JP5010563B2 - Reader / writer for information storage media - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information storage medium reader / writer provided in a host device such as a vending machine.

  Conventionally, as a reader / writer for this type of information storage medium, when an information storage medium provided with a predetermined host device and storing predetermined information is detected, the information stored in the information storage medium is read / written. Is known.

In this information storage medium reader / writer, setting information corresponding to the upper device to be installed is stored in advance, such as the installation location and the upper device of the connection destination, and the reader / writer is provided in the upper device. Then, communication processing with a host device, settlement processing using electronic money information stored in an information storage medium, and the like are performed based on setting information.
JP 2005-25306 A

  However, in the conventional example, since the setting information corresponding to the host device is stored in advance, for example, when changing the host device to be installed, the reader / writer is collected and new setting information is stored. It is necessary to perform complicated setting processing such as making it difficult to use, and there is a risk of being inferior in versatility and convenience.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is, for example, a reader / writer for an information storage medium that can easily perform setting processing even when a higher-level device to be installed is changed. Is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an information storage medium that is provided in a predetermined host device and reads and writes information stored in the information storage medium when detecting the information storage medium in which the predetermined information is stored When the reader / writer detects an information storage medium storing management information for identifying the host device, a read control unit that reads the management information from the information storage medium, and the management information is read by the read control unit. A communication control unit configured to communicate with a predetermined management server based on the management information and to acquire predetermined setting information corresponding to the management information from the management server;

  Thus, when an information storage medium storing management information for identifying the host device is detected, the management information is read from the information storage medium and predetermined setting information corresponding to the management information is managed. Since it is acquired from the server, the setting information can be acquired by a simple operation such as moving the information storage medium storing the management information to the detectable position.

  According to the present invention, the setting information can be acquired by a simple operation such as moving the information storage medium storing the management information to the detectable position. For example, even when the host device to be installed is changed Setting processing can be easily performed. Therefore, even when setting information different from that of the host device to be installed is stored, it is not necessary to perform setting processing such as collecting the reader / writer and storing new setting information. Can be improved.

  1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an information storage medium reader / writer, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of setting information, and FIG. It is a sequence diagram which shows the operation | movement until it acquires.

  An information storage medium reader / writer 100 (hereinafter referred to as a reader / writer 100) of this embodiment is provided in a vending machine 1 as a host device, and an IC chip 20 as an information storage medium in which predetermined information is stored. Is detected, the information stored in the IC chip 20 is read and written. Further, when the reader / writer 100 detects a non-contact IC card in which the balance of electronic money used in the electronic money service is stored during operation, the reader / writer 100 communicates with the non-contact IC card to read / write the electronic money balance. Thus, electronic money settlement processing is performed. Since the contents of the electronic money settlement process are the same as the known process contents, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The vending machine 1 has a known configuration, and a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) is attached to the front surface of the outer door. In the two-dimensional code, a management number 1a as management information for identifying the vending machine 1 is encoded.

  The reading device 10 is a known mobile phone equipped with an IC chip 20, and includes a reading unit 11 including a camera that can read a two-dimensional code, and a control unit 12. Further, the IC chip 20 is connected to the control unit 12, and the control unit 12 can read and write information in the IC chip 20. In the present embodiment, a mobile phone is used as the reading device 10, but a known bar code reader can also be used as the reading device 10.

  The control unit 12 controls the entire reading apparatus 10 and includes a CPU, a memory such as a RAM, and a ROM. In addition, when the two-dimensional code attached to the vending machine 1 is read by the reading unit 11, the control unit 12 extracts the management number 1 a from the two-dimensional code and stores the management number 1 a in the IC chip 20.

  The IC chip 20 has a known configuration, and is provided with an IC chip control unit (not shown) for controlling circuits in the IC chip and an IC chip storage unit (not shown) for storing various information. When the IC chip control unit receives a predetermined information storage command from the control unit 12 of the reading apparatus 10, the IC chip control unit stores information included in the command in the IC chip storage unit. The IC chip 20 is connected to a coiled antenna (not shown) for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the reader / writer 100 in a contactless manner.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the reader / writer 100 is provided with a connector 110, an RF circuit unit 120, an antenna 130, a storage unit 140, a communication device 150, and a control unit 160. Is connected to each of the above devices. The vending machine 1 is connected to the reader / writer 100 via a connector 110. Further, the reader / writer 100 is connected to the management server 300 via the communication device 150 and the network 200.

