Hitachi, Ltd.

Yuhei Abe

Masayuki Ohki

Atsuhiko Urushihara

Koji Suso

Takashi Matsubara

Jun Furuya

Shigeyuki Itoh

Takeshi Hoshino

Takashi Azumi

Kaoru Harada

Shinju Itou

Masaki Takano

Manabu Wakabayashi

Takeshi Minemoto

Shigeyuki Ito

Kotaro Yamashita

Hiroyuki Hanyu

Atsuhiko Urushibara

Shinju Ito

A pocket-size information transfer apparatus includes two insertion slots in which IC cards for storing electronic information are inserted and which are open on the owner's side and the other party's side and an IC card operation unit for reading and writing electronic information in the IC cards inserted into the two insertion slot. The owner's IC card is inserted into one of the two insertion slots having a deeper depth and the other party's IC card is inserted in the other insertion slot having a shallow depth.

Pocket-size information transfer apparatus having dual IC card insertion slots and IC card using the same

A portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards containing monetary data therein, comprises in a main body (,), a card slot opening (,) into which a plurality of electronic money IC cards (,) are inserted, electric contact terminals (,) for reading and writing the monetary data from and into the electronic money IC cards which are inserted into card slot opening, a display (,) for displaying money amount for the monetary data which is read out from the inserted electronic money IC cards or which is to be written into the inserted electronic money IC cards; and a button (,) for manipulating the reading and writing operations the monetary data from and into the electronic money IC cards which are inserted into the card slot opening. The card slot opening (,) is so configured that the plurality of the electronic into and positioned with being closely piled up with each other and shifted to each other in a direction parallel to main surface thereof.

Portable terminal device with stackable IC card slot opening

IC card reader and writer

Electronic value processing device

A terminal device for reading and/or writing electronic information from and/or into an IC card (100) inserted therein, comprises: electric connection terminals (12) through which the electronic information including electronic money is read out from said IC card and/or is written into said IC card; and a card insertion opening (50) provided on a top surface of a main body(10) of the terminal device, into which said IC card (100) is inserted, wherein the card insertion opening (50) is formed penetrating from the top surface of the terminal device up to a bottom surface thereof so as to discharge dust and/or dirt coming inside from the card insertion opening (50) automatically.

Terminal device for an IC card

A card holder provides a balance reader for an IC card utilized for a system for settling cash utilizing the IC card. The balance reader is provided with the card holder-type body having a card slot provided in the body. A liquid-crystal display and at least one push-button are arranged on the body for user interface. A cover member is attached to the body via a hinge so that it can be opened or closed. When an IC card is inserted into the body and the push-button is pressed, the liquid-crystal display is lit and the current balance of currency is displayed on the liquid-crystal display. When the cover member is opened and the IC card is extracted, the display of the balance is switched to a blinking display. When a settlement is performed using the IC card, a microcomputer in the body can operate to display the balance after the settlement as well as a paid or received amount, in addition to the previous balance before the settlement.

Card holder-type balance reader

A portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards containing monetary data therein, includes in a main body (10): a card slot opening (12, or 12 and 13) into which a plurality of electronic money IC cards (100 and 110, or 100, 110 and 120) are inserted; electric contact terminals (16 and 17, or 16, 17 and 18 ) for reading and writing the monetary data from and into the electronic money IC cards which are inserted into the card slot opening; a display (80) for displaying money amount of the monetary data which is read out from inserted electronic money IC cards or which is to be written into the inserted electronic money IC cards; and a button (82) for manipulating the reading and writing operations of the monetary data from and into the electronic money IC cards which are inserted into the card slot opening; wherein the card slot opening (12, or 12 and 13) is so configured that the plurality of electronic money IC cards (100 and 110, or 100, 110 and 120) 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, arrangements (heads) for reading/writing are positioned to contact ones of the electronic money IC cards at a same height from the surface of the devices substrate, and there is provided an arrangement for bending at least one of the electronic IC cards within the card slot opening.

