JP2511922B

PURPOSE:To surely read an embossed character irrespective of the ground condition or the stain of a card by applying a mechanical impact to an embossed character area in the form of an element point matrix, detecting an impact operation according to the ruggedness parts of the embossed character area and reading the embossed character based on a detected signal. CONSTITUTION:When a coil 15 is energized, a core 13 is excited, and the magnetic flux of a permanent magnet 14 passing through the core 13 is cancelled. Therefore, deflected hammers 19a-19n are reset, a sensing wire 21 fixed to the leading of an armature 20 collides against the rear surface of the opposite embossed character area 11. At that time, the hammers 19a-19n corresponding to the sensing wire 21 colliding against the recessed part of the rear surface of the embossed character area 11 collide against a piezoelectric element 27, however, the hammers 19a-19n corresponding to the sensing wire 21 colliding against the rear surface of the embossed character area 11 except the recessed part do not collide against the piezoelectric element 27. Consequently, the feature of the recessed part of the rear surface of the embossed character area 11 can be detected by processing the output of the piezoelectric element 27.