Method and system for entry of encrypted and non-encrypted information on a touch screen

• US 6,317,835 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: Radiant Systems Incorporated (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Bilger, Aaron, Finley, Michael C., Dudgeon, Michael, Wade, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HOSUK
• Application Number:
  US09/220,215
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193-194, 713/183, 713/190, 713/200, 380/52, 705/16, 705/18, 705/25, 345/173
• US Class Current: 713/194
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/12 Details relating to cryptographic hardware or logic circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a touch screen system and method for entry of encrypted and non-encrypted information. The system and method comprise a sensing means for detecting the coordinates of a touch on the touch screen device, a toggling means for toggling between encryption and non-encryption mode, and a processing means for encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch and transmitting the encrypted or non-encrypted data to a remote processor.

Claims

1. A system for selectively generating encrypted or non-encrypted data within a touch screen device and transmitting the data to a remote processor via a data bus, comprising:

(A) sensing means for detecting the coordinates of a touch on the touch screen device;

(B) toggling means for toggling between an encryption and non-encryption mode, said toggling means responsive to a mode selection communicated via said data bus; and

(C) a processor for;

(i) encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch and transmitting the encrypted data to the remote processor via said data bus, if the toggling means is in the encryption mode; and

(ii) transmitting data associated with the coordinate of the touch in an unencrypted format to the remote processor via said data bus, if the toggling means is in the non-encryption mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing means encrypts multiple coordinates, associated with a plurality of touches on the touch screen device, into a block and transmits the block to the remote processor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the toggling means remains in the encryption mode until a timeout occurs.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means, the toggling means, and the processing means are housed in a tamper resistant housing.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the tamper resistant housing includes the sensing means, the toggling means, and the processing means mounted on each other.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means comprises a resistive touch screen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means comprises a Surface Acoustic Wave touch screen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means comprises an analog waveform touch screen.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing means utilizes Data Encryption Standard (DES) with master/session key management for encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing means utilizes Derived Unique Key Per Transaction (DUKPT) key management for encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the coordinates of the touch is a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the coordinates of the touch is a fleet card number.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing means is a microcontroller using address encryption and self-destructing circuitry.

14. A system for selectively generating encrypted or non-encrypted data within a touch screen device, comprising:

(A) a remote processor for receiving the encrypted or non-encrypted data via a data bus;

(B) sensing means for detecting the coordinates of a touch on the touch screen device;

(C) toggling means responsive to a mode selection command received via said data bus from the remote processor, for toggling between an encryption and non-encryption mode; and

(D) a processor for;

(i) encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch and transmitting the encrypted data to the remote processor via said data bus, if the toggling means is in the encryption mode; and

(ii) transmitting data associated with the coordinates of the touch in an unencrypted format to the remote processor via said data bus, if the toggling means is in the non-encryption mode.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote processor controls a pay terminal.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote processor controls an order entry terminal.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing means is programmable.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing means transmits the encrypted data to the remote processor using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) communication.

19. A method for selectively generating encrypted or non-encrypted data within a touch screen device and transmitting the data to a remote processor via a data bus, comprising the steps of:

(A) detecting the coordinates of a touch on the touch screen device;

(B) toggling between an encryption and non-encryption mode in response to a mode selection communicated via said data bus;

(C) encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch and transmitting the encrypted data to the remote processor via said data bus, if the toggling means is in the encryption mode; and

(D) transmitting data associated with the coordinate of the touch in an unencrypted format to the remote processor via said data bus, if the toggling means is in the nonencryption mode.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the processing step encrypts multiple coordinates, associated with a plurality of touches on the touch screen device, into a block and transmits the block to the remote processor.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the method remains in the encryption mode until a timeout occurs.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the processing step utilizes Data Encryption Standard (DES) with master/session key management for encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the processing step utilizes Derived Unique Key Per Transaction (DUKPT) key management for encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the data associated with the coordinates of the touch is a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the data associated with the coordinates of the touch is a fleet card number.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the processing is performed by a microcontroller using address encryption and self-destructing circuitry.

27. A method for selectively generating encrypted or non-encrypted data within a touch screen device, comprising:

(A) detecting the coordinates of a touch on the touch screen device;

(B) toggling between an encryption and non-encryption mode in response to a mode selection communicated via a data bus;

(C) encrypting data associated with the coordinates of the touch and transmitting the encrypted data to the remote processor via said data bus, if the toggling means is in the encryption mode;

(D) transmitting data associated with the coordinates of the touch in an unencrypted format to the remote processor via said data bus, if the toggling means is in the nonencryption mode; and

(E) processing the transmitted data at the remote processor.