JPH05197822A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a recording device capable of surely erasing an image to be erased without erasing and rewriting a new visible image regardless of the history of use of the recording medium. A transport path 21 transports a card 10 having a display section (recording medium) on which a visible image can be repeatedly recorded or erased by making it cloudy or transparent by controlling thermal energy. A thermal head 24 is provided along the card transport path 21. Thermal head 2
Reference numeral 4 records a visible image by selectively applying heat energy for recording or erasing to the display section on the conveyed card 10. Further, a heat generating resistor portion 23 that gives heat energy for making the display portion on the conveyed card 10 cloudy is provided on the upstream side of the card conveying path 21 in the conveying direction. .. Then, the heating resistor portion 23 and the thermal head 24 are
Power is supplied from the common power source 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reduction-of-money card (that is, a prepaid card) used in, for example, telephones, ticket vending machines, cash cards of financial institutions, identification cards such as employee ID cards, and valuables. In a card processing device that processes repeatedly used cards such as securities,
The present invention relates to a recording device for recording or erasing a visible image on a recording medium which is provided on a card and which can be made cloudy or transparent by controlling thermal energy to record or erase the visible image repeatedly. ..

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in the case of a prepaid card, which is a money-reduction-type card used in telephones, ticket vending machines, etc., even if there is a large amount of money for which the number of times of use cannot be limited, the balance remains The update record (printing) such as the balance is not adopted because the printing area is no longer available and it is difficult to print small characters.

Therefore, the remaining balance (or the usable frequency) is generally notified by punching or the like. Therefore, there is a problem that it is impossible to know the usage history and the accurate balance.

On the other hand, recently, a card provided with a recording layer (recording medium) capable of reversibly causing a color change or a light transmittance change on one side by heat has been proposed. (For example, Japanese Patent Application No. 63-136357)
No.).

The structure of this card is such that a printing layer is provided on one surface of a substrate made of plastics or the like, and a reversible recording layer (variable display) composed of a magnetic recording layer and a heat sensitive material is provided on the other surface. Layers) are stacked. In the cloudy state, the reversible recording layer changes from the cloudy state to the transparent state when the temperature is increased from T1 to T2, and even when the temperature returns to T1, the transparent state is maintained as it is. Then, when the temperature of the reversible recording layer is increased from T1 to T3 to T3 and then returned to T1, the transparent state is changed to a cloudy state,
The cloudiness is maintained as it is. This change can be repeatedly reproduced.

[0006]

However, in a recording medium composed of a low molecular weight / polymer composite film recording material which repeatedly shows both cloudy and transparent states due to the above-mentioned temperature history, the recording medium is formed in accordance with the elapsed time after clouding. However, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to re-transparent. Therefore, in the normal use state of the recording apparatus in which the time interval between recording and erasing cannot be specified, the cloudy image to be erased remains unerased, which causes a problem of a newly recorded visible image. There is also a problem in that the extent of remaining unerased material also varies depending on the time interval between recording and erasing.

Therefore, according to the present invention, an image to be erased can be surely erased without erasing, a new visible image can be surely rewritten and recorded, and a clear recorded image can be obtained regardless of the use history of the recording medium. An object is to provide a recording device.

[0008]

The recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a conveying means for conveying a recording medium capable of recording or erasing a visible image by making it cloudy or transparent by controlling thermal energy. Provided along the transportation means,
A thermal recording means for recording a visible image by selectively applying thermal energy for recording or erasing to the recording medium, and a thermal recording means provided on the upstream side of the thermal recording means of the transport means in the transport direction. A heating means for applying heat energy for making the recording medium cloudy and a power feeding means for feeding power to the thermal recording means and feeding power to the heating means from a common power source are provided.

Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention records a visible image by supplying a power source for supplying a power with a predetermined voltage value and a first heat energy supplied with the power source. And heat for recording the visible image by supplying the first thermal energy to the recording medium in which the visible image is erased by supplying the second thermal energy different from the first thermal energy. Recording means, heating means for receiving electric power from the power source and supplying the second thermal energy to the recording medium to erase the visible image, and a voltage value of electric power supplied from the power source. And a control means for controlling the amount of heat energy supplied to the recording medium.

