Abstract: A card reader use in a higher-level device may include a card transfer path; a card insertion detecting mechanism; a transfer roller; a turn detecting mechanism structured to detect a turn of the transfer roller; a card detecting mechanism; and a control unit. The control unit structured such that, if the card detecting mechanism switches from the OFF situation to the ON situation after the card insertion detecting mechanism switches from the OFF situation to the ON situation, even though no turn of the transfer roller is detected by the turn detecting mechanism, the control unit of the card reader sends a control unit of the higher-level device an alarm signal for notifying that a skimming device has been inserted through the insertion slot.

Abstract: A card reader use in a higher-level device may include a card transfer path; a card insertion detecting mechanism; a transfer roller; a turn detecting mechanism structured to detect a turn of the transfer roller; a card detecting mechanism; and a control unit. The control unit structured such that, if the card detecting mechanism switches from the OFF situation to the ON situation after the card insertion detecting mechanism switches from the OFF situation to the ON situation, even though no turn of the transfer roller is detected by the turn detecting mechanism, the control unit of the card reader sends a control unit of the higher-level device an alarm signal for notifying that a skimming device has been inserted through the insertion slot.

Abstract: A card reader for connecting a plurality of types of devices detachably may include a connection detection unit configured to check a connector to which a socket is connected among connectors of the plurality of types of devices; a device discrimination unit configured to check information stored in association with the connector checked by the connection detection unit and to set a security level of an own apparatus; and a data-processing unit configured to record or reproduce data in a card corresponding to the security level of the own apparatus that is set by the device discrimination unit.

Abstract: A card medium processing may include a medium transfer unit to transfer the card medium along a transfer path; a motor to drive the medium transfer unit; a magnetic head installed in an area of the insertion slot, the magnetic head structured to detect the magnetic record carrier of the card medium; a detection sensor to detect a presence and a position of the card medium in the transfer path; and a control unit to control a transfer of the card medium by driving the motor in accordance with a detection result of the detection sensor. If it is an abnormal transfer operation, the control unit is structured to, at the time of ejecting the card medium, supply a write current to the magnetic head to delete at least a part of magnetic information recorded on the magnetic record carrier of the card medium.

Abstract: A card medium processing may include a medium transfer unit to transfer the card medium along a transfer path; a motor to drive the medium transfer unit; a magnetic head installed in an area of the insertion slot, the magnetic head structured to detect the magnetic record carrier of the card medium; a detection sensor to detect a presence and a position of the card medium in the transfer path; and a control unit to control a transfer of the card medium by driving the motor in accordance with a detection result of the detection sensor. If it is an abnormal transfer operation, the control unit is structured to, at the time of ejecting the card medium, supply a write current to the magnetic head to delete at least a part of magnetic information recorded on the magnetic record carrier of the card medium.

Abstract: A card reader for use with a card having a magnetic stripe may include a card path through which the card having the magnetic stripe is transferred, a magnetic head placed in the card path, and card position detecting sensors for detecting a position of the card. The card position detecting sensors may be located at positions where the magnetic stripe passes through in the card path.

Abstract: A card reader may include a first card operation part having a first reproducing and recording part, a first feeding passage, and a first card pressing mechanism structured to press the card toward a first card feeding reference face, and a second card operation part having a second reproducing and recording part, a second feeding passage, and a second card pressing mechanism structured to press the card toward a second card feeding reference face which is formed on the opposite side to the first card feeding reference face. The first and second card operation parts may be adjacently disposed in a feeding direction of the card. The first and second reproducing and recording parts may be disposed in a substantially point-symmetrical manner.

Abstract: A card reader for use with a card having a magnetic stripe may include a card path through which the card having the magnetic stripe is transferred, a magnetic head placed in the card path, and card position detecting sensors for detecting a position of the card. The card position detecting sensors may be located at positions where the magnetic stripe passes through in the card path.

