50 formed of a resin film such as a polyester film, and a number of pressure sensors 52 sandwiched between the sheets 50, 50. The pressure sensors 52 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction (feed direction) of the laminate 30 corresponding to the ridges 38 of the elastic mat 34. That is, one pressure sensor 52 corresponds to each step 40 of the ridge 38.
[0023]
A total of four groups of pressure sensors 52 arranged along one ridge 38 may be provided corresponding to all the ridges 38, but when the position of the magnetic head 28 is determined in advance. It is sufficient to provide only one group of pressure sensors 54 corresponding to the ridges 38 with which the magnetic head 28 contacts. In this case, the other ridges 38 do not contribute to the pressure detection, but the conveyance roller stabilizes the conveyance of the laminated body 30 by uniformly contacting and pressing all the ridges 38 during conveyance of the laminated body 30. Has an effect.
[0024]
A load cell can be used as the pressure sensor 52 used here. As this load cell, for example, a load cell having a structure for detecting a displacement amount of a movable plate such as a diaphragm displaced by pressure with a strain gauge attached to the movable plate can be used. The pressure sensor 52 may be a diffusion type semiconductor pressure sensor. This diffusion-type semiconductor pressure sensor is obtained by thermally diffusing a strain-resistant material into a predetermined pattern by applying semiconductor manufacturing technology to the surface of a diaphragm made of silicon single crystal. This utilizes the fact that the electrical resistance of the strain resistance material changes due to the applied strain.
[0025]
A microcomputer 56, a semiconductor memory 58, a battery 60, an external connection terminal 62, a switch 64, and the like are sandwiched between the upper and lower sheets 50, 50 (see FIG. 3B). The microcomputer 56 amplifies the output signal of each pressure sensor 52, converts it into, for example, a digital signal of 8 bits (256 steps), and stores it in the memory 58. The switch 64 is turned on manually or by being pressed by the conveying roller, and after resetting the computer 56, the memory 58, etc., the switch 64 is operated for a certain period of time to enable pressure detection and enable memory.
[0026]
Therefore, if this laminated body 30 is put into the card conveyance path and passed through the gap between the magnetic head 28 and the roller 26, the step portion 40A corresponding to the gap dimension of the elastic mat 34 (FIG. 3A). The pressure applied to the pressure sensor 52A located at (see) increases. As the stacked body 30 moves, the pressure of the pressure sensor 52 corresponding to the higher stepped portion 40 increases sequentially. The pressure signals of these pressure sensors 52A and 52 are read into the microcomputer 56, converted into digital signals, and stored in the memory 58.
[0027]
When the stacked body 30 is discharged from the conveyance path, a terminal (not shown) corresponding to the external connection terminal 62 is connected, and the contents of the memory 58 are read out to an external host computer (not shown). The external host computer analyzes the pressure distribution using the read data, and obtains the gap size G from the pressure distribution. For example, as shown in FIG. 3C, the pressure P applied to the position of each pressure sensor 52 is obtained, the step portion 40A where the pressure P increases rapidly is obtained, and the gap dimension G is obtained from the height of the step portion 40A. be able to.
[0028]
[Other Embodiments]
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a laminate used in another embodiment, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the internal structure of a pressure measurement substrate used in the laminate, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the pressure sensor. 8 is a side sectional view, FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the gap size detection apparatus using this laminate, and FIG. 10 is a view showing an output example of the detection result.
[0029]
In FIG. 5, 30A is a laminated body, and this laminated body 30A is obtained by laminating a pressure measurement substrate 32A and a film 36A on the lower surface and the upper surface of an elastic mat 34A, respectively. The elastic mat 34 </ b> A used here may be the same as the elastic mat 34 shown in FIG. 4, but it is preferable that each step 40 is continuous in the width direction (the short side direction of the substrate 30 </ b> A). . That is, as will be described later, since the pressure measurement substrate 32A can detect the pressure distribution two-dimensionally, it is possible to obtain a two-dimensional pressure distribution by making the step portion 40 continuous in the width direction. is there.
[0030]
The pressure measurement substrate 32A is formed with a large number of parallel thin-line electrodes 72 (72A, 72B) on one side of an insulating sheet 70 (70A, 70B) such as a polyester film, and each electrode 72 is formed as a thin film 74 of pressure-sensitive resistance ink. Two pieces coated with (74A, 74B) are used. That is, these two sheets 70A and 70B are overlapped so that the electrodes 72A and 72B are orthogonal to each other. Here, the thin film 74 of the pressure-sensitive resistance ink has a property that the electric resistance value changes according to the magnitude of the pressure applied thereto. For this reason, the intersection of both electrodes 72A and 72B forms a pressure sensor. That is, since the intersections are two-dimensionally distributed in a matrix, a two-dimensional pressure distribution can be detected by using this substrate 32A.
