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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable magnetic card writer for a card
such as a check card with a magnetic stripe provided thereon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been known a card type recording and reproducing apparatus in
which a magnetic card having a magnetic stripe thereon for recording data
is linearly moved to and fro. In such prior art card type magnetic
recording and reproducing apparatus, it is arranged that data are written
on, or read out from the magnetic stripe of the card by a writing head or
reading head while, for example, the card is moved backward.
The prior art card type magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus,
however, has been unable to write new data onto a magnetic card in
consideration of prerecorded data therein and, further, following the
writing, to readily and quickly check whether or not the writing has been
made correctly. Therefore, a user of the apparatus who made an error in
the writing was unable to quickly respond to the error committed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a portable card
writer capable of writing new data in a card, taking data prerecorded
therein into consideration and of checking readily and quickly whether or
not the new writing has been made correctly.
Another object of the invention is to provide a portable magnetic writer of
a simple and compact structure.
The above mentioned and other objects of the invention are achieved by the
invention in the following manner. That is, a portable magnetic card
writer for a card with a magnetic stripe provided thereon, of the
invention, comprises a chassis, driving means mounted on the chassis for
moving the card to and fro, means for guiding the card along the chassis,
a magnetic writing head mounted on the chassis, a magnetic reading head
mounted on the chassis adjacent to the magnetic writing head, and printer
means for simultaneously visibly writing the data on the card at a portion
other than the magnetic stripe.
Other and further objects of this invention will become obvious upon an
understanding of the illustrative embodiment hereinafter described or will
be indicated in the appended claims, and various further advantages will
occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in
practice.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an entire body of a card type recording
and reproducing apparatus for issuing a check card to which the invention
is applied;
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the same;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line III--III of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the main portion of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line V--V of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the main portion of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a schematic, partial bottom view indicating record widths of new
and old data;
FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram;
FIG. 9 is a plan view indicating an operator panel of the apparatus and a
check card; and
FIGS. 10A and 10B are flow charts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A preferred embodiment of the invention applied to a card type recording
and reproducing apparatus for issuing a check card will be described below
with reference to accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 7 show an appropriate according to an embodiment of the
invention. A card guide portion 3 of the card type recording and
reproducing apparatus 1 is formed by an upper chassis 4 and a lower
chassis 5 united with each other and providing a card passing slit 6. The
thickness of the card passing slit 6 is slightly larger than the thickness
of a single card 30 by slightly smaller than two such cards. The width of
the slit 6 is slightly larger than that of the card 30. The card guide
portion 3, after being provided with various parts, is enclosed by an
outer casing 2. The front panel of the outer casing 2 is fitted with a
keyboard formed of, for example, a sheet key and a display board
employing, for example, a liquid crystal device. A control system
consisting of a CPU, input and output control units, ROM and RAM are
arranged in the outer casing 2.
At one end of the card guide portion 3, there is formed a card inlet 7 also
serving as a card outlet between the upper chassis 4 and lower chassis 5.
At the end of the upper chassis 4 opposite to the card inlet 7, there is
formed a long opening 8 for providing removal of a card in an emergency.
The width of the opening 8 is such that a finger of the user can be
inserted therein (for example, 7 to 15 mm) and the depth thereof is enough
to push the card 30 toward the card inlet 7 with the finger. The opening 8
for taking out a card is normally covered by, for example, an adhesive
tape 33 applied to the surface of the upper chassis 4, whereby foreign
matter such as dust is prevented from entering the slit 6 through the
opening 8.
The data record card 30 to be used as a check card is provided with a heat
sensitive stripe 31 consisting of heat sensitive paper disposed on its
front surface and a magnetic strip 32 consisting of a magnetic tape
disposed on its back side, whereby the card type recording and reproducing
apparatus 1 is enabled to record or reproduce invisible data in or from
the card 30 and to record visible data thereon. The data record data 30
may have a rectangular shape and size substantially the same as those of
the well-known credit card and the body of the card 30 can be made of
elastic plastic paper, or the like, having a thickness, for example, of
0.1 to 0.5 mm.
A motor 27 is fixed to the card guide portion 3 by screws. A worm 28a is
fixed to the shaft of the motor 27 and a worm wheel 28b is fixed to one
end of a drive shaft 29. They engage with each other to form a worm drive
28. The drive shaft 29 is rotatably supported by a pair of fixing plates
53 which are mounted by screws to the upper chassis 4. The drive shaft 29
is provided with a pair of card driving rollers 12 and 13 fixed thereto.