[0010]

Before the rewritable recording, the recording medium is heated to be clouded and activated, and then the visible image is rewritable and recorded, regardless of the use history of the recording medium.
The image to be erased can be surely erased without erasing and a new visible image can be surely rewritten and recorded. Further, by supplying power to the heat recording means and power supply to the heating means from a common power source, space saving of the power source and cost reduction can be achieved.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a main part of a card processing device to which a recording device according to the present invention is applied.
This card processing device uses, as a memory card, for example, an amount subtraction type card (prepaid card), and records use history data such as a use date and a balance for each use on a display unit of the card.

In the figure, 10 is a magnetic card as a memory card, which is made of a low molecular weight / polymer composite film recording material that repeatedly shows both cloudy and transparent states depending on temperature history, and repeatedly records and erases a visible image. It has a display unit that can be operated, and is configured as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

That is, a magnetic recording layer 12 as a storage means for storing information on one surface of a base material 11 made of plastics or the like, a shield layer 13 composed of a metal thin film or a colored layer colored black or the like. , A recording layer 14 made of a recording material having the above-mentioned characteristics, which reversibly shows two states of white turbidity and transparent, and a protective layer 15 are sequentially laminated, and these shielding layer 13, recording layer 14 and protective layer are provided. The layer 15 constitutes a display unit (recording medium) 16.

Recording of a visible image on such a card 10 is performed by selectively making the recording layer 14 cloudy while the recording layer 14 is transparent and the shield layer 13 is a background color, and then erased. Is performed by making the cloudy image transparent. The recording layer 14 used here is transparent at about 70 ° C. to 100 ° C., and the cloudiness is saturated at about 110 ° C. or higher. The upper limit of the heating temperature is determined by the heat resistance of the protective layer 15 or the recording layer 14, and the card 10
Was about 180 ° C.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a card insertion slot into which the card 10 is inserted. Reference numeral 21 denotes a card transport path, which is configured by a known transport roller or the like, and can transport the card 10 in the left-right direction with respect to the drawing. A read magnetic head 22 reads security-related data such as the authenticity of the card 10 recorded as magnetic information in the magnetic recording layer 12 of the card 10, the validity period, and usage history data such as the balance.

Reference numeral 23 is a heating resistor portion as a heating means,
As will be described later, the display portion 16 of the card 10 is heated to make it cloudy. 24 is a thermal head as a thermal recording means,
Data such as the date of use and the balance are recorded as a visible image on the display unit 16 of the card 10. 25 is a write magnetic head,
Update of magnetic information to the magnetic recording layer 12 of the card 10
Write.

Reference numeral 26 is a read magnetic head for reading the updated data written in the magnetic recording layer 12 of the card 10 for confirmation. A card stopper 27 stops the card 10 when there is doubt about the security of the card 10, such as the authenticity and validity period. A card discharge port 28 discharges the card 10. Card detectors 29A and 29B optically detect the conveyed card 10. Reference numeral 30 denotes a power supply for power supply, which supplies power to the heating resistor portion 23 and the thermal head 24.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a control system of the above card processing apparatus. In the figure, 31 is a CPU
The main control unit consisting of etc. controls the entire device. 32
Is a read control unit that controls the reading of magnetic information by the read magnetic head 22. An energization control unit 33 controls energization of the heating resistor unit 23, changes the energization time (pulse) according to the supplied voltage, and controls the amount of heat energy applied to the card 10 to generate the heating resistor unit. 23
To the desired temperature. A print control unit 34 drives and controls the thermal head 24. 35 is a writing control unit,
The writing of magnetic information by the write magnetic head 25 is controlled.

A read controller 36 controls the reading of magnetic information by the read magnetic head 26. A transport mechanism control unit 37 drives and controls a motor 42 that is coupled to the transport rollers of the card transport path 21 via a drive system. Reference numeral 38 denotes a determination unit, which is a card 10 based on collation of security related data.
The validity of is judged. A balance calculation unit 39 calculates the available balance of the card 10.