[0031]
As the pressure-sensitive resistance ink used here, those disclosed in JP-A-5-248971, JP-A-3-501221, JP-A-62-502665 and the like can be used. For example, an acetone solvent containing graphite can be used. In a preferred embodiment, a conductive ink containing graphite, a vinyl resin and butyl cellosolve acetate is mixed into an insulating ink containing a titanium dioxide filler, a vinyl resin binder and a butyl cellosolve acetate solvent. The distance between the electrodes 72A and 72B can be set to 1.27 mm (0.05 inch), but it is needless to say that the distance can be changed according to the required resolution of the pressure distribution.
[0032]
A single chip computer 76 and an antenna 78 are provided between the insulating sheets 70A and 70B. As shown in FIG. 9, the single chip computer 76 includes a receiving unit 80, a control unit 82 incorporating a memory, a modulating unit 84, and a transmitting unit 86. The electrodes 72A and 72B are connected to a data input terminal of the computer 76 by a circuit pattern 88 (see FIG. 6) formed on the sheets 70A and 70B. The circuit pattern 88 is formed by a printed circuit forming method together with the electrode 72 and the antenna 78.
[0033]
For example, a photoresist solution is applied to the copper foil adhered to the sheet 70, the pattern of the circuit pattern 88, the electrode 72, the antenna 78, etc. is exposed and cured, the unnecessary photoresist is removed, and then the unnecessary copper foil portion is etched. A necessary pattern can be formed by removing by the above. As will be described later, the computer 76 operates using an electromagnetic electromotive force induced in the antenna 78 when the antenna 78 passes through the magnetic field as a power source.
[0034]
This laminated body 30 is used in combination with a reader 90 (FIG. 9) provided in the card conveyance path. The reader 90 includes an external antenna 92, a transmission unit 94, a reception unit 96, a demodulation unit 98, and a microcomputer 100. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 102 denotes an external host computer, and reference numeral 104 denotes a power source. When a control signal output from the external host computer 102 enters the microprocessor 100 of the reader 90, the transmitter 94 emits an interrogation radio wave from the external antenna 92. This interrogation radio wave also serves as a radio wave for feeding (feeding wave).
[0035]
When the laminated body 30A is sent to the card conveyance path and the antenna 78 receives the interrogation radio wave, the receiving unit 80 of the single chip computer 76 sends the electromagnetic induction electromotive force serving as a power source to the control unit 82. Charge the built-in capacitor (not shown). The charge of this capacitor becomes the power source. The receiving unit 80 also sends a control signal received by the antenna 78 to the control unit 82. In response to this control signal, the controller 82 reads the pressure distribution data detected by the pressure measurement board 32A and temporarily stores it in the memory.
[0036]
For example, the control signal is read into the receiving unit 80 immediately before the stacked body 30A enters the gap, and the control unit 82 starts scanning the electrodes 72A and 72B based on the reading of the control signal. And the electrical resistance of the intersection of electrode 72A and 72B is calculated | required sequentially about all the intersections. This operation is repeated at a very high speed compared to the feeding speed of the laminated plate 30A while the laminated plate 30A passes through the gap. This electrical resistance indicates the pressure applied to the intersection. The modulator 84 modulates the data indicating this pressure and sends it to the transmitter 86. The transmitter 86 transmits this data on the radio wave from the antenna 78.
[0037]
The external antenna 92 on the reader 90 side receives this radio wave and sends it to the receiving unit 96. The received wave is demodulated by the demodulator 98, then sent to the microprocessor 100, and further sent to the external host computer 102. The external host computer 102 uses the data indicating the pressure to obtain a pressure distribution applied to the substrate 32A when the stacked body 30A passes through the gap.
[0038]
FIG. 10 shows an output example of the pressure distribution detected by the laminated plate 30A. In these drawings, reference numeral 28 denotes a magnetic head, and the laminated body 30 moves the magnetic head 28 from right to left. Further, Q indicated by oblique lines indicates a range in which the pressure detected by the laminated body 30A is equal to or greater than a certain threshold value and the magnetic head 28 hits the stepped portion 40A of the elastic mat 34A (FIG. 5).
[0039]
FIG. 10A shows a range Q in which the head 28 has hit. _A The case where is formed in a straight line is shown. From this result, it can be seen that the laminated body 30A is sent in a straight line in a correct state, that is, in a direction parallel to the long side. FIG. 10B shows a range Q in which the head 28 has hit. _B Shows a case where is formed obliquely with respect to the laminated body 30A. From this result, it can be seen that the laminated body 30A moves while being inclined obliquely on the conveyance path.
[0040]
FIG. 10C shows the range Q. _C Shows a case where meandering is formed to meander with respect to the laminate 30A. From this result, it is understood that the laminated body 30A is sent while meandering in the width direction in the conveyance path. In this way, it is possible to determine the quality of the card transport path from the shape of the range Q.
