JP2004348500A - Illegal access protection device and ic card holder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illegal access protection device and an IC card holder by which the card information of a non-contact IC card can be protected from illegal access to the IC card. <P>SOLUTION: A protection sheet (illegal access protection device) 12 having a conductive winding 121 spirally wound in a plane and short-circuited between both end parts and a sheet material 122 for supporting the winding 121 is arranged oppositely to an IC card C1 and stored in a holder body. In this state, the winding 121 is magnetically coupled with the antenna part of the IC card C1 and the resonance frequency of the IC card C1 is changed, so that the IC card C1 becomes a communication disabled state. Consequently, the card information can be protected from illegal accesses to the IC card C1. Since the protection sheet 12 is provided with a switch 123 for releasing the short-circuit state between both end parts of the winding 121, the communication function of the IC card C1 can be restored by card owner's will. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an unauthorized access protection device and an IC card holder capable of protecting card information from unauthorized access to a non-contact IC card, for example.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been proposed an IC card system in which various information is exchanged by wireless communication using electromagnetic waves using a non-contact IC card including an antenna coil and an IC chip. Such an IC card system is applied to a ticket gate system for transportation, a toll collection system for an expressway, an electronic payment, a telephone card system, a product management system in a factory, and the like.
[0003]
The owner of such an IC card generally carries the IC card in a bag or a pocket with the IC card stored in a card holder made of a transparent resin or the like. In recent years, the style of carrying a card holder around the neck has become popular, and when using the card holder, the card is held down from the neck and the card is held over a reader / writer to exchange necessary information.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-11-348471 [Patent Document 2]
JP-A-2002-236893
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In this type of non-contact IC card, an antenna coil is coupled to an oscillating radio wave of a specific frequency from a reader / writer to read / write information from / to an IC chip using the principle of electromagnetic induction.
[0006]
However, conventional card holders are not equipped with a function to protect card information from unauthorized access, so there is the danger that malicious third parties may illegally read or alter the recorded information on the card. You will be doing.
[0007]
In particular, in recent years, the demand for an IC card on which personal information is recorded has been extremely increased. As the demand for such an IC card increases, the card information reader, which is a hardware component, also becomes lighter and more sophisticated, thereby making it possible to perform sophisticated unauthorized access and to easily read and steal personal information. In the future, while voices are being installed in mobile phone terminals with readable and writable card performance, it has become a major issue how to carry personal information safely.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide an unauthorized access protection device and an IC card holder that can protect card information from unauthorized access to a non-contact IC card.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the unauthorized access protection device of the present invention includes a conductive winding wound spirally in a plane and short-circuited between both ends, and an insulating support for supporting the winding. And is disposed to face the antenna section of the communication body in a non-use state.
[0010]
With this configuration, the antenna portion of the communication body and the winding of the unauthorized access protection device are magnetically coupled to cause a change in the antenna resonance frequency of the communication body, thereby disabling communication with the outside of the communication body. Further, the recording information of the communication body is protected from unauthorized access.
[0011]
The “communication body” includes a functional body capable of exchanging information with the outside in a non-contact manner, and particularly capable of holding confidential information such as personal information. An information recording medium using the RFID technology as described above, a portable communication terminal or a portable telephone having such a function of reading ID information correspond to the information recording medium.
[0012]
Also, in this specification, “illegal access” refers to all acts of reading or rewriting recorded information without the consent of the owner of the communication body.
[0013]
On the other hand, the IC card holder of the present invention is an IC card holder having a storage portion capable of storing one or a plurality of non-contact IC cards, and a conductive winding spirally wound in a plane; It is characterized by comprising an insulating support for supporting the winding and switching means for switching between a short-circuit / open state of the winding.
[0014]
According to the present invention, the communication function of the IC card housed opposite to the winding is controlled by switching operation of the short-circuit / open state of the winding by the switching means. By keeping the line end in a short-circuit state, communication of the IC card is disabled, and the card information is protected against unauthorized access from the outside. When the card is used, the communication function of the IC card is ensured by switching the winding end to the open state.