Each of these units 32-39 includes a data bus 40.
Is connected to the main control unit 31. The main control unit 31 is connected to an external device (a telephone, a ticket vending machine, etc., not shown) as necessary, and can display and input / output necessary data.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the construction of the heating resistor portion 23 in detail. That is, for example, a thick film heating resistor 51 is formed in a strip shape with a width of 1 mm and a thickness of 20 μm on the surface of a ceramic substrate 50 having a thickness of 1 mm, and power feeding electrodes 52, 52 are formed at both ends thereof. .. Further, in order to improve the surface property and to provide abrasion resistance, a protective film 53 made of crystallized glass is formed on the surface of the substrate 50 excluding the power supply electrodes 52, 52.
By supplying power to the thick film heating resistor 51 via the power feeding electrodes 52, 52, the thick film heating resistor 51 is heated, and the display portion 16 of the card 10 that moves while being in contact with the heating resistor portion 23 becomes cloudy. It is designed to give as much heat energy as possible. Although the heating resistor formed by the thick film method has been described here, a heating resistor formed by a conventional thin film method may be used.

Next, the card processing operation in such a configuration will be described. When the user inserts the card 10 into the card insertion slot 20, the inserted card 10 is taken in and conveyed by the card conveying path 21, and the reading magnetic head 22 causes the magnetic recording layer 12 of the card 10 to verify the authenticity of the card 10. Security related data such as validity period, usage history data such as usage amount and balance, display unit 16
The display unit data and the like regarding the visible image of are read.

The read usage history data is stored in the main control unit 3.
1 is sent to the balance calculation unit 39, where the available balance is calculated based on the usage amount. The data of this operation result and other read data are transferred to the main controller 3
1 is sent to the determination unit 38, the validity of the card 10,
Alternatively, it is used for determination processing such as insufficient balance.

In the determination processing of the determination unit 38, the card 1
If there is a problem with the card 10 such as the validity of 0 or the remaining amount is insufficient, the card 10 is fast-forwarded to the card stopper 27 and the card stopper 27 is operated to operate the card 1.
0 is stopped, the card transport path 21 is reversed by the control of the transport mechanism controller 37, and the card 10 is discharged to another tray (not shown).

In the determination processing of the determination unit 38, the card 1
If 0 is valid, the card 10 has the heating resistor portion 23.
Be transported to. Here, the card 10 is the card detector 2
It is conveyed at a conveying speed of 40 mm / s from 9A until the rewriting recording by the thermal head 24 is completed.

Now, when the card detector 29A detects the tip of the card 10 conveyed to the heating resistor portion 23,
The detection signal is input to the energization control unit 33 and serves as a reference for the timing of starting energization of the heating resistor 51 with the heating resistor 51.

The energization control operation for the heating resistor 51 will be described with reference to FIG. Energization to the heating resistor 51 is started from a preset time point before the display unit 16 of the card 10 contacts the heating resistor 51, and the heating resistor 51 is rapidly heated. The temperature of the heating resistor 51, which is reached by being rapidly heated, is set to a temperature T3 sufficient to raise the temperature (110 ° C. to 180 ° C.) necessary for the display portion 16 of the card 10 to become cloudy. Controlled.

After reaching the temperature T3, the temperature T3 is maintained even if the card 10 contacts the heating resistor 51.
The heating resistor 51 is pulse-driven. In the present embodiment, for example, a DC voltage of 24 V is supplied from the power source 30 and the recording is started by continuously energizing for 0.6 sec (t), and when the temperature exceeds T3, the energizing cycle (C). For 10 ms and the energization time (P) for 9 ms, pulse energization is performed, and energization is terminated when an energization pulse for the length of the display unit 16 appears. By thus controlling the energization and heating the display portion 16 of the card 10, the entire display portion 16 becomes cloudy.

Next, when the card detector 29B detects the leading edge of the card 10 conveyed to the thermal head 24, the detection signal is input to the print control section 34 and serves as a reference for the print start timing. The thermal head 24 is supplied with a DC voltage of 24 V from the power supply 30 and records a visible image on the display unit 16 of the card 10 under the control given from the main control unit 31 to the print control unit 34.