[0041]
[Other Embodiments]
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of another embodiment of the gap size detecting device. In this embodiment, the data shown in FIGS. 5 to 9 is for transferring the data of the stacked body 30B wirelessly to the reader 90 via radio waves, whereas the data is transferred to the semiconductor memory 120 in the stacked body 30B. Temporary storage is performed, a wiring cord is connected after passing through the gap, and the data in the memory 120 is transferred to the external host computer 122 to obtain the pressure distribution.
[0042]
That is, the pressure measurement board of the laminate 30B has substantially the same electrode structure as that shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and has a computer (CPU) 124, a semiconductor memory 120, a battery 126, and an external connection terminal 128. . This terminal 128 can be connected to the host computer 122 through another connection terminal 130 paired therewith.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
In the invention of claim 1, as described above, at least a pressure sensor is provided on an elastic mat whose thickness gradually decreases in the card insertion direction on a pressure measurement board provided with a number of pressure sensors in the card insertion direction. The pressure detected by the pressure sensor at this time is memorized in a state of being overlapped so as to be covered, and the pressure distribution is obtained by reading the memorized data after the laminate passes through the gap. The size of the gap can be obtained from the distribution.
[0044]
For this reason, the size of the gap can be accurately detected in a short time with an extremely simple operation, and the efficiency of the gap adjustment can be significantly increased. In addition, it is possible to objectively and accurately adjust the gap without relying on the operator's intuition. In particular, the pressure sensor should be able to detect pressure in multiple steps or continuously, and if the pressure can be stored in the memory in multiple steps, the pressure distribution in the width direction of the laminate or card or the conveyance of the laminate or card It becomes possible to detect the dynamic pressure change more finely and further improve the accuracy of the gap adjustment.
[0045]
A memory unit for storing pressure is provided on the laminated body side, and after the laminated body passes through the gap, the data of the memory unit is transferred to an external host computer, where the pressure distribution is obtained and the conveyance state can be analyzed (claim) Item 2). Data transfer between the memory unit and the external host computer may be performed by connecting with a wiring cord via a connection terminal (connector), but via an antenna provided on each of the stacked body and the conveyance path. You may carry out by non-contact by radio | wireless (Claim 3).
[0046]
According to invention of Claim 4, the laminated body used directly for implementation of the method in any one of the said Claims 1-3 can be obtained. As a pressure sensor used here, a load cell using a strain gauge can be used (Claim 5), but a diffusion type semiconductor pressure sensor may be used (Claim 6). The pressure sensors may be one-dimensionally arranged in the card conveying direction (longitudinal direction), but may be two-dimensionally arranged in large numbers.
[0047]
In the case of two-dimensional arrangement, the following configuration can be used. That is, by using two sheets in which a large number of parallel linear electrodes formed on one side are covered with a thin film of pressure-sensitive resistance ink, the two sheets are overlapped so that the electrodes of both sheets are substantially orthogonal to each other. A pressure sensor is formed at the intersection of (Claim 7). In this case, since the pressure sensors are distributed in a matrix (two-dimensionally), it is possible to detect a two-dimensional distribution of pressure, and the pressure distribution in the width direction of the laminate or card It becomes possible to detect a dynamic conveyance state with higher accuracy. In this case, it is preferable that the elastic mat is provided with a substantially large number of ridges along the card conveying direction or a wide stepped portion in the card width direction.
[0048]
The pressure measurement board of the laminate is provided with a microcomputer, semiconductor memory, and external connection terminals, and the data stored in the semiconductor memory when passing through the gap is connected to the external connection terminal after passing through the gap. The data can be transferred to an external host computer via a terminal (Claim 8). Data transmission between the pressure measurement board and the external host computer may be performed wirelessly and contactlessly (claim 9).
[0049]
In this wireless data transfer, a single chip computer and an antenna are provided on the pressure measurement board, and signals and data may be transmitted and received with a reader provided on the conveyance path side. In this case, the single chip computer needs to have a processing unit that processes the output of the pressure sensor, a modulation unit, and a transmission / reception unit. The reader provided in the conveyance path includes an external antenna, a transmission / reception unit, a demodulation unit, and a microcomputer. Data is sent to the external host computer through this computer, and the pressure distribution is obtained by this external host computer to obtain the gap method (claim 12).
[0050]
As a power source for the pressure measurement substrate of the laminate, a battery provided in the laminate can be used. This battery is suitably in the form of a plate or film. The battery may be a capacitor for temporarily accumulating electric charge. In this case, the battery may be charged before use (claim 10). As the power source, an electromagnetic induction electromotive force generated in the antenna when the antenna provided in the laminate passes through the magnetic field formed in the conveyance path can be used (claims 11 and 13). In this case, a capacitor for accumulating the electromotive force is provided in the laminate.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a card transport path of an automatic ticket gate
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view near the magnetic head.
