Time card and time recorder system using time card

Abstract

An ID of the time card TK is divided to a plurality of ID marks in the form of at least two ID marks VN and VN′. Eeach of the divided IDs is provided to a front face T1 and a rear face T2. The divided ID marks VN and VN′ are read by mark sensors 12 and 13 of the time recorder TK. The read ID codes are combined as one ID code by reading of the sensors 12 and 13 and a working infomation such as attendace and leaving informations corresponding to the combined ID code is stored in a memory 21 and are printed to a predetermined printing column R of the time card TK. Accodingly,it is possible to provide a time card enabling to draw up a large numbers of ID codes and a time recorder system which makes the processing speed to fast and enables to fabricate a smoll sized time recorder, by constituting the time recorder enabling the reading of an ID and the printing of the ID during movement of the time card toward a inserting direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a time card and a time recorder system, and more particularly to a time card and a time recorder system for reading an ID from the time card, storing a working information read from the time card in a memory corresponding to the ID and for printing the working information to the time card.

PRIOR ART

[0002] In a time recorder system, a time recorder stores generally the workig data in the form of attendance and leaving data and informations, and prints the attendance and leaving informations to a time card based on an ID read from the time card.

[0003] As is shown in FIG. 17, a prior art time card TC was provided with printing position reference marks 50A, 50B and 50C, card idetifying codes 51 and 52, and marks 51H and 52H arranged along a card inserting direction of the recorder, and in a side edge of the time recorder. In accordace with the prior art time recorder system, a mark detecting sensor of the time recorder reads the unit digit numbers from the mark 51H after reading the reference mark 50A and thence reads the unit digit numbers from the mark 51H after reading the reference mark 50A and reads tenth digit number from the mark 52H after reading the reference mark 50B. The time recorder recognizes as a card idetifying code (ID code) combined the the unit digit numbers and tenth digit numbers, and thereafter the attendance and leaving informations were stored in the memory and is printed on the time card.

[0004] In the prior art time recorder system, however, each of the column codes 51H and 52H of the time card TC are arranged along a lengthwise direction of the time card. In order to read, in turn, each of the informations of the columns 51H and 52H, the time card TC must be inserted into the time recorder toward the lengthwise direction of the time card, and thereby the long time interval for one printing peration was required to print out the information, and the size of the time recorder became large and as well as the plotting time became a long time duration. Further, it was incoveinience that the time recorder must be manufactured so as to be long in the lengthwise direction thereof.

[0005] In short, in the above mentioned prior art time recorder systems, there was the drawback that the one printing time interval became long and that a housing of the time recorder TC must be manufactured, because the time card is driven up to the lengthwise direction, the various kinds of codes 51H and 52H and the like were read during foward direction movement of the card, thereafter the attendace or leaving data was printed once the card feeding is stopped, and the time card TC was fed back toward the entry of the time recorder.

[0006] Moreover, a significant drawback of the prior art time recorder systems was that the time recorder system could only the unit digit number code and the tenth digit code at most, so that many ID codes by combined these codes and that the available number of personal is limited to within ninty nine persons in the relation of the space of the time recoder.

[0007] It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a time card enabling to draw up a large numbers of ID codes and a time recorder system which makes the processing speed to fast and enables to fablicate a smoll sized time recorder, by constituting the time recorder enabling the reading of an ID and the printing of the ID during movement of the time card toward a inserting direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] To acheive the above descrived object, accoding to the present invention,in a time card including an ID for identifying a card and a printing column for printing a working data, said time card comprising dividing means for dividing said ID at least two portions, positioning means for positioning said divided ID parallely to both faces of a front face and a rear face of said time card or both of right and left side edges of said time card,

[0009] Therefore, a number of ID codes can be fabricated by dividing one ID code and by arranging the divided ID codes and by positioning said divided ID code parallely to both faces of a front face and a rear face of said time card or both of right and left side edges of said time card.

[0010] Said ID mark divided to at least two portions and parallely positioned to both faces of a front face and a rear face of said time card or right and left side edges comprises a significant digit numeric value and a least significant digit numeric value or a charcter sign and idetifying as a series of ID by combining the significant didit and the least significant digit.

[0011] Accordingly,it is possible for a number of persons to use one time recorder, by dividing such as a code number “3412” to “34” and “12” and divided code numbers to the a front face and a rear face or right and left sides.

