MERCHANT POINT OF SALE SECURITY SYSTEM

• US 20150066671A1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nichols, Timothy C., Khanna, Ramaneek, Chatterton, Geoffrey W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,633,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells

Abstract

A point of sale (POS) security system includes a POS device including a non-transitory memory, one or more hardware processors, and one or more environment sensors. A plurality of POS instructions are located on the non-transitory memory in the POS device and executable by the one or more hardware processors in the POS device to provide a POS engine that is configured to receive and transmit payment information for conducting a payment transaction associated with a purchase. A plurality of security instructions are located on the non-transitory memory in the POS device and are executable by the one or more hardware processors in the POS device to provide a security engine that is configured to receive environment signals from the one or more environment sensors in the POS device and analyze those environment signals to determine a security breach.

Claims

1. A point of sale (POS) security system, comprising:

a POS device including;

one or more hardware processors;

one or more environment sensors in communication with the one or more hardware processors; and

a non-transitory memory storing;

a plurality of POS instructions that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, provide a POS engine to receive and transmit payment information for conducting a payment transaction associated with a purchase;

a plurality of security instructions that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, provide a security engine to receive environment signals from the one or more environment sensors and analyze the environment signals to determine a security breach; and

a plurality of transition instructions that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, transition the POS device from executing the plurality of POS instructions within a first time period to executing the plurality of security instructions within a second time period.

2. The POS system of claim 1, wherein the one or more environment sensors includes at least one of a camera, a microphone, and an accelerometer.

3. The POS system of claim 1, further comprising:

a peripheral device in communication with the POS device and comprising a peripheral device environment sensor configured to transmit environment signals from the peripheral device environment sensor to the POS device, wherein the POS device analyzes the environment signals to determine the security breach.

4. The POS system of claim 1, further comprising:

a management device coupled to the POS device over a network, wherein the management device is configured to display environment signals from the one or more environment sensors, and security breach information resulting from a determined security breach.

5. The POS system of claim 4, wherein the security breach information includes a display of a location of detection on a graphical merchant physical location.

6. The POS system of claim 1, wherein the security instructions include at least one detection signature that is associated with environment signals from the one or more environment sensors in the POS device, and wherein analysis of environment signals that produces a detection result that is included in the at least one detection signature results in a determination of no security breach.

7. A point of sale (POS) security system, comprising:

a merchant physical location;

a plurality of POS devices located in the merchant physical location, wherein each of the plurality of POS devices includes;

one or more POS hardware processors;

one or more POS environment sensors in communication with the one or more POS hardware processors; and

a POS non-transitory memory storing;

a plurality of POS instructions that, when executed by the one or more POS hardware processors, provide a POS engine that is configured to use the one or more environmental POS sensors to receive payment information for conducting a payment transaction associated with a purchase;

a plurality of POS security instructions that, when executed by the one or more POS hardware processors, provide a POS security engine that is configured to transmit environment signals received from the one or more POS environment sensors; and

a plurality of transition instructions that, when executed by the one or more POS hardware processors, transition the POS device from executing the plurality of POS instructions within a first time period to executing a plurality of security instructions within a second time period; and

a management device that is coupled to each of the plurality of POS devices and that includes;

one or more management device hardware processors; and

a management device non-transitory memory storing;

a plurality of management device security instructions that, when executed by the one or more management device hardware processors, provide a management device security engine that is configured to receive the environment signals transmitted from the plurality of POS devices in response to execution of the POS security instruction, and analyze those environment signals to determine a security breach.

8. The POS security system of claim 7, wherein the one or more environment sensors include at least one of a camera, a microphone, and an accelerometer.

9. The POS security system of claim 7, further comprising:

a peripheral device in communication with at least one of the plurality of POS devices and comprising a peripheral device environment sensor configured to transmit environment signals from the peripheral device environment sensor to the POS device.

10. The POS security system of claim 7, wherein the management device is configured to display environment signals from the one or more environment sensors, and security breach information resulting from a determined security breach.

11. The POS security system of claim 10, wherein the security breach information includes a display of a location of detection on a graphical merchant physical location.

12. The POS security system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of management device security instructions include at least one detection signature that is associated with environment signals received from one or more of the plurality of POS devices, and wherein analysis of environment signals that produces a detection result that is included in the at least one detection signature results in a determination of no security breach.

13. The POS security system of claim 12, wherein the at least one detection signature that includes the detection result and that results in a determination of no security breach includes image recognition information, and wherein the determination of no security breach includes receiving at least one image from the one or more environment sensors and determining that the at least one image matches the image recognition information.

14. A method for providing a point of sale (POS) security system, comprising:

providing at least one POS device in a merchant physical location, each at least one POS device including one or more hardware processors in communication with one or more environment sensors, and a non-transitory memory storing POS instructions, security instructions, and transition instructions;

executing the POS instructions using the one or more hardware processors to provide a POS engine that is configured to receive and transmit payment information for conducting a payment transaction associated with a purchase;

executing the transition instructions using the one or more hardware processors to transition the each at least one POS device from executing the POS instructions within a first time period to executing the security instructions within a second time period; and

executing the security instructions using the one or more hardware processors to provide a security engine that is configured to receive environment signals from the one or more environment sensors and analyze those environment signals to determine a security breach.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more environment sensors include at least one of a camera, a microphone, and an accelerometer.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicating between the at least one POS device and a peripheral device that is located in the merchant physical location and that includes a peripheral device environment sensor to receive environment signals from the peripheral device environment sensor in the peripheral device and analyze those environment signals to determine the security breach.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicating between the at least one POS device and a management device over a network; and

displaying environment signals from the one or more environment sensors, and security breach information resulting from a determined security breach, on the management device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the security breach information includes a display of a location of detection on a graphical merchant physical location.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the security instructions include at least one detection signature that is associated with environment signals from the one or more environment sensors in the at least one POS device, and wherein analysis of environment signals that produces a detection result that is included in the at least one detection signature results in a determination of no security breach.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one detection signature that includes the detection result and that results in a determination of no security breach includes image recognition information, and wherein the determination of no security breach includes receiving at least one image from the one or more environment sensors and determining that the at least one image matches the image recognition information.