Portable terminal device with stackable IC cards slot opening

United States Patent [w]

Itou et al.

[54] PORTABLE TERMINAL DEVICE WITH STACKABLE IC CARDS SLOT OPENING

[75] Inventors: Shinju Itou, Naka-gun; Yuhei Abe, Hitachinaka, both of Japan

[73] Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

[21] Appl. No.: 08/921,612

[22] Filed: Sep. 2, 1997

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Sep. 24, 1996 [JP] Japan 8-251183

[51] Int. C I. G06F 17/60

[52] U.S. CI 235/379; 235/492; 235/380;

235/382; 902/25; 902/26; 902/10; 902/22;

361/737; 361/735

[58] Field of Search 235/492, 379,

235/380, 382, 493; 361/737, 735, 707-710;

902/25, 26, 10, 22

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,277,837 7/1981 Stuckert 364/900

5,043,562 8/1991 Hauvast et al 235/440

5,296,692 3/1994 Shino 235/486

5,434,395 7/1995 Storck et al 235/380

5,544,014 8/1996 Atsumi 361/737

5,649,121 7/1997 Budman et al 395/281

5,679,007 10/1997 Potdevin et al 439/76.1

5,841,119 11/1998 Rouyrre et al 235/380

Primary Examiner—Thien M. Le

Assistant Examiner—Daniel S. Felten

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus,

LLP

[57] ABSTRACT

A portable terminal device for electronic money IC cards containing monetary data therein, includes in a main body (10): a card slot opening (12, or 12 and 13) into which a plurality of electronic money IC cards (100 and 110, or 100, 110 and 120) are inserted; electric contact terminals (16 and 17, or 16, 17 and 18 ) for reading and writing the monetary data from and into the electronic money IC cards which are inserted into the card slot opening; a display (80) for displaying money amount of the monetary data which is read out from inserted electronic money IC cards or which is to be written into the inserted electronic money IC cards; and a button (82) for manipulating the reading and writing operations of the monetary data from and into the electronic money IC cards which are inserted into the card slot opening; wherein the card slot opening (12, or 12 and 13) is so configured that the plurality of electronic money IC cards (100 and 110, or 100, 110 and 120) are inserted into and positioned while being closely piled up with each other and shifted to each other in a direction parallel to main surface thereof. Further, arrangements (heads) for reading/writing are positioned to contact ones of the electronic money IC cards at a same height from the surface of the devices substrate, and there is provided an arrangement for bending at least one of the electronic IC cards within the card slot opening.

13 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets