JPH0536201A - Recording / reproducing apparatus for card-shaped recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] A card-shaped recording medium in which different recording / reproducing units such as a magnetic stripe unit, an optical recording / reproducing unit, and an IC are arbitrarily combined is automatically discriminated to prevent malfunction. [Structure] Magnetic stripe section 3, optical recording / reproducing section 4, IC
The card 1 in which 5 and the like are properly combined is provided with identification information 2 made of a transparent member, which is cut out corresponding to each recording portion. A sensor is provided near the card insertion port of the recording / reproducing device at a position corresponding to each identification information, and it is necessary to record / reproduce the card by automatically identifying the card identification information when the card is inserted. Activate the reading mechanism. On the other hand, when a card is inserted by mistake, the shutter behind the card insertion slot is kept closed to prevent damage to the card due to incorrect insertion.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card system capable of recording / reproducing a plurality of card-shaped recording media each having a different recording / reproducing area by a common recording / reproducing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a card-shaped recording medium in which a magnetic stripe, an optical recording layer, and a recording / reproducing section such as an IC are incorporated in a card-shaped substrate. These recording / reproducing areas have different properties such as recording capacity, rewritability / incapability, durability, etc., and are selected according to the purpose of use.

By the way, in recent years, in order to take advantage of these different recording / reproducing sections, a combination card in which a plurality of recording / reproducing sections are provided on a single card has been proposed. For example, an optical recording / reproducing section is known in which a magnetic stripe is provided on the front surface of a card and an optical recording layer is provided on the back surface. An apparatus for recording / reproducing such a combined card is independently provided with recording / reproducing means (magnetic head or optical head) corresponding to each recording / reproducing unit.

[0004]

However, if the front and back of the card and the insertion direction are mistakenly mounted, the correct recording / reproducing means will not face the recording / reproducing section, and the optical recording layer of the card will be destroyed by the magnetic head, for example. There was a fear that In order to prevent this, the user has to specify in advance what kind of card is to be inserted, which complicates the operation.

[0005]

A recording / reproducing apparatus for a card-shaped recording medium according to the present invention applies identification information indicating the type of a recording / reproducing unit carried by the card-shaped recording medium to the card and discriminates the identification information. It is characterized in that a discriminating means is provided.

[0006]

In the recording / reproducing apparatus for a card-shaped recording medium having the above-mentioned structure, the type of recording / reproducing section carried by the card (presence / absence of magnetic stripe section, presence / absence of optical recording / reproducing section, presence / absence of IC) and the like are identification information. The identification information is discriminated prior to the recording / reproducing operation.

[0007]

1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a card-shaped recording medium used in a recording / reproducing apparatus for a card-shaped recording medium according to the present invention, in which an opaque card substrate 1 made of plastic or the like is used. At the end, the identification information 2 is partially transparent.
(A in the figure) or identification information 2 (b) in the figure is formed by cutting out a part. The card 1 shall be inserted in the direction of the arrow in the figure.

FIG. 2 shows an application example of various combination cards. In FIG. 2A, the magnetic stripe portion 3 and the IC 5 are provided on the surface of the card 1. In FIG. 2B, the magnetic stripe 3 is provided on one surface and the optical recording / reproducing section 4 having an optical recording layer is provided on the other surface. In FIG. 7C, the IC 5 is provided on one surface and the optical recording / reproducing section 4 is provided on the other surface. The identification information 2 is the identification information 2a indicating the presence of the magnetic stripe portion 3 and the identification information 2 indicating the presence of the IC5.
b, identification information 2c indicating the existence of the optical recording / reproducing unit 4 is formed corresponding to each part.

FIG. 3 is an upper sectional view (a) showing the construction of an embodiment of a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing the card 1 of FIG.
It is a side sectional view (b).

In the vicinity of the card insertion slot 11 of the recording / reproducing device 6, an optical sensor 71 as a discriminating means composed of a light emitting portion 7a and a light receiving portion 7b corresponding to the positions of the identification information shown in FIG. 73 is formed. Further, a normally closed shutter 12 is provided at the back of the optical sensor 7, and can be opened and closed by a shutter drive mechanism (not shown). Further behind the shutter 12 is the drum 9 and belt 10.
A card transport mechanism including the above is formed.

In the case of FIG. 3, the magnetic stripe portion 3 and the IC 5
2 shows a case where a card used together with is inserted, and the identification information as shown in FIG. 2A is formed at the end of the card 1 in the insertion direction. When such a card 1 is inserted, the optical sensors 72 and 73 generate detection output, but the optical sensor 71 is shielded by the optical card 1 and the detection output is cut off. Therefore, these optical sensors 71 to 73
By discriminating the logical output of the detection output of (3) by a controller (not shown), the type of the recording / reproducing unit carried by the card 1 to be mounted is discriminated, and an operation command is given to the shutter drive mechanism to open the shutter 12. .. After that, the card is loaded at a predetermined position by the card transport mechanism.

Thereafter, the controller instructs the inserted card to disable or retract the unnecessary recording / reproducing mechanism (in the case of this embodiment, the optical head is unnecessary).

If the front and back of the card 1 are erroneous or the insertion direction is erroneous, the identification information will not be located at the positions corresponding to the optical sensors 71 to 73, and the outputs of all the optical sensors will be cut off. Then, the controller does not give an operation command to the shutter drive mechanism, and the shutter 12 remains closed to prevent the card 1 from being loaded.

The parts and the number of the identification information and the positions and the numbers of the photosensors corresponding thereto are not limited to those in the above-mentioned embodiment, and in order to identify more cards. Of course, it is also possible to add more appropriately.

[0015]

As described above, according to the recording / reproducing apparatus for a card-shaped recording medium of the present invention, identification information is given to the inserted card, and this is automatically discriminated by the recording / reproducing apparatus.
Not only can erroneous insertion be prevented, but only the recording / reproducing mechanism required for the inserted card is operated, and other unnecessary recording / reproducing mechanisms are not operated. As a result,
For example, destruction of data in the optical recording layer by the magnetic head is prevented in advance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a card used in a recording / reproducing apparatus for a card-shaped recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an application example of the card of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a recording / reproducing apparatus for a card-shaped recording medium of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Card 2 Identification Information 3 Magnetic Stripe Section 4 Optical Recording / Reproducing Section 5 IC 7 Optical Sensor (Discriminating Means)

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A card, characterized in that the card is provided with identification information indicating a type of a recording / reproducing unit carried on a card-shaped recording medium, and a determination means for determining the identification information. Recording / reproducing apparatus for recording medium.