JP2573037B2 - Card issuing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a card issuing machine that encodes and issues amount data according to the amount of money input by a customer into a magnetic card.

(B) Conventional technology As a card issuing machine that encodes and issues a customer's input amount to a magnetic card by a card writer, a card issuing machine described in, for example, JP-A-62-166490 is known. Generally, such a card issuing machine stores a magnetic card in a card storage unit in advance, and when a customer inserts a bill, takes out the magnetic card from the card storage unit and stores the amount data.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in such a card issuing machine, if the storage direction is incorrect when the magnetic card is set in the card storage section, the card writer will use the pattern (second
(Shown in the figure), there is a disadvantage that the amount data is written in the opposite direction.

As a countermeasure for this, a method has been adopted in which a notch or the like is provided in a part of the card so that it is easy to find the card set in the opposite direction.

However, the above-mentioned method is only a device for making it difficult to make a mistake, and has not yet reached a reliable prevention method. Moreover, in this case, since the shape of the card is special, the aesthetic appearance of the card is significantly impaired.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a card issuing machine in which a non-reflective portion is provided at one corner of a rectangular magnetic card, and the suitability of the card set is determined based on the detection of the non-reflective portion.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems A card issuing machine according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems has a non-reflective portion formed at one corner of a quadrangular magnetic card and the magnetic card laminated. Card storage section, a card take-out section for taking out a magnetic card stored at the bottom of the card storage section, and a point provided with a non-reflection section of the bottom-most magnetic card in point symmetry. An optical sensor that irradiates light to a corner and detects reflected light due to the light; a card transport unit that guides the magnetic card taken out by the card take-out unit to the card writer or card collection box; and a card take-out unit At the time of driving, when the optical sensor detects reflected light, encode control means for controlling the drive of the card transport unit to guide the magnetic card taken out by the card take-out unit to the card writer, The If the optical sensor has not detected reflected light when the transport of the magnetic card by the card transport unit is completed, an operation of guiding the lowest magnetic card in the card storage unit to the card collection box at this time is performed. A card collection control unit for controlling the driving of the card ejection unit and the card conveyance unit; and the optical sensor even if the card collection control unit controls a series of driving of the card ejection unit and the card conveyance unit for a predetermined number of times. Sold out control means for controlling the sold out of the card if no reflected light is obtained.

(E) Function When the magnetic card is correctly set in the card storage section, the optical sensor detects the reflected light to irradiate light to the corner where the non-reflection section does not exist. When money is inserted into the card issuing machine in this state, the card removal unit removes the lowest card stored in the card storage unit and sends it to the card transport unit. Then, the card transport unit is controlled by the encoding control means, and encodes the input amount,
Guide this card to a card writer.

When the lowermost card is removed, the optical sensor faces the next sequential card. At this time, when the next card is correctly set, the optical sensor detects the reflected light, thereby ending the processing. However, if the optical sensor does not detect the reflected light when the card transport unit finishes sending the card to the card writer, the card collection control means operates to collect the lowest magnetic card in the card storage unit. The driving of the card take-out unit and the card transport unit is controlled so that the operation leads to the box. The optical sensor cannot detect the reflected light when the card is erroneously set in the card storage unit and the optical sensor faces the non-reflection unit, or when the card storage unit is out of card.

Therefore, even if the card collection control means controls the series of driving of the card take-out section and the card transport section a predetermined number of times, if the reflected light is not obtained by the optical sensor, the sold-out control means judges that the card storage section has run out of cards. To control the sellout of cards.

(F) Embodiment FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a card issuing machine (11) according to the present invention, in which (5) is a card storage section in which magnetic cards are stacked and stored, and (6) is a card storage section ( In the card removal for removing the card stored at the bottom of 5), the card removal section (6) pushes the card outwardly (6A).
And a shutter (6B) for separating only the lowest card among the cards energized by the pushing device (6A).

As shown in FIG. 2, the square card (12) has one non-reflective portion (13) of the four corners. An optical sensor (7) having a light receiving section is arranged below the card storage section (5). When the card (12) is correctly set in the card storage section (5), the optical sensor (7) is provided. ) Is opposed to a corner (12B) having a point-symmetrical positional relationship with a corner (12A) having a non-reflective portion (13) of the card (12). Therefore, when the lowest card is correctly set in the card storage section (5), the light sensor (7) emits light with the light emitting section (7A) facing the corner (12B) and the light receiving section (7B). Senses the reflected light. However, if the lowermost card is not set correctly, the light sensor (7) faces the corner (12A), so that the light receiving unit (7B) cannot detect the reflected light, and thus the light sensor (7) is not reflected. (13) will be detected. The optical sensor (7) is also used when no card is present in the card storage (5).
Cannot sense the reflected light.

