Card reader and control method therefor

A card reader for use with a card which is incorporated with an IC chip and formed in a substantially rectangular shape, the card being taken into in a short widthwise direction to be performed with data communication, the card reader comprising:

• a card insertion part which is formed with an insertion port into which the card is inserted;
• a metal detection mechanism which is provided in the card insertion part and is structured to detect an external connection terminal of the IC chip formed on a front face of the card;
• and
• a card passage which is formed in the card insertion part for passing the card;
• wherein the metal detection mechanism is a magnetic type sensor which comprises a core made of magnetic material and an excitation coil and a detection coil which are wound around the core with an axial center of the core as a winding center;
• and
• wherein in a case that a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction and an inserting direction of the card inserted into the insertion port is referred to as a first direction, one end face of the card in a longitudinal direction of the card is referred to as a first card reference end face, and one end face of the card in a short widthwise direction of the card is referred to as a second card reference end face, one end of the card passage in the first direction is formed to be a reference surface where the first card reference end face is contacted when a normal card is inserted into the insertion port in a correct posture without inclination, and
• wherein a distance in the first direction between the reference surface and the axial center of the core is set to be 10.25mm or more and 12.25mm or less, or set to be 17.87mm or more and 19.87mm or less.

A card reader for use with a card which is incorporated with an IC chip and formed in a substantially rectangular shape, the card being taken into in a short widthwise direction to be performed with data communication, the card reader comprising:

• a card insertion part which is formed with an insertion port into which the card is inserted;
• a control section structured to control the card reader;
• a metal detection mechanism which is provided in the card insertion part and is structured to detect an external connection terminal of the IC chip formed on a front face of the card;
• and
• a tip end detection mechanism which is provided in the card insertion part and is structured to detect a tip end of the card in an inserting direction of the card inserted into the insertion port;
• wherein the metal detection mechanism is disposed at a position where the external connection terminal of the normal card inserted in a correct posture is passed in a card width direction perpendicular to a thickness direction and the inserting direction of the card inserted into the insertion port;
• wherein the metal detection mechanism and the tip end detection mechanism are connected with the control section and are disposed so that, when the normal card is inserted into the insertion port in a correct posture, the metal detection mechanism detects the external connection terminal before the tip end detection mechanism detects the tip end of the card;
• wherein in the normal card, a distance between one end face of the card in the short widthwise direction of the card and one end of the external connection terminal in the short widthwise direction of the card is shorter than a distance between the other end face of the card in the short widthwise direction of the card and the other end of the external connection terminal in the short widthwise direction of the card;
• wherein the control section acquires a metal detection signal value based on an output signal of the metal detection mechanism at a predetermined cycle over at least a part of a time period until the tip end of the card is detected by the tip end detection mechanism and calculates an integrated value by integrating at least a part of a plurality of acquired metal detection signal values, and thereby the control section determines whether the normal card has been inserted into the insertion port in a correct posture or not based on the integrated value.

A control method for a card reader for use with a card which is incorporated with an IC chip and formed in a substantially rectangular shape, the card reader comprising a card insertion part formed with an insertion port into which the card is inserted in a short widthwise direction,

• wherein the card insertion part comprises:
• a metal detection mechanism structured to detect an external connection terminal of the IC chip formed on a front face of the card;
• and
• a tip end detection mechanism structured to detect a tip end of the card in an inserting direction of the card inserted into the insertion port;
• wherein the metal detection mechanism is disposed at a position where the external connection terminal of a normal card inserted in a correct posture is passed in a card width direction perpendicular to a thickness direction and the inserting direction of the card inserted into the insertion port;
• wherein the metal detection mechanism and the tip end detection mechanism are disposed so that, when the normal card is inserted into the insertion port in a correct posture, the metal detection mechanism detects the external connection terminal before the tip end detection mechanism detects the tip end of the card;
• and
• wherein in the normal card, a distance between one end face of the card in the short widthwise direction of the card and one end of the external connection terminal in the short widthwise direction of the card is shorter than a distance between the other end face of the card in the short widthwise direction of the card and the other end of the external connection terminal in the short widthwise direction of the card;
• the control method comprising:
• acquiring metal detection signal values based on an output signal of the metal detection mechanism at a predetermined cycle over at least a part of a time period as a detection time until the tip end of the card is detected by the tip end detection mechanism;
• calculating an integrated value by integrating at least a part of a plurality of acquired metal detection signal values;
• and
• determining whether the normal card has been inserted into the insertion port in a correct posture or not based on the integrated value.