JPH04197691A - Indication medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a user to easily recognize that a card almost comes into a use limit by a method wherein in the card provided with a first recording part in which information can be repeatedly recorded and erased by applying a heat, a second recording part which changes in color by applying a light only or in combination with a heat is provided. CONSTITUTION:In a card 21, a metallized thin film 23 and a magnetic recording layer 8 are laminated on one surface of a substrate 22 of a transparent polyethylene terephthalate; and a first thermally color-changing layer 24 coming into a transparent state or an opaque state by a heat, a second indication layer 25 coming into a colored state or an erased state by a light only or in combination with a heat, and a protective layer 26 are provided on the other surface of the substrate 22. In the card 21, a balance operated in an ultraviolet light emitting means 36 is compared with a predetermined balance value in a last stage. If it is less than the predetermined value, an ultraviolet light is emitted to the second indication layer 25 to color the second indication layer as shown by an area 50. In this manner, a user can easily visually recognize that the card almost comes into a restriction or a use limit determined in relation to the use requirement of the card.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Purpose of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention is intended for use in identification cards such as discount cards used in telephones, ticket vending machines, etc., ID cards of financial institutions, employee ID cards, etc. Concerning display media that are used repeatedly, such as certificates and securities.

(Prior art) Conventionally, in the case of a deductible card used in telephones, ticket vending machines, etc., so-called brivate cards, if the amount is a large amount that cannot be limited to the number of times it can be used, even if there is a balance, the Due to reasons such as running out of area and making it unusable, or because it is difficult to print small characters, the system is no longer used to record updates (printing) of balances, etc. Therefore, the remaining amount to be used (or the number of usable prescriptions) is roughly indicated by punching a hole or the like. For this reason, there was a problem in that it was impossible to know the usage history and accurate balance.

In response, a card has been proposed in which a recording layer is provided on one side of the card that can reversibly cause a change in color or a change in light transmittance by heat (Japanese Patent Application No. 1983-
136357). The configuration of this card is shown in FIG. The card 1 has a printing layer 3 on the top of a base material 2 made of plastic or the like, and a reversible recording layer (variable display layer) 5 made of a magnetic recording layer 4 and a thermosensitive material on the bottom (back side). There is. The reversible recording layer 5 has, for example, as shown in FIG.
When the reversible recording layer 5 is in a transparent state and its temperature is increased from T1 to T2, it changes from a transparent state to a cloudy state, and even when the temperature returns to T1, it remains cloudy. Then, when the temperature of the reversible recording layer 5 is increased from T1 to T3 beyond T2 and returned to T1 again, the state changes from a cloudy state to a transparent state, and the transparent state is maintained as it is. This change is repeatable. There is also a card in which a part of a base material having a magnetic recording layer on the negative side is punched out, filled with a magnetic particle dispersion or magnetic particles, and provided with a shielded display area (for example, JP-A-61-269281). This card displays a pattern on the display section by magnetizing the no-turn section in the magnetic recording layer and attracting magnetic particles to the magnetized section. As long as the magnetized pattern is not demagnetized, the pattern is retained. Erasing of the display is accomplished by applying an alternating magnetic field to the magnetic recording layer and the display section. The above cards either have a rewritable display section built into the cart, or a transfer cartridge with a transfer ink layer on the backing material is brought into close contact with the Plasti-Sox card, and the thermal head is driven to record the image. There is also a proposal for a plastic ticket issuing device that forms an image on a card by fixing it with a fixing device (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-39351). In the second card, the display body forming the image is supplied from outside.

(Invention or Problem to be Solved) However, although these cards have made it possible to display the usage limit accurately, the display format does not change even when the usage limit is near, so it is difficult for the user to know if the usage limit is near. The problem is that it cannot be easily recognized.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a display medium that allows a user to easily recognize that the user is approaching the usage limit.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a first display section that can be repeatedly recorded and erased by applying heat;
It is characterized by comprising a second display section that changes color upon application of light or light and heat.

(Function) In the display medium of the present invention, a restriction established in relation to usage conditions or a usage limit being approached is displayed in a state that is easily visible to the user.

(Example) Next, the present invention will be explained in detail using the drawings.