The upper chassis 4 is provided with openings 10 and 11. In the opening 10,
there are disposed a thermal head 14 and the card driving roller 12. As
shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in the other opening 11, there are disposed a pad
roller 15 and the other card driving roller 13. The lower chassis 5 is
provided with openings 35 and 36 corresponding to the openings 10 and 11
of the upper chassis 4, respectively. In the openings 35 opposing the
opening 10, there are disposed a pinch roller 16 and a pad roller 18 to
oppose the card driving roller 12 and the thermal head 14, respectively.
In the opening 36 opposing the opening 11 there are disposed a magnetic
reading head 17 and a magnetic writing head 19 opposite to the card
driving roller 13 and the pad roller 15, respectively.
As clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pad roller 15 is supported by a
rotatable shaft 54 borne by a pair of arm portions 51a of a lever 51 which
is formed so as to have a channel cross-section. The portion substantially
in the center of the lever 51 is rotatably supported by a supporting shaft
47 which is borne at its both ends by a pivot plate 46 fixed to the upper
chassis 4 by screws. Between an engagement portion 51b formed at the other
end of the lever 51 and the upper chassis 4, there is interposed a
compression spring 52, so that the pad roller 15 is urged in the direction
to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 5 around the supporting shaft 47. The
mentioned other end of the lever 51 is prevented from moving upward by a
washer 50 which is put on an adjustment screw 49 screwed in the upper
chassis 4.
The magnetic reading head 17 and the magnetic writing head 19 are
integrally fixed by spot welding, or the like, to a lever 40, sequentially
in the direction of the forward travel of the card 30 (toward the right as
seen in FIG. 5). One end of the lever 40 is rotatably supported by a
supporting shaft 39, which is supported at both ends by a pivot plate 38
fixed to the lower chassis 5 by screws. The other end of the lever 40 is
inserted between a spring fixing plate 44 fixed to the lower chassis 5 by
screws. The lever 40 is provided with a recessed engagement portion 40a at
the mentioned other end on the side opposite to the lower chassis 5. There
is interposed a compression spring 43 between the engagement potion 40a
and the spring fixing plate 44. Accordingly, the lever 40 and, hence, the
magnetic reading head 17 and magnetic writing head 19, together, are urged
in the direction to rotate clockwise in FIG. 5 around the supporting shaft
39. In the bottom portion of the engagement portion 40a, an adjustment
screw 42 is screwed, and in the spring fixing plate 44 at its portion
opposing the adjustment screw 42, there is made an adjustment hole 44a.
Accordingly, the adjustment screw 42 can be screwed in or out with a
screwdriver or the like inserted through the adjustment hole 44a.
By screwing in or out the adjustment screw 49, the lever 51 is rotated in
the clockwise or counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5 around the
supporting shaft 47. As a result of this rotation, the pad roller 15 is
raised or lowered in FIG. 5. On the other hand, by screwing in or out the
adjustment screw 42, the lever 40 is rotated in the counterclockwise or
clockwise direction in FIG. 5 around the supporting shaft 39, so that the
magnetic reading head 17 and the magnetic writing head 19 are lowered or
raised in FIG. 5. In the described manner, the space between the card
driving roller 13 and the magnetic reading head 17 and that between the
pad roller 15 and the magnetic writing head 19 can be adjusted by the
screwing in or out of the adjustment screws 42 and/or 49. The card driving
roller 13 serves as a pad roller for the magnetic reading head 17. The
pinch roller 16 and the pad roller 18 are supported on the lower chassis 5
by means of a lever 51, a fixing plate 46, a compression spring 52, and
adjustment screw 49 and a washer 50 structured similarly to the case with
the pad roller 15.
The space between the card driving roller 13 and the magnetic reading head
17 in general is preferred to be larger than zero to prevent such trouble
as sticking to each other of pressure portions of the card driving roller
13 and the magnetic reading head 17 at a time when the apparatus is
stopped due to deterioration of rubber on the portions, deformation of the
rubber by urging force, and/or damage of the magnetic reading head 17 and
the card driving roller 13. As a matter of course, the space is made
smaller than the thickness of the card 30. The same thing is applied to
each of the spaces between the pad roller 15 and the magnetic writing head
19, between the pad roller 18 and the thermal head 14, and between the
pinch roller 16 and the card driving roller 12.