  The connector 110 is compliant with the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association (JVMA) interface specification, and is used as an interface unit for connecting the control unit 160 and the vending machine 1. The RF circuit unit 120 is for performing non-contact communication with the IC chip 20 via the antenna 130, and includes a known AD / DA converter, a rectifier circuit, and the like. The storage unit 140 is a rewritable storage element such as an EEPROM, and stores various information based on the control of the control unit 160.

  The communication device 150 is a communication device such as a modem for connecting to the network 200, and communicates with the management server 300 via the network 200. In this embodiment, a public line network is used as the network 200, and a modem is used as the communication device 150 correspondingly.

  The control unit 160 is for controlling the entire reader / writer 100 and includes a CPU, a memory such as a RAM, and a ROM. In addition, the control unit 160 includes a reading control unit 161 and a communication control unit 162. The reading control unit 161 and the communication control unit 162 control each device described above based on data and programs stored in the memory. It comes to control. The non-rewritable area of the memory stores a plurality of IC chip commands, which will be described later, but is not limited thereto. These commands are stored in the storage unit 140 and the control unit 160 is required. In response to this, each command may be read from the storage unit 140. Details of operations of the reading control unit 161 and the communication control unit 162 will be described later.

  The management server 300 is a server for managing the reader / writer 100, and a server storage unit 310 for storing various information, a communication device 320 for connecting to the network 200, and a server control for controlling the management server 300 as a whole. Part 330.

  The server storage unit 310 is a rewritable storage element such as an EEPROM, and stores setting information 310a as shown in FIG. The setting information 310a is stored in a state that is associated with the management number 1a in advance. The setting information 310a includes installation location information that indicates the installation location of the reader / writer 100 by latitude and longitude, and a higher-level device that is a connection destination (in this embodiment, automatic sales). Device 1), connection application information, an electronic money service A application program, and an electronic money service B application program.

  Similar to the communication device 150 of the reader / writer 100, the communication device 320 is a communication device for connecting to the network 200, and communicates with the reader / writer 100 via the network 200.

  The server control unit 330 includes a CPU, a RAM, and a memory such as a ROM. When the management number 1a is received from the reader / writer 100 via the network 200 and the communication device 320, the server control unit 330 stores the setting information 310a corresponding to the management number 1a in the server. The setting information 310 a is extracted from the unit 310 and transmitted to the reader / writer 100.

  The operation when the reader / writer 100 is attached to the vending machine 1 will be described below with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.

  First, after attaching the reader / writer 100 to the vending machine 1, the operator reads the management number 1a assigned to the vending machine 1 using the reading device 10 (step S1). In this case, when the two-dimensional code is read by the reading unit 11, the control unit 12 of the reading device 10 extracts the management number 1a from the two-dimensional code. Then, the control unit 12 transmits an information storage command including the extracted management number 1 a to the IC chip 20. On the other hand, the IC chip control unit of the IC chip 20 stores the management number 1a included in the received command in the IC chip storage unit (step S2).

  On the other hand, when the power is turned on, the control unit 160 of the reader / writer 100 performs detection processing of the IC chip 20 (step S3). More specifically, the reading control unit 161 of the control unit 160 transmits an IC chip command for obtaining a predetermined response signal from the IC chip 20 via the RF circuit unit 120 and the antenna 130. Here, when the operator moves the reading device 10 from the antenna 130 to a position within a predetermined range (for example, 5 centimeters), the IC chip controller of the IC chip 20 reads the reader / writer 100 via the antenna of the IC chip 20. A response signal is transmitted in response to the IC chip command received from. The reading control unit 161 detects the IC chip 20 by receiving a response signal from the IC chip 20 via the antenna 130 and the RF circuit unit 120. In the present embodiment, a chip ID (not shown) unique to the IC chip 20 stored in the IC chip storage unit of the IC chip 20 is used as a response signal.

  Next, when the reading control unit 161 detects the IC chip 20, it sends a management number reading command for reading the management number 1 a stored in the IC chip storage unit of the IC chip 20 via the RF circuit unit 120 and the antenna 130. To the IC chip 20 (step S4). On the other hand, when receiving the command via the antenna, the IC chip control unit of the IC chip 20 extracts the management number 1a of the IC chip storage unit and transmits it to the reader / writer 100 (step S5). Then, the reading control unit 161 stores the management number 1a received from the IC chip 20 via the antenna 130 and the RF circuit unit 120 in the storage unit 140 (step S6). In this way, when the reading control unit 161 detects the IC chip 20, it reads the management number 1 a from the IC chip 20.