[0012] Further, said ID mark divided to at least two portions and parallely positioned to both faces of the front face and the rear face of said time card or right and left side edges comprises a binary number. Therefore, it is possible for a number of persons to use one time recorder by dividing the ID to a number of ID codes and by combining the divided ID codes.

[0013] Card front face and rear face reading marks arranged at a near side of a lower end of the time card, one of the divided ID marks having the binary number and arranged at an upper position of the card front face and rear face reading marks and printing column position reference mark means corresponding to such as an employee number, a sixteenth column and fifteenth column and the like.

[0014] Accordingly, the printing precision is improved in a card printing row where the function for guiding does not fully perform with respect to the inserted time card, by arranging the card face deciding marks for deviding the front face or the rear face, and by arranging a plurality of printing column position reference marks in the upper side thereof.

[0015] The card front face and rear face reading marks of said divided ID marks arranged on the the time card at a condition that respective card front face and rear face reading marks is located in a closed condition without a gap distance. Therefore, it is possible to make the reading time duration priferably short.

[0016] Said ID mark to be arranged to the time card comprises a bar code printed or recorded and having a length in the cross direction on the time card in the state alonging a card inserting direction. Accordingly, providing of the redandant space to the time card is unnecessary and the space of the time card is available, since the divided ID is printed or recorded at the side edge portion of the time card where the printing column is not printed and thereby the space of the time card is available, and reading of the ID can be correctly performed by means of formating the reading means of each ID mark with the binary number.

[0017] A time recorder system in accodance with the present invention including idetifying means for cofirming an ID recorded on a time card, recording means for storing a working information such as a current time and the like to a memory correspoding to said ID and printing means for printing said ID to a printing column of said time card the time recoder system, said time recorder system comprise reading means for reading an ID diveded to at least tow portions and arranged serially at a front face and a rear face of said time cardand, ID reading means for reading said divided ID as one ID by combining said divided ID read in a condition that the divided ID are read by said font face and rear face reading means. Therefore, the reading of the ID can be carrid out wuthin a short time interval and the size of the time card is miniturized since one ID is divided to a plurarity of ID codes and the plural ID codes is read by combinig thereof.

[0018] According to the present invention,in a time recorder system including idetifying means for cofirming an ID recorded on a time card, recording means for storing a working information such as a current time and the like to a memory correspoding to said ID and printing means for printing said ID to a printing column of said time card, the time recroder system comprising two reading means for reading an ID diveded to at least tow portions and arranged serially at the one side of said time card and, ID reading means for reading said divided ID as one ID by combining the said divided ID read in a condition that the divided ID are read by said two reading means. Therefore, the reading of the ID can be carrid out wuthin a short time interval and the size of the time recorder is miniturized, since one ID is divided to a plurarity of ID codes and the plural ID codes is read by combinig thereof.

[0019] A time recorder system futher comprising maeas for reading said front face and rear face deciding mark, one ID mark and a printing column control mark, by means of one reading means out of the front face reading means and the rear face reading means and reading means for reading the other divided ID mark devided by the other reading means and arranged to the other side edge portion by the other reading means, such that the reading of said one reading means being excecuted simultaneousely with said other reading means.

[0020] Accordingly, it is possible to read accurately the deciding operation, the feed timing of the time card and the read timing, by means of reading the card front and rear face marks and a printing column control mark in aadition to the reading one divided ID mark as well as the reading time interval for combining the divided IDs is made short since the reading of the each mark is excecuted simultaneousely by the one reading means and the other reading means.

[0021] Said reading of said ID divided mark, said printing of the working information by said reading means, in the course of the travelling of said time card towraed the inserting directin ofthe time card.

[0022] It is possible to read the divided ID codes within the short time interval and to print the working data such as the current time and the like to the printing column in the couse of inserting the time card in addition to the reading of the ID codes. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a time recorder system which speed ups the processing operatin by shortening the time interval to be required for one printing operation preferably in comparison with the prior art time recorder system which reads the ID code in the traveling toward the inserting direction and prints the data to the time card in moving of the time card toward the returning direction of the time card.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention cited as examples.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a sketch diagram showing an example of a time recoder emplyed in a time recorder sysstem.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical constitution of the time recorder shown in FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal donstituton of a time recorder shown in FIG. 1.