(8) is a card transport unit communicating with the card take-out unit (6), which is a conveyer (14) for transferring cards introduced from the card take-out unit (6) and a card writer for sending cards sent from the conveyor (14). (9) or a sorting member (15) for sorting to the card collection box (10). This sorting member (1
5) is rotatable around the shaft (17) by the action of the solenoid (16), and usually directs the first guide portion (15A) toward the delivery side of the conveyor (14).
When rotated in the counterclockwise direction by the operation of 6), the second guide portion (15B) is directed to the delivery side of the conveyor (14). The card writer (9) includes a magnetic head (18), records the amount-of-money data on a card introduced through the distribution member (15), and issues a magnetic card from the payout port (19).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of an embodiment for controlling the card issuing machine (11).
The CPU, (2) is a RAM, (3) is a ROM, (4) is an I / O interface, and these are connected by an address bus (20) and a data bus (21). And a money detector (22),
Each of the extrusion device (6A), optical sensor (7), conveyor (14), solenoid (16), card writer (9), and display unit (23) are connected to the CPU (1) via the I / O interface (4).
The CPU (1) controls these operations based on a program stored in the ROM (3). When the optical sensor (7) cannot detect the reflected light from the state where the optical sensor (7) is detecting the reflected light, the CPU (1) converts the card taken out by the card take-out section (6) into a card writer (9). When the optical sensor (7) stops detecting the reflected light, the card control unit (10) controls the drive of the card transport unit (8) to guide the card to the card collection unit (10). 8) If the card collection control means for controlling the drive and the card transport section (8) perform the operation of leading to the card collection box (10) a predetermined number of times, the reflected light cannot be obtained by the optical sensor (7). It has a function as sold-out control means for controlling the sold-out of the card. The display unit (23) also includes a display for displaying a card set defect and a card exhaustion.

The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5 showing the control by the CPU (1). The card is set in the card storage unit (5) and the operation of the card issuing machine (11) starts. First, in step S1, the CPU (1) determines whether or not the optical sensor (7) detects reflected light. . If the card is set properly, the optical sensor (7) detects the reflected light, and the processing of the CPU (1) proceeds to step S5.
If the card is not set properly, the optical sensor (7) cannot detect the reflected light at the non-reflective section (13), and the CPU
In (1), a signal indicating a card set defect is given to the display unit (23) in step S3, and the display unit (23) displays the card set defect.

In step S5, the CPU (1) determines the presence or absence of the inserted money signal from the money detector (22). The money detector (22) outputs an inserted money signal corresponding to the type of money when the appropriate money is inserted into the card issuing machine (11). When the CPU (1) detects this signal, the inserted money amount is determined in step S7. Is added and counted to calculate an input amount, and this is stored in the RAM (2). In a step S9, it is determined whether or not the issue switch (24) is turned on. If the issuance switch (24) is turned on, it is determined in the next step S11 whether or not there is an inserted amount. If there is an input amount, the next step S1
Proceed to step 3 to start issuing the card. Therefore, when the customer operates the issuing switch (24) after inserting the money, the card issuing operation is performed.

In step S13, the CPU (1) gives a drive signal to the extruder (6A) to control the card take-out unit from the card storage unit (5), and also controls the conveyor (8) and the solenoid (1).
A drive signal is also given to 6) to control the transport of the card taken out of the card storage section (5). In this case, the card is guided by the second guide portion (15B) and guided to the card writer (9) because the distribution member (15) is rotationally displaced by the driving of the solenoid (16). Such processing of the CPU (1) in step S13 functions as an encoding control unit.

In step S15, the CPU (1) outputs the input amount data stored in the RAM (2) to the card writer (9). As a result, the card writer (9) uses the magnetic head (1).
8) is driven to encode the inserted amount into the card, and the card is transferred to the payout port (19), and the card is issued.

