JP4816247B2 - Reader / writer and communication timeout determination method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a reader / writer that determines whether or not a response to a command from a contactless IC card has been received from the time when the command is transmitted until the communication timeout time elapses, and the presence or absence of the response. Regarding the determination method.

As one of the data communication methods, when a collective request message is received from a terminal control device at a communication terminal, the function waits received together with the collective request message to calculate a response waiting time, and from the time when the collective request message is received After the calculated response waiting time elapses, a response message is transmitted to the terminal control device. When response messages received from a plurality of communication terminals collide with the terminal control device, the communication terminal is instructed to perform a function calculation different from the previous one. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-243406

  By the way, since it is difficult for the reader / writer to physically determine whether or not a non-contact IC card exists in the communication area, a response to the command from the non-contact IC card from the time when the command is transmitted. Is received until the communication timeout period elapses, and if a response is received before the communication timeout period elapses, it is determined that a response has been received, while the response is received. If the communication timeout time elapses first, it is determined that there is no response. In this case, the communication timeout time is generally determined based on the communication timeout information received from the non-contact IC card to the reader / writer and the card specifications.

  However, the communication timeout time determined based on the communication timeout information and the card specifications is often sufficiently longer than the time required for the reader / writer to actually send a command and receive a response. Therefore, it takes longer than necessary to determine whether or not there is a response to a command during operation or a response to a command during communication area exit monitoring, and as a result, there is no response to a command during operation. Time until timeout processing such as processing for resending commands during operation and processing for determining that a contactless IC card has exited the communication area when there is no response to the command for monitoring the exit of the communication area Has a problem that it takes a long time and is not practical.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to shorten the time until determining whether or not there is a response to a command at the time of operation or a response to a command at the time of monitoring the exit of the communication area. It is an object of the present invention to provide a reader / writer capable of shortening the time until processing of the time and improving the practicality, and a method for determining the communication timeout time.

  According to the reader / writer described in claim 1, the control means determines whether or not a response from the non-contact IC card is received by the wireless means from the time when the command is transmitted by the wireless means, and determines whether or not there is a response. The communication timeout time for determination is determined based on the response time distribution trend from the time when the command is transmitted by the wireless means to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card is received by the wireless means.

  Thus, instead of determining the communication timeout time based on the communication timeout information and the card specifications, the communication timeout time is determined based on the response time distribution trend from the time when the command is sent to the time when the response is received, In other words, since the communication timeout time is determined based on past results, processing at the time-out is shortened by shortening the time to determine whether there is a response to the command at the time of operation and the response to the command at the time of monitoring the exit of the communication area. The time until the process can be shortened, and the practicality can be improved. In particular, the processing time of the entire communication sequence can be shortened by shortening the time until processing at the time of timeout, so a non-contact IC card is present near the boundary of the communication area or a communication error occurs. The effect is great in an easy environment.

  According to the method for determining the communication timeout time of the reader / writer according to claim 2, it is determined whether or not a response to the command from the non-contact IC card has been received from the time when the reader / writer has transmitted the command, and whether or not there is a response. The communication timeout time for determining the response time is determined based on the distribution tendency of the response time from the time when the reader / writer transmits the command to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card is received. In the same manner as described, it is possible to shorten the time until processing at the time of timeout and to improve the practicality.

  According to the method for determining the communication timeout time of the reader / writer according to claim 3, the response time from the time when the reader / writer transmits a command to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card is received is repeated by the reader / writer. Since the communication timeout time is determined based on the distribution tendency of the response time measured repeatedly by the reader / writer, the communication timeout time according to the characteristics of the reader / writer can be determined.

  According to the method for determining the communication timeout time of the reader / writer according to claim 4, the time-dependent change of the response time distribution trend from the time when the reader / writer transmits a command to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card is received. Memorize and determine the communication timeout time based on the latest response time distribution trend, so even if the response time distribution trend changes over time, it responds to the latest (latest) response time distribution trend A communication timeout time can be determined.