[0027] FIG. 4 a front face view showing an example of a time card according to the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a rear face view of the time card shown in FIG. 4.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the time card shown in FIG. 5.

[0030] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of front face and rear face deciding marks of the time card accoding to the present invention.

[0031] FIGS. 8A through 8C are views illustrating a card inserting operation of the time time recoder system according to the present invention.

[0032] FIGS. 9A through 9C are views illustrating a card inserting operation of the time time recoder system according to the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 10 is a view showing a mark criterion table illustrating a relation between the card feeding step number and the mark position.

[0034] FIG. 11 is a view showing the combination of divided ID marks.

[0035] FIG. 12 is a flow chart for explanating a card registrating process excecuted in case of formating newly an unused time card by a time recoder system accoding to the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 13 is a flow chart for further explanating a card registrating process excecuted in case of formating newly an unused time card by a time recoder system accoding to the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 14 is a flow chart for explanating a regular printing operation by a time recoder system accoding to the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 15 is a flow chart for further explanating a regular printing operation by a time recorder system accoding to the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 16 is a flow chart for further explanating a regular printing operation by a time recorder system accoding to the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of time card employed by a prior art time recorder eystem.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0041] Refering to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a skech diagram of an example of a time recorder TR constituting a time recorder system in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 1, a reference numeral 1 shows a housing of the time recorder TR, a reference numeral 2 shows an entry of the time recorder TR for inserting a time card (hereinafter described), a reference numeral 3a shows an instruction switch of an input device which selects a printing column in case of printing the working data such as attendace time data,a leaving data and the like on the time card and which is used in case of inputing the card registration and an employee number, and a reference numeral 4a shows a display window of an indicator which displays the current time, an ID, an error and the like.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical constituton of the time recorder. As is shown in FIG. 2, the time recorder TR includes a control unit which comprises a CPU 20, a memory 21 for storing various kinds of system program and having data files enabling to file an employment data of each employee, an interface 23 connected between the CPU 20 and the memory 21 across a bus 22, an input device 3, an indicator 4 for displaying a current time, an ID, an error mode, a card feeding motor 7M for feeding a time card, an encoder 9 detecting a feeding stroke data of the time card, a card sensor 11 for detecting the time card fed from the entry 2 of the time recorder TR, a front face mark sensor 12 for detecting marks (hereinafter described) provided in the time card, a rear face mark sensor 13 for detecting the marks provided on a rear face of the time card and a home position sensor 14S for detecting a home positon of a printer head.

[0043] Further, the control unit comprises a printer 14 in the form of a dot printer, a time clock circuit 16 for suplying a standard time, and an alarm 17 for informing the error and the like. Electrically connecred to the interface 23 are a card feeding motor 7M, an encoder sensor 9, a card detecting sensor 11, mark detecting means including a front face mark sensors 12 and a rear face mark sensorl3, a printer 14, and printer head home position sensor 14S in a addition to an input device 3 and a indicator 4. Further,a time clock cicuit 16 as a standard clock of the time recorder TK and a buzzer 17 are electrically connected to the interface 23. These are controlled by the program stored in the memory 21.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal constitution of the time recorder TK. The time recorder TK includes bearings 6 and 6 each of which is rsepectively mounted on both side edge portions, a rotation shaft 5S erected rotably to the bearings 6 and 6, a feed roller 5 mounted on the rotation shaft 5S, a wormgear 5A which is mounted on a rotation shaft of the card feeding motor 7M and engages with the wormgear 5A, a disc 8 which is fixed to the other end portion of the rotation shaft 5S to form an encorder together with the encorder sensor 9. The encoder sensor 9 detects the feed per revolution of the rotation shaft 5S to feed the time card TK fed by the card feeding roller 5.

[0045] The time card futher includes a first guiding member in the form of upper guides 10 and 10 which guide both side edge portions of the time card TK fed from the entry 2 and a second guiding member in the form of lower guides 15 and 15 which guide both side edge potions of the time card TK. As seen in FIG. 3, the time recorder TR is also equipped with the card feeding motor 7M, the front face mark sensor 12, the rear face mark sensor 13, the printer 14 and the home position sensor 14S and the like. The card feeding motor 7M rotates and feeds the time card TK when the card detecting sesor 11 detects a top end portion of the time recorder TK inserted to the entry 2.

