VIRTUAL PIN PAD FOR FUEL PAYMENT SYSTEMS

• US 20110185319A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Italia SRL (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco SRL (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Carapelli, Giovanni
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1041 PIN input keyboard gets new key allocation at each use

Abstract

A method and system for displaying a virtual PIN pad in varying locations on a touch screen in order to prevent fraud or the interception of personal identification numbers.

Claims

1. A system for displaying a virtual PIN pad comprising:

a touch screen;

a processing device operatively connected to the touch screen;

a randomizer configured to generate data representative of various locations on the touch screen; and

memory operatively connected to the processing device, wherein the memory comprises program instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the touch screen to display a first virtual PIN pad at a first pad location on the touch screen based on the data generated by the randomizer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing device, cause the touch screen to display a second virtual PIN pad at a second pad location on the touch screen based on the data generated by the randomizer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second pad location is different from the first pad location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises a plurality of detection mechanisms, wherein each detection mechanism is adapted to detect a specific location on the touch screen.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the touch screen is a capacitive touch screen, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms is a plurality of electrodes.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first pad location corresponds to a first set of the plurality of detection mechanisms.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one detection mechanism of the first set of the plurality of detection mechanisms is spaced apart from other detection mechanisms of the first set.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the memory comprises program instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the touch screen to disable any of the plurality of detection mechanisms that are not associated with the first pad location.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the memory comprises program instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the touch screen to ignore a detection from any of the plurality of detection mechanisms that are not associated with the first pad location.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the randomizer is configured to generate data representative of a second pad location on the touch screen;

and the memory comprises program instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the touch screen to display a second virtual PIN pad at the second pad location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory comprises program instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the touch screen to disable any of the plurality of detection mechanisms that are not associated with the second pad location.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory comprises program instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the touch screen to ignore a detection from any of the plurality of electrodes that are not associated with the second pad location.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device determines a PIN entered by a customer using the first virtual PIN pad based on data provided from the touch screen to the processing device.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing device determines a PIN entered by a customer using the second virtual PIN pad based on data provided from the touch screen to the processing device.

15. A method for presenting a virtual PIN pad on a touch screen comprising the steps of:

maintaining data representative of a grid comprising a plurality of cells, wherein the cells correspond to respective detection mechanisms of the touch screen;

generating a first identifier by a processing device, wherein the first identifier corresponds to a first selected cell of the plurality of cells; and

displaying on the touch screen the virtual PIN pad, wherein a first button location of the PIN pad corresponds to the first selected cell such that the PIN pad will be in a first pad location including the first button location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first pad location corresponds to a first set of cells.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one cell of the first set of cells is spaced apart from other cells of the first set of cells.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a second identifier by the processing device, wherein the second identifier corresponds with a second selected cell of the plurality of cells; and

displaying on the touch screen the virtual PIN pad, wherein a second button location of the PIN pad corresponds to the second selected cell such that the PIN pad will be in a second pad location including the second button location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second selected cell is not the same as the first selected cell.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second identifier is not selected from a predefined set of identifiers generated by the processing device.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising disabling any of the plurality of detection mechanisms that do not correspond to the virtual PIN pad.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of disabling any of the plurality of detection mechanisms is performed by the touch screen.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of disabling any of the plurality of detection mechanisms is performed by the processing device.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising disregarding information provided from the touch screen to the processing device corresponding to any of the plurality of detection mechanisms that do not correspond to the virtual PIN pad.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of detection mechanisms are a plurality of electrodes comprising a capacitive touch screen.

26. A fuel dispenser configured to facilitate transactions, the dispenser comprising:

a touch screen having a screen area, wherein the touch screen comprises a plurality of detection locations; and

electronics in electrical communication with the touch screen, the electronics operative to;

render a virtual PIN pad at varying pad locations on the touch screen with each successive transaction; and

determine a numerical sequence entered by a user at the virtual PIN pad.

27. The fuel dispenser of claim 26, wherein the virtual PIN pad comprises a display area less than the screen area.

28. The fuel dispenser of claim 27, wherein a first set of the plurality of detection locations associated with the display area is disabled.