A pair of spaced notched portions 23 are provided in the card guide portion
3 on one side thereof to communicate with the slit 6. In these notched
portions 23 are disposed a pair of card position control springs 22 with
the end thereof extending beyond the one side 20 of the slit 6. A card 30
introduced into the card traveling slit 6 is urged by the pair of springs
22 downward in FIG. 1 so that the card is allowed to travel sliding along
the other side 21 of the slit 6 and is positioned thereby.
In the vicinity of the one side 20 of the slit 6, there is provided a start
switch 24 such as an optical switch or the like for detecting introduction
of the card 30 into, and withdrawal from, the slit 6 in the vicinity of
the slide of the slit 6 on the opposite end to the card inlet 7, a stop
switch 25 such as a microswitch or the like is positioned, serving to
control the final point of the forward traveling of the card. An actuating
lever 26 of the switch 25 projects through a notched portion 9 into the
slit 6.
The above described card type recording and reproducing apparatus 1 can be
applied to a check issuance apparatus for issuing a check card operable
online. FIG. 8 indicates a circuit structure of the case where the card
type recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention is
applied to a check issuance apparatus.
Referring to the Figure, a control circuit 55 consisting of a CPU or the
like controls a display device 57 and an internal printer 58 in response
to operation of a keyboard 56. The CPU 55 also controls writing of such
data as date and amount in RAM 59 in accordance with a program recorded in
a ROM 60, reading out of data from the RAM 59, operation of a driving
mechanism 61, and reading and writing by a head assembly 62. The driving
mechanism 61 includes the above described motor 27 and controls the inward
and outward movement of the check card 30. The head assembly 62 includes
the above mentioned reading head 17 and writing head 19, whereby reading
and writing operations for a check card are performed.
FIG. 9 shows an operator panel surface of a check issuance apparatus 70. On
the operator panel are disposed a ten-key pad for 0 to 9, a clear key 71,
a display key 72, a shift key 73, a mode selection key 74, a calculator
key 75, a check key 76, a print key 77, an enter key 78, a cancel key 79,
a power key 80 and a display device 57.
The mode selection key 74 is used for serially selecting a check issuance
mode, password changing mode, address and name changing mode and so on, by
being repeatedly depressed. The shift key 73 is used for changing date,
time, and so on. The check key 76 is used for a checkup of a check card 30
returned to the issuer after going through such transactions as receipt of
money or encashment. The enter key 78 is used for entering a password,
entering a check issuance mode and entering specific data at the time of
issuing a check, which will be described later. The print key 77 is used
for making an external printer (not shown) print out contents of the
display portion 57. The ckeck issuance apparatus 70 is adapted to be used
also as an ordinary electronic calculator by operating the calculator key
75. The check issuance apparatus 70 is also adapted to be rendered
operative when the password which the issuer only knows is entered.
Operations for issuing a check of the above described check issuance
apparatus 70 will be described below referring to flow charts of FIGS. 10A
and 10B and based on FIGS. 1 to 9. Upon lending the check issuance
apparatus from a financial agency, such as a bank, to a check issuer who
opens a current account with the bank, such data as a password (code
number, etc.), which has been previously determined between the bank and
the check issuer, a bank code, a branch code and an account number are
stored in the RAM 59 of the card type recording and reproducing apparatus.
When the data record card 30 as a check card is handed to the check
issuer, the bank code, serial number, branch code and the account number
are recorded in the magnetic strip 32 of the card.
When preparing issuance of a check card with necessary data recorded
therein, the check issuer first turns on the power switch 80 of the card
type recording and reproducing apparatus 70 to be used as the check
issuance apparatus and types on the keyboard 56 the password which was
fixed in advance between the finance agency, such as the bank, and the
check issuer at such a time when the check issuer opened a current account
with the bank (S 01). He then presses the enter key 78 to input the
password (S 02). Whether this password coincides with the password that is
stored in the RAM 59 or not is detected by the CPU 60 (S 03). If they do
not coincide with each other, it is indicated on the display portion 57
that the password is to be input in once again so he inputs again the
correct password. He then presses the mode selection key 74 one time only
so that it is indicated on the display portion 57 that the then selected
mode is that for check issuance. Then by pressing the enter key 78, the
check issuance mode is set up (S 04, S 05). Thereupon, an instruction for
insertion of a data record card appears on the display portion 57. Then
the card 30 is inserted through the card inlet 7 into the card traveling
slit 6 (S 06).