Figure 1 shows an amount subtraction card (
This figure shows a cross-sectional configuration of a cart as a prepaid card (prepaid card, etc.). The card 21 has a metal vapor-deposited thin film 23 on one side of a base material 22 made of transparent polyethylene terephthalate with a thickness of 188 μm.
, a magnetic recording layer 8 is laminated, and on the other side there is a thermosensitive color changing layer 24 that shows both a transparent state and an opaque state when heated, and a second layer that shows both a colored state and a decolored state when exposed to light or light and heat. A display layer 25 and a protective layer 26 are provided. The first display layer 27 is composed of a metal thin film 23 and a thermosensitive color changing layer 24. The thermosensitive color change layer material is composed of a material that exhibits both a transparent state and an opaque state depending on the temperature reached. Materials that exhibit such characteristics include polymer matrices such as vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer resins that become cloudy with high temperature history (e.g., below 90°C) and become transparent with low temperature history (e.g., below 70°C). There are heat-sensitive materials that are composed of low-molecular-weight organic substances such as behenic acid and behenic acid. Such materials are described in detail in JP-A-55-154198. As explained using FIG. 5, this material exhibits a transparent state and an opaque (cloudy) state depending on the temperature reached, and this state is stably maintained even when the temperature returns to room temperature. Or it becomes cloudy due to low temperature history (e.g. 65℃ or less), and becomes cloudy due to low temperature history (e.g. 70℃ or less).
There are heat-sensitive materials made of polystyrene-polybutadiene copolymer and stearic acid that can be made transparent by (below).

The former material is used here. The thermosensitive color changing layer 24 is 9
It becomes cloudy at temperatures above 5°C, changes from cloudy to transparent at temperatures between 80°C and 95°C, and remains unchanged at temperatures below 80°C. The initial state of the thermosensitive color-changing layer 24 is a transparent state.

The first display is made by selectively making the thermosensitive color changing layer 24 cloudy using a thermal recording means such as a thermal head to form a cloudy image. The contrast between the cloudy part and the transparent part is increased by the reflected light from the metal thin film 23 that passes through both parts, and image density sufficient for visual recognition is obtained. This erasure of the image is accomplished by heating the thermosensitive color changing layer 24 to 80 DEG C. to 95 DEG C. and returning it to room temperature. A material exhibiting photochromism can be used as the material for the second display layer. Such materials include known materials such as spiropyrans, diarylethenos, spirooxazines, and spirobenzothiopyrans. Here, it was composed of spiropyran materials. This material develops color when exposed to ultraviolet light and disappears when heated to approximately 100°C. Since coloring/decoloring occurs reversibly, the second display layer can change color repeatedly. The initial state of the display layer 25 is a decolored state.

In the structure of the card shown in FIG.
It is also possible to have a structure in which . In this case, it is desirable that the total thickness of each layer on the magnetic recording layer be 10 μm or less so as not to impede writing and reading of magnetic data in the magnetic recording layer.

Next, an example of card processing when using the amount subtraction type card shown in FIG. 1 will be explained. FIG. 3 shows a schematic structure of the internal mechanism of the card processing device. This device is shown in FIG. 2(a) each time it is used using the cart of the first embodiment.
As shown in , usage history data such as usage date and remaining amount are printed on the card, and when there is no margin left on the first display layer, the recorded image is erased and new data is recorded. 30
31 is a known conveyance roller (not shown).
A cart conveyance path 32 is configured to convey cards in both left and right directions, and 32 conveys magnetic information from the magnetic recording layer of the card 21, including security-related data such as the authenticity of the card, validity period, and usage history data such as the remaining amount. 33 is a write head for updating and writing magnetic information in the magnetic recording layer of the cart 21; 34 is a write head for writing an image on the first display layer (not shown) of the card 21 when there is no blank space; first heat roll heating means for erasing, 35
is a thermal head recording means which is a thermal writing means for recording usage history data such as usage date and remaining amount on the first display layer of the card 21.

36 is an ultraviolet irradiation unit that colors the second display layer (not shown) of the card 21; 37 is a read head that reads magnetic information from the magnetic recording layer of the card 21 in order to confirm written and updated data; A stopper stops the card when there is a doubt about the authenticity of the card, validity period, etc., a sensor 39, 40, and 41 detects the position of the leading end of the card in the transport direction, and 42 is a card ejection port.

