“Reader/Writer Device And Stand For Reader/Writer” in Patent Application Approval Process (USPTO 20230359842): Sony Group Corporation

2023 NOV 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent application by the inventors HARADA, Mitsuru (Kanagawa, Japan); MINAMIKAWA, Tomotsugu (Tokyo, Japan), filed on July 14, 2021, was made available online on November 9, 2023, according to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx correspondents.

This patent application is assigned to Sony Group Corporation (Tokyo, Japan).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “In recent years, radio frequency identification (RFID) systems that perform authentication and data communication by non-contact communication have been widely spread. The RFID system includes an RF tag and a reader/writer that reads and writes data from and in the RF tag. Communication between the reader/writer and the RF tag is performed by a magnetic field emitted from the reader/writer. Near Field Communication (NFC), which is one technical system of the RFID system, is a short-range wireless communication technology that uses a frequency of 13.56 MHz and has a communication distance of about 10 centimeters. In Japan, NFC is widely used for electronic payment, personal authentication, and the like. Note that “non-contact” of the non-contact communication means an electrical non-contact state, and a state in which the surfaces of the RF tag and the reader/writer are in contact with each other is also referred to as “non-contact”.

“There are various forms of the reader/writer and the RF tag. The reader/writer is incorporated in an information terminal such as a personal computer (PC) or a smartphone, and a device such as a ticket gate in some cases, and is externally connected to a device such as a PC by using a cable such as a universal serial bus (USB) cable in the cases. Furthermore, the RF tag is included as an integrated circuit (IC) tag in an information terminal such as a smartphone in some cases, and is an IC card having approximately the same size as a business card in other cases. For example, a reader/writer used by being connected to a portable processing terminal such as a personal computer by using a wired cable has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

“The present disclosure mainly deals with a reader/writer device of a type that is externally connected to a device such as a PC by using a cable such as a USB cable and performs read/write operation on an IC card. The IC card is widely used as an authentication card such as an entrance card or an employee ID card. Furthermore, in Japan, it is expected that the reader/writer device externally connected to an information terminal such as a PC will become more popular due to issuance of an Individual Number Card with an IC chip and expansion of applications of the Individual Number Card such as use of the Individual Number Card as a health insurance card.

“Non-contact communication between the reader/writer device and the IC card is performed by a magnetic field emitted from the reader/writer when the IC card is held over a card reading surface of the reader/writer device. In a case where the IC card is used for login, it is necessary to hold the IC card over the card reading surface of the reader/writer device during a communication period. Furthermore, the reader/writer device of a type externally connected to an information terminal such as a PC is assumed to be placed on various objects such as a desk, a table, or a work table and used. In a case where the reader/writer device is placed on a desk including metal and used, there is a concern that an eddy current is generated in the metal by the magnetic field emitted from the reader/writer device and adversely affects communication between the reader/writer device and the IC card.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent application, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “SUMMARY:

“Problems to be Solved by the Invention

“An object of the present disclosure is to provide a reader/writer device that is connected to an information terminal by using a cable and communicates with an IC card placed on a card reading surface and a stand for a

“Solution to Problems

“The present disclosure has been made in view of the problems described above, and a first aspect thereof is

“

“a reader/writer device including:

“a reader/writer main body that communicates with an IC card placed on a card reading surface; and

“a stand that supports the reader/writer main body in a posture separated from a setting surface and holds the IC card on the card reading surface.

“

“The stand is a structural body including a side wall portion on a back side of the U shape, a bottom plate portion connected to a lower end of the side wall portion, and a top plate portion connected to an upper end of the side wall portion, and bundles and holds the IC card placed on the card reading surface and the reader/writer main body. Furthermore, the side wall portion has an opening through which a cable for connecting the reader/writer main body to an external device is inserted.

“The top plate portion includes a card holding portion that protrudes inside the U shape and abuts on an upper surface of an IC card placed on the reader/writer main body. Furthermore, the top plate portion includes a card locking portion that locks a leading edge of the IC card and positions the IC card on the card reading surface.

“The bottom plate portion includes a fixing portion that fixes the reader/writer main body. The fixing portion includes a linear protrusion engaged with a linear groove formed in a bottom surface of the reader/writer main body.

“Furthermore, a second aspect of the present disclosure is a stand for a reader/writer including:

“

“a support portion that supports a reader/writer main body in a posture separated from a setting surface; and

“a holding portion that holds an IC card placed on a card reading surface of the reader/writer main body.