[0046] The each of mark sensors 12 and 13 are provided to the identical positions (for example upper end position of the upper guides) of the time card TK such that the each mark sensor simultaneousely detect the each mark respectively written on the top and back surfaces of the time card TK.

[0047] Reference characters A, B, C, D, E and F illustrate the relationship of the position of the time card TK between the lower end portion of the time card TK and the lower guides 15 and 15 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 showing the travelling states (described hereinafter) of the time ccard TK. In accordace with the present invention, the ID code recorded on the time card TK is read and printing process is excecuted with respct to the time card TK.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a front face veiw showing an example of the time card TK according to the present invention. As is sown in FIG. 4, the total of sixteen printing columns R and an employee number print column R1 are previousely printed, in turn, toward an upper position in a front face T1 of the time card TK having a name recording column and a position recording column. An uppermost column of the data printing rows R3 is a column to be blank.

[0049] In accordace with the present invention, the time card TK comprises substatially card face detecting means for detecting a direction of the time card TK to be printed, ID mark indicating means for indicating an ID to be printed and printing position deciding meansfor decidinga printing position.

[0050] In the embodiment of the invention, the card face deciding means includes a card face deciding dolumn W including a front face deciding mark WA which indicates the front face T1 of the time card TK, the ID mark indicating means comprises an ID mark indication column V which indludes a significant digit mark VN which decides a significant digit to be printed on the time card TK and a least digit mark VN′ which decides a least digit to be printed, and the print position deciding means cpomprises an ID mark indicating column including a first printing column position reference mark TA which decides an employee number printing column R1, a second printing column position reference code mark TB which defines a work data printing column R and a third printing position reference code mark TC which decides a printing column R3 of a group of data printing rows.

[0051] A card face deciding column W and an ID mark indication column V are provided at one side edge portion of the time card TK in series with each other. Accordingly, the front face deciding mark WA, the rear face deciding mark WB and the significant digit mark VN are serially arranged to the side edge portion of the time card toward an upward direction of the time card. The first printing column position reference mark TA, the second printing column position reference mark TB and the third printing column position reference mark TC are arranged serially at the upper side of the the front face deciding mark WA and the rear face deciding mark WB in series with the front face deciding mark WA and the rear face deciding mark WB.

[0052] The first print column position reference mark TA is used as a reference mark in printing the employee number, the second printing column position reference mark TB is used as a reference mark in recording the working data in regularlly printing at a lowermost column of the work data printing column R and the third printing column position reference mark TC is used as a reference mark in printing the working data. Each of the marks TA, TB, TC and VN are provided at the state alonging to the inserting direction of the time card TK and at the position enabling to read by the front mark sensor 12.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a rear face veiw showing an example of the time card TK according to the present invention. In a rear face T2 of the time card TK, similarly to the front face T1 shown in FIG. 5, the total of sixteen printing columns R and the employee number printing column R1 are previousely printed, in turn, toward an upper position of the rear face T2 of the time card TK having a name recording column and a position recording column and the like. A lowermost column of the data printing rows R3 is a column to be blank.

[0054] A card face deciding column W and an ID mark indication column V′ are provided in one side edge portion of the time card TK in series with each other. Accordingly, the rear face deciding mark WB and the least digit mark VN′ are serially arranged in the side edge portion of the time card TX toward the upward direction of the time card. The first printing column position reference mark TA, the second printing column position reference mark TB and the third printing column position reference mark TC are provided at the upper side of the front face deciding mark WA and the rear face deciding mark WB in series with the rear face deciding mark WB and the least digit mark VN′.

[0055] As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, each of the card face deciding column W is provided with the front face deciding mark WA and the rear face deciding mark WB. The front face detecting sensor 12 detects the front face T1 when the both of the marks WA and WB are black. On the other hand, the rear face detecting sensor 13 detets the rear face T2 when the only one of the marks WA and WB is black. However, the present invention is not limited to these deciding methods.

[0056] According to the present invention, the significant digit mark VN corresponding to an upper card column of an ID of an emplyee is recorded to a significant digit mark VN of the front face T1 is recorded at an ID mark indicating column V provided on the front face T1 of the time card, and a least digit mark VN′ corresponding to an lower card column of an ID of an emplyee is recorded to an ID mark indicating mark V′ of the rear face T2 is recorded on the signnificant digit mark VN′ provided on the rear face T2 of the time card. The sensors read as one ID by means of combining the ID provided at the front face with the ID provided at the rear face T2.

