Image reading apparatus

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus that images a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, RFID cards with Identification (ID) information stored therein have become prevalent for use, such as a driver\'s license.

On a surface of an RFID card, information about the owner of this RFID card and other information are recorded, for example.

Meanwhile, the RFID card has incorporated therein a tag with ID information stored therein. When an electromagnetic wave for power supply is applied to the RFID card from a transmitting and receiving unit provided to a tag reader or the like, for example, an ID-information transmitting unit provided to the RFID card transmits the ID information of the tag with an electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information. The electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information transmitted from the RFID card is received by the transmitting and receiving unit provided to the tag reader or the like, for example. Further, the ID information of the tag is obtained by an ID-information obtaining unit provided to the tag reader or the like, for example.

Conventionally, technologies have been suggested for obtaining, from an RFID card placed on a card mounting surface of an image reading apparatus, both pickup image data representing an image read surface of the RFID card on a card mounting surface side and ID information stored in a tag of the RFID card. One example of such technologies is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2005-182170. In an image reading apparatus disclosed in the above patent application, when the image read surface of the RFID card placed on the card mounting surface is imaged by a reading unit, a pickup image signal is output from that reading unit, and pickup image data based on this pickup image signal is generated by an image-data generating unit. Also in this image reading apparatus, in addition to generation of pickup image data, ID information of the tag of the RFID card is obtained in a manner similar to that explained above by using the electromagnetic wave for power supply and the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information. As such, in the image reading apparatus disclosed in the above patent application mentioned above, the pickup image data representing the image read surface of the RFID card and the ID information of the tag can both be obtained by a single apparatus.

In more detail, in the image reading apparatus disclosed in the above patent application mentioned above, when the image read surface of the RFID card is imaged by the reading unit, to prevent an influence of the electromagnetic wave for power supply, the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information, or both for reading the ID information of the tag over the pickup image signal output from the reading unit, a transmission coil, which configures a transmitting and receiving unit that transmits the electromagnetic wave for power supply to the RFID card, is set to an inactive state. As a result, while the reading unit is imaging the image read surface of the RFID card, the electromagnetic wave for power supply and the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information are not transmitted and received between the ID-information transmitting unit of the RFID card and the transmitting and receiving unit of the image reading apparatus. Therefore, the electromagnetic wave for power supply and the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information do not have an influence over the pickup image signal representing the image read surface of the RFID card, thereby achieving a high-quality pickup image of the image read surface of the RFID card without an influence of the electromagnetic wave for power supply and the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information over the pickup image data representing the image read surface of the RFID card.

Here, in obtaining both of the pickup image data representing the image read surface of the RFID card and the ID information of the tag, there is a need for imaging the image read surface of the RFID card and obtaining the ID information of the tag simultaneously, thereby reducing time required for obtaining both of the pickup image data representing the image read surface of the RFID card and the ID information of the tag.

However, if imaging of the image read surface of the RFID card and obtainment of the ID information of the tag are performed simultaneously, at least either one of the electromagnetic wave for power supply and the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information will have an influence over the pickup image signal representing the image read surface of the RFID card. For this reason, if imaging of the image read surface of the RFID card and obtainment of the ID information of the tag are performed simultaneously, at least either one of the electromagnetic wave for power supply and the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information will also have an influence over the pickup image data representing the image read surface of the RFID card, thereby degrading the quality of the pickup image of the image read surface of the RFID card.

It is an object of the present invention to at least partially solve the problems in the conventional technology.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an image reading apparatus includes a light source that emits light toward a card mounting surface where an RFID card is placed, the RFID card having incorporated therein a tag having ID information stored therein and an ID-information transmitting unit that receives an electromagnetic wave for power supply and transmits the ID information with an electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information; a reading unit that images, based on the light from the light source, an image read surface of the RFID card on a card mounting surface side when the RFID card is placed on the card mounting surface and outputs a pickup image signal representing the image read surface of the RFID card; an image-data generating unit that generates pickup image data of the image read surface of the RFID card based on the output pickup image signal; a transmitting and receiving unit that transmits the electromagnetic wave for power supply and receives the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information; an ID-information obtaining unit that obtains the ID information based on the received electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information; and an interference suppressing unit that suppresses interference of at least either one of the electromagnetic wave for power supply and the electromagnetic wave for transmission and reception of the ID information with the reading unit. Further, when the RFID card is imaged by the reading unit, the ID-information obtaining unit obtains the ID information.

The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically depicting an image reading apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a main portion of the image reading apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of a main portion of an image reading apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views each depicting a main portion of an image reading apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

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