JPH03187065A - Magnetic card discriminating system for magnetic card reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To check the physical compatibility of a magnetic card with a simple constitution by measuring the position to be collated with a structure pattern of the magnetic card in accordance with magnetic recording data by a read timing pulse. CONSTITUTION:The signal of a magnetic head 20 is demodulated by a means 10 to generate a card insertion signal CLS, read data RDD, and a read timing pulse RCP. The pulse RCP is used as a clock signal CLK for distance measurement and is counted by a counter 11. A timing strobe STB is outputted from the counter 11 at the time of arrival at a prescribed counted value, and the signal pattern of sensor inputs S1 to S4 is compared with the logic pattern preliminarily determined in a comparing circuit 12. If they do not coincide with each other, output of data RDD and the pulse RCP is inhibited in a gate circuit 13 by an error signal ERR from the comparing circuit 12. Consequently, data where recording data is partially lost is outputted from a card reader and cannot be normally read.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a magnetic card discrimination method for a magnetic card reader.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, the main method has been to determine whether or not a magnetic card is compatible with a device after reading the magnetic data based on the 10 code, data format, etc. recorded on the magnetic card. . That is, the compatibility of the magnetic card is checked based on the data recorded on the magnetic card.

Although there are only a few methods, there are methods in which the shape of the magnetic card is changed or a bar code is attached to the magnetic card and the compatibility of the magnetic card is checked separately from the data recorded on the magnetic card by optical reading.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the case of the method of determining the compatibility of a magnetic card only based on the data recorded on the magnetic card.

Replication is relatively easy by simply copying magnetically recorded data.

In the latter case, if both the physical compatibility of the magnetic card and the compatibility of the data recorded on the magnetic card are checked based on the card shape of the magnetic card, the bar code attached to the magnetic card, etc., duplication becomes extremely difficult. The shape of the card can be visually recognized and the bar code etc. can be read out.The disadvantage is that this mechanical circuit is expensive.

Therefore, one technical object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic card reader that can check the physical compatibility of a magnetic card with an extremely simple configuration.

In other words, it is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic card reader characterized by having a magnetic card identification function that makes it impossible to read magnetic cards other than a specific magnetic card designated by the magnetic card reader.

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, a signal indicating a structure of a magnetic card different from magnetic data such as a light-transmitting part and a non-transmitting part or a light-reflecting part and a non-reflecting part, etc., and reading of the magnetic data are provided. Receive a bit pulse signal indicating a 1-bit interval from the output, read a chronological pattern of the signal indicating the structure of the magnetic card at a position where a predetermined number of pulse signals are counted, and if it does not match the predetermined pattern. , a magnetic card discrimination method for a magnetic card reader that outputs an error signal is obtained.

That is, the present invention extracts a bit pulse signal at 1-bit intervals from a read output signal of a magnetic card, and when a predetermined number of pulses is reached, that is, when a predetermined position is reached, the optically transparent part and the non-transparent part of the magnetic card or If the signal indicating the structure of the magnetic card based on the light reflective part and the non-reflective part does not match a predetermined signal pattern, this method prevents the magnetic card data from leaving even if the magnetic card data matches. This is a magnetic card discrimination method for a magnetic card reader, which is characterized by checking the compatibility of both the physical compatibility of the card and the compatibility of the magnetic card data.

[Example] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a magnetic card used in the card reader of the present invention, which has a structure in which a light transmitting portion 3 is formed on a magnetic card 1. As shown in FIG.

The operating principle will be explained with reference to the functional explanatory diagram of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.

The photosensor is placed at the n-th position Y1 of the bit recorded on the magnetic recording stripe 2 attached to the magnetic card 1, and at collation positions XI, X2, . X3. A signal pattern indicating whether light from the photosensor is transmitted or not is compared with a predetermined pattern. Figure 3 shows 1 generated separately from the output signal SIG of the data recorded on the magnetic card.
A fixed number of clock signals CLK output for each bit are counted. Distance to check position Y1: D□ is distance of pit clock number 201 bits: jlb*
j! Determined by yl-nXN b.

Position of magnetic card pattern check in Figure 2:
Yl photosensors XI, X2. If "1" is outputted from the light transmission section, the output signal of X3°X4 will be as shown in FIG. 3.

Timing strobe to check the suitability of the photosensor output in Figure 3: The timing strobe S is output when a certain number of bit clocks is reached in the STB.
While TB is being output, photosensor outputs XI, X2
．． X3. If X4 is (=1'"O"1"0"), it is determined that the magnetic card is compatible with the magnetic card reader.

If the photo sensor output The configuration is such that the error signal ERR shown is output as shown by the broken line.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a circuit block diagram of an embodiment according to the present invention.

The signal from the magnetic head 20 is input to the demodulation circuit 10.

The demodulation circuit 10 outputs the card insertion signal CLS and the read data R.
Generate DD and read timing pulse RCP.

In this embodiment, this read timing pulse RCP is a signal output corresponding to the length of 1 bit, so it is used as a clock signal CLK for measuring distance, and the number of clocks is counted until a predetermined position is reached. Count by 11.

When the specified count number is reached, the timing strobe STB is output from the counter 11, and the sensor human power Sl,
S2. S3. The signal pattern of S4 is compared with a logic pattern predetermined in the comparator circuit 12, and if they do not match, the comparator circuit 12 sends an error signal ERR indicating an error.
Turn on.

Here, using the error signal ERR, read data RDD from the demodulation circuit 10 and read timing pulse R
CP output from comparison circuit 12.

The gate circuit 13 is configured to prohibit this only when the error signal ERR is turned on due to non-compatibility of the magnetic card. Therefore, the 2-magnetic card reader outputs data in which part of the magnetically recorded data is deleted, and cannot be read normally.

As mentioned above, the individual structural patterns attached to the magnetic card are read by a photo sensor, etc.

Special pattern recognition,
Alternatively, the validity of the magnetic card can be checked with an extremely simple circuit configuration, without the need for a printed pattern or the like to obtain a synchronization signal.

In the embodiment, pattern matching is performed at one location, but if it is performed at multiple locations, confidentiality will be further improved.

Further, although there are four sensors for detecting patterns in the embodiment diagram, it is natural that the function can be satisfied even if there are only one sensor or four or more sensors.

If the individual pattern attached to the magnetic card is made into a complicated design, it becomes more difficult to decipher it and it may become even more difficult to reproduce the magnetic card again.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, by adding a simple circuit, it is possible to verify whether the magnetic card itself is compatible with a magnetic card reader in addition to verifying the data recorded on the magnetic card. 9 It has become possible to supply highly secure magnetic card readers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows 1f1. of a magnetic card used in a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of circuit operation of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a circuit block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. 1...Magnetic card, 20...Magnetic head, 2...
Magnetic recording stripe, 10... demodulation circuit, 3... light transmission section. 11... Counter, XI, X2. X3. X4...Sense output, 12...Comparison circuit, Yl...Pattern check position, 13...Gate circuit, n...Bit count value. CLS...Card insertion signal, SIG...Magnetic head output, RDD...Read data, CLK...Clock signal, RCP read timing pulse, STB...
Timing strobe, ERR...Error signal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A signal indicating the structure of the magnetic card, which is different from the magnetic data such as a light-transmitting part and a non-transmitting part or a light-reflecting part and a non-reflecting part;
A bit pulse signal indicating a 1-bit interval is received from the read output of the magnetic data, and a time series pattern of the signal indicating the structure of the magnetic card is read at a position where a predetermined number of pulse signals are counted, and a predetermined pattern is obtained. A magnetic card identification method for magnetic card readers that outputs an error signal if the numbers do not match.