[0015]
As described above, according to the IC card holder of the present invention, the IC card is made communicable only when the card owner wants to access it, and otherwise the IC card is made incommunicable so that the card information cannot be accessed from unauthorized access. , Thereby realizing high security of the IC card.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
(First Embodiment)
1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
Here, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the IC card holder 11 of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the IC card holder 11, FIG. 3 is a front view of a protection sheet 12 according to the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part, and FIG. 5 is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the present embodiment.
[0018]
The IC card holder 11 includes a holder body 13 having a card storage section 14 therein, and a protection sheet 12 stored in the storage section 14 together with a non-contact IC card (hereinafter referred to as “IC card”) C1.
[0019]
The holder body 13 is formed of a material that easily transmits electromagnetic waves, and in the present embodiment, is formed of a flexible synthetic resin material. The whole IC card is transparent or translucent so that the stored IC card can be visually recognized from the outside.
[0020]
Although the size of the storage section 14 is not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the storage section 14 has a size sufficient to store one IC card C1 and a protective sheet 12 described later.
[0021]
A connection piece 13a connected to the connection cord 16 is provided at substantially the center of the upper edge of the holder body 13. The connecting string 16 is wound with a predetermined tension by a winding drum 17 connected to the neck strap 15, and when the card is used (when the card is held over a reader / writer), the card is taken up by a withdrawal operation by the card holder. The drum 17 is fed out.
When the card is not used, the length of the winding of the connecting string 16 by the winding drum 17 is limited by the stopper 18 attached at an intermediate position of the connecting string 16.
[0022]
As the IC card C1, a card manufactured by sandwiching an antenna module in which an IC chip is connected to an antenna coil with a card component base material is used.
Further, the IC card C1 in this example is applicable to any IC card having a function of transmitting and receiving information to and from the outside in a non-contact manner. For example, a hybrid card or a dual interface card (combination) having contact terminals on its surface is applicable. Card / contact / contactless IC card, etc.
[0023]
Next, details of the protection sheet 12 according to the present invention will be described.
[0024]
The protection sheet 12 is a specific example of the “unauthorized access protection device” according to the present invention, and includes a conductive winding 121 wound spirally in a plane, a sheet material 122 supporting the winding 121, And a switch 123 for short-circuiting / opening between both ends of the winding 121. Normally, both ends of the winding 121 are in a short-circuit state electrically connected to each other via the switch 123, and the short-circuit state is released only when the switch 123 is pressed.
[0025]
The protection sheet 12 is stored in the storage section 14 of the holder body 13 in a state where the protection sheet 12 is arranged to face the IC card C1. The protective sheet 12 has a function of preventing the card information from being read out or falsified by an unauthorized external access to the IC card C1 stored in the holder body 13.
[0026]
That is, the protection sheet 12 magnetically couples the winding 121 in a short-circuit state by being arranged opposite to the antenna section of the IC card C1, causing a shift in the resonance frequency required for accessing the IC card C1, and It plays a role of inhibiting the communication function of C1. This makes communication between the IC card C1 and the reader / writer impossible, and prevents access to card information stored in the IC card C1.
[0027]
The winding 121 of the protection sheet 12 is made of a metal wire such as a copper wire, for example, and is supported in the plane of the sheet material 122 using spot welding or an adhesive tape.
Alternatively, the winding 121 may be formed by spirally patterning a metal foil laminated on the surface of the sheet material 122 or screen-printing a conductive paste on the surface of the sheet material 122. .
[0028]
The surface of the sheet member 122 is not limited to the configuration in which the metal surface of the winding 121 is exposed. That is, the surface of the sheet material 122 on which the windings 121 are formed may be covered with an insulating film or an insulating sheet, or the windings 121 may be embedded in the sheet material 122. As a result, the winding 121 can be protected, and at the same time, it is possible to prevent the IC card C <b> 1 stored on the winding 121 from being damaged.
[0029]
Further, the magnetic coupling force with the antenna unit of the IC card C1 is proportional to the change amount of the resonance frequency, and the higher the coupling force, the larger the change amount of the frequency. It is preferable to configure the antenna part of the IC card C1 so as to be similar in shape and size to enhance the coupling force between the two.