Thereafter, the write magnetic head 25 updates / writes the usage history data of the magnetic recording layer 12 of the card 10. Then, the read magnetic head 26 reads the updated data from the magnetic recording layer 12 of the card 10 and confirms the updated data. Finally, the card 10 is ejected from the card ejection port 28 and returned to the user.

Next, in the recording apparatus of this embodiment, the card 10
7 and 8 for an example of the recording operation when rewriting the character "N" recorded in the display unit 16 in which the transparent state is the background color and the white turbid state is the recorded image state, to the character "T". Explain.

FIG. 7 shows the card 10 in the heating resistor portion 23.
The recording operation state of the display unit 16 is shown. Letter "N"
When the display section 16 in which the temperature is recorded passes through the heating resistor 51 controlled to the temperature T3 at a conveying speed of 40 mm / s, the recording layer 14 of the display section 16 is heated and the temperature rises to the cloudiness temperature. When heated, the entire surface becomes cloudy regardless of the presence or absence of a visible image.

FIG. 8 shows the card 1 with the thermal head 24.
The recording operation state of the display unit 16 of 0 is shown. In the display unit 16 in which the entire surface is opaque, the thermal head 24 raises the portion of the recording layer 14 corresponding to the space dot that does not form the letter “T” to the transparent temperature, so that the opaque state is changed to the transparent state. Become. As a result, the thermal head 2
The white turbid state is maintained in the portion of the recording layer 14 that is not heated by 4, so the white turbid image “T” is recorded. In this way, the visible image is rewritten and recorded.

The characteristic of the recording apparatus of the present embodiment is that the recording area (display section 16) is made cloudy over the entire surface before rewriting, and the usefulness of this recording operation will be described below. The recording and erasing of a visible image on the display unit 16 of the card 10 is repeated regardless of the use history of the display unit 16.
It is needless to say that it is desirable to always be able to perform the same recording and erasing conditions. However, the present inventors have found that the following phenomenon often occurs in a low molecular / polymer composite film recording material.

That is, when the clouded image is made transparent (erasing operation) under the same conditions after a predetermined time, as shown by the characteristic A in FIG. 9, there is a difference in the standing time from clouding (image recording). It has been found that the phenomenon that the transparent density decreases and only changes to a semitransparent state often occurs.

In FIG. 9, the reflection density of the transparent image is high and the reflection density of the cloudy image is low. This change is
As the white cloudy image is left for a long time, the energy required for transparency (erasing operation) shifts to the high energy side,
It was found that this is because the maximum value of the clearing density is also lowered. In such a state, if transparent recording for erasure is performed under the same conditions, the visible image to be erased cannot be reliably erased and remains as a ghost image together with the newly recorded visible image. It causes inconvenience.

The present inventors have studied the conditions under which transparent recording can be performed under the same conditions regardless of the standing time after recording a cloudy image. As a result, the recording layer is made cloudy before re-transparency and then If the transparent recording is performed, under the same transparent condition, as shown by the characteristic B in FIG. 9, the cloudy image is transparentized (erased) regardless of the length of the standing time after the formation of the cloudy image.
The inventors have discovered what can be done and have reached the present invention.

The reason why the time dependence of the erasing condition is eliminated by making the cloudy state before rewriting is as follows.
Presumably, the weak force that contributes to stabilizing the cloudy or transparent state with time is weakened by the clouding energy, and the state may be initialized.

In the above description, the recording layer 14 is in the opaque state as the recorded image state, but the transparent state may be in the recorded image state for rewriting and recording by the thermal head 24. Hereinafter, the cloudy state on the display unit 16 of the card 10 as the background color,
The letter "N" that is recorded with the transparent state as the recorded image state
An example of the recording operation when rewriting the letter "T" will be described.

Display unit 16 in which the character "N" is recorded
When the recording layer 14 of the display unit 16 is heated to the cloudiness temperature while passing through the heating resistor 51 controlled to the temperature T3 at a transport speed of 40 mm / s, The entire surface is opaque regardless of the presence or absence of an image.