“

“Effects of the Invention

“According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a reader/writer device and a stand for a reader/writer capable of holding an IC card in a state where the IC card is held over a card reading surface during a communication period and supporting a reader/writer main body in a posture separated from a setting surface.

“Note that the effects described in the present Description are merely examples, and the effects brought by the present disclosure are not limited thereto. Furthermore, the present disclosure further provides additional effects in addition to the effects described above in some cases.

“Still other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a more detailed description based on embodiments to be described later and the accompanying drawings.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A reader/writer device comprising: a reader/writer main body that communicates with an IC card placed on a card reading surface; and a stand that supports the reader/writer main body in a posture separated from a setting surface and holds the IC card on the card reading surface.

“2. The reader/writer device according to claim 1, wherein the stand has a structure having a substantially U shape and bundles and holds the IC card placed on the card reading surface and the reader/writer main body.

“3. The reader/writer device according to claim 1, wherein the stand includes a side wall portion on a back side of the U shape, a bottom plate portion connected to a lower end of the side wall portion, and a top plate portion connected to an upper end of the side wall portion, and the side wall portion has an opening through which a cable for connecting the reader/writer main body to an external device is inserted.

“4. The reader/writer device according to claim 3, wherein the top plate portion includes a card holding portion that protrudes inside the U shape and abuts on an upper surface of the IC card placed on the reader/writer main body.

“5. The reader/writer device according to claim 4, wherein the top plate portion includes a card locking portion that locks a leading edge of the IC card and positions the IC card on the card reading surface.

“6. The reader/writer device according to claim 3, wherein the bottom plate portion includes a fixing portion that fixes the reader/writer main body.

“7. The reader/writer device according to claim 6, wherein the fixing portion includes a linear protrusion that is engaged with a linear groove formed in a bottom surface of the reader/writer main body.

“8. The reader/writer device according to claim 3, wherein the bottom plate portion is in contact with the side wall portion at a substantially right angle, and the top plate portion is inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to a plane orthogonal to the side wall portion.

“9. The reader/writer device according to claim 3, wherein an information display area is provided on an upper surface of the top plate portion.

“10. The reader/writer device according to claim 2, wherein the stand includes urethane rubber, elastomer, or another elastic material.

“11. The reader/writer device according to claim 1, wherein the stand supports the reader/writer main body in a posture inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal setting surface.

“12. The reader/writer device according to claim 1, wherein the stand supports the reader/writer main body at a location where a cable for connection to an external device is inserted.

“13. The reader/writer device according to claim 1, wherein the stand stores a cable for connecting the reader/writer main body to an external device.

“14. The reader/writer device according to claim 13, wherein the stand has a structure having a substantially U shape and stores the cable which is bundled in an opening that has the U shape.

“15. The reader/writer device according to claim 1, wherein the reader/writer main body includes a display unit in a place that is not hidden by the stand.

“16. The reader/writer device according to claim 15, wherein the display unit displays a state of the reader/writer main body.

“17. The reader/writer device according to claim 1, wherein the reader/writer main body includes an antenna, an antenna adjustment unit that adjusts impedance of the antenna, an RF front end unit that processes a transmission/reception signal of the antenna, a control unit that controls processing in the RF front end unit, and an interface unit that is connected to an external device.

“18. A stand for a reader/writer comprising: a support portion that supports a reader/writer main body in a posture separated from a setting surface; and a holding portion that holds an IC card placed on a card reading surface of the reader/writer main body.

“19. The stand for the reader/writer according to claim 18, wherein the stand has a structure having a substantially U shape and bundles and holds the IC card placed on the card reading surface and the reader/writer main body.

“20. The stand for the reader/writer according to claim 18, wherein the stand includes a side wall portion on a back side of the U shape, a bottom plate portion connected to a lower end of the side wall portion, and a top plate portion connected to an upper end of the side wall portion, and the side wall portion has an opening through which a cable for connecting the reader/writer main body to an external device is inserted.”

URL and more information on this patent application, see: HARADA, Mitsuru; MINAMIKAWA, Tomotsugu. Reader/Writer Device And Stand For Reader/Writer. U.S. Patent Application Number 20230359842, filed July 14, 2021 and posted November 9, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(20230359842)&db=US-PGPUB&type=ids

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