[0030]
Note that the sheet material 122 supporting the winding 121 is made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. It does not matter whether the sheet material 122 is transparent. Since the sheet material 122 is configured as a support for the winding 121, its size, thickness, and the like are not particularly limited. Further, since the sheet member 122 is used in a form housed in the holder main body 13, the sheet member 122 itself does not need to have a shape retaining property. Therefore, the sheet member 122 may be not only rigid but also flexible. Further, the present invention is not limited to the mode in which the protective sheet 12 is stored in the holder main body 13, and a mode in which the protective sheet 12 is attached to the outer surface of the holder main body 13 and used is also applicable.
[0031]
On the other hand, the switch 123 corresponds to the “switching device” according to the present invention, and is provided to release the short-circuit state of the winding 121 of the protection sheet 12.
[0032]
As described above, the protection sheet 12 fulfills the function of depriving the IC card 12 of the communication function. Therefore, when the card owner wants to access his or her IC card C1, the function of the protection sheet 12 needs to be released.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, a switch 123 for switching the short-circuit / open state of the winding 121 of the protection sheet 12 is provided, so that the communication function of the IC card C1 can be controlled on its own initiative.
[0033]
4A and 4B show configuration examples of the switch 123. FIG.
Both ends 121A and 121B of the winding 121 are supported on the lower surface of a support plate 126 integrated with the sheet material 122. The switch 123 has an annular contact 124 for electrically connecting the end portions 121A and 121B, and the contact 124 is wound by receiving a bias from a spring member 125 provided between the switch 123 and the sheet member 122. It is in a state of being brought into contact with the ends 121A and 121B.
[0034]
In the normal state shown in FIG. 4A, the switch 123 maintains a short-circuit state in which the winding ends 121A and 121B are electrically connected. Then, when accessing the IC card C1 with the intention of the card owner, the owner manually pushes down the switch 123 to release the short-circuit state of the winding ends 121A and 121B as shown in FIG. 4B. As a result, the connection between the winding 121 and the antenna section of the IC card C1 is also released, and communication between the reader / writer and the IC card C1 becomes possible.
[0035]
The switch 123 is a normally closed switch as described above. With this configuration, the switching operation from the communication enabled state to the communication disabled state can be performed by the urging force of the spring member 125, and it is possible to prevent forgetting to switch.
In the present embodiment, the switch 123 is constituted by a press switch, but is not limited to this, and may be constituted by a slide switch, for example.
[0036]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
[0037]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the IC card C <b> 1 is stored in the storage section 14 of the holder main body 13 together with the protective sheet 12. Although the protection sheet 12 is arranged on the back side of the IC card C1 in the drawing, it may be arranged on the front side of the IC card C1.
Then, the card holder carries the IC card C1 by hanging the neck strap 15 of the IC card holder 11 around the neck and hanging the holder body 13 in front of the chest, for example.
[0038]
In this state, since both ends of the winding 121 of the protection sheet 12 are in a short-circuit state, the antenna section of the IC card C1 and the winding 121 of the protection sheet 12 are magnetically coupled by being arranged opposite to each other, The winding 121 acts as an antenna and changes the resonance frequency of the IC card C1. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the communication operation of the IC card C1 for an unauthorized access from the outside (the reader / writer 19) becomes impossible, and the card information is protected.
[0039]
On the other hand, when the card owner uses the IC card C1, the switch 123 is pressed by the owner to release the short-circuit state of the winding 121 of the protection sheet 12. As a result, a communication function between the IC card C1 and the reader / writer 19 is secured, and exchange of card information is performed.
[0040]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, access between the IC card C1 and the reader / writer 19 becomes possible only when the switch 123 of the protection sheet 12 is operated (only when the card owner wants to access). In this state, the information of the IC card can be protected from unauthorized access. Thereby, high security of the IC card C1 can be realized. Also, it is possible to exchange card information without taking out the IC card C1 from the holder body 13.
[0041]
In addition, since the switch 123 is a normally-closed switch, forgetting to return the switch 123 from the communicable state to the communicable state can be avoided, and the security of the card information can be secured.
[0042]
(Second embodiment)
FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
In the drawings, parts corresponding to those in the above-described first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0043]
In recent years, an anti-collision technology has been developed that can read individual IC cards and individually exchange card information even when a plurality of IC cards are present in a communication range with a reader / writer. ing.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the present invention is applied to an IC card holder capable of simultaneously storing a plurality of anticollision-compatible IC cards C1 and C2.
