Card reader and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016283754-A1
Application number	US-201615080954-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A card reader may include a card insertion slot into which the card is inserted; a metal detecting mechanism structured to detect the external connection terminal of the card inserted into the card insertion slot; a jamming magnetic field generation mechanism structured to generate a magnetic field for prevention of fraudulently reading a magnetic datum recorded in the magnetic stripe; and a control unit. The metal detecting mechanism may include an exciting coil and a detecting coil. The jamming magnetic field generation mechanism may include a jamming magnetic field generating coil. The control unit may be structured to alternately switch between a current supply to the exciting coil and a current supply to the jamming magnetic field generation coil, and detect the external connection terminal on the basis of an output from the detecting coil at a time when the exciting coil is supplied with a current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A card reader for use with a card in which an IC chip is provided, and in which an external connection terminal of the IC chip and a magnetic stripe are formed, the card reader comprising:
a card insertion slot into which the card is inserted; a metal detecting mechanism structured to detect the external connection terminal of the card inserted into the card insertion slot; a jamming magnetic field generation mechanism structured to generate a magnetic field for prevention of fraudulently reading a magnetic datum recorded in the magnetic stripe; and a control unit of the card reader; wherein the metal detecting mechanism comprises an exciting coil and a detecting coil; the jamming magnetic field generation mechanism comprises a jamming magnetic field generating coil; and the control unit is structured to alternately switch between a current supply to the exciting coil and a current supply to the jamming magnetic field generation coil, and detect the external connection terminal on the basis of an output from the detecting coil at a time when the exciting coil is supplied with a current.

2 . The card reader according to claim 1 ;
wherein, an electric current supply period for the exciting coil is specified on the basis of a recording density of a magnetic datum recorded in the magnetic stripe and an expected insertion speed of the card to be inserted into the card insertion slot; and an electric current supply period for the jamming magnetic field generating coil is specified on the basis of a dimension of the external connection terminal in the direction of insertion of the card and the expected insertion speed of the card.

3 . The card reader according to claim 1 ;
wherein, the metal detecting mechanism comprises a metal detecting core formed of a magnetic material, the exciting coil and the detecting coil being wound around the metal detecting core; and the jamming magnetic field generation mechanism comprises a jamming magnetic field generating core formed of a magnetic material, the jamming magnetic field generating coil being wound around the jamming magnetic field generating core.

4 . The card reader according to claim 1 ;
wherein, the control unit is structured to detect an anomaly of the metal detecting mechanism and the jamming magnetic field generation mechanism, on the basis of an output from the detecting coil at a time of outputting a supply command for a current to the jamming magnetic field generating coil.

5 . A control method for a card reader, the card reader comprising a card insertion slot into which a card is inserted, while an IC chip being built in the card, and an external connection terminal of the IC chip and a magnetic stripe being formed in the card; a metal detecting mechanism for detecting the external connection terminal of the card inserted into the card insertion slot; and a jamming magnetic field generation mechanism that generates a magnetic field for prevention of fraudulently reading a magnetic datum recorded in the magnetic stripe; wherein the metal detecting mechanism is provided with an exciting coil and a detecting coil; and the jamming magnetic field generation mechanism is provided with a jamming magnetic field generating coil; the control method for the card reader comprising:
alternately switching between a current supply to the exciting coil and a current supply to the jamming magnetic field generation coil; and detecting the external connection terminal on the basis of an output from the detecting coil at a time when the exciting coil is supplied with a current.

6 . The control method for a card reader according to claim 5 ;
wherein, an electric current supply period for the exciting coil is specified on the basis of a recording density of a magnetic datum recorded in the magnetic stripe and an expected insertion speed of the card to be inserted into the card insertion slot; and an electric current supply period for the jamming magnetic field generating coil is specified on the basis of a dimension of the external connection terminal in the direction of insertion of the card and the expected insertion speed of the card.

Assignees

• Nidec Sankyo Corp

Inventors

• Hoson Keiji

Classifications

• G07F19/2055

  Anti-skimming aspects at ATMs · CPC title

• G06K13/067

  Checking presence, absence, correct position, or moving status of cards · CPC title

• G06K7/082

  using inductive or magnetic sensors · CPC title

• G06K7/0091 Primary

  the circuit comprising an arrangement for avoiding intrusions and unwanted access to data inside of the connector · CPC title

• G06K7/085 Primary

  metal detectors · CPC title