Patent Application
20200098393
This application claims the priority benefits of Japan Patent Application No. 2018-180045, filed on Sep. 26, 2018. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
At least an embodiment of the present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium processing device that reproduces magnetic information from a magnetic recording medium on which the magnetic information is recorded.
In a magnetic recording medium processing device, when a magnetic recording medium on which magnetic information is recorded moves along a medium movement path from a loading slot, a magnetic head reproduces the magnetic information, and further, writes the magnetic information to the magnetic recording medium. In such a magnetic recording medium processing device, a skimmer may be provided near the loading slot for the magnetic recording medium, and an unauthorized act of illegally acquiring the magnetic information may be performed. As a measure against such unauthorized act, there is proposed a technique for generating an interfering magnetic field near the loading slot to interfere with unauthorized reading of the magnetic information (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-184292, hereinafter, referred to as Patent Literature 1). In a magnetic recording medium processing device described in Patent Literature 1, the interfering magnetic field is intermittently generated, and a period during which the generation of the interfering magnetic field is suspended is utilized to allow a pre-head provided near the loading slot to detect whether the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium.
However, the technique described in Patent Literature 1 is not effective against an unauthorized act in which a skimmer is arranged somewhere in the medium movement path to illegally acquire the magnetic information. Therefore, the interfering magnetic field may be generated along the medium movement path, but in this case, the following problems may arise. In the medium movement path, a magnetic signal is detected by the magnetic head from the magnetic recording medium and the magnetic information is reproduced from the magnetic signal, and thus, if the interfering magnetic field is generated along the medium movement path, the reproduction of the magnetic information from the magnetic signal may be difficult. On the other hand, the time required to reproduce the magnetic information from the magnetic signal is longer than the time required to detect whether the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium, and thus, if the generation of the interfering magnetic field is suspended during the time period during which the magnetic information is reproduced from the magnetic signal, the security is weakened.
In view of the above problems, it is an object of at least an embodiment of the present invention to provide a magnetic recording medium processing device capable of suppressing magnetic information from being unauthorizedly acquired in a medium movement path.
To solve the above problems, a magnetic recording medium processing device according to at least an embodiment of the present invention includes a loading slot into which a magnetic recording medium on which magnetic information is recorded is loaded, a medium movement path extending from the loading slot, a first magnetic head arranged in the medium movement path and configured to detect a magnetic signal from the magnetic recording medium, a magnetic information reproducer configured to reproduce the magnetic information, based on a signal of a specific frequency included in analog signals output from the first magnetic head, an interfering magnetic field generator configured to generate an interfering magnetic field along the medium movement path, and an interfering magnetic field controller configured to control the interfering magnetic field generator to generate a first interfering magnetic field until the first magnetic head starts detecting the magnetic signal, and control the interfering magnetic field generator to generate a second interfering magnetic field different in frequency spectrum from the first interfering magnetic field while the first magnetic head detects the magnetic signal.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, the interfering magnetic field is generated along the medium movement path even while the first magnetic head detects the magnetic signal, and thus, even if an unauthorized act such as arranging a skimmer in the medium movement path is conducted, it is possible to prevent the magnetic information from being illegally acquired. Further, the interfering magnetic field controller controls the interfering magnetic field generator to generate the first interfering magnetic field until the first magnetic head starts detecting the magnetic signal and controls the interfering magnetic field generator to generate the second interfering magnetic field different in frequency spectrum from the first interfering magnetic field while the first magnetic head detects the magnetic signal, and thus, if a signal process corresponding to a difference in frequency spectrum between the first interfering magnetic field and the second interfering magnetic field is performed, it is possible to appropriately reproduce the magnetic information.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt an aspect that the first interfering magnetic field has a frequency spectrum in which peaks appear in both a first frequency range including the specific frequency and a second frequency range not including the specific frequency, and the second interfering magnetic field has a frequency spectrum in which a peak appears in a frequency range not including the specific frequency. According to such an aspect, in response to a configuration that the magnetic information is reproduced, based on a signal of the specific frequency included in the analog signals output from the first magnetic head, the magnetic information reproducer generates the second interfering magnetic field of a frequency range not including the specific frequency, while the first magnetic head detects the magnetic signal, and thus, the magnetic information can be reproduced relatively easily.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt an aspect that the magnetic recording medium processing device may further include a medium position detection mechanism including a sensor configured to detect a position of the magnetic recording medium moving along the medium movement path, and the interfering magnetic field controller may switch the interfering magnetic field generated by the interfering magnetic field generator between the first interfering magnetic field and the second interfering magnetic field, based on a detection result of the medium position detection mechanism.