[0044]
In the IC card holder 21 of the present embodiment, two IC cards C1 and C2 are stored and arranged together with the protective sheet 12 in the storage section 14 of the holder body 13.
Although the protective sheet 12 is disposed between the two IC cards C1 and C2 in the drawing, the protective sheet 12 may be disposed on the front side of the IC card C1 or on the rear side of the IC card C2. .
[0045]
Normally, the protective sheet 12 is in a state where the winding ends are short-circuited, and the short-circuit state is released by pressing the switch 123.
Therefore, at normal times, the protection sheet 12 fulfills the function of inhibiting the communication functions of the two IC cards C1 and C2, and can protect the card information from unintended access by the card owner.
When the card is used, the communication function of the IC cards C1 and C2 can be ensured only by pressing the switch 123 of the protection sheet 12.
[0046]
In this example, a configuration example in which two IC cards C1 and C2 are stored has been described. However, the same effect can be obtained with three or more cards, not limited to two.
[0047]
(Third embodiment)
Next, FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of the present invention.
In the drawings, parts corresponding to those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0048]
The IC card holder 31 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the above-described protection sheet (12) is incorporated in the holder body 13.
The winding 121 is embedded in the front surface portion 13b of the holder body 13 in a spirally wound state, and a switch 123 for switching between short-circuit / open states of both ends of the winding 121 is provided. In this example, the front portion 13b that constitutes a part of the storage portion 14 corresponds to a support that supports the winding 121, and the front portion 13b, the winding 121, and the switch 123 configure the “unauthorized access protection device” of the present invention. Is composed.
[0049]
According to this embodiment, the same effects as those of the above embodiments can be obtained. In particular, according to the present embodiment, since the protective sheet is integrally formed with the holder main body 13, the number of components can be reduced as compared with the above-described embodiments, and unprotected protective sheets can be avoided. Security assurance is maintained.
[0050]
Although the winding 121 and the switch 123 are provided on the front side of the holder body 13 in this example, they may be provided on the back side of the holder body 13 instead. The number of IC cards stored in the storage unit 14 is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more.
[0051]
(Fourth embodiment)
9A and 9B show a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
In the drawings, parts corresponding to those in the above-described first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0052]
The IC card holder 41 of the present embodiment includes a holder body 43A having a pocket (storage portion) 44 in which the IC card C1 is housed, and is connected to the holder body 43A via a hinge 43C and folded back to the holder body 43A. And a possible lid 43B. A winding 121 having both ends fixed in a short-circuit state is embedded in the lid 43B. In this example, the lid 43B corresponds to a support for supporting the winding 121, and the lid 43B and the winding 121 constitute the "illegal access protection device" of the present invention.
[0053]
That is, in the IC card holder 41 of the present embodiment, the lid 43B is overlapped with the holder main body 43A in the card non-use state shown in FIG. 4A, and when the card is used, the lid 43B is moved in the arrow direction shown in FIG. 4B. It is to be turned back to.
[0054]
With such a configuration, when the card is not used, the winding 121 incorporated in the lid 43B is arranged to face the IC card C1 accommodated in the holder main body 43A so as to overlap. As a result, the short-circuited winding 121 is magnetically coupled to the antenna portion of the IC card C1, thereby losing the communication function of the IC card C1 and protecting the card information from unauthorized access to the IC card C1. be able to.
[0055]
When the card is used, the opposing relationship between the IC card C1 and the winding 121 is released by the folding action of the lid 43B. Thereby, the coupling force between the winding 121 and the IC card C1 is weakened, the communication function of the IC card C1 is restored, and it is possible to exchange card information with the outside.
[0056]
As described above, the IC card holder 41 of the present embodiment controls the communication function of the IC card C1 by opening and closing the lid 43B with respect to the holder main body 43A. An effect similar to that of the first embodiment can be obtained.
The number of IC cards stored in the storage section 44 is not limited to one, but may be two or more.
