Transaction terminal having elongated finger recess

• US 7,121,470 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2002
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: McCall, Melvin D., Fitch, Timothy R., Sperduti, David, Gomez, Garrison, O'Donnell, James
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/252,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20030132297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.01, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 235/383, 235/385
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/205 Housing aspects of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means

Abstract

A transaction terminal includes a housing, an elongated finger recess defined by the housing, and a finger scanner sensor disposed in the recess. The elongated finger recess may include a length of at least approximately a two knuckle distance. An outer surface region of the housing and the finger recess may define a web receiving area adapted to receive a web of a hand. The transaction terminal can include a card cavity formed integral with the elongated finger recess.

Claims

1. A transaction terminal comprising:

a housing;

a touch screen;

a card reader including a card cavity defined by said housing;

a fingerprint scanner having a sensor;

a control circuit in communication with said touch screen, said card reader, and said fingerprint scanner;

a finger recess partially defined by said housing, and partially defined by said fingerprint scanner sensor,

wherein said finger recess is formed integral with said card cavity.

2. The transaction terminal of claim 1, wherein said card cavity and said finger recess are partially defined by a common sidewall.

3. The transaction terminal of claim 1, wherein said card cavity and said finger recess are partially defined by a common sidewall, said common sidewall having a concave cross section.

4. The transaction terminal of claim 1, wherein said finger recess extends to a length of at least 2 in.

5. The transaction terminal of claim 1, wherein said housing includes an outer surface region, said outer surface region and said finger recess being shaped to define a web receiving area.

6. The transaction terminal of claim 5, wherein said finger recess includes a rear receiving a fingertip, and wherein said web receiving area slopes downwardly from rear to front.

7. The transaction terminal of claim 5, wherein said web receiving area is partially defined by an apex ridge delimiting said recess and said outer surface region.

8. The transaction terminal of claim 5, wherein said transaction terminal includes an elongated border outline formed on border of said finger recess, said border outline extending generally coextensively with said sensor, and extending on at least one side longer than an average adult index finger length.

9. The transaction terminal of claim 8, wherein said border outline is defined entirely by contours of said housing.

10. The transaction terminal of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a front and an outer surface region, wherein said outer surface region and said recess define a web receiving area adapted to receive a web of a hand, wherein said finger recess opens toward a front of said housing, and wherein a distance from a rear of said recess to said front of said housing is longer that an average length of a human index finger.

11. The transactiion terminal of claim 1, wherein said housing is portable.

12. A transaction terminal comprising:

a housing having a front;

a touch screen;

a card reader;

a fingerprint scanner having a sensor;

a control circuit in cummunication withy said touch screen, said card reader, and said fingerprint scanner;

a finger recess partially defined by said housing, and partially defined by said substantially planar fingerprint scanncer sensor, said finger recess having a floor portion extending forwardly and substantially coplanar with respect to said substantially planar sensor,

wherein said finger recess opens toward said front of said housing, and has a length of at least 2 in so that horizontal loading of a finger with respect to said substantially planar sensor is encouraged.

13. The transaction terminal of claim 12, wherein said housing defines a card cavity, and wherein said card cavity and said finger recess are partially defined by a common sidewall.

14. The transaction terminal of claim 13, wherein said common sidewall includes a concave profile.

15. The transaction terminal of claim 12, wherein said floor portion of said recess extending forwardly from said sensor terminates at a forward end of said floor, and wherein a length of said recess from a rear of said recess to said forward end of said floor is at least 2 in.

16. The transaction terminal of claim 12, wherein said housing includes an outer surface region, and outer surface region and said finger recess being shaped to define a web receiving area, and web receiving being adapted to receive a web of a hand.

17. The transaction terminal of claim 16, wherein said finger recess includes a rear receiving a fingertip, and wherein said web receiving area slopes downwardly from rear to front.

18. The transaction terminal of claim 16, wherein said web receiving area is partially defined by an apex ridge delimiting said recess and said outer surface region.

19. The transaction terminal of claim 12, wherein said transaction terminal includes an elongated border outline fomred on border of said finger recess, said border outline extending generally coextensively with said sensor, and extending on at least one side longer than an average adult index finger length.

20. The transaction terminal of claim 19, wherein said border outline is defined entirely by contours of said housing.

21. The transaction terminal of claim 12, wherein said housing incudes an outer surface region, wherein said outer surface region and said recess define a web receiving area adapted to receive a web of hand, and wherein a distance of a rear of said recess to said front of said housing is longer than an average length of a huan index finger.

22. The transaction terminal of claim 12, wherein said housing is portable.