POINT OF SALE TERMINAL HAVING ENHANCED SECURITY

• US 20110215938A1
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barrowman, John, Schulz, Christian Eric, NEO, Richard H. H., Mirkazemi-Moud, Mehran
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/185 Electrical failure alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/00 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/00 Miscellaneous
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/032 Anti-tamper

Abstract

A data entry device including a housing formed of at least two portions, data entry circuitry located within the housing, at least one case-open switch assembly operative to sense when the housing is opened and tamper indication circuitry operative to receive an input from the at least one case-open switch assembly and to provide an output indication of possible tampering with the data entry circuitry located within the housing. The at least one case-open switch assembly includes an arrangement of electrical contacts arranged on a base surface and a resiliently deformable conductive element, which defines a short circuit between at least some of the arrangement of electrical contacts only when the housing is closed.

Claims

1. A data entry device comprising:

a housing formed of at least two portions;

data entry circuitry located within said housing;

at least one case-open switch assembly operative to sense when said housing is opened; and

tamper indication circuitry operative to receive an input from said at least one case-open switch assembly and to provide an output indication of possible tampering with said data entry circuitry located within said housing,

said at least one case-open switch assembly including;

an arrangement of electrical contacts arranged on a base surface; and

a resiliently deformable conductive element, which defines a short circuit between at least some of said arrangement of electrical contacts only when said housing is closed,

said resiliently deformable conductive element comprising;

an at least partially continuous circumferential flange fixed at least two locations thereat in electrical contact with at least one of said electrical contacts at least two corresponding locations on said base surface;

a circumferential portion having a cross sectional configuration which includes two mutually spaced arches;

a central portion disposed in a case-open operative orientation at a first distance from said base surface; and

a contact portion located interiorly of said central portion and disposed in a case-open operative orientation at a second distance from said base surface, less than said first distance.

2. A data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said arches of said circumferential portion are at least at a distance from said base surface which exceeds said first distance.

3. A data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said central portion is generally flat.

4. A data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said contact portion is generally flat.

5. A data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said resiliently deformable conductive element defines a short circuit between some, but not all, of said arrangement of electrical contacts when said housing is closed.

6. A data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said arrangement of electrical contacts arranged on a base surface comprises an outer ring, at least one intermediate ring and a central contact.

7. A data entry device according to claim 6 and wherein said at least one intermediate ring includes an outer intermediate ring and an inner intermediate ring.

8. A data entry device according to claim 7 and wherein said outer intermediate ring is a continuous ring.

9. A data entry device according to claim 7 and wherein said outer intermediate ring is divided into plural elements.

10. A data entry device according to claim 7 and wherein said central portion of said resiliently deformable conductive element contacts said central contact when said housing is closed.

11. A data entry device according to claim 10 and wherein when said central portion of said resiliently deformable conductive element contacts said central contact, said outer intermediate ring is thereby electrically connected with said central contact.

12. A data entry device according to claim 11 and wherein when said central portion of said resiliently deformable conductive element contacts said central contact, no part of said resiliently deformable conductive element is in electrical contact with either said outer ring or said inner intermediate ring.

13. A data entry device according to claim 12 and wherein said outer ring and said inner intermediate ring are both coupled to a voltage VDD via a first resistor, said outer intermediate ring is grounded, and said central contact is coupled to voltage VDD via a second resistor.

14. A data entry device according to claim 12 and wherein said input to said tamper indication circuitry includes an indication of whether said deformable conductive element is simultaneously in contact with both said central contact and said outer intermediate ring.

15. A data entry device according to claim 12 and wherein said input to said tamper indication circuitry includes an indication of whether said inner intermediate ring is short circuited with at least one of said central contact and said outer intermediate ring.

16. A data entry device according to claim 12 and wherein said input to said tamper indication circuitry includes an indication of whether said outer ring is short circuited with said outer intermediate ring.

17. A data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein a separation between said contact portion of said resiliently deformable conductive element and said central contact is less than 0.1 mm. 18, A data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein a force required to establish electrical contact between said contact portion of said resiliently deformable conductive element and said central contact is approximately 200 grams.

19. A data entry device according to claim 1 and also comprising an anti-tampering grid, formed of a multiplicity of interconnected anti-tampering electrical conductors in a circuit board associated with said tamper indication circuitry.

20. A case-open switch assembly for a data entry device including a housing, the case-open switch assembly comprising:

an arrangement of electrical contacts arranged on a base surface; and

a resiliently deformable conductive element, which defines a short circuit between at least some of said arrangement of electrical contacts only when said housing is closed,

said resiliently deformable conductive element comprising;

an at least partially continuous circumferential flange fixed at least two locations thereat in electrical contact with at least one of said electrical contacts at at least two corresponding locations on said base surface;

a circumferential portion having a cross sectional configuration which includes two mutually spaced arches;

a central portion disposed in a case-open operative orientation at a first distance from said base surface; and

a contact portion located interiorly of said central portion and disposed in a case-open operative orientation at a second distance from said base surface, less than said first distance.