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt an aspect that the interfering magnetic field controller generates, as the second interfering magnetic field, an interfering magnetic field of the second frequency range in the interfering magnetic field generator.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt an aspect that the magnetic recording medium processing device further includes a second magnetic head arranged on a side closer to the loading slot of the medium movement path relative to the first magnetic head, and a magnetic information presence detector configured to detect whether magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium, based on a signal output from the second magnetic head, wherein the interfering magnetic field controller controls the interfering magnetic field generator to intermittently generate the first interfering magnetic field, when the magnetic recording medium is loaded into the loading slot, and the magnetic information presence detector detects whether the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium, based on the signal output from the second magnetic head in a period during which generation of the first interfering magnetic field is suspended. The time required to detect whether the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium is shorter than the time required to detect the presence of the magnetic information because it is sufficient to simply acquire a part of the magnetic signal from the magnetic recording medium. Therefore, even if a period during which the generation of the interfering magnetic field is suspended is provided, the security is not likely to be greatly reduced. Instead, it is possible to provide an advantage that at least an embodiment of the present invention can be realized with a relatively simple circuit configuration resulting from a configuration in which the presence of the magnetic information is detected in a period during which the generation of the interfering magnetic field is suspended.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt an aspect that the magnetic information reproducer includes a filter through which the signal of the specific frequency, among the analog signals, is selectively passed, and the magnetic information reproducer reproduces the magnetic information based on the analog signal having passed through the filter.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt an aspect that the magnetic information reproducer performs a filtering process of converting the analog signals into digital signals and then reproducing the magnetic information based on a digital signal corresponding to the signal of the specific frequency.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, the interfering magnetic field is generated along the medium movement path even while the first magnetic head detects the magnetic signal, and thus, even if an unauthorized act such as arranging a skimmer in the medium movement path is conducted, it is possible to prevent the magnetic information from being illegally acquired. Further, the interfering magnetic field controller controls the interfering magnetic field generator to generate the first interfering magnetic field until the first magnetic head starts detecting the magnetic signal and controls the interfering magnetic field generator to generate the second interfering magnetic field different in frequency spectrum from the first interfering magnetic field while the first magnetic head detects the magnetic signal, and thus, if a signal process corresponding to a difference in frequency spectrum between the first interfering magnetic field and the second interfering magnetic field is performed, it is possible to appropriately reproduce the magnetic information.
Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are numbered alike in several Figures, in which:
With reference to the drawings, an embodiment of a magnetic recording medium processing device 1 to which the present invention is applied will be described.
The magnetic recording medium processing device 1 includes a gate part 10 provided with the loading slot 11 and a device main body 20 provided with the first magnetic head 21. Inside the device main body 20, a medium movement path 22 extending from the loading slot 11 is formed, and the first magnetic head 21 is arranged to face the medium movement path 22. The gate part 10 is provided with the loading slot 11 and a loading path 12 being a part of the medium movement path 22, the loading path 12 being located on a side of the loading slot 11. The device main body 20 includes a transport mechanism 30 configured to transport the magnetic recording medium 2 along the medium movement path 22. Further, the magnetic recording medium processing device 1 includes a medium position detection mechanism 13 provided with a plurality of sensors (a first sensor 131, a second sensor 132, a third sensor 133, a fourth sensor 134, and a fifth sensor 135) configured to detect a position of the magnetic recording medium 2 moving along the medium movement path 22. Examples of the above-mentioned sensor include a contact-type sensor provided with a sensing member in contact with the loaded magnetic recording medium 2 or an optical-type sensor.
The gate part 10 protrudes from a front surface of the device main body 20 toward a front Y1. The loading slot 11 is provided on the front surface of the gate part 10 and extends in a width direction. The gate part 10 includes the first sensor 131 of the medium position detection mechanism 13 and a second magnetic head 14 serving as a pre-head, in the vicinity of the loading slot 11. The first sensor 131 senses that the magnetic recording medium 2 is loaded into the loading slot 11. The second magnetic head 14 includes a magnetic sensor configured to sense whether the magnetic information is recorded on the loaded magnetic recording medium 2.
An interfering magnetic field generator 40 is arranged inside the gate part 10, and the interfering magnetic field generator 40 includes a coil 41 for generating an interfering magnetic field. The interfering magnetic field generator 40 generates an interfering magnetic field by energization to the coil 41. In the present embodiment, the interfering magnetic field generator 40 generates the interfering magnetic field toward the outside of the loading slot 11 (front Y1 of the loading slot 11) and generates the interfering magnetic field along the medium movement path 22.
