JPH0359489B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Purpose of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to a method for reading an optical recording/reproducing card.

In recent years, cards on which various types of information are recorded have become popular, such as ID cards, cash cards, and bank cards.

[Prior Art] It is necessary to record various information such as personal data and issuing company data on this type of card, and in the initial stage, such information is recorded in visible characters and symbols. In addition, at the stage described later, electrical signals using magnetism are used to record information, but it is necessary to prevent tampering and cope with an increase in the amount of information.

To this end, laser cards that utilize laser technology have recently been developed. This laser card is equipped with an information recording medium (optical recording medium) that has an optically reflective surface. The optically reflective surface has irregularities that function as data pits, and the difference in optical reflection between the concave and convex parts causes the laser to emit light. The device is configured to detect data pits and read information.

That is, the optical recording/reproducing card has an optical track 102 on a card 101, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the optical track 102 has a plurality of pit rows 104d and 104 in which a large number of pits 103 such as data pits are arranged in a straight line.
e, 104f, 104g, . The optical element array has a large number of optical reading elements 106 arranged in a straight line, and is sequentially scanned while covering one row of pits 104. Originally, one scan completes the reading of one row of pits. It is something to do.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such a conventional optical recording/reproducing card reading device, when reading information written on the card with a line sensor, the pit row 104 on the track and the optical reading element array are If the numbers 105 and 105 do not match, the information cannot be read correctly, but it is extremely difficult to manufacture cards that ensure sufficient accuracy of the inclination of the data track with respect to the reference side.

In addition to manufacturing issues, when reading a card, it is necessary to feed the card with high precision, but it is also possible to correct the tilt of the card and align the line sensor with the pit row on the card with high precision. A precision movable mechanism that can be created is an extremely difficult technology for optical cards whose original purpose is to increase the density of data pits, and even if such a precision movable mechanism were developed, it would be difficult to use it in a card playback device. The addition not only increases the size of the device, but also makes the device extremely expensive.

For this reason, it is desired to develop a technology that can ensure reading accuracy in optical cards even when the pit arrangement on the track and the line sensor are tilted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and is an optical recording/reproducing card reading device that can ensure reading accuracy even when the pit arrangement on the track and the line sensor are tilted. The purpose is to provide a method.

(B) Structure of the Invention [Means for Solving the Problem] In response to this objective, the optical recording/reproducing card reading method of the present invention uses a plurality of pit rows each having a large number of pits arranged in a straight line. A reading method for an optical recording/reproducing card in which reading is performed using an optical reading element array formed by arranging a large number of optical reading elements in a straight line, which sequentially scan the pits of a data track arranged in parallel at regular intervals. The present invention is characterized in that signal processing is performed on pits before and after the spacing between the adjacent pits on the scanning line of the optical reading element array that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value as belonging to adjacent pit rows.

Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings showing one embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical recording/reproducing card, on which an optical data track 2 is formed. The information contained in this data track 2 is the object to be read by the method of the invention. Data track 2 is shown in Figures 2 and 3.
As shown in the figure, a plurality of pit rows 3, 3a, 3b,
3c, 3d, 3e, . . . in the X-axis direction, and each pit row is composed of a large number of data pits 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, . . . arranged in the Y-axis direction. Further, the optical recording/reproducing card 1 is provided with parallel straight lines a or marks b for indicating an inclination.

On the other hand, the optical reading element array 5 for reading the data pit 4 has optical reading elements 6, 6a, 6 in the Y-axis direction.
b, 6c, 6d, 6e... are arranged densely. The optical reading element array 5 is arranged at a fixed position, and as the optical recording/reproducing card 1 moves, the data track 2 passes the position of the optical reading element array 5, and the optical reading element array 5 moves to a specific pit row 3.
When the data coincide with each other, the many optical reading elements 6 of the optical reading element array 5 are sequentially switched and operated in the Y-axis direction to read the data pits 4 included in the pit row 3.

The optical reading element array 5 is connected to a storage device 7 via a binarization device 8 and a data compression device 11, and is also connected to the storage device 7 via a memory selector 12 as necessary. The signal from 6 is recorded along with the clock signal of timing controller 13. Furthermore, the signals stored in the storage device 7 are taken into the processing device 14 and processed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the binarization device 8 selects the digital signal read from the optical reading element array 5 using the threshold value S in response to the clock signal (a), and extracts the signal from the data pit 4 (b). Moreover, the data compression device 11 converts multiple signals into one
(c) to compress the signal into a signal;

[Function] Next, the function of the optical recording/reproducing card reading method of the present invention will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 2, the data track 2 is scanned several times while the optical reading element array 5 is shifted little by little. In this case, the optical reading element array reads several pit rows 3 during one scan.
As mentioned above, it straddles the In the case shown in the second figure, the optical reading element array 5 has pit rows 3e, 3.
It spans f and 3g. The licensed information is binarized by the AD converter 8, and further data compressed by the data compression device 11.