Next, the card processing operation will be explained. A user inserts the card 21 into the card slot 30. The inserted card is conveyed along a conveyance path 31 by a conveyance roller or the like, and a reading head 32 reads security-related data such as the card's authenticity, validity period, etc., and usage history data such as the remaining amount. The validity of the card is determined based on the read data.

If there is a problem with the card, the stopper 38 is activated to stop the card, reverse the motor operation driving the transport rollers, and eject the card to a separate tray (not shown). If the card is valid, the next write head 33 updates and writes the usage history data in the magnetic recording layer. In the heat roll heating means 34, when it is determined that there is no margin in the first display layer (not shown) of the card 21 based on the usage history data that has already been read, the heat roller heated to 85°C is heated. The image area to be erased is contacted to make the recorded image transparent and erased. If there is a margin in the first display layer, the heat roll of the heat roll heating means 34 is retracted so as not to contact it, and the card is left as it is. The card is transported to the next thermal head recording means 35. Here, necessary information such as the date and time of use and the remaining amount is applied to the first display layer of the card 21 as a heat pattern of about 120° C. by the thermal head, and is recorded as a cloudy image. In addition, if the usage amount exceeds the balance before use, the payment amount is recorded, and then the card conveyance operation is reversed and the card is ejected to a separate tray (not shown). A message is displayed on the display device (not shown) at the same time as the discharge.The ultraviolet irradiation means 36 compares the calculated remaining amount with a preset remaining amount (500 yen in this case) and determines whether the remaining amount is within the set remaining amount. If so, the second display layer 25 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cause the second display layer to develop color as shown at 50 in FIG. If so, the ultraviolet rays are not irradiated and the second display layer passes through without being colored.Sensors 39, 40, and 41 provided in front of each means detect the leading edge of the card and erase it.
Alternatively, a reference signal for recording positioning is output. After recording,
The updated data is read from the magnetic recording layer by the read head 37, and the updated data is confirmed. Finally, the card comes out through the ejection port 42 and is returned to the user. In this way, it was possible to repeatedly display the image on the first display surface of the card 21 over 100 times. The recorded cloudy image did not show chipping or staining of the background even after repeating the card processing operation more than 100 times. Also, no problems were encountered in reading/writing magnetic information records in the magnetic recording layer, such as changing the output of the read head or having to change the input of the write head. Similarly, the second display layer is also 100
It was possible to change color repeatedly more than once.

When reusing the card, the heat-sensitive color changing layer should be heated to 85°C.
The second display layer can be reused by heating each layer to 100° C. for initialization.

In this way, the user is alerted to the card when a portion of the card changes color, and can easily recognize that the amount spent in the cart is decreasing.

In the above explanation, we have given an example in which conditions are set in advance regarding the amount of money that can be used for a card, but in addition to this, certain conditions can be set for the reading output of card magnetic information, and when a decrease in reading output is detected, a warning will be alerted. You may also do this.

Users can now easily see the restrictions set in connection with the card usage conditions or the fact that they are approaching the usage limit. Cards can also be reused by repeatedly changing the color of the display layer that alerts users. Furthermore, since the display surface on which characters, numbers, etc. are recorded can be repeatedly erased, the recording capacity can be substantially increased. It is now possible to rewrite the printed display of cards.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily make the user of a medium aware of the usage limit of the medium.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of an amount subtraction type card which is an embodiment of the medium of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the form of use of the card shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. The figure is a diagram for explaining the card processing mode when using the medium of the present invention, Figure 4 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a conventional card that can be repeatedly recorded/erased, and Figure 5 is a card recording layer. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a recording/erasing operation on the image data. 22... Base material, 25... Second display layer, 24...
Thermosensitive color changing layer, 27... first display layer

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A display medium comprising a first display section that can be repeatedly recorded and erased by applying heat, and a second display section that changes color by applying light. (2) A first display section that can be repeatedly recorded and erased by applying heat, and a second display section that can repeatedly change color by applying light and heat. Display media.