Abstract: The present invention provides an object sensor configured such that excitation coils (13c and 13d) and a detection coil (12) are separately disposed, and the detection is performed in accordance with the balance between the excitation coils (13c and 13d) in a pair, a residual variation amount after the impedance due to a DC resistance part and the like has been offset and removed is obtained at high sensitivity with excellent linearity while using a small core body (11), regardless of the impedance including a DC resistance part. Additionally, the object sensor to be used as an inlet sensor is located in an appropriate position on a more upstream side than the read/write position in an insertion direction of the IC card. A contact terminal portion of the IC card is sensed whereby to detect the validity of the card inserted into the apparatus from a card insertion slot.

Abstract: A medium processing device is provided having a front panel which is formed with an aperture where a magnetic recording medium is inserted into or ejected from and which partitions an outside of a device from an inside of the device. A magnetic head is provided in the inside of the device for writing or reading information in or from the magnetic recording medium a shading filter is provided in at least one part of the front panel for shading visible light and a foreign matter detecting mechanism is provided on an inner side of the device with respect to the shading filter for detecting a foreign matter that is attached to the outside of the device.

Abstract: A card with a magnetic stripe when fed into a card reader can be illegally read by a read head unobtrusively attached to the outside of the card reader adjacent to the slot into which the card is fed. To defeat this illegal reading, movement of a card through the read head is interrupted thereby making it difficult for the illegal read head to read the stripe. This interruption occurs at the point where the proper read head inside the card reader is not reading the magnetic stripe. The interruption can be a brief stop or a brief reversal in direction. The interruption occurs once while the card is being fed into the card reader and once when the card is being fed out of the card reader.

Abstract: A medium processing device is provided having a front panel which is formed with an aperture where a magnetic recording medium is inserted into or ejected from and which partitions an outside of a device from an inside of the device. A magnetic head is provided in the inside of the device for writing or reading information in or from the magnetic recording medium a shading filter is provided in at least one part of the front panel for shading visible light and a foreign matter detecting mechanism is provided on an inner side of the device with respect to the shading filter for detecting a foreign matter that is attached to the outside of the device.

Abstract: A card forcible ejection mechanism used to forcibly discharge a card retained in a card reader can be set in a small space and can be attached during a post-assembling step. The mechanism has a carriage which can move along a carriage direction of a card and is provided separately from a card carrying device and at least one claw which is provided on the carriage and can protrude/retract to/from a card carriage path: A carriage moving device for moving the carriage to a claw retracing position and a claw protruding position, and a claw protruding/retracting mechanism which retracts the claw from the card carriage path when the carriage is placed at the claw retracting position and protrudes the claw to the card carriage path when the carriage is placed at the claw protruding position, are also provided.

Abstract: A foreign matter detection mechanism for detecting a foreign matter other than a carriage object for the purpose of, e.g., preventing illegal use of a card by detecting a foreign matter other than the card inserted into, e.g., a card reader, a carriage movement mechanism used in the foreign matter detection mechanism and the like, and a method for operating the carriage movement mechanism. The foreign matter detection mechanism (1) comprises foreign matter detection members (5a, 5b) having foreign matter engagement portions (6a, 6b) and move closer to or away from a traveling path (4), a movement mechanism (29) for moving the foreign matter detection members (5a, 5b) in a direction crossing the traveling path (4) respectively, and detecting means (8a, 8b) for detecting presence/absence of foreign matter detection by the foreign matter detection members (5a, 5b).

Abstract: The present invention provides an object sensor configured such that excitation coils (13c and 13d) and a detection coil (12) are separately disposed, and the detection is performed in accordance with the balance between the excitation coils (13c and 13d) in a pair, a residual variation amount after the impedance due to a DC resistance part and the like has been offset and removed is obtained at high sensitivity with excellent linearity while using a small core body (11), regardless of the impedance including a DC resistance part. Additionally, the object sensor to be used as an inlet sensor is located in an appropriate position on a more upstream side than the read/write position in an insertion direction of the IC card. A contact terminal portion of the IC card is sensed whereby to detect the validity of the card inserted into the apparatus from a card insertion slot.

Abstract: A structure of a card gate mechanism in a card reader of, e.g., an ATM (automated teller machine). In order to constitute a gate opening (3) of a card gate mechanism (1), a gate frame (4a, 4b) which includes a wide-open portion (5) which leads a card (2) to a card carrying path (14) by using a material which transmits light is provided on at least one surface side of the card (2), and a light source portion (6) which irradiates the gate frame (4a, 4b) with the light is provided, thereby causing the wide-open portion (5) to shine by emitting the light from the light source portion (6). In this case, when a part of the gate frame (4a, 4b) is formed as a lens portion (9), a direction of light irradiation can be controlled, thereby alleviating irregularities in an element.

Abstract: A card reader is provided with a card transporting mechanism wherein the trailing end of a card as viewed in a card transporting direction is brought into contact with a first card engaging/holding member moving in a card transporting direction, and the card is transported by the first card engaging/holding member. The card transporting mechanism includes a carriage movable in the card transporting direction, and the first card engaging/holding member is mounted so that the first card engaging/holding member is movable between a first position where the first card engaging/holding member comes in contact with the trailing end of the card and a second position where the first card engaging/holding member does not come in contact with the card.

Abstract: A manual card reader comprises a slot frame with a recess provided in the slot frame in the card insertion direction to allow insertion or removal of a card. A card is inserted into the slot to a holding point through the recess and is taken out therefrom. The manual reader further comprises a shutter that prevents insertion of a foreign object beyond the recess into the card reader. A first locking device is detachably provided at one end of the shutter. A second locking device is detachably provided at the other end of the shutter.