By this insertion, the front end portion of the card 30 shields the light
of the start switch 24 to turn on the start switch 24, whereby the motor
27 starts to rotate in the direction to move the card 30 in the forward
direction (S 07). The torque of the motor 27 after reducing the rotational
speed by means of the worm gear 28 is transmitted through the drive shaft
29 to the card driving rollers 12 and 13, which start to rotate in the
direction to move the card 30 in the forward direction. Since the spaces
between the card driving rollers 12 and 13 and the pinch roller 16 and
magnetic reading head 17 are narrower than the thickness of the card 30 as
described previously, when the card 30 is further pushed inwards the card
driving rollers 12 and 13 and the pinch roller 16 and magnetic reading
head 17 sandwich the card 30 therebetween by force due to resiliency of
the springs 52 and 43. At this time, since the lever 40 rotates in the
counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5, the adjustment screw 42 separates
from the lower chassis 5.
Thus, by means of the card driving rollers 12 and 13 and the pinch roller
16, the card 30 is moved in the forward direction in the slit 6, namely,
to the right in FIG. 1. Since the card 30 is likewise inserted between the
pad roller 15 and the magnetic writing head 19, the card 19 becomes
sandwiched between the magnetic writing head 19 and pad roller 15 by force
due to resilience of the compression springs 43 and 52. At this time,
since the lever 51 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 5, the
rear end of the lever 51 separates from the washer 50. In the same manner,
the card 30 is pressed against the thermal head 14 by means of the pad
roller 18. During the traveling in the forward direction of the card 30,
the data prerecorded in its magnetic stripe 32 such as the bank code,
serial number, branch code and the account number are read out by the
magnetic reading head 17 (S 08). The card 30 introduced into the card
traveling slit 6 is urged downward in FIG. 1 by means of the pair of card
position controlling springs 22 as previously described, and therefore the
card travels sliding along the other side 21 of the slit 6 and is
positioned thereby. Thus, the magnetic reading head 17 never deviates from
the recording track of the magnetic stripe 32. The same thing will be
applicable to the magnetic writing head 19 to be described later.
Since the magnetic reading head 17 and the magnetic writing head 19 are
disposed one after the other in the direction of the forward traveling of
the card, the front end of the card 30 is caused to thrust in between the
pad roller 15 and the magnetic writing head 19 immediately after the
reading out of the data from the data record card 30 has been started by
the magnetic reading head 17. Since the pad roller 15 moves upward as
indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 5 while sandwiching the card 30
between the same and the magnetic writing head 19, however, the shock at
the time the card is thrust therebetween is sufficiently relieved so as
not to cause a change in the traveling speed of the card 30 in the forward
direction. Therefore, the error rate in the reading of data by the
magnetic reading head 17 is reduced. The magnetic reading head 17 and
magnetic writing head 19 are integrally fixed to the lever 40 one after
the other as described above. Therefore, the position of both the heads 17
and 19 can be adjusted simultaneously by the common adjustment screw 42.
In particular, when the card type recording and reproducing apparatus 1 is
miniaturized, or made portable, it is required to use a small-sized motor
27 which will not provide sufficiently large force to drive the card 30.
In a prior art apparatus, the card 30, at the time that it thrusts as
described above, received the shock unmoderated and therefore its
traveling speed in the forward direction was instantaneously decreased.
For this reaason, the error rate of the magnetic reading head 17 in
reading out the data was increased so the reliability on the card type
recording and reproducing apparatus 1 was extremely low. Such defect has
been effectively corrected in the above described embodiment.
As the card is further moved in the forward direction, the front end of the
card 30 comes into abutment with the actuating lever 26 of the stop switch
25 to move the latter in the forward direction to actuate the stop switch
25, whereby the rotation of the motor 27 is stopped and the traveling of
the card 30 in the forward direction is ended (S 09). When the motor 27
stops, the card driving rollers 12 and 13 also stop their rotations,
whereupon the card 30 is slightly pushed in the backward direction by
means of resilience of the operating lever 26. Thereby, the rear end of
the card is brought in abutment with the card driving roller 12 and the
pinch roller 16 as well as with the card driving roller 13 and magnetic
reading head 17 so as to be sandwiched therebetween (S 10). Thus the card
30 is brought in position such that it can be certainly moved in the
backward direction by the card driving rollers 12 and 13 upon start of
their reverse rotation.
