Card reader and method of controlling card reader
AssigneeNidec Instruments Corporation
InventorMunemasa Momose
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a card reader, in a card moving step performed when activation of an IC chip fails in a first activation attempt step, a card is transported and stopped within a range where IC contact springs in contact with external connection terminals do not come off the external connection terminals, with an IC contact block positioned in a contactable position where the IC contact springs are allowed to contact the external connection terminals of the card. In such a card reader, in a second activation attempt step after the card moving step, the card is stopped within a range where the card is moved in the card moving step, then to attempt to activate the IC chip.
Claims17
A card reader to communicate data with a card with an IC chip embedded and a plurality of external connection terminals formed for the IC chip, the card reader comprising:
- a card transport path along which the card is transported;
- a card transport mechanism to transport the card along the card transport path;
- a plurality of IC contact springs to contact each of the plurality of external connection terminals to communicate data;
- an IC contact block to hold the plurality of IC contact springs;
- a block moving mechanism to move the IC contact block between a contactable position where the plurality of IC contact springs are allowed to contact the plurality of external connection terminals and a retreat position where the plurality of IC contact springs are not allowed to contact the plurality of external connection terminals;
- and a control unit to control the card reader,
- wherein the control unit performs:
- a first activation attempt step of transporting the card to a predetermined reference position and stopping the card with the IC contact block positioned in the retreat position, and moving the IC contact block to the contactable position, then to attempt to activate the IC chip;
- a card moving step of, when activation of the IC chip fails in the first activation attempt step, transporting and stopping the card within a range where the plurality of IC contact springs in contact with the plurality of external connection terminals do not come off the plurality of external connection terminals, with the IC contact block positioned in the contactable position;
- and
- a second activation attempt step of, after the card moving step, stopping the card within a range where the card is moved in the card moving step, then to attempt to activate the IC chip.
A method of controlling a card reader comprising:
- a card transport path along which a card with an IC chip embedded and a plurality of external connection terminals formed for the IC chip is transported;
- a card transport mechanism to transport the card along the card transport path;
- a plurality of IC contact springs to contact each of the plurality of external connection terminals to communicate data;
- an IC contact block to hold the plurality of IC contact springs;
- and a block moving mechanism to move the IC contact block between a contactable position where the plurality of IC contact springs are allowed to contact the plurality of external connection terminals and a retreat position where the plurality of IC contact springs are not allowed to contact the plurality of external connection terminals, the method comprising:
- a first activation attempt step of transporting the card to a predetermined reference position and stopping the card with the IC contact block positioned in the retreat position, and moving the IC contact block to the contactable position, then to attempt to activate the IC chip;
- a card moving step of, when activation of the IC chip fails in the first activation attempt step, transporting and stopping the card within a range where the plurality of IC contact springs in contact with the plurality of external connection terminals do not come off the plurality of external connection terminals, with the IC contact block positioned in the contactable position;
- and
- a second activation attempt step of, after the card moving step, stopping the card within a range where the card is moved in the card moving step, then to attempt to activate the IC chip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.