[0057] Additionally, in case of recording the devided ID, the significant digit marks VN and VN′ of a side face (such as front face T1), may be provided at the left side of the time card shown in FIG. 4, and as is shown in FIG. 5, the ID mark indication column VN′ shown may be provided at the right side and a mark sensors for reading the equipatirioned at the right and left side of the time card may be provided at the right and left sides of the card entring path.

[0058] Further, as is shown in FIG. 6, the ID mark indication columns V and V′ equips with eleven indication columns. An eleventh indication column is a column for parity. However, the time card equips the twenty indication columns. In case of creating ID code of for example “3412”, codes may be divided into the “34” and “12” and thereby the ID mark indicating V of “34” may be recorded at ten indication columns of the card face T1 and “12” can be recorded at ten indication columns of the card face T2. Accordingly, the ID code of “3412” can be created by combining the the significant digit mark VN corespoding to “34” and the least digit mark VN′ corresponding to “12”.

[0059] As is shown in FIG. 11, it is pssible to creat another costitution of the ID code by making the ID mark indicating column V of the front face T1 the numbers 1-10 mark and by making the ID mark idicating column V′ of the front face T1 leter or sign.

[0060] As described in the foregoing, the significant digit mark VN and the least digit mark VN′ are recorded to each of the ID mark indicating columns V and V′ by a binary number and each of the significant digit mark VN and the least digit mark VN′ is printed at the state without the gap distace of these marks VN, VN′, WA and WB and the first, second and third printing column posistion reference marks TA, TB and TC are respectively formed by the bar code shape. Accodingly, the reading by the mark sensors 12 and 13 can be perfomed at the short time inteval and accurately.

[0061] FIGS. 8A through 8C and FIGS. 9A through 9C show a procesing operation of the time recorder from the insertion of the time card to the printing opration of the time recorder. As seen in FIG. 8A, when the time card is inserted into the time recorder from the entry 2 and a lower end portion arrives to a position A (FIG. 3) , the card sensor 11 becomes ON state and thereby the motor 7M activates to rotate the feed roller 5. By the rotation of the feed roller 5, a time card feeding operation is commenced to feed the time card gradually. As advancing to a position B, the front face mark sensor 12 detects the front face mark WA and the rear face mark WB, and thereby the the front face mark sensor12 is begins to read the content of the marks WA and WB, as seen in FIG. 3.

[0062] As is shown in FIG. 8C, the further feeding operation is continued and trot face mark sensor 12 comences the reading of the ID.

[0063] FIG. 9A illustrates the relationship between printer head and the lower guides 15 and 15. When the time card is fed to the position D shown in FIG. 3 and thefront face mark sensor 12 reads the first printing column reference mark TA. As is shown in FIG. 9A, the time card is further advanced to read the first priting column position reference mark TA. In constituting the time card, the front face mark sensor 12 read out the first printing column position reference mark TA and the priter head 14 travels a given step and prints the employee number on the recording column shown by the oblique lines of the time card.

[0064] Furthermore, FIG. 9B shows a relaishonsip between the time card,the printer head and the lower guides 15 and 15. when the time card is fed to the position E shown in FIG. 3, the printer head 14 also advances by a predetermind step to read the second printing column reference mark TB. As is shown in FIG. 9C, when the time card travels and thereby reaches to a position F, the front face detecting sensor12 detects the third priting column position referece mark TC and the card feeding roller 5 feeds the time card by the predetermined step, according to the puls signal generated from the encorder sensor 9 and bigins to print the working data.

[0065] FIG. 10 is a mark criterion table showing a relation between the card feeding step number and the mark position. As for the confirmation of the exsistence or absense of the mark, when the time card advances such as 7 steps, the exsitence of the mark is confirmed and when such as 21 steps two marks are confirmed. In thus like maner, As for the all steps number, confirmations are performed.

[0066] Althugh the procession of FIGS. 8A through 8C and 9A through 9C are described concernig to the relation between the frot face sensor 12 and the front face of the time card, similar procession can be also performed with respect to the rear face. In this case, the procession of FIG. 9A is omitted since the rear face T2 is not proveded with the emplyee number printing column R1.