Here, a checkup is made as to whether or not the bank code, branch code,
and the account number decided in advance between the finance agency, such
as the bank, and the check issuer and stored in the RAM 59 and those read
out by the magnetic reading head 17 coincide with each other (S 11). In
the case where they are not coincidental, the fact is displayed on the
display board and the card 30 is discharged through the card inlet 7 and
thereafter the motor 27 stops its rotation as described later (S 26). In
the case where they are coincidental, a request for input of the data in
the card 30 is displayed on the display portion 57, so the date of
issuance is typed by means of the ten-key and then entered by pressing the
enter key 78 (S 12, S 13). Then a request for input of the check amount is
displayed on the display portion 57, so the check amount is typed by the
use of the ten-key and then the enter key is pressed, whereby the check
amount is input (S 14, S 15). At this time, the date of issuance and the
check amount are stored in the RAM 59 serving as the transaction memory.
When the above mentioned prescribed operations and processing are finished,
a switch (not shown) for causing the motor 27 to rotate in the direction
to move the card 30 in the backward direction is actuated and the motor 27
is thereby started to rotate in the reverse direction (S 16). Accordingly,
the card driving rollers 12 and 13 also start to rotate in the opposite
direction to what was mentioned in the foregoing, namely in the direction
to move the card 30 in the backward direction. Thus the card 30 starts to
travel reversely, namely starts traveling in the backward direction.
During the traveling of the card in the backward direction, the date of
issuance and the check amount stored in the RAM are recorded by the
magnetic writing head 19 in the magnetic stripe 32 of the card 30, and
these recorded date of issuance and check amount are reproduced by the
magnetic reading head 17 and stored in the RAM. In connection with the
recording of the new data over the prerecorded data in the magnetic stripe
32, the track width W2 for the new data is adapted to be larger than the
track width W1 for the prerecorded data, as shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, if
some misalignment exists between the track for the prerecorded data and
the magnetic writing head 19, there is no danger of any portion of the
prerecorded data being left unerased. Since the width of the magnetic
writing head 19 is made larger than that of the magnetic reading head 17,
the reproducing can be performed with certainty and unnecessary noise is
prevented from occurring at the time of the reproducing. Simultaneously
with the above processing, the date of issuance and the check amount are
visibly printed on the heat sensitive stripe 31 by the thermal head 14 (S
17).
After the reproducing has been finished, the date of issuance and the check
amount which have been previously input through the keyboard and stored in
the RAM are checked with the data just reproduced by the magnetic reading
head 17 and stored in the RAM (S 18). If they coincide with each other,
the card is further moved in the backward direction (S 19). The card moved
back to the final point of its backward travel will stop there with its
rear end projecting out of the card inlet 7 so as to be taken out with the
rear end held between fingers. At this time, the display portion 57
indicates that the card is ready for extraction. When the card 30 is thus
taken out from the apparatus 1, the extraction is detected by the start
switch 24 whereby the motor 27 stops its rotation (S 20).
In the case where the input data and reproduced data are not coincidental,
the motor 27 again reverses its rotation and thereby the card stops its
backward traveling and starts traveling in the forward direction (S 21).
In succession thereto, the same processes are executed as done in the
above mentioned steps (S 09, S 10, and S 16) (S 22, S 23 and S 24). While
the data record card 30 is traveling forward, the date of issuance and the
check amount recorded in the magnetic stripe 32 thereof are overwritten
with "0's" and the date of issuance an the check amount written in the
heat sensitive stripe 31 are overwritten with "X" marks or the like (S
25). Thereafter, the same processes as that in the steps S 19 and S 20 are
executed.
Although the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment in
the foregoing, it is possible to make various changes and modifications in
the described embodiment without departing from the technical spirit of
the invention. For example, the above described card type recording and
reproducing apparatus 1 and the data record card 30 can be applied to an
automatic batch manufacturing system (ABMS). In that case, a plurality of
data record cards 30 each thereof corresponding to the goods to be
manufactured may be prepared, the manufacturing processes to be executed
may be magnetically recorded in the magnetic stripe 31 of each card 30,
and the manufacturing processes which have already been finished may be
recorded in the heat sensitive stripe 32. Thereby, process control in the
manufacturing will be executed.
According to the present invention as described, it is adapted in a card
type recording and reproducing apparatus in which a data record card is
moved forwardly and backwardly along a card guide portion of the apparatus
such that prerecorded data in the card is read out by a reading head while
the card is traveling forward, and new data is written, with the above
read out data taken into consideration, on the card by a writing head;
operating when the card is then moved backward and further the newly
written data is read out from the card by the reading head while the card
continues traveling backward. Thus, by the present invention, writing of
new data in a data record card with prerecorded data in the card taken
into consideration and the reading of the newly written data for checking
the same with the data intended to be written in, can be quickly performed
with a simply structured card type recording and reproducing apparatus.
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