Abstract: A card forcible ejection mechanism used to forcibly discharge a card retained in a card reader, having is a mechanism which can be set in a small space and can be attached on a post-assembling step and comprising: a carriage (7) which can move along a carriage direction of a card (3) and is provided separately from a card carrying device (5); at least one claw (8) which is provided to the carriage (7) and can protrude/retract to/from a card carriage path (4); a carriage moving device (9) for moving the carriage (7) to a claw retracting position (11) and a claw protruding position (12); and a claw protruding/retracting mechanism (10) which retracts the claw (8) from the card carriage path (4) when the carriage (7) is placed at the claw retracting position (11), and protrudes the claw (8) to the card carriage path (4) when the carriage (7) is placed at the claw protruding position (12).

Abstract: A manual card reader comprises a slot frame with a recess provided in the slot frame in the card insertion direction to allow insertion or removal of a card. A card is inserted into the slot to a holding point through the recess and is taken out therefrom. The manual reader further comprises a shutter that prevents insertion of a foreign object beyond the recess into the card reader. A first locking device is detachably provided at one end of the shutter. A second locking device is detachably provided at the other end of the shutter.

Abstract: A card with a magnetic stripe when fed into a card reader can be illegally read by a read head unobtrusively attached to the outside of the card reader adjacent to the slot into which the card is fed. To defeat this illegal reading, movement of a card through the read head is interrupted thereby making it difficult for the illegal read head to read the stripe. This interruption occurs at the point where the proper read head inside the card reader is not reading the magnetic stripe. The interruption can be a brief stop or a brief reversal in direction. The interruption occurs once while the card is being fed into the card reader and once when the card is being fed out of the card reader.

Abstract: A foreign matter detection mechanism for detecting a foreign matter other than a carriage object for the purpose of, e.g., preventing illegal use of a card by detecting a foreign matter other than the card inserted into, e.g., a card reader, a carriage movement mechanism used in the foreign matter detection mechanism and the like, and a method for operating the carriage movement mechanism. The foreign matter detection mechanism (1) comprises foreign matter detection members (5a, 5b) having foreign matter engagement portions (6a, 6b) and move closer to or away from a traveling path (4), a movement mechanism (29) for moving the foreign matter detection members (5a, 5b) in a direction crossing the traveling path (4) respectively, and detecting means (8a, 8b) for detecting presence/absence of foreign matter detection by the foreign matter detection members (5a, 5b).

Abstract: A structure of a card gate mechanism in a card reader of, e.g., an ATM (automated teller machine). In order to constitute a gate opening (3) of a card gate mechanism (1), a gate frame (4a, 4b) which includes a wide-open portion (5) which leads a card (2) to a card carrying path (14) by using a material which transmits light is provided on at least one surface side of the card (2), and a light source portion (6) which irradiates the gate frame (4a, 4b) with the light is provided, thereby causing the wide-open portion (5) to shine by emitting the light from the light source portion (6). In this case, when a part of the gate frame (4a, 4b) is formed as a lens portion (9), a direction of light irradiation can be controlled, thereby alleviating irregularities in an element.

Abstract: A card with a magnetic stripe when fed into a card reader can be illegally read by a read head unobtrusively attached to the outside of the card reader adjacent to the slot into which the card is fed. To defeat this illegal reading, movement of a card through the read head is interrupted thereby making it difficult for the illegal read head to read the stripe. This interruption occurs at the point where the proper read head inside the card reader is not reading the magnetic stripe. The interruption can be a brief stop or a brief reversal in direction. The interruption occurs once while the card is being fed into the card reader and once when the card is being fed out of the card reader.

Abstract: A technique for detecting a magnetic recording medium such as a strip on a magnetic card so as to distinguish between a case where a magnetic strip has high coercivity and one where it has low coercivity. A magnetic head detects the existence and appropriate positioning of a magnetic strip which is then fed to a permeability sensor that provides an output signal that is a function of the permeability magnetic strip. A circuit responsive to the output of the permeability sensor provides an output signal indicating the high coercivity strip when the permeability sensor output is low and indicating a low coercivity strip when the permeability sensor output is high.

Abstract: A card reader which drives a card transporting device with a driving motor to transport cards by the card transporting device in a card passage, having a card entering passage formed in the same direction as the card passage by extending the distance between a front surface of a card inlet, from which the cards are inserted, and a front edge of the card transporting device. The card entering passage has card guiding portions formed in the same direction as the card passage for supporting inserted cards from both sides in the card transporting direction and a space for discharging foreign matter formed between the card guiding portions at both sides using nearly the entire space in the width direction between the card guiding portions.

Abstract: A card transporting mechanism for a card reader in which the trailing end of a card as viewed in a card transporting direction is brought into contact with a first card engaging/holding member moving in a card transporting direction, and the card is transported by said first card engaging/holding member, said card transporting mechanism including a carriage movable in the card transporting direction, said first card engaging/holding member being mounted on such that said first card engaging/holding member is movable between a first position where said first card engaging/holding member comes in contact with the trailing end of said card and a second position where said first card engaging/holding member does not comes in contact with said card, and a transportation drive member, for transporting the card, coupled to said first card engaging/holding member such that a position of said first card engaging/holding member changes in accordance with a moving direction of said transportation drive member, and when

Abstract: A card reader which drives a card transporting device with a driving motor to transport cards by the card transporting device in a card passage, comprises a card entering passage formed in the same direction as the card passage by extending the distance between a front surface of a card inlet, from which the cards are inserted, and a front edge of the card transporting device. The card entering passage has card guiding portions formed in the same direction as the card passage for supporting inserted cards from both sides in the card transporting direction and a space for discharging foreign matter formed between the card guiding portions at both sides using nearly the entire space in the width direction between the card guiding portions.