  According to the reader / writer communication timeout time determining method according to claim 5, the distribution tendency of the response time from the time when the reader / writer transmits a command to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card is received is determined as the non-contact IC. Multiple types are stored for each type of card, the type of the non-contact IC card is identified based on the initial response received from the non-contact IC card after the reader / writer sends the activation command, and a plurality of responses are determined based on the identification result Since the response time distribution trend corresponding to the non-contact IC card is selected from the time distribution trends, and the communication timeout time corresponding to the activated command is determined based on the selected response time distribution trend. Even when there are multiple types of non-contact IC cards, when a communication timeout occurs according to the type of non-contact IC card It can be determined.

  According to the reader / writer communication timeout time determining method according to claim 6, since a long response time is applied as a communication timeout time corresponding to a command at the time of operation from the response time distribution tendency, the reader / writer communication Even when the partner non-contact IC card has a garbage collection function, the reader / writer can appropriately receive a response to a command at the time of operation from the non-contact IC card having the garbage collection function.

  According to the method for determining the communication timeout time of the reader / writer described in claim 7, since the response time having a high frequency is applied from the response time distribution trends as the communication timeout time corresponding to the command at the time of monitoring the exit of the communication area. Even if a non-contact IC card that is a communication partner of the reader / writer has a garbage collection function, whether or not the non-contact IC card having the garbage collection function has left the communication area is promptly determined. (Without taking time).

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of the reader / writer as a functional block diagram. The reader / writer 1 includes a CPU 2 (control means according to the present invention), a wireless unit 3 (wireless means according to the present invention), and a storage device 4. The CPU 2 includes a command transmission control module 2a for controlling command transmission, a response time measurement module 2b for measuring response response time, and a communication timeout time determining module 2c for determining communication timeout time.

  The radio unit 3 includes an antenna 5, an encoder 6, a modulator 7, a demodulator 8, and a decoder 9. When the encoder 6 receives a command from the CPU 2, the encoder 6 outputs a transmission code obtained by encoding the input command to the modulator 7. When the modulator 7 receives the transmission code from the encoder 6, the encoder 7 transmits a transmission carrier having a predetermined frequency. Is modulated with a transmission code and output to the antenna 5. When the transmission carrier modulated by the transmission code is input from the modulator 7, the antenna 5 transmits the input transmission carrier as a radio wave signal.

  When the antenna 5 receives the radio signal, the antenna 5 outputs the received radio signal to the demodulator 8. When the demodulator 8 receives the radio signal from the antenna 5, the demodulator 8 demodulates the input radio signal and receives the received code. When the received code is input from the demodulator 8, the decoder 9 decodes the received received code and outputs a response to the CPU 2.

  The non-contact IC card 10 is equipped with an IC chip. When a command transmitted from the reader / writer 1 is received, the non-contact IC card 10 analyzes the command and transmits a response to the command. The storage device 4 can store the version and manufacturer of the contactless IC card 10 and the version and manufacturer of the IC chip, and from the contactless IC card 10 from the time when the CPU 2 transmits a command by the wireless unit 3. The response time until the time when the response to the command is received by the wireless unit 3 can be stored.

  In this case, the command transmitted by the reader / writer 1 includes an activation command for activating the non-contact IC card 10, an operation command for data communication with the non-contact IC card 10, and a non-contact IC. There is a command for monitoring the exit of the communication area for monitoring whether or not the card 10 has exited the communication area, and the command at the time of operation and the command at the time of monitoring the exit of the communication area correspond to the commands after activation according to the present invention. To do.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. here,
(1) Process in which CPU 2 stores response time in storage device 4 (2) Process in which CPU 2 determines a communication timeout time will be sequentially described. The CPU 2 may perform the process of storing the response time in the storage device 4 and the process of determining the communication timeout time separately every time a command is transmitted, or continuously every time a command is transmitted. May be.