Abstract: A USB communication system, a USB device, and a method of error detection for the USB communication system; with which an error of any breaking of physical connection in USB communication can be detected no matter where the breaking happens, and furthermore an error due to logical communication disconnection can also be detected. In a USB communication system constructed by connecting a host apparatus 2 and a card reader 1 with a USB cable 3, the card reader 1 may include: means for executing a bus reset as a preprocessing for setting a logical connection line with the host apparatus 2, means for measuring a time while the card reader 1 is in a bus reset status, and means for executing an operation of interrupting communication voluntarily according to a measuring result of the means for measuring the time.

Abstract: A card reader may include a first card operation part having a first reproducing and recording part, a first feeding passage, and a first card pressing mechanism structured to press the card toward a first card feeding reference face, and a second card operation part having a second reproducing and recording part, a second feeding passage, and a second card pressing mechanism structured to press the card toward a second card feeding reference face which is formed on the opposite side to the first card feeding reference face. The first card operation part and the second card operation part may be adjacently disposed in a feeding direction of the card and the first reproducing and recording part and the second reproducing and recording part may be disposed in a substantially point-symmetrical manner with respect to a virtual reference point on a virtual center line which passes a substantially center position between the first card feeding reference face and the second card feeding reference face.

Abstract: A USB communication system, a USB device, and a method of error detection for the USB communication system; with which an error of any breaking of physical connection in USB communication can be detected no matter where the breaking happens, and furthermore an error due to logical communication disconnection can also be detected. In a USB communication system constructed by connecting a host apparatus 2 and a card reader 1 with a USB cable 3, the card reader 1 may include: means for executing a bus reset as a preprocessing for setting a logical connection line with the host apparatus 2, means for measuring a time while the card reader 1 is in a bus reset status, and means for executing an operation of interrupting communication voluntarily according to a measuring result of the means for measuring the time.

Abstract: A card reader that transports a card having a magnetic strip with a drive means to read and write information on the card that includes prehead for detecting the insertion of the card by searching the presence of the magnetic information recorded on the magnetic strip, and a card detecting switch for detecting the card. When the card detecting switch determines that a card is present, the prehead searches the magnetic information. When the card detecting switch does not detect a card, the card is distinguished as a specially-shaped card.

Abstract: In a nonvolatile memory such as flash memory where data is stored sector by sector, a method of overwriting a data sector is provided. The old data to be overwritten in a data sector along with its error detection code are initially saved to a backup region which is also in a non-volatile area. The old data in the data sector is then erased and new data along with its own error detection code are written into the same data sector where the old data was previously stored. When a power outage occurs during the overwrite process, error checking is performed to determine whether the data in the data sector is valid using the associated error detection code. Because the old data is saved in a non-volatile area, even if such unexpected power outage occurs during the overwrite process and the data in the data sector is determined to be invalid, at least the old data can be recovered from the non-volatile backup region which is not affected by the power outage.

Abstract: A method of overwriting nonvolatile memory data in which data of interest is stored sector by sector comprises, when overwriting data of interest, the steps of providing a backup region having at least the same memory capacity as the sector to which data to be overwritten belongs, pre-overwriting data in the sector to which data to be overwritten belongs is first written in the backup region, then, erasing data to be overwritten pre-overwrite from the sector and then post-overwriting data written in the sector together with an error detection code for the post-overwrite data.

Abstract: An automatic bread maker capable of permitting a user to easily perform a necessary work in using the bread maker, such as setting of menu and preparation of materials, without referring to an operation manual or a cooking recipe. This automatic bread maker comprises: a bread baking mold having a kneading blade at an inner bottom portion thereof; a baking case for detachably accommodating said bread baking mold and having a heater mounted along an inner wall surface thereof; a temperature detector for detecting temperature in the baking case; a memory for storing a plurality of bread making menus and data regarding each menu; a display device for displaying various data stored in the memory; an input operation panel for inputting a start command of a bread making operation and selection of the bread making menu; and controller for invoking various data from the memory in accordance with the bread making menu inputted through the input means.