In step S17, the CPU (1) determines whether or not the optical sensor (7) is detecting reflected light. If the light is detected, the CPU (1) determines that the next card stored in the card storage unit (5) is normal. To step S19. However, if the card is not set properly, the optical sensor (7) faces the non-reflective portion (13) of the card and cannot detect the reflected light, and the processing of the CPU (1) proceeds to step S25.
Also, when all the cards stored in the card storage section (5) are exhausted, the reflected light cannot be detected by the optical sensor (7), so that the processing of the CPU (1) proceeds to step S25.
At this point, it is not distinguished whether the card has run out or the card has been set incorrectly. In step S25, the CPU (1) adds 1 to the counter set in the RAM (2), and the next step S2
At 7, it is determined whether the count value of the counter is 2. If the count value of the counter is less than 2, the CPU (1) in step S29 gives a drive signal to the extruder (6A) to control the operation of removing the card from the card storage unit (5). A drive signal is also given to (14), but in this case, since no drive signal is output to the solenoid (16), the taken-out card is the first card of the sorting member (15).
It is introduced into the card collection box (10) along the guide section (15A). CPU (1) in steps S27 and S29
This process functions as a card collection control unit. Then, the CPU (1) proceeds to the next step S17 to determine whether or not the optical sensor (7) has detected the reflected light. In this case as well, if the optical sensor (7) cannot detect the reflected light, the flow proceeds to step S25 where the counter is sent to the counter. When 1 is added, and it is detected in the next step S27 that the count value of the counter is 2, the process proceeds to step S31. If the reflected light cannot be detected by the optical sensor (7) even when the card is taken out in this way, it is determined that there is no card and the process proceeds to step S31, and the CPU (1) displays a signal indicating that the card is sold out on the display unit (23). And the display unit (23) indicates that the card has run out. In this example, the card is taken out twice, and if the optical sensor (7) cannot detect the reflected light in each case, it is determined that the card has run out. However, the number of times may be three or more. Thus, even if the card runs out, the card is taken out and collected while the count value of the counter is less than the predetermined number, and when the count value reaches the predetermined number, the CPU (1) detects the card running out for the first time. Therefore, the CPU in steps S27 and S31
Such processing of (1) functions as a sold-out control unit.

When the card next to the card issued by encoding is set normally, or when the card next to the card led to the card collection box (10) is set normally, the light sensor (7) reflects light. CP to detect light
U (1) proceeds to step S19. In this step S19, C
PU (1) determines whether or not the count value of the counter is 1. If the card next to the card issued by encoding is also set normally, the processing of the CPU (1) proceeds to step S5.
And waits for the next card issuance operation. When the process proceeds from step S17 to step S19 via the processes of steps S25, S27, and S29, the CPU (1) determines that the count value is 1
Is detected, and the process proceeds to step S21. In this case, the card storage unit (5) is not out of card, but it is determined that there is an error in the setting of the card, and this fact is determined in the RAM (2).
To memorize. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a valid card having only an incorrect set from being discarded. In addition, RA
In addition to storing the data in M (2), the printer may print out an error in the card set and hold the card out of the card issue. In the next step S23, the counter is reset. By resetting the counter in this processing, the optical sensor (7) is determined in the determination in step S27.
Can be determined to be out of card only when reflected light cannot be detected twice consecutively. And that the card to be encoded next is set correctly
The process of the CPU (1) returns to step S5.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, by providing a non-reflective portion on the card surface and detecting the presence or absence of reflected light with an optical sensor, it is possible to reliably detect an error in the direction in which the magnetic card is stored in the card storage portion. Can be removed. Therefore, the input amount data is not encoded and issued in the wrong direction, and a stable and accurate card can always be issued. In addition, the card that has been stored incorrectly is removed to the collection box, so that the machine does not stop due to a storage error, and the operation as a card issuing machine is stabilized. Even if the operation of removing the card into the collection box is repeated a predetermined number of times, if the reflected light cannot be detected by the optical sensor, it is determined that the card has run out, so it is possible to reliably detect the presence or absence of the card without installing a special card detection device it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a card issuing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention,
2 is a diagram showing a card surface, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a card in a card storage unit and an optical sensor, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing control of a CPU. It is. (1) ... CPU (encode control means, card collection control means, sold-out control means), (5) ... card storage section,
(6) ... card removal section, (7) ... optical sensor, (8)
…… Card transporter, (9) …… Card writer, (10)…
... card collection box, (12) ... magnetic card, (13) ... non-reflective part.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A card issuing machine for recording and issuing money amount data according to a customer's input amount on a magnetic card by a card writer, wherein a non-reflective portion formed at one corner of the quadrangular magnetic card; A card storage section in which the magnetic cards are stacked and stored; a card removal section for taking out a magnetic card stored at the lowest position of the card storage section; and a corner provided with a non-reflective section of the lowest magnetic card A light sensor that irradiates light to a corner part symmetrical with the part and detects reflected light due to the light, and a card transport unit that guides the magnetic card taken out by the card take-out unit to the card writer or card collection box. When the card sensor is driven, if the optical sensor detects reflected light, the card transporter is driven to guide the magnetic card taken out by the card reader to the card writer. Encoding control means for controlling, and when the optical sensor has not detected reflected light when the transport of the magnetic card by the card transport unit is completed, the lowermost magnetic card in the card storage unit at this time is replaced with the Card collection control means for controlling the driving of the card ejection section and the card transport section so as to be guided to a card collection box; and the card collection control means determines a series of driving of the card ejection section and the card transport section. A card issuing machine comprising: sold-out control means for controlling sold-out of a card when reflected light is not obtained by the optical sensor even if the number of times is controlled.