US 7,607,580 B2 · Object sensor and IC card reader with the object sensor

Abstract

The present invention provides an object sensor configured such that excitation coils (13c and 13d) and a detection coil (12) are separately disposed, and the detection is performed in accordance with the balance between the excitation coils (13c and 13d) in a pair, a residual variation amount after the impedance due to a DC resistance part and the like has been offset and removed is obtained at high sensitivity with excellent linearity while using a small core body (11), regardless of the impedance including a DC resistance part. Additionally, the object sensor to be used as an inlet sensor is located in an appropriate position on a more upstream side than the read/write position in an insertion direction of the IC card. A contact terminal portion of the IC card is sensed whereby to detect the validity of the card inserted into the apparatus from a card insertion slot. Thereby, steady detection operations can be implemented for the presence or absence of the IC card, notwithstanding environmental temperature variations. The invention further provides an IC card reader configured such that a plurality of inlet sensors for detecting the type of an inserted card is provided in appropriate positions more upstream than the read/write position in a card insertion direction, wherein when an unusable card or the like is inserted, a control operation of closing shutter means can be performed, thereby enabling illegal action with the card to be prevented.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An IC card reader configured to bring an IC contact into contact with a contact terminal portion of an IC card inserted into an apparatus mainbody and transported to a read/write position whereby to perform recording/reproduction of information on the IC card, the IC card reader comprising:

an inlet sensor for sensing the contact terminal portion of the IC card to detect validity of each inserted card is provided in an appropriate position on a more upstream side than the read/write position in an insertion direction of the IC card;
wherein the inlet sensor is configured into a magnetic differential type wherein an excitation coil and a detection coil are mounted by being individually wound on a same axial center of a core body;
wherein one side of the excitation coil and the detection coil is mounted in a central core portion located in a substantially center in the axial direction of the core body, and the other side of the excitation coil is mounted on individual axial-end core portions in a pair located in both end portions of the core body in the axial direction;
and
wherein one side of the axial-end core portions in the pair and the detection target object have a locational relationship to be mutually faceable.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Object sensor and IC card reader with the object sensor

Life of this patent

Object sensor and IC card reader with the object sensor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20