JPH0325357B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to an IC card holder that can supply power to an IC card to read the IC card.

(Prior art) An IC card has a card-like base containing a microcomputer, a memory circuit, and a battery, and has a display section on one surface that displays data in the memory circuit, and contacts on the other surface for connecting an external device. and
It is used as a membership card that enables credit transactions using a password such as a PIN number.

By the way, the lifespan of the microcomputer and memory circuit used in the IC card is semi-permanent, but the lifespan of the battery is about 1 to 2 years at most.
For this reason, the life of an IC card ends with the life of the battery, and if the membership is to be continued, a new IC card must be issued, which poses a problem of cumbersome administrative procedures and costs.

In order to solve this problem, a battery is built into the case configured to accommodate an IC card, and power is supplied from the battery to the IC card via a terminal when the IC card is housed in the case. A new holder has been proposed (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No.
58-208884).

Such a holder can prevent the battery built into the IC card from being consumed, but the data stored in the IC card cannot be displayed on the display panel, making it difficult to confirm the data. The problem is that it is possible.

(Purpose) The present invention was made in view of these problems, and its purpose is to reduce the consumption of the battery of the IC card while also making it possible to read the data stored in the IC card. new IC
To provide a card holder.

(Structure) Therefore, details of the present invention will be described below based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an IC card to which the present invention is applied, and the reference numeral 10 in the figure is an IC card main body that includes a microcomputer and a semiconductor memory circuit, which will be described later, and a liquid crystal panel etc. on the surface. A display section 11 is stored (FIG. 1A), and contacts 12 are provided on the back side for supplying operating power to the built-in electronic circuit and transmitting and receiving data (FIG. 2B). It is configured to output data stored in the semiconductor memory circuit to the display section 11 when set in the writing device.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the electric circuit of the above-mentioned IC card, and the reference numeral 13 in the figure is a one-chip microcomputer with contact pins A and B.
A CPU 13a that operates based on a signal from the
It consists of a ROM 13b that stores a control program and a RAM 13c that forms a register, and a data bus 1.
It is configured to be connected to other circuits via 3d and to control the entire device. 14 is an electrically rewritable semiconductor memory circuit, so-called
In EEPROM, I/O terminal C and timing terminal D
Under control from the EEPROM control circuit 15 and microcomputer 13 connected to the I/O terminal C
While writing the data input from the EEPROM 14 via the serial communication interface 16 and reading it out and outputting it to external equipment,
It is configured to output to the display section 11 via the display driver 17. In addition, the symbols E, F,
H indicates a bias signal input terminal, a power supply terminal, and a ground terminal that enable the EEPROM to operate, respectively.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the IC card holder according to the present invention, showing a rectangular recess 1a capable of accommodating the aforementioned IC card body.
A base 1 formed with an IC card and a lid 2 formed with a window 2a that can expose the surface of the IC card when the IC card is stored are joined by a hinge 3 on one side, and can be opened and closed on the other side. Possible locking tool 4
It is configured to be fixed by. A contact pin 5 is provided on the surface of the recess 1a of the base 1 at a position where it comes into contact with the contact when the IC card is set, and a battery 6 that supplies operating power is built into the base 1 in a replaceable manner. has been done. On the other hand, a keyboard 7 is disposed on the surface of the lid 2, and is connected to an IC card control circuit 9, which will be described later, via flexible printed wiring 8. Second
The figure shows an embodiment of the above-mentioned IC card control circuit 9, which includes a CPU 9a, a RAM 9b, and
It consists of a 1-chip microcomputer such as ROM9c, which receives operating power from a battery 6, and also sends operating commands to the IC card via contact pins 5 in response to commands from the keyboard 7, and receives operating power from the battery 6. configured to give.

In this embodiment, the IC card 10 is arranged such that the display section 11 of the card body 10 is exposed through the window 2a.
When the cover 2 is set in the recess 1a of the base 1 and the lid 2 is closed, the base 1 and the lid 2 are integrally fixed by the locking tool 4 to form a case. If the IC card 10 is stored in clothing and carried in such a state, even if an external force is applied due to an unexpected situation, the holder will absorb this external force, so that no unreasonable force will be applied to the IC card 10.

In addition, if you want to check the data stored in the IC card 10, set the IC card 10 in the holder and turn on the power using the keyboard 7. is supplied, IC card 10
becomes operational. In such a state, when a data operation command is input from the keyboard 7 of the holder, the microcomputer 1 in the IC card 10
3 (FIG. 4) outputs the data stored in the EEPROM 14 to the display section 11. This results in
The holder can check the read data through the window 2a of the holder.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a battery 6 is replaceably built into a card storage body 22 which has a pocket 21 with an opening 21a for inserting an IC card on one side. , is configured such that power from a battery 6 can be supplied via a switch 23 to a contact pin 5 disposed at a position facing a contact of an IC card. Note that the reference numeral 24 in the figure indicates a window formed at a position facing the IC card display section 11.

According to this embodiment, an IC card of a type that receives operation commands by supplying operating power is inserted into the insertion slot 21a.
When inserted from above, the contact pins 5 connect with the contacts 12 of the IC card, and the display section 11 of the IC card is exposed through the window 24. When the switch 23 is turned on in such a state, power is supplied from the battery 6 to the IC card through the contact pin 5, and the IC card operates to display data on the display section 11. This displayed data is
It can be confirmed from the outside through the window 24 of No. 2.

In this embodiment, the case where the cardholder uses the card to store the card has been explained as an example, but the cardholder may use the card to store the card. In such a case, the salesperson can display the contents of the IC card using the holder described above and obtain the customer's approval before returning the IC card, thereby preventing troubles in the transaction.

(Effects) As explained above, according to the present invention, a case body that accommodates an IC card, a contact pin disposed at a position that contacts the contacts of the IC card when the IC card is loaded in the case body, A control means for controlling the IC card in a readable manner, a battery for supplying power to the IC card and the control means via contact pins, a window portion for exposing the display section of the inserted IC card, and a control means for controlling the IC card so that the IC card can be read. I C
Equipped with a keyboard that outputs control commands to the card, the case body prevents unexpected external forces from acting on the IC card, while the battery in the case body prevents the IC card from acting on the IC card.
The IC card is operated to drain the battery built into the IC card, and when necessary, the data stored in the IC card can be checked through the window by inputting commands from the keyboard.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a perspective view and a sectional view of a device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the electrical circuit of the same device, and FIGS.
The figure is a perspective view and a block diagram showing an example of an IC card, and FIGS. 5A and 5B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, showing another embodiment of the present invention. 1...Base, 1a...Card storage recess, 2...
Lid, 2a... window, 3... hinge, 4... locking tool,
5...Contact pin, 6...Battery, 7...Keyboard, 10...IC card.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A case body that accommodates an IC card, a contact pin disposed at a position that contacts the contacts of the IC card when the IC card is loaded into the case body, and a control means that controls the IC card so that it can be read. a battery that supplies power to the IC card and the control means via the contact pin;
An IC card holder comprising: a window for exposing a display section of an inserted IC card; and a keyboard for outputting control commands to the IC card via the control means.