Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
331 words
An IC card reader/writer comprising: a conveying means for conveying an IC card; a position sensor for detecting that an IC card conveyed by said conveying means has reached a predetermined position; a movable supporting member which is supported along a conveying path of said conveying means, said supporting member being provided with a connector having contact members adapted to come into contact with contacts of the IC card upon movement of said supporting member to a read/write position; a driving means for moving said supporting member between a standby position at which said contact members do not make contact with said contacts and said read/write position at which said contact members make contact with said contacts; a state sensor means for detecting that said supporting member has been moved to said read/write position; a pin check means for checking whether said contact members have properly come into contact with said contacts of the IC card and for generating a first signal indicating no error when proper contact is made or a second signal indicating an error when proper contact is made; a first control means for controlling said conveying means to cause an IC card carried by said conveying means to stop at said predetermined position in response to a signal from said position sensor and to reposition the IC card at said predetermined position in response to a signal from said state sensor means indicating said supporting member is not in the read/write position after said supporting member has been moved toward said read/write position; and a second control means for controlling said driving means to move said supporting member from said standby position to said read/write position in response to said signal from said position sensor and to again try moving said supporting member to said read/write position in response to a signal from said state sensor means indicating that said supporting member is in the read/write position and said second signal representing that an error has occurred.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
331 words
An IC card reader/writer comprising: a conveying means for conveying an IC card; a position sensor for detecting that an IC card conveyed by said conveying means has reached a predetermined position; a movable supporting member which is supported along a conveying path of said conveying means, said supporting member being provided with a connector having contact members adapted to come into contact with contacts of the IC card upon movement of said supporting member to a read/write position; a driving means for moving said supporting member between a standby position at which said contact members do not make contact with said contacts and said read/write position at which said contact members make contact with said contacts; a state sensor means for detecting that said supporting member has been moved to said read/write position; a pin check means for checking whether said contact members have properly come into contact with said contacts of the IC card and for generating a first signal indicating no error when proper contact is made or a second signal indicating an error when proper contact is made; a first control means for controlling said conveying means to cause an IC card carried by said conveying means to stop at said predetermined position in response to a signal from said position sensor and to reposition the IC card at said predetermined position in response to a signal from said state sensor means indicating said supporting member is not in the read/write position after said supporting member has been moved toward said read/write position; and a second control means for controlling said driving means to move said supporting member from said standby position to said read/write position in response to said signal from said position sensor and to again try moving said supporting member to said read/write position in response to a signal from said state sensor means indicating that said supporting member is in the read/write position and said second signal representing that an error has occurred.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
An IC card reader/writer as in claim 1 further comprising means for reading/writing data in response to said first signal from said pin check means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
An IC card reader/writer as in claim 1 wherein said state sensor includes a first stationary member and a second movable member which moves relative to said first stationary member together with movement of said support member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
An IC card reader/writer as in claim 1 wherein said supporting means includes a projecting portion formed thereon which, when said supporting member is moved to the read/write position, projects into said conveying path, said projecting portion abutting against a conveyed IC card which has overrun past said predetermined position, thereby blocking movement of said supporting member to said read/write position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
An IC card reader/writer according to claim 4, wherein said supporting member is arranged near a card inserting port and said projecting portion functions as a shutter to close said inserting port.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
An IC card reader/writer as in claim 5 wherein said card insertion port is also an exit port for said IC card.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
An IC card reader/writer as in claim 4 wherein said support member moves about a pivot point and said projection is integrally formed with said support member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
An IC card reader/writer as in claim 7 wherein said state sensor includes a first stationary member and a second movable member which moves relative to said first stationary member together with movement of said support member.