  Next, when the management number 1a is read by the reading control unit 161, the communication control unit 162 of the control unit 160 transmits the management number 1a to the management server 300 via the communication device 150 and the network 200 (step S7). ). On the other hand, when receiving the management number 1a via the communication device 320, the server control unit 330 of the management server 300 extracts the setting information 310a corresponding to the received management number 1a from the server storage unit 310 (step S8). The set information 310a thus transmitted is transmitted to the reader / writer 100 via the communication device 320 and the network 200 (step S9). And the communication control part 162 will memorize | store the received setting information 310a in the memory | storage part 140, if the setting information 310a is received via the communication apparatus 150 (step S10). In this way, when the management number 1a is read by the reading control unit 161, the communication control unit 162 communicates with the management server 300 and acquires the setting information 310a corresponding to the management number 1a from the management server 300.

  Note that when the setting information 310a is stored in the storage unit 140 in step S10, the control unit 160 starts an operation operation. Specifically, the control unit 160 arbitrarily transmits / receives sales data to / from the vending machine 1 based on the connection destination information of the setting information 310a, and the electronic money service A or the electronic money service B has an electronic money balance. When the stored non-contact IC card is detected, the electronic money service program corresponding to the electronic money balance is executed to perform electronic money settlement processing.

  When the IC chip 20 storing the management number 1a for identifying the vending machine 1 is detected in this way, the management number 1a is read from the IC chip 20 and corresponds to the management number 1a. Since the setting information 310a to be acquired is acquired from the management server 300, the setting information 310a can be acquired by a simple operation such as moving the IC chip 20 storing the management number 1a to a detectable position.

  As described above, according to the reader / writer 100 of the present embodiment, the setting information 310a can be acquired by a simple operation such as moving the IC chip 20 in which the management number 1a is stored to a detectable position. For example, the setting process can be easily performed even when the vending machine 1 to be installed is changed. Therefore, even when setting information 310a different from the installation target vending machine 1 is stored, it is not necessary to perform setting processing such as collecting the reader / writer 100 and storing new setting information 310a. , Versatility and convenience can be improved.

  When the management number 1a assigned to the vending machine 1 detects the IC chip 20 stored by the reading device 10 that can read the management number 1a in a non-contact manner, the reading control unit 161 detects the IC chip 20. Since the management number 1a is read from the operator, an input operation of the management number 1a by the operator is not required, so that erroneous setting of the setting information 310a due to erroneous input of the management number 1a can be prevented.

  Furthermore, since the storage unit 140 that stores the setting information 310a acquired by the communication control unit 162 is provided, the operation operation using the setting information 310a acquired from the management server 300 can be reliably performed.

  Furthermore, since the communication device 150 includes the communication device 150 for connecting to the network 200 and the communication control unit 162 communicates with the management server 300 via the communication device 150, the management server 300 collectively manages a plurality of reader / writers 100. can do. Accordingly, the setting information 310a stored in each reader / writer 100 can be easily updated and the convenience can be further improved.

  In addition, the said embodiment is only a specific example of this invention, and this invention is not limited only to the said embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the reading device 10 that can read the two-dimensional code attached to the vending machine 1 is used. However, the reading control unit 161 is an IC chip attached to the vending machine 1. The management number 1a may be directly read.

  In the above embodiment, the vending machine 1 is used as the host device, but it goes without saying that a payment terminal such as a POS terminal can be applied as the host device.

1 is a functional block diagram of a reader / writer for an information storage medium according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of the data structure of setting information Sequence diagram showing operations until setting information is acquired

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vending machine, 1a ... Management number, 10 ... Reading device, 20 ... IC chip, 140 ... Memory | storage part, 150 ... Communication apparatus, 160 ... Control part, 161 ... Reading control part, 162 ... Communication control part, 200 ... Network, 300 ... management server, 310a ... setting information.

Claims (4)

In an information storage medium reader / writer that reads and writes information stored in an information storage medium when an information storage medium that is provided in a predetermined host device and stores predetermined information is detected,
When detecting an information storage medium storing management information for identifying the host device, a reading control unit that reads the management information from the information storage medium;
An information storage medium comprising: a communication control unit that communicates with a predetermined management server when management information is read by the reading control unit and acquires predetermined setting information corresponding to the management information from the management server Reader / writer. The reading control unit
The management information read from the information storage medium when the management information attached to the host device detects an information storage medium stored by a reader capable of reading the management information in a non-contact manner. 1. A reader / writer for an information storage medium according to 1. The reader / writer for an information storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores setting information acquired by the communication control unit. It has a communication device for network connection,
4. The information storage medium reader / writer according to claim 1, wherein the communication control unit communicates with the management server via a communication device.

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