(1) Processing in which CPU 2 stores response time in storage device 4 In processing for storing response time in storage device 4, CPU 2 performs the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. That is, the CPU 2 causes the wireless unit 3 to transmit an activation command (step S1), and waits for the wireless unit 3 to receive an initial response from the activated non-contact IC card 10 (step S2). When the contactless IC card 10 receives the activation command transmitted from the reader / writer 1 in a state where it exists in the communication area of the reader / writer 1, it activates and then transmits an initial response. When the wireless unit 3 receives the initial response from the activated non-contact IC card 10 (“YES” in step S2), the CPU 2 determines the version and manufacturer of the non-contact IC card 10 from the received initial response. The IC chip version and manufacturer are extracted and stored in the storage device 4 (step S3).

  Next, the CPU 2 causes the wireless unit 3 to transmit a command at the time of operation (step S4), and waits for the wireless unit 3 to receive a response to the command at the time of operation from the non-contact IC card 10 (step S5). When the wireless unit 3 receives a response from the non-contact IC card 10 (“YES” in step S5), the CPU 2 responds from the time when the command at the time of operation is transmitted to the time when the response is received. And the measured response time is stored in the storage device 4 in association with the version and manufacturer of the non-contact IC card 10 and the IC chip version and manufacturer (step S6).

  Next, the CPU 2 determines whether or not the response times for all commands and all parameters during operation have been stored (step S7), and the response times for all commands and all parameters during operation must be stored. If “NO” in step S7, the command or parameter is changed (step S8), the process returns to step S4 described above, and the processes in and after step S4 are repeated.

  On the other hand, if the CPU 2 has stored response times for all commands and all parameters during operation (when the storage is completed) (“YES” in step S7), all non-contact that can be operated It is determined whether or not the response time for the IC card 10 has been stored (step S9), and if the response times for all the non-contact IC cards 10 that can be operated are not stored ("NO" in step S9), the above Returning to step S1, the processing after step S1 is repeated. If CPU 2 has stored response times for all non-contact IC cards 10 that can be operated (when the storage is completed) (“YES” in step S9), the series of processing ends.

  Through the series of processes described above, the CPU 2 stores the response time for each command and parameter of the non-contact IC card 10 in the storage device 4, and stores a plurality of response times for the same command and parameter in the storage device 4. To create a response time distribution trend.

(2) Processing in which CPU 2 determines communication timeout time CPU 2 performs processing shown as a flowchart in FIG. 3 in processing for determining communication timeout time. That is, the CPU 2 transmits an activation command by the wireless unit 3 (step S11), and waits for the wireless unit 3 to receive an initial response from the activated non-contact IC card 10 (step S12). In this case, when the CPU 2 receives the initial response from the activated non-contact IC card 10 by the wireless unit 3 (“YES” in step S12), the CPU 2 determines the version of the non-contact IC card 10 and the received initial response. The manufacturer, the IC chip version and the manufacturer are extracted and identified (step S13).

  Next, the CPU 2 determines the version of the identified non-contact IC card 10 and the manufacturer and the version of the IC chip and the response time associated with the manufacturer among the response time distribution trends stored in the storage device 4. The communication time-out time corresponding to the command during operation to be transmitted is determined based on the read response time distribution tendency (step S15).

  Next, the CPU 2 transmits a command at the time of operation by the wireless unit 3 (step S16), waits for the response from the non-contact IC card 10 to be received by the wireless unit 3 (step S17), and transmits the command wirelessly. It is determined whether or not a communication timeout time has elapsed from the time of transmission by the unit 3 (step S18).

  Here, the CPU 2 receives a response from the non-contact IC card 10 by the wireless unit 3 before the communication timeout time elapses from the time when the command is transmitted by the wireless unit 3 (“YES” in step S17). Then, the response time at that time is added to and stored in the storage device 4, and the distribution tendency of the response time stored in the storage device 4 at that time is updated (step S19). Then, the CPU 2 determines whether or not there is an operation command to be transmitted (remains) at that time (step S20), and if there is an operation command to be transmitted at that time (in step S20). "YES"), the process returns to the above-described step S15, and the processes after step S15 are repeated.