[0067] As is shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to create different costitution of the ID code, by making the indication column V of the front face T1 of the numbers 1-10 mark V and by making the indication column V′ of the rear front face T2 of the numeric numbers 1-10 mark V′ of leter and sign.

[0068] As setforth in the foregoing, the marks VN and VN′ are recoded to each of the ID mark V and V′ by a binary number and the each of the marks VN and VN′ is printed at the state without the gap distace of these and these marks VN and VN′ and card front and rear face deciding marks WA and WB and the first, second and third printing column posistion reference marks TA, TB and TC are respectively formed by the bar code shape. Accodingly, the reading by the mark sensors 12 and 13 can be perfomed at the short time inteval and accurately.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, there is shown a card registration process which is excecuted in case of formating a new or unused time card by the time recorder. As is shown in FIG. 12, in registration of the unused time card, in the step S1, a control unit of time recorder is changeovered to the card registrating mode by means of a setting card (not shown) for registration into the time card TK and rendering the time card to read the format. After changeoverring the time card TK, to the step S2, a personal emplyee number to be registrated is inputed by the inputing device 3 to the memory 21 by way of the interface 23 and the bus 22, and thereafter an unused time card TK is inserted to the time recoder TR in the step S3. And thence a CPU 20 decides that a card detecting sensor 11 is made ON state or not, in the step S4. When the card detecting sonsor 11 is ON state, a card feeding motor 7M is driven to feed the time card TK in the step S5. In the step S6, a front face detecting sensor 12 commences to read the card mark, and a rear face detecting sensor 13 begins to read the card mark, in the step 7S.

[0070] Next the procedure advances to step S8 and the CPU 20 judges whether the front face mark sensor 12 read from the rear face deciding mark WB to a first printing column reference mark TA. When the marks is read, the time card TK is fed to the employee number printing column R1 in step S9. In the step S8, if the front face mark 12 did not read, the procedure retuns to the step S5 to repeat the operations from the step S5 to the step S8.

[0071] After the procedure of step 9S excecuted , as seen in FIG. 13, a direction of the time card TK is checked by the front or rear mark data read by the sensors 12 or 13 in the step S10. When the direction is rear face, an error disply is perfomed in the step S11, and thence the time card TK is exsousted from the time recoder TR, thereafter the procedure is returned to the step S3 shown in FIG. 12. In the step S10, when the direction of the time card is front face, the employee number is combined with front face data and rear face data, in the step S13. Thereafter, in the step S14, a dot priter 14 is driven to drive a printer head. By the driving of the dot printer 14, the home position of the printer head of the dot printer 14 is checked by the home the position sensor 14S whether the printer head is located to the home position or not, in step 15S.

[0072] When the home position sensor 14S is located to the home position, the printer head is cheked whether it is the employee number print starting position or not, in the step S16. When the position is confirmative, the employee number is printed to the employee number printing column R1 in the step S17, and the card number to be used by the personal is stored on the memory 21 in the step S18. Thereafter the time card TK is exsousted from the time recoder in the step S19. In step S20, the CPU checks that the next personal registration is to be performed or not. When the next registration is not necessary, the registration is ended. If the next registration is necessary, the procedure advances to the step S2 shown in FIG. 12 and the steps S2 through S20 are repeated.

[0073] FIGS. 14 through 16 are flow charts for regular printing operation employing the above descrived registered time card.

[0074] As is shown in FIG. 14, the CPU 20 selects the working data printing column of the registerd time card in the step S21. When the time card TK is inserted to the entry 2 of the time recoder TR in the step S22, the CPU 20 checks whether the card detecting semsor 11 is ON state or not in the step S23. When the card detecting sensor 11 is activated, the printing face is set to the printing column by calculating the printing row by an internal clock in step S24. After setting of the printing face, the time card is fed into the time recodoer in the step S25, and the front face mark or the rear face mark is read up by front face mark sensor 12, in the step S26.

[0075] Further, in step S27, the rear mark sensor 13 reads the front face mark or the rear face mark in the step S27, and procedure advances to the step S28 in oder to check whether the face of the inserted card is to be printed or not. If the face is not to be printed, buzzer alrams in the step S31, and thence the card is exsousted frome the time recorder to finish the procedure. When the face of the inserted card is to be printed in the step S28, the front face mark sensor 12 begins to read the number of the time card in step S29. And, in the step S30, the rear face detecting sesor 13 begins to read the number of the time card in the step S30.