[0057]
(Fifth embodiment)
Next, FIGS. 10A and 10B show a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
In the IC card holder 51 of the present embodiment, similarly to the above-described fourth embodiment, a holder main body 53A having a storage section 54 for storing the IC card C1 and a winding 121 fixed in a short-circuit state are embedded. The communication function of the IC card C1 is controlled by opening and closing the cover 53B with respect to the holder body 53A. In this example, the lid 53B corresponds to a support that supports the winding 121, and the lid 53B and the winding 121 constitute the “illegal access protection device” of the present invention.
[0058]
In this embodiment, the holder main body 53A and the lid 53B are connected to each other by a single rotation shaft 55, and the lid 53B is rotated around the rotation shaft 55 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. (In the opposite direction) to open and close the lid 53B.
[0059]
Even with such a configuration, it is possible to dispose the winding 121 so as to face the IC card C1 so as to overlap the antenna section of the IC card C1, and to prevent unauthorized access to the IC card C1 when the card is not used as shown in FIG. 10A. Information can be protected.
The number of IC cards stored in the storage unit 54 is not limited to one, but may be two or more.
[0060]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is, of course, not limited to these, and various modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.
[0061]
For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the IC card holder is hung from the owner's neck and carried is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the holder main body is stored in the owner's pocket or bag. It is also possible to use it like carrying around.
[0062]
Further, in each of the above embodiments, an example is described in which the unauthorized access protection device according to the present invention is applied to an IC card holder. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a PDA or a portable device having a reader / writer function of an IC card is provided. The present invention is also applicable to portable wireless communication terminals such as telephones. In this case, the personal information stored in the terminal body can be protected from unauthorized access only by disposing the unauthorized access protection device of the present invention opposite to the antenna section of the portable wireless communication terminal.
[0063]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the unauthorized access protection device of the present invention, recorded information can be protected from unauthorized access to a communication body, and the security level can be improved.
[0064]
Further, according to the IC card holder of the present invention, the IC card is set to the communicable state only when the card owner wants to access, and otherwise, the IC card is set to the communicable state to protect the card information from unauthorized access. Thus, high security of the IC card can be realized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire IC card holder 11 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of an IC card holder 11;
FIG. 3 is a front view of a protection sheet 12 as an unauthorized access protection device according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a switch 123 of the protection sheet 12, wherein A indicates when the card is not used, and B indicates when the card is used.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the protective sheet 12.
FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of an IC card holder 21 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an entire IC card holder 31 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a schematic sectional view of an IC card holder 31. FIG.
FIG. 9 is a view showing the whole IC card holder 41 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein A shows when the card is not used, and B shows when the card is used.
FIG. 10 is a view showing an entire IC card holder 51 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, wherein A shows when the card is not used, and B shows when the card is used.
[Explanation of symbols]
11, 21, 31, 41, 51: IC card holder, 12: Protective sheet, 13, 43A, 53A: Holder body, 14, 44, 54: Storage section, 19: Reader / writer, 121: Winding, 122: Sheet Material, 123 ... Switch, C1, C2 ... IC card.

Claims (8)

An unauthorized access protection device for protecting a communication body that exchanges information with the outside without contact from unauthorized access,
A conductive winding wound spirally in a plane and short-circuited between both ends,
Having an insulating support that supports the winding,
An unauthorized access protection device, which is disposed to face an antenna portion of the communication body in a non-use state. 2. The unauthorized access protection device according to claim 1, further comprising a switching unit that opens between both ends of the winding when the communication body is used. The unauthorized access protection device according to claim 1, wherein the winding is formed to have substantially the same shape as an antenna unit of the communication body. An IC card holder having a storage portion capable of storing one or more non-contact IC cards,
A conductive winding wound spirally in a plane;
An insulating support that supports the winding;
A switching means for switching between a short-circuit / open state of the winding; and an IC card holder. The IC card holder according to claim 4, wherein the switching means is a normally closed switch that short-circuits the winding at a closed position and opens the winding at an open position. The IC card holder according to claim 4, wherein the support is formed in a sheet shape, and is accommodated in the accommodation portion so as to overlap the non-contact IC card. The IC card holder according to claim 4, wherein the support forms a part of the storage section. The IC card holder according to claim 4, wherein the winding is formed in substantially the same shape as an antenna coil built in the non-contact IC card.

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