Then, the display portion 16 whose entire surface is opaque
The temperature of the recording layer 14 corresponding to the mark dot forming the letter “T” is raised to the transparentizing temperature by the thermal head 24, so that the cloudy state is changed to the transparent state.
As a result, the portion of the recording layer 14 heated by the thermal head 24 is made transparent, so that the transparent image “T” is recorded. In this way, the visible image is rewritten and recorded.

Also in this recording operation, the recording layer 14 is entirely opaque before the character recording, and the recorded character is surely erased regardless of the elapsed time after the character recording. Can be obtained.

As described above, by making the display unit 16 cloudy over the entire surface before the rewriting recording, the image to be erased is surely erased without being erased regardless of the use history of the display unit 16, and a new image is obtained. Rewriting recording of a visible image can be reliably performed, and a clear recorded image can be obtained. Further, it is possible to perform on-demand control in which a heating operation for clouding is performed only when a card is inserted and a rewriting operation is required.

Further, by supplying power to the heating resistor portion 23 and power to the thermal head 24 with the same voltage value from the common power source 30, space saving of the power source and cost reduction can be achieved.

Further, since the heating resistor portion 23 is used as the heating means, the heat to the adjacent portion is compared with the case where a means which constantly generates heat such as a heat roller is used as the heating means. It is possible to eliminate the adverse effect of conduction, particularly the effect of heat on the thermal head 24. Further, since there is no excessive temperature rise inside the device, the device can be stabilized.

Further, by controlling the energizing pulse to the heating resistor portion 23, the heating temperature of the heating resistor portion 23 can be accurately maintained, so that stable white turbidity can be achieved. Further, since the heating resistor portion 23 has a simple structure, it can be miniaturized.

Although a magnetic card is used as the memory card in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same applies to the case where an IC card or an optical card is used. Applicable.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case of recording and erasing the visible image on the recording medium (display unit 16) provided on the magnetic card has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to the case of recording and erasing a visible image on a single recording medium instead.

[0050]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the image to be erased can be surely erased without being left unerased and the new visible image can be surely rewritten and recorded regardless of the use history of the recording medium. Thus, it is possible to provide a recording device that can obtain a clear recorded image.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a main part of a card processing device to which a recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of a card.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the card processing device.

FIG. 4 is a front view schematically showing a heating resistor portion.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart for explaining an energization control operation for the heating resistor.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a recording operation on the display portion of the card by the heating resistor portion.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a recording operation on the display unit of the card by the thermal head.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an advantage of a recording operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Card, 12 ... Magnetic recording layer, 14 ... Recording layer, 16 ... Display unit (recording medium), 21 ... Card transport path, 22, 26 ... Read magnetic head, 23 ... Heating resistor Part (heating means), 24 ... Thermal head (thermal recording means), 25 ... Writing magnetic head, 30 ... Power supply, 5
1 ... Heating resistor, 31 ... Main control unit, 33 ... Energization control unit, 34 ... Print control unit, 37 ... Conveyance mechanism control unit,
38 ... Judgment unit, 39 ... Balance calculation unit.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location B41M 5/26 B42D 15/10 501 J 9111-2C G06K 15/00 Z 19/06 H04N 1/23 102 Z 9186-5C 8623-5L G06K 19/00 C

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A conveying means for conveying a recording medium capable of recording or erasing a visible image by making it cloudy or transparent by controlling thermal energy, and the recording medium provided along the conveying means. A thermal recording means for recording a visible image by selectively applying thermal energy for recording or erasing to the recording medium; and the recording medium, which is provided upstream of the thermal recording means of the conveying means in the conveying direction. A recording apparatus, comprising: a heating unit that applies heat energy for making the white turbid; and a power supply unit that supplies power to the thermal recording unit and power to the heating unit from a common power source. 2. A power source which supplies power at a predetermined voltage value, and a visible image is recorded by receiving power supplied from the power source and supplying first heat energy, and the first heat The second heat energy different from the energy is supplied to the recording medium from which the visible image is erased, and
Thermal recording means for supplying a thermal image to record a visible image, and heating means for receiving the electric power from the power source and supplying the second thermal energy to the recording medium to erase the visible image. And a control unit that controls the amount of heat energy supplied to the recording medium according to the voltage value of the electric power supplied from the power source.