[0076] As seen in FIG. 15, in the step S33, the CPU 20 judges whether the front face mark sensor 12 has finished to read the card number as well as the rear face mark sensor 13 has fineshed to read the card number. If the both sensors did not finish the reading, the procedure advances to the step S29 shown in FIG. 14 and the steps S29 ,S30 and S33 are repeated. When the both sensors finish the reading, the CPU 20 combines the front face card number and the rear face read the fist printing column position reference marks TA. In the step S36, the CPU 20 judges whether the time recorder TK is a regular printing mode or not.

[0077] In the step S37, sesors 12 and 13 read up the printing column position reference mark TB. In the step S38, the CPU 20 decides whether the caluculated printing row is a 16th row or not. When the caluculated printing row is the sixteenth row, the time card TK is fed to the 16th row based on the reading of the second printing column reference mark TB and advances to the step S43 of FIG. 16. If it is not sixteenth row in step S38, the process is excecuted in the step S40 in order to read the printing position referemce mark TC. In the step S41, the CPU 20 caluculates the step number up to the row corresponding to the date to be printed of first through fifteenth rows of the card.

[0078] Thereafter, the process is adovanced to the step S42 to feed the card to the the tird printing psition reference code mark TC to be printed based on the reading the third printing column position reference mark TC of the front face mark sensor 12 to advance to the step S43 of FIG. 16.

[0079] As seen in a flowchart of FIG. 16, the CPU 20 accesses from the combined numberthe employee number of the user who uses the time card , in step S43. And thence the CPU 20 stores the acessed employee number, attendace or leaving data, the current date and the current time to the memory 21 to advance to the step S45. The card feeding motor 7M in the form of a DC motor for the dot printer14 is driven in the step S45. In the step S46, the CPU 20 decides whether the printer head 14S of the dot printer 14 travels to the home position or not. When the priniter head is located to the home position, the process advances to the step S47 and the CPU 20 judges that the printer head is located to the selected attedance orleaving column or not. When the printer head 14S is located to the selected position, the dot printer 14 prints the date and the time stored in the memory 21, and in the step S49 the time card TK is exsousted from the time recorder TR to finish the regular printing oepration.

[0080] The important feature of the present imvention is mentioned in the following items (1) to (5).

[0081] (1) As is shown in FIG. 12, in registration of a new and unused time card, a control unit of time recorder is changeovered to the card registration mode in the step S1. In the step S2, a personal emplyee number to be registrated is inputed by an inputing device 3 to a memory 21, and thereafter the unused card is inserted to the time recoder in the step S3.

[0082] (2) As is shown in FIG. 13, each of the procedures from the steps S4 to S13 is excecuted in order to combine the employee numbers of ID marks VN and VN′. The combined employee number is printed to the employee number printing column R1 in the step S17, and is stored on the memory 21 in the step S18. Thereafter, the registrating operation is ended after the procedure of the steps S19 and S20.

[0083] (3) As is shown in FIG. 14, out of the procedures excecuted in the steps S21 thogugh S49, a first mark sensor such as the front face mark sensor 12 begins to read the number of the card, in step S29. And a second sensor such as the rear face sensor 13 begins to read the number of the card in the step S30.

[0084] (4) As seen in FIG. 15, When the both sensors finish the reading, the CPU 20 combines the front face card number and the rear face card number and stores the combined number to the memory 21, to enable combine the card numbers (ID codes) in the step S34.

[0085] (5) As is shown in FIG. 16, the CPU 20 accesses the employee number of the user who employs the card from the combined number in step S43. And thence the CPU 20 stores the accessed employee number, attendace or leaving data, the current date and the current time from the memory 21 in the step S44. In the step S48, the printer 14 prints the date and the time stored in the memory 21.

[0086] According to the present invention, the time card and the time recorder system are constructured such that an ID is divided to a plurarity of portions and the divided IDs are simultaneously read by combining these divided IDs,in order to finish the the ID reading operatin at the preferably short time interval. Further, accoding to the time card and the time recorder sytem system of the present invention enable to read the ID in the insertion of the time card and to store the attendance and leaving data based on the ID to the memory as well as to print the data in the traveling of the time card toward the bottom prtion of the time card. Accordingly,the time interval to be required in one printing operatin is extremely shortened and the size of the time rdcor is miniturized by reducing the height of the time recorder, in comparison with the prior art time recorder system in which the ID is read in the inserting operation of the time card to the lowermost portion of the time recorder and thereafter attencace and leaving data are are printed in the feeding back opratoin to the entry of the time recorder.