The transport mechanism 30 performs an operation of receiving the magnetic recording medium 2 from the loading slot 11 to the medium movement path 22 and an operation of ejecting the magnetic recording medium 2 from the medium movement path 22 via the loading slot 11. In the present embodiment, the transport mechanism 30 includes a transport roller 31 configured to transport the magnetic recording medium 2 while contacting the magnetic recording medium 2, a pressure roller 32 configured to press the magnetic recording medium 2 against the transport roller 31, a motor 33 being a driving source, and a driving force transmission mechanism 34 configured to transmit a rotation of the motor 33 to the transport roller 31. A plurality of transport rollers 31 are arranged at predetermined intervals in a front-rear direction Y along the medium movement path 22. Each of the plurality of transport rollers 31 opposes the pressure roller 32 with the medium movement path 22 being interposed therebetween. The driving force transmission mechanism 34 includes a first belt mechanism 35 configured to hang a belt over a pulley attached to a rotation shaft of each of the transport rollers 31, and a second belt mechanism 36 configured to transmit a rotation of the motor 33 to one of the pulleys of the first belt mechanism 35. It is noted that the driving force transmission mechanism 34 is not limited to such a configuration, and may be modified where appropriate.
The plurality of transport rollers 31 include transport rollers 31A, 31C, and 31B. Of the plurality of transport rollers 31, the transport roller 31A located farthest in a front Y1 direction is arranged at a front end of the medium movement path 22. At a rear Y2 of the transport roller 31A, the transport rollers 31B and 31C are arranged in this order. The first magnetic head 21 is arranged between the transport rollers 31B and 31C. It is noted that the number of transport rollers 31 may not necessarily be three, and an arrangement of the transport rollers 31 is not limited to that as illustrated in
Further, the magnetic recording medium processing device 1 includes a magnetic information reproducer 66 configured to reproduce the magnetic information recorded on the magnetic recording medium 2, based on the detection result of the first magnetic head 21, and a magnetic information recorder (magnetic information writer) 67 configured to write the magnetic information into the magnetic recording medium 2 by the first magnetic head 21. Further, the magnetic recording medium processing device 1 includes a magnetic information presence detector 68 configured to detect whether the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium 2, based on the detection result of the second magnetic head 14. Therefore, in the present embodiment, upon sensing by the second magnetic head 14 and the magnetic information presence detector 68 that the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium 2, the transport of the magnetic recording medium 2 and the energization to the coil 41 can be started. According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide the first sensor 131, and it is possible to generate the interfering magnetic field only when the loaded magnetic recording medium 2 is a magnetic recording medium.
Next, if the third sensor 133 detects an end of the magnetic recording medium 2, the first magnetic head 21 reads the magnetic data of the magnetic recording medium 2, and the magnetic information reproducer 66 reproduces the magnetic information (step ST4). Such an operation is performed until the fourth sensor 134 detects the end of the magnetic recording medium 2, and if the fourth sensor 134 detects the end of the magnetic recording medium 2, the reading of the magnetic data by the first magnetic head 21 ends.
Subsequently, if the fifth sensor 135 detects the end of the magnetic recording medium 2, the transport controller 51 of the controller 50 controls the transport mechanism 30 to stop the transport of the magnetic recording medium 2, and then, performs an ejection operation of transporting the magnetic recording medium 2 toward the loading slot 11 (step ST5). In the ejection operation, if the second sensor 132 detects the end of the magnetic recording medium 2, the controller 50 determines that the magnetic recording medium 2 is returned to the loading slot 11 and stops the transport of the magnetic recording medium 2. Therefore, a user can hold a tip end portion of the magnetic recording medium 2 protruding from the loading slot 11 to remove the magnetic recording medium 2. Further, the controller 50 uses the first sensor 131 to determine whether the removal of the magnetic recording medium 2 is completed, and upon detection that the removal of the magnetic recording medium 2 is completed, a series of operations are completed, and then, the process returns again to the state where the recording medium is about to be inserted (step ST1).
