JPH11126240A - Reader-writer controller and transmission control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To extend the power source usable time of a reader-writer controller with built-in battery and to suppress internal heat generation. SOLUTION: A transmission timing signal T that is outputted from a controlling part 1 is intermittently turned on when it is in an IC card waiting state, and a transmission timing generating part 7 turns on the power source of a transmission part 3 only while it is on and controls to output and send command data D outputted from a transmission signal generating part 2 from the part 3. By making an on cycle of the signal T the value that can communicate at least one time while an IC card exists within a communicable zone, it is possible to surely communicate with the IC card, and the transmission part being the largest power consumption is intermittently operated, thereby reducing power consumption and heat generation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reader / writer controller and a transmission control method thereof, and more particularly to a non-contact type I / O controller.
The present invention relates to a portable reader / writer controller with a built-in battery for transmitting / receiving information to / from a C card and a transmission control method therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a conventional configuration of a reader / writer controller for transmitting and receiving information by electromagnetic coupling with a non-contact type IC card. In the figure,
When a command output request C is issued from the control unit 1 while the reader / writer controller is in a standby state for an IC card, the transmission signal generation unit 2 creates command data D and outputs it to the transmission unit 3. The transmitting unit 3 converts the input command data D into a modulated wave of a radio frequency, and wirelessly transmits the modulated wave from the antenna unit 6. At this time, if the IC card 8 is located in an area where communication with the antenna 6 is possible, the IC card 8 returns a response to the command data D by radio modulation.
The received signal is demodulated to obtain a baseband signal, which is processed by the received signal processing unit 4 and input to the control unit 1 as a digital response signal A. The control unit 1 analyzes the digital response signal A, and if it is a correct response to the command data D, issues a request for the next command data to the transmission signal generation unit 2 for subsequent communication. Also, if there is no response from the IC card to the transmission of the command data D, or if there is a response but the contents are incorrect, for example, if the IC card is not an IC card with an allowed ID The control unit 1 repeats the command output request of the command data 1 and waits for a response from the target IC card.

[0003]

In the above-described conventional reader / writer controller, when the IC card is in the standby state, the command data D is repeatedly transmitted as long as there is no response from the target IC card. ing.
For this purpose, a transmission circuit that consumes a large amount of power must be constantly operated, and in the case of a reader / writer controller that uses a battery such as a portable battery as a power source, the use time that can be used for one charge is reduced. In addition, when the device is incorporated as a small device, a rise in temperature due to heat generation of the device may be a problem.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a reader / writer controller and a transmission control method for the same that can increase the usable time per charge and prevent the temperature of the device from rising.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a non-contact type I
A reader / writer controller for transmitting and receiving information by electromagnetic coupling with a C card, the control means having a function of issuing a command output request and a transmission timing signal when the IC card is in a standby state; A transmission signal generator for generating and outputting command data when an output request is input, an antenna, and converting the command data output from the transmission signal generator to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal from the antenna And a transmission timing generating means for controlling the power of the transmitting means to be turned on only while the transmission timing signal is being issued. Disclose.

Further, the present invention relates to a transmission control method of a reader / writer controller for transmitting and receiving information to and from a non-contact type IC card by electromagnetic coupling. Disclosed is a transmission control method for a reader / writer controller, wherein command data for starting communication with an IC card by transmitting power intermittently is transmitted.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reader / writer controller according to the present invention. The same circuits as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The difference from FIG. 3 is that a transmission timing generator 7 is added. FIG. 2 shows the reader / writer controller of FIG.
The operation will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 using a time chart showing an operation when there is no response from the IC card.

Now, the reader / writer controller is an IC
In the card standby state, the transmission timing signal T is turned on at the same time that the command output request C is issued from the control unit 1 (t1 in FIG. 2), and the transmission signal generation unit 2 outputs the command data D. Transmission timing generator 7
Is a circuit that controls the transmission unit 3 so that the power of the transmission unit 3 is turned on when the transmission timing signal T is on and off when the transmission timing signal T is off. Therefore, when the transmission timing signal is turned on at time t1, the command data D from the transmission signal generation unit 2 is converted into a radio signal and transmitted from the antenna unit 6. When one command data D is transmitted during the time α, the IC card does not respond to the command data D, or when the command data D is not a correct response such as not responding from the target IC card. Is the control unit 1
Turns off the transmission timing signal T during the time β. Therefore, during this time, the power of the transmitting unit 3 is turned off, and the command data D is not transmitted. At time t2 in FIG. 2 after the elapse of the time β, the command output request C is issued again, the transmission timing T is turned on, and the command data is transmitted. If a correct response is received from the IC card while the above operation is repeated, the process shifts to a normal communication operation.

In the above operation, if it is assumed that the time during which the IC card exists in the zone where the IC card can communicate with the reader / writer controller is, for example, one second or more, the command data is transmitted at least once within one second. The stop time β of the transmission unit 3 is determined so that the transmission is performed. Then, the opportunity for communication with the IC card is not lost during the suspension period of the transmission unit 3. By intermittently operating the transmitting unit that consumes the largest power, the power consumption of the transmitting unit in the IC card standby state can be reduced to α / (α + β) times in the conventional case. Generally, the transmission time α of one command data is extremely small compared to the time when the IC card is in the communication possible zone.
α / (α + β) can be made much smaller than 1, and a large power saving effect can be obtained.

Although not particularly described in the operation example of FIG. 2, the period α + β for turning on the transmission timing T is an integral multiple of the transmission time α of one command data D, and the transmission timing T is turned on. It is desirable that the transmission unit be activated earlier as the timing is slightly earlier than when the command data D is transmitted.

[0011]

According to the present invention, a portable reader / writer controller whose power consumption is greatly reduced, the usable time per charge can be greatly extended, and the calorific value is also reduced is realized. There is an effect that can be done.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a reader / writer controller according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart showing an operation of the reader / writer controller of FIG. 1 when waiting for an IC card.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional reader / writer controller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control part 2 Transmission signal generation part 3 Transmission part 6 Antenna part 7 Transmission timing generation part 8 IC card

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yuzo Miura 3-14-20 Higashinakano Nakano-ku Tokyo

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A reader / writer controller for transmitting and receiving information to and from a non-contact type IC card by electromagnetic coupling, wherein a function of issuing a command output request and a transmission timing signal when the IC card is in a standby state. Control means having: a transmission signal generator for generating and outputting command data when the command output request is input; an antenna; and a radio signal for transmitting the command data output from the transmission signal generator. And a transmission timing generating means for controlling the power of the transmitting means to be turned on only while the transmission timing signal is being issued. A reader / writer controller characterized in that: 2. A transmission control method of a reader / writer controller for transmitting / receiving information by electromagnetic coupling with a non-contact type IC card, wherein when the IC card is in a standby state, the power supply of the transmission unit is intermittently switched. A transmission control method for a reader / writer controller, wherein command data for starting communication with an IC card when the communication is turned on is transmitted.