  On the other hand, if there is no operational command to be transmitted at that time (if it does not remain) (“NO” in step S20), the CPU 2 has a response time distribution trend read earlier than this. Based on this, a communication timeout time corresponding to the command for monitoring the exit of the communication area is determined (step S21). Next, the CPU 2 causes the wireless unit 3 to transmit a command for monitoring the exit of the communication area (step S22), returns to the above-described step S17, and waits for the wireless unit 3 to receive a response from the non-contact IC card 10. At the same time (step S17), it is determined whether or not a communication timeout period has elapsed since the command was transmitted by the wireless unit 3 (step S18).

  Then, when the communication time-out period elapses from the time when the command is transmitted by the wireless unit 3 before the CPU 2 receives the response from the non-contact IC card 10 by the wireless unit 3 (“YES” in step S18). Then, the process at time-out is performed (step S23). Specifically, the CPU 2 performs a process of retransmitting the command at the time of operation as a process at the time of timeout when the communication time-out time has elapsed when the command at the time of operation is transmitted by the wireless unit 3, and the communication area When a communication timeout time has elapsed when the wireless unit 3 transmits a command at the time of exit monitoring, processing for determining that the non-contact IC card 10 has exited the communication area is performed as processing at the time of timeout.

  Through the series of processes described above, the CPU 2 determines the communication timeout time corresponding to the command at the time of operation and the command at the time of monitoring the exit of the communication area based on the response time distribution trend created in (1) above. It is determined whether or not a response from the non-contact IC card 10 has been received from the time when the command is transmitted until the communication timeout period elapses to determine whether or not there is a response.

  By the way, when the type of the non-contact IC card 10 cannot be identified from the initial response received from the non-contact IC card 10, the CPU 2 selects and determines the communication timeout time. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, it is assumed that the command response time distribution tendency of the non-contact IC card A is different from the command response time distribution tendency when the non-contact IC card B is operated. Then, the CPU 2 determines the communication timeout time corresponding to the command at the first operation based on the distribution tendency of the response time of the contactless IC card B having a long response time, and the contactless IC card for the command at the first operation. The communication timeout time corresponding to the command at the time of the next operation is determined based on the response time of the response from.

  Specifically, if the response time of the response from the non-contact IC card to the command at the time of the first operation is within the “response time of only the non-contact IC card A” (see “a” in FIG. 4). The communication timeout time corresponding to the command at the next operation is determined based on the distribution tendency of the response time of the non-contact IC card A, while the response time of the response from the non-contact IC card to the command at the first operation Is within the “response time of only the non-contact IC card B” (see “b” in FIG. 4), the communication corresponding to the command at the time of the next operation based on the distribution tendency of the response time of the non-contact IC card B Determine the timeout period.

  Further, if the response time of the response from the non-contact IC card to the command at the time of the first operation is within the “response time of the non-contact IC card A or the non-contact IC card B” (“c” in FIG. 4). The communication timeout time corresponding to the command at the time of the next operation is determined based on the response time distribution tendency of the non-contact IC card B. In this case, the non-contact IC card A and the non-contact are determined based on the response time. Based on the distribution tendency of the response time of either the contact IC card A or the non-contact IC card B when the probability of which is the IC card B is calculated and the calculated probability exceeds a threshold value Determine the communication timeout time corresponding to the command for the next operation. When the CPU 2 transmits a command for monitoring the exit of the communication area before the calculated probability is equal to or higher than the threshold, the CPU 2 determines whether to monitor the exit of the communication area based on the distribution tendency of the response time with the higher probability. Determine the communication timeout time corresponding to the command.

Further, assuming that the non-contact IC card 10 has a garbage collection function and the frequent response times occur in two places as shown in FIG. 4B, the CPU 2 responds to the command at the time of operation. Apply a long response time from the response time distribution trend as the communication timeout time to be used, and apply a high response time from the response time distribution trend as the communication timeout time corresponding to the command at the time of communication area exit monitoring .
Further, when storing the time-dependent change in the response time distribution trend, the CPU 2 determines the communication timeout time based on the latest response time distribution trend.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the reader / writer 1 determines whether or not a response from the non-contact IC card 10 has been received from the time when the command is transmitted, and determines whether or not there is a response. Since the communication timeout time is determined based on the response time distribution trend from the time when the command is transmitted to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card 10 is received, the response to the command during operation and the communication area By shortening the time until the presence / absence of a response to the command at the time of exit monitoring is determined, the time until processing at the time-out can be shortened, and the practicality can be improved.