The compressed data is serial-parallel converted and stored in the storage device 7 as 8-bit data. The storage device 7 has a capacity sufficient to accommodate several data tracks, and data is delivered to the processing device 14 using a time share method or the like. Also,
In this scan, the optical reading element array 5 detects the straight line 9 and the mark 10, and generates information regarding the inclination of the pit row 3 and the optical reading element array 5.

The processing device 14 performs signal restoration, error detection and correction based on the information regarding the inclination of the optical reading element array 5 and the pit row 3 of the data track 2, thereby completing signal readout. Distinguishing between a specific pit row 3 and other adjacent pit rows may be performed by using the inclination of the optical reading element array 5, or by using the fact that blanks occur at a predetermined interval i when reading data pits. good.

Note that in the above method, reading work and data processing use the same storage device, and the work is time-divided, which may result in idle time. Because the information in the pit column is mixed,
There is a possibility of quoting information from other pit columns by mistake. Therefore, in order to avoid this, a configuration shown in FIG. 6 may be used. That is, in the reading device shown in FIG.
b, 7c, . . . and the memory selector 12 is used to select the storage devices 7a, 7b, 7c, . The read blank i generated between adjacent pit rows is used as a memory selector signal for making this selection.

As an example, a case will be described in which a license is issued while straddling pit rows 3e, 3f, and 3g. First, the pit row 3e is read and the information is stored in the storage device 7a. After a while, pit rows 3e and 3f
A blank i in between is reached, and on this blank i, there is no signal at all, and this continues until the next pit row 3f is reached. During this time, the memory selector 12 detects a long blank signal and selects the storage device 7b based on it. In this way, the information on the pit row 3f is stored in the storage device 7b.

Similarly, information on the pit row 3g is stored in the storage device 7c using the blank i between the pit rows 3f and 3g.

For data processing, an idle memory such as the storage device 7d is selected for the reading operation, and the address and data buses are completely separated from the memory selector side and incorporated as part of the processing device 14. If the card 1 is being conveyed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, the information on the pit row 3h has already been stored in the storage device 7d. Naturally, data processing can be performed only on the information regarding the pit row 3h, without erroneously referring to other pit rows, and can be processed efficiently and simultaneously with the reading work by the optical reading element array 5. .

When the optical reading element array 5 approaches the pit row 3d, the storage device 7f is selected. The storage devices 7a, 7b, . . . will be used cyclically.

(C) Effects of the Invention In the optical recording/reproducing card reading method of the present invention, when reading information written on the card with a line sensor, the inclination of the line sensor and pit row can be corrected without the need for mechanical compensation means. Therefore, it is easy to maintain reading accuracy, and therefore the structure of the reading device does not become complicated or expensive.

In addition, by providing multiple independent memory buffers, it is possible to reduce the idle time of reading and data processing operations as much as possible, and since it is possible to process separate data for each pit row, it is possible to mix data with other pit rows. There is no need to take this into consideration, which reduces the software burden and enables efficient, high-speed processing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing the positional relationship between the optical recording/reproducing card and the optical reading element array, Fig. 2 is an explanatory plan view showing the positional relationship between the optical reading element array and the pit row, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory plan view showing the positional relationship between the optical reading element array and the optical reading element array. FIG. 4 is an explanatory enlarged plan view showing the positional relationship between the element array and the pit row. FIG. 4 is a configuration explanatory diagram showing the reading device for an optical recording/reproducing card. FIG.
7 is an explanatory plan view showing a conventional optical recording/reproducing card, and FIG. 8 is an optical reading element in a conventional optical recording/reproducing card reading device. FIG. 3 is an explanatory plan view showing the positional relationship between the array and the pit rows. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Optical recording/reproducing card, 2... Optical data track, 3... Pit row, 4... Data pit, 5... Optical reading element array, 6... Optical reading element (6a, 6
b, 6c, 6d, 6e...), 7...Storage device, 8...
Binarization device, 11... Data compression device, 12... Memory selector, 13... Timing control device, 14...
Processing device, 101... Card, 102... Optical track, 103... Pit, 104... Pit row, 105
...Optical reading element array, 106... Optical reading element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A data track having a plurality of rows of pits arranged in parallel at regular intervals. A reading method for an optical recording/reproducing card of a format read by an optical reading element array arranged above, wherein the interval between adjacent pits on the scanning line of the optical reading element array is equal to or more than a predetermined value. 2. A reading method for an optical recording/reproducing card, characterized in that signal processing is performed on front and rear pits as belonging to adjacent pit rows. A plurality of storage devices for storing signals from each of the plurality of pit rows, and the storage device. and a memory selector for selecting a memory, when the spacing between the adjacent pits on the scanning line of the optical reading element array is a predetermined value or more, the memory selection in the memory selector is performed by a signal from an adjacent pit row. 2. The method of reading an optical recording/reproducing card according to claim 1, further comprising switching to a storage device for storing data.