In the present embodiment, in the magnetic recording medium processing device 1, when the operation described with reference to
In the present embodiment, the magnetic information reproducer 66 reproduces the magnetic information, based on a signal of a specific frequency included in the analog signal output from the first magnetic head 21. Here, a specific frequency f0 of the analog signal corresponding to the magnetic information appears in a first frequency range f1 in a frequency spectrum (e) illustrated in
In such a configuration, the interfering magnetic field controller 52 controls the interfering magnetic field generator 40 to generate the first interfering magnetic field H1, in a period (period T11 illustrated in
Further, in step ST4, the interfering magnetic field controller 52 controls the interfering magnetic field generator 40 to generate the second interfering magnetic field H2 different in frequency spectrum from the first interfering magnetic field H1, in a period (period T12 illustrated in
Therefore, when the first magnetic head 21 detects the magnetic signal, as can be seen from the frequency spectrum (c) illustrated in
However, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, after the first magnetic head 21 detects the magnetic signal, the interfering magnetic field generator 40 is controlled to generate the first interfering magnetic field H1 in step ST5 (period T13 illustrated in
It is noted that the frequency spectrum in the second frequency range f2 of the first interfering magnetic field H1 and the frequency spectrum in the second frequency range f2 of the second interfering magnetic field H2 may be the same or different from each other. Further, in the first interfering magnetic field H1 and the second interfering magnetic field H2, the frequency spectrum or the intensity may be the same even if a time passes, or the frequency spectrum or the intensity may change with an elapse of time. Further, regardless of the loading of the magnetic recording medium 2, the first interfering magnetic field H1 may be constantly generated.
As described above, in the magnetic recording medium processing device 1 according to the present embodiment, even while which the first magnetic head 21 detects the magnetic signal after the magnetic recording medium 2 is loaded into the loading slot 11, the first interfering magnetic field H1 is generated along the medium movement path 22, and thus, even if an unauthorized act such as arranging a skimmer in the medium movement path 22 is conducted, it is possible to prevent the magnetic information from being illegally acquired. In addition, based on the configuration that the magnetic information is reproduced based on the signal of the specific frequency f0 included in the analog signal output from the first magnetic head 21, the magnetic information reproducer 66 generates the second interfering magnetic field H2 of the frequency range not including the specific frequency f0 while the first magnetic head 21 detects the magnetic signal, and thus, it is possible to properly reproduce the magnetic information.
Further, on a side closer to the loading slot 11 of the medium movement path 22 relative to the first magnetic head 21, whether the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium 2 is detected by the second magnetic head 14. At the time of such detection, the interfering magnetic field generator 40 intermittently generates the first interfering magnetic field H1, and the magnetic information presence detector 68 detects whether the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium 2, based on the signal output from the second magnetic head 14 in the period during which the generation of the first interfering magnetic field H1 is suspended. The time required to detect whether the magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic recording medium 2 is shorter than the time required to detect the presence of the magnetic information because it is sufficient to simply acquire a part of the magnetic signal from the magnetic recording medium 2. Therefore, even if the period during which the generation of the first interfering magnetic field H1 is suspended is provided, the security may not be greatly weakened. Instead, with the configuration where the presence of the magnetic information is detected in the period during which the generation of the first interfering magnetic field H1 is suspended, there is an advantageous that at least an embodiment of the present invention can be achieved with a relatively simple circuit configuration.
In the above-described embodiment, an aspect is adopted in which the magnetic information reproducer 66 reproduces the magnetic information, based on the analog signal having passed through the filter 661, however an aspect may be adopted in which the magnetic information reproducer 66 may perform a filtering process by software. That is, an aspect may be adopted in which after converting the analog signal into the digital signal, the magnetic information reproducer 66 may reproduce the magnetic information, based on the digital signal corresponding to the signal of the specific frequency f0.
In the above embodiment, the second interfering magnetic field H2 has the frequency spectrum in which the peak appears in the frequency range not including the specific frequency f0, and if the second interfering magnetic field H2 and the first interfering magnetic field H1 are different in frequency spectrum, the second interfering magnetic field H2 may have a frequency spectrum in which the peak appears in a frequency range including the specific frequency f0. Also in this case, if a signal process corresponding to the difference in the frequency spectrum between the first interfering magnetic field H1 and the second interfering magnetic field H2 is performed, the reproduction of the magnetic information can be properly performed. For example, if the magnetic information reproducer 66 sets an appropriate threshold value to the first frequency range f1 including the specific frequency f0 and reduces a signal caused by the second interfering magnetic field H2, the reproduction of the magnetic information is properly performed.
Further, an aspect may be adopted in which, similarly to the second interfering magnetic field H2 illustrated in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-180045 | Sep 2018 | JP | national |
