Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Banking systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-30
2001-02-20
Le, Thien M. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Banking systems
C235S380000, C235S440000, C235S492000, C902S025000, C902S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189786
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal device in which electronic money IC cards memorizing electronic monetary information are inserted, and with which the electronic monetary information is read out and/or written into the cards.
2. Description of Relevant Art
As an example of prior art relating to the present invention, such a terminal device for an IC card was already described, for example in Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. Hei 1-144957 (1989) entitled “A Reader and Writer For A IC Card Having A Door Structure”. However, in accordance with the terminal device for a IC card of the prior art, only one IC card can be inserted into one card slot opening thereof. Therefore, with such the device, for inserting a plurality of IC cards into it so as to transfer data between them, there is necessity of further providing another card slot opening and another means or structure for establishing electrical connection between the device and the IC card inserted into the another slot opening, separately, thereby causing a drawback of enlarging the size of the device itself.
Further, as an another prior art relating to the present invention, in a terminal device described for example in Japanese Patent Laying Open No. Hei 6-20106 (1994) entitled “A Data Transfer System and A Data Transfer Terminal”, there are provided two card slot openings in which two IC cards can be inserted separately. However, in the conventional terminal device, as mentioned in the above, the device itself becomes large in size, due to the increase in the number of the card slots and the interior structures thereof. The terminal device described in the prior art, however, is such a device which is inherently located in front of a store for the purpose of conducting payments on account electronically, therefore there is no consideration about portableness of the device.
Moreover, as a further prior art relating to the present invention, a portable terminal device also has been known, for example in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 9-50497 (1997) entitled “A Transfer Device of Electronic Monetary Information”, in which two IC cards are inserted into two card slot openings respectively. In the conventional portable terminal device, the two slot openings for insertion of the IC cards are provided on a front edge portion and a rear edge portion of the device, respectively, and one of the two IC cards is inserted into the front edge slot opening, and the other thereof into the rear edge slot opening. And within the device, those inserted IC cards are inserted and positioned on a same plane with abutting the front edges to each other, thereby reducing the thickness of the device and obtaining superiority in the portableness.
However, in general, with the portable terminal device mentioned above in which two IC cards are inserted, it is constructed with an assumption that monetary information of one of the IC cards are read out and the monetary information which is read out is transferred to the other IC card. In that case, it has a drawback that the IC card which is inserted into the rear edge slot opening can be easily dropped out from the slot because of small degree of insertion (i.e., it is not deeply inserted into the slot), according to the construction thereof. Further, regarding an operability of the portable device, in particular in insertion of the IC cards, there is no problem for the slot opening which is positioned on the front edge portion of the device. However, since the other slot opening is located on the rear edge portion (reverse side) of the device, the operation of inserting the IC card into the other slot opening is troublesome, and there is a problem in the operability of the device.
SUMMARY
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, it is an object to dissolve the problems mentioned in the above, and in more particular, to provide a portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards, into which at least two electronic money IC cards can be inserted, and with which monetary data of them can be transferred to and/or exchanged with each other.
Further, especially in accordance with the present invention, it is another object to provide a portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards, the construction of which is suitable for obtaining a small-sized terminal device, and for obtaining a portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards having a superior operability including the insertion of the electronic money IC cards.
For accomplishing the object mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards containing monetary data therein, comprising: a card slot opening into which a plurality of electronic money IC cards are inserted; means for reading and writing the monetary data from and into said electronic money IC cards which are inserted into the card slot opening; means for displaying a money amount of the monetary data which is read out from said inserted electronic money IC cards or which is to be written into said inserted electronic money IC cards; and means for manipulating the reading and writing operations of the monetary data from and/or into said electronic money IC cards which are inserted into the card slot opening; wherein said card slot opening is so configured that the plurality of said electronic money IC cards are inserted into and positioned while being closely piled up with each other and shifted to each other in a direction parallel to main surface thereof.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, for accomplishing the above object, there is provided the portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards mentioned in the above, wherein said means for reading and writing the monetary data from and into said electronic money IC cards which are inserted are in plural and are positioned separately on a surface of a same substrate which is positioned in parallel to the main surface of said inserted electronic money IC cards within said card slot opening of the device.
Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, for accomplishing the above object, there is provided the portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards mentioned in the above, wherein said card slot opening is a single slot opening.
Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, for accomplishing the above object, there is provided the portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards mentioned in the above, wherein a convex portion is provided within said card slot opening so as to position said electronic money IC cards shifting to each other at an edge portion thereof.
In addition thereto, in accordance with the present invention, for accomplishing the above object, there is provided a portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards mentioned in the above, wherein said card slot opening are provided in plural while being closely piled up with each other.
Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, for accomplishing the above object, there is provided the portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards mentioned in the above, wherein said plural card slot opening are provided on a same side edge portion of the device.
Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, for accomplishing the above object, there is provided the portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards mentioned in the above, wherein said plural card slot opening are provided on different side edge portions of the device which are perpendicular to each other.
Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, for accomplishing the above object, there is provided the portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards mentioned in the above, wherein said plural means for reading and writing the monetary data from and into said electronic money IC cards inserted into the card slot opening, are positioned at different heights on the surface of the substrate.
Moreover, in accordance with
Abe Yuhei
Itou Shinju
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Felten Daniel S.
Hitachi , Ltd.
Le Thien M.
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