[0087] It is to be understood that changes and modifications to the form of the invention set forth in the disclosure by way of illustration may be made by those skolled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the clams which follow.

Claims

1. A time card including an ID for identifying a card and a printing column for printing a working data, wherein said time card comprising ID mark indicating means for idicating said ID to be printed and including an ID mark indication mark column dividing means for dividing said ID at least two portions and including and, printing position deciding means for positioning said divided ID printing position of the time card to be printed and including an ID mark indicating column.

2. A time card of claim 1 further comprising card face indicating means for indicating a directon of the time card to be printed and a card face detecting column including a front face deciding marks which indicates a rear face deciding mark which indicates a rear face of the time card.

3. A time card as recited in claim 1 wherein said ID mark indicatin means comprises an ID mark indication column which includes a digit mark which decides a significant digit to be printed on the time card and a least digit mark provided on the time card to be printed which decides a least digit to be printed.

4. A time card as recited in claim 1 wherein said ID mark indicating means for idicating said ID and including an ID mark indication mark column includes a significant digit mark which decides a significant digit and a least digit which decides a least digit.

5. A time card of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the card front face and rear face reading marks of said divided ID marks arranged on the the time card at a condition that respective card front face and rear face reading marks is located in a closed condition without a gap distance.

6. A time card of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said ID mark to be arranged to the time card comprises a bar code printed or recorded and having a length in the cross direction on the time card in the state alonging a card inserting direction.

7. A time card including an ID for identifying a card and a printing column for printing a working data, wherein said time card comprising ID mark indicating means for idicating said ID to be printed and including an ID mark indication mark column dividing means for dividing said ID at least two portions, printing position deciding means for positioning said divided ID printing position of the time card to be printed and including an ID mark indicating column.

8. A time card of claim 7 futher comprising card face indicating means for indicating a directon of the time recorder to be printed and a card face indicating column including a front face indicating marks which defines a

9. A time card as recited in claim 7 or 8 wherein said ID mark indicating means comprises an ID mark indication column which includes a digit mark which decides a significant digit to be printed on the time card and a least digit mark provided on the time card to be printed which decides a least digit to be printed.

10. A time card of claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein said ID mark indicating means for idicating said ID and including an ID mark indication mark column includes a significant digit mark which decides a significant digit and a least digit which decides a least digit.

11. A time card of claim 7, 8, 9 or 10 wherein said ID column imcludes a first printing column position reference mark which decides an employee nuber printing column, a second printing column reference mark which defines a work data printing column, a third printing column reference mark which defines a printing column of a data printing row.

12. A time recorder system including idetifying means for cofirming an ID recorded on a time card, recording means for storing a working information such as a current time and the like to a memory correspoding to said ID and printing means for printing said ID to a printing column of said time card comprising, reading means for reading an ID diveded to at least tow portions and arrenged serially at a front face and a rear face of said time card and, ID reading means for reading said divided ID as one ID by combining said divided ID read in a condition that the divided ID are read by said font face and rear face reading means.

13. A time recorder system including idetifying means for cofirming an ID recorded on a time card, recording means for storing a working information such as a current time and the like to a memory correspoding to said ID and printing means for printing said ID to a printing column of said time card comprising, two reading means for reading an ID diveded to at least tow portions and arrenged serially at the one side of said time card and, ID reading means for reading said divided ID as one ID by combining the said divided ID read in a condition that the divided ID are read by said two reading means.

14. A time recorder system of the claim 12 or 13 futher comprising maeas for reading said front face and rear face deciding mark, one ID mark and a printing column control mark, by maeans of one reading means out of the front face reading means and the rear face reading means and reading means for reading the other divided ID mark devide by the other reading means and arranged to the other side edge potion by the other reading means, such that the reading of said one reading means being ecucecuted simultaneousely with said other reading means.

15. A time recorder system of the claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein said reading of said ID divide mark, said printing of the working information by said reading means, inthe course of the travelling of said time card towaed the inserting directin of the time card.