FIG. 3A is a side view for explaining the principle, FIG. 3B is a plan view, and FIG. 3C is a diagram showing changes in detected pressure.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an elastic mat.
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of a laminate.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing internal wiring of a pressure measurement board.
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of a pressure measurement board.
FIG. 8 is an exploded side sectional view showing the structure of a pressure measurement substrate.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a gap dimension detecting device.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a pressure distribution detection result
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a gap dimension detecting device.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 cards
12 Magnetic powder coating layer
24 Data read / write unit
26 Conveying roller
28 Magnetic head
30, 30A, 30B Laminate
32, 32A pressure measurement board
34, 34A Elastic mat
38 ridges
40, 40A step
50, 70 Insulation sheet
52 Pressure sensor
56 Microcomputer
58,120 Semiconductor memory
60,128 External connection terminal
72 electrodes
74 Thin film of pressure sensitive ink
76 single chip computer
78 Antenna
90 reader
92 External antenna
102, 122 External host computer
124 CPU (microcomputer)

Claims (13)

A method for detecting a dimension of a gap for passing a card, comprising: a pressure measurement board having a plurality of pressure sensors arranged substantially along the insertion direction of the card and electrically detecting pressure applied in the thickness direction; An elastic mat whose thickness is gradually reduced in the card insertion direction is passed through the gap in a state where it is overlapped so as to cover at least the pressure sensor, and the pressure detected by the multiple pressure sensors at this time is stored. A method for detecting a gap size, wherein the stored pressure is read after passing through the gap to obtain the size of the gap. The pressure measurement board is provided with a memory unit for storing pressures detected by the pressure sensors, and the pressure stored in the memory unit when the laminated body of the pressure measurement board and the elastic mat is passed through the gap. 2. The gap size detecting method according to claim 1, wherein the data is read into an external host computer via a wiring cord connected to the laminate after passing through the gap, and the pressure distribution is obtained by the external host computer. The pressure measurement board modulates the pressure data detected by each pressure sensor and transmits it from the antenna. On the other hand, the pressure data is read in a non-contact manner by a reader provided in the card transport path, and the pressure distribution is measured by an external host computer. The gap dimension detecting method according to claim 1 to be obtained. A gap comprising: an elastic mat having a stepped portion that increases stepwise from the front end; and a pressure measurement substrate having a plurality of pressure sensors stacked on the elastic mat and arranged along the stepped portion. Dimension detection laminate. The pressure-sensitive laminate according to claim 4, wherein each pressure sensor is formed of a load cell using a strain gauge. The laminate for detecting a gap dimension according to claim 4, wherein each pressure sensor is formed of a diffusion type semiconductor pressure sensor. The pressure measurement substrate is formed by laminating two sheets, each of which is formed by coating a number of parallel thin wire electrodes formed on one side with a thin film of pressure-sensitive resistance ink so that the respective electrodes are substantially orthogonal to each other. 5. The gap size detecting laminate according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of intersections of both electrodes arranged in a matrix form a pressure sensor. 5. The pressure measurement board includes a microcomputer for processing the output of each pressure sensor, a semiconductor memory for storing the processing result, and an external connection terminal for outputting the contents of the semiconductor memory to an external computer. Laminate for detecting gap size. The pressure measurement board includes a processing unit that processes the output of each pressure sensor, a modulation unit that modulates the processing result, a single chip computer that includes a transmission / reception unit, and an antenna connected to the transmission / reception unit A laminate for detecting a gap dimension according to claim 4. The laminate for detecting a gap dimension according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the pressure measurement substrate has a battery. 10. The laminate for detecting a gap dimension according to claim 8, wherein the pressure measurement substrate uses an electromotive force due to electromagnetic induction generated when passing through a magnetic field formed in the card conveyance path as a power source. A gap dimension detecting device for detecting a gap dimension for passing a card,
Connected to the reader, a gap size detection laminate that is passed through the card passage, a reader that is provided in the card conveyance path for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and information A connected external host computer;
The gap size detecting laminate includes an elastic mat formed with a stepped portion that increases stepwise from the front end to the rear end, and a plurality of pressure sensors arranged on the elastic mat along the stepped portion. A single-chip computer including a pressure measurement board, a processing unit that processes the output of the pressure sensor, a modulation unit, and a reception / transmission unit; and an antenna;
The reader includes an external antenna, a transmitter / receiver, a demodulator, and a microcomputer that processes the output of the demodulator and transmits / receives information to / from an external host computer;
The gap size detecting apparatus, wherein the external host computer obtains a pressure receiving distribution based on data received by the reader and obtains the gap size. 13. The gap size detecting device according to claim 12, wherein the single chip computer uses a magnetically induced electromotive force generated by passing a magnetic field formed in the card conveyance path as a power source.

Images