  Further, the response time from the time when the command is transmitted to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card 10 is received is repeatedly measured by the reader / writer 1, and the response time distribution tendency measured repeatedly by the reader / writer 1 is measured. Therefore, the communication timeout time can be determined according to the characteristics of the reader / writer 1.

  In addition, when the non-contact IC card 10 has a garbage collection function and frequently occurring response times occur in two places, the communication time-out time corresponding to the command at the time of operation is out of the response time distribution trends. Since it is configured to apply a long response time, the reader / writer 1 can appropriately receive a response to a command at the time of operation from the non-contact IC card 10 having the garbage collection function, and at the time of monitoring the exit of the communication area Since a response time having a high frequency is applied as a communication time-out time corresponding to the command, a non-contact IC card 10 having the garbage collection function is withdrawn from the communication area. Judgment promptly (without taking more time than necessary) It can be.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
A communication time-out time may be determined by using a response time distribution trend created by another reader / writer.

Functional block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention Flow chart (Part 1) Flow chart (Part 2) Diagram showing the response time distribution trend

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 1 is a reader / writer, 2 is a CPU (control means), 3 is a wireless unit (wireless means), and 10 is a non-contact IC card.

Claims (7)

Control means for determining whether or not a response to a command from a non-contact IC card is received by the wireless means from the time when the command is transmitted by the wireless means until a communication timeout time elapses and determining whether or not there is a response. Reader / writer
The control means stores in the storage device the response time from the time when the command is transmitted by the wireless means to the time when the command and parameter response from the non-contact IC card is received by the wireless means , and the same A reader / writer characterized in that a plurality of response times for commands and parameters are stored in the storage device, thereby generating a distribution tendency of the response time and determining the communication timeout time based on the distribution tendency. . From the time when the reader / writer sends the command, the communication timeout time for judging whether or not the response to the command from the non-contact IC card has been received and the presence or absence of the response is determined. By storing in the storage device the response time up to the time when the response for each command and parameter from the non-contact IC card is received, and storing a plurality of response times for the same command and parameter in the storage device, A method for determining a communication timeout time of a reader / writer , wherein a distribution tendency of the response time is created and determined based on the distribution tendency. In the determination method of the communication timeout time of the reader / writer according to claim 2,
Response time from the time when the reader / writer sends a command to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card is received is repeatedly measured by the reader / writer, and the response time distribution tendency measured repeatedly by the reader / writer And determining the communication timeout time of the reader / writer. In the determination method of the communication timeout time of the reader / writer according to claim 2 or 3,
A time-dependent change in response time distribution trend from the time when the reader / writer sends a command to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card is received is stored, and the communication time-out time is determined based on the latest response time distribution trend. A method for determining a communication timeout time of a reader / writer, characterized in that: In the determination method of the communication timeout time of the reader / writer according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
A plurality of response time distribution trends from the time when the reader / writer sends a command to the time when the response from the non-contact IC card is received are stored for each type of non-contact IC card, and the reader / writer sends an activation command. The type of the non-contact IC card is identified based on the initial response received from the non-contact IC card later, and the response time corresponding to the non-contact IC card is selected from the plurality of response time distribution trends based on the identification result. A method of determining a communication timeout time of a reader / writer, wherein a distribution tendency is selected, and the communication timeout time corresponding to the activated command is determined based on the distribution trend of the selected response time. In the determination method of the communication timeout time of the reader / writer according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
A method for determining a communication timeout time of a reader / writer, characterized in that a long response time is applied as a communication timeout time corresponding to a command at the time of operation from a response time distribution tendency. In the determination method of the communication timeout time of the reader / writer according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
A method for determining a communication timeout time of a reader / writer, characterized in that a response time having a high frequency is applied from among response time distribution trends as a communication timeout time corresponding to a command at the time of monitoring the exit of the communication area.

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