Portable terminal device with stackable IC cards slot opening

A potable IC card reader for retrieving information from an IC card incorporating a semiconductor memory device and displaying at least part of retrieved information, the portable IC card reader being portable in a clothes pocket, a bag or the like, comprising a housing having a display portion provided on a part of the housing for displaying the at least part of retrieved information and incorporating a controller, the housing further having, at least at a part of the surface thereof, an IC card insert port through which the IC card is inserted and an IC card accommodating unit extending straight from the IC card insert port to the opposite side thereof, the housing still further having a foreign-matter ejection exit formed by extending the IC card accommodating unit and opening at the opposite side of the integrated-circuit card insert port. The foreign matters are ejected from the IC card accommodating unit by insertion of the IC card, preventing the IC card reader from malfunctioning that may be caused by the foreign matters.

Dust-proof portable IC card reader

An electronic wallet includes a plurality of operating keys at least having a plurality of numeric and calculation keys, a display part for displaying thereon electronic money information and IC card state information, at least one independent function switch in addition to a power switch, a plurality of control keys for operating the electronic money information stored in IC cards and the IC card state information, and a plurality of function keys having a plurality of function level layers having a plurality of tasks, for selecting the plurality of tasks having the respective function level layers. Thereby the electronic wallet can have many functions. Further, a modem unit, which is removably mounted to card slots of the electronic wallet, is provided with a through opening to communicate with the card slots and a modular jack to be connected to a communication line. Since a user can insert the IC card into the electronic wallet from the card slots with the modem unit already mounted to the card slots, handling of the electronic wallet is convenient upon transfer of the electronic money through the communication line. In addition, the user can insert the IC card into the electronic wallet which is still connected to the communication line.

Electronic wallet and method for operating the same

A body of a portable card reader/writer has open slots and includes key switches and a display located thereon. The IC card can be inserted either slot of the body. The end of the IC card inserted from one slot is positioned by a positioning member in the vicinity of the other slot. In this position, contacts of a connector of the IC card are electrically connected to contacts of an IC connector of the body. In addition, the body is provided with a positioning member which positions the IC card inserted from the other slot, and an IC connector.

Portable card reader/writer

Electronic wallet

An electronic wallet or terminal for a portable financial IC card having arrangements for versitle use by both visually-impaired and non-impaired persons. The electronic wallet or terminal is provided with a cabinet provided with a display, an IC card housing accommodating removable insertion of an IC card, and a privacy speaker and/or an earphone. Use of the privacy speaker or earphone accommodate visually impaired persons while affording financial confidentiality. Such terminal is programmed such that an appropriate language suited to an owner of the financial IC card or terminal is automatically determined (without user polling) from stored historical data such as a last financial transaction or personal data. The terminal is further provided with irregularities (e.g., ridges, depressions, protrusions, braille, etc) at appropriate locations on appropriate surfaces of a terminal and/or financial IC card for tactile determination via tactile feel (as opposed to visual determination) of both appropriate features and positioning of the terminal and whether or not an IC card is inserted in the terminal. The terminal also has a tapered, funnel-like guidance slot larger in dimensions than at least one of a thickness and width of an IC card, which is formed at an end of the terminal at the entrance to an IC card slot, such that the guidance slot accommodates easy/accurate insertion of the IC card into the terminal.

Terminal for portable IC card

A portable IC card reader for retrieving information from an IC card incorporating a semiconductor memory device and for displaying at least part of retrieved information. The portable IC card reader, which is of a size suitable to fit in a clothes pocket, a bag, or the like, includes a housing having a display portion provided on a part of the housing for displaying at least part of the retrieved information, and incorporating a controller. The housing further includes, at least at a part of the surface thereof, an IC card insert port through which the IC card is inserted and an IC card accommodating unit extending straight from the IC card insert port to an opposite side of the housing. The housing further includes a foreign-matter ejection exit formed by extending the IC card accommodating unit and opening at the opposite side of the integrated-circuit card insert port. In operation, foreign matter is ejected form the IC card accommodating unit by insertion of the IC card, thereby advantageously preventing the IC card reader from malfunctioning as a result of the foreign matter.

Growing community of inventors

Hitachinaka, Japan

Yuhei Abe