Detecting component removal

• US 7,902,993 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dresser Incorporated (Nagano Keiki Company Limited)
• Inventors: DeMarco, Stephen Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): King; Curtis J
• Application Number:
  US11/846,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/02 by volume
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells

Abstract

Component removal detection may be accomplished by a variety of systems and techniques. In one embodiment, a system for component movement detection may include a payment module, a fuel dispenser, and a movement detection device. The fuel dispenser may receive the payment module and enclose the payment module at a first position defined by a fixed position of the payment module relative to the fuel dispenser. The movement detection device may be communicably coupled to the payment module and may detect a first value at the first position and a second value at a second position of the payment module, where the second position may be different from the first position. Further, the movement detection device may transmit the second value to the payment module, where the payment module may activate a security measure based upon a difference in the first and second values greater than an adjustable absolute limit.

Claims

1. A system for component movement detection, the system comprising:

a payment module;

a fuel dispenser, the fuel dispenser adapted to receive the payment module and enclose the payment module at a first position, the first position defined by a fixed position of the payment module relative to the fuel dispenser; and

a movement detection device, the movement detection device communicably coupled to the payment module and adapted to;

detect a first value at the first position and a second value at a second position of the payment module, the second position different from the first position;

transmit the first and second values second to the payment module, the payment module adapted to activate a security measure based upon a difference in the first and second values greater than an adjustable absolute limit;

detect a third value at a third position of the payment module, the third position different from the first position, a difference in the first and third values greater than the adjustable absolute limit;

match the difference of the first and third values to one of a plurality of stored differential values, each of the differential values corresponding to an authorized movement of the payment module relative to the first position including movement resulting from a servicing of the payment module; and

transmit a signal to the payment module to prevent activation of the security measure based on the match.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement detection device is integral with the payment module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement detection device comprises an accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the accelerometer is a low g, three-axis accelerometer.

5. The system of claim 1, the payment module comprising one or more secure keys, the payment module adapted to erase the secure keys upon activation of the security measure.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a bypass device communicably coupled to the movement detection device and payment module, the bypass device adapted to prevent activation of the security measure based upon a value average less than an adjustable threshold value.

7. The system of claim 6, the bypass device comprising a digital low pass filter.

8. The system of claim 6, the value average comprising an average of sixteen values, the values representing magnitude of acceleration of the payment module values.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second values are representative of at least one of the following:

degree of rotation values of the payment module about an axis of rotation; and

magnitude of acceleration values of the payment module.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the adjustable absolute limit is approximately equal to at least one of five degrees of rotation or 0.1 g.

11. The system of claim 1, the payment module adapted to activate an alarm upon activation of the security measure, the alarm located at one or more of the following:

a remote monitoring location;

the fuel dispenser; and

a point of sale terminal, the point of sale terminal communicably coupled to the fuel dispenser.

12. The system of claim 1, the payment module adapted to disable a fuel dispenser fueling mechanism upon activation of the security measure.

13. A method for detecting fuel dispenser component movement, the method comprising:

locating a payment module in a fuel dispenser at a first position, the first position defined by a fixed position of the payment module relative to the fuel dispenser;

detecting a first value at the first position by a movement detection device, the movement detection device communicably coupled to the payment module;

detecting a second value at a second position of the payment module by the movement detection device, the second position different from the first position;

transmitting the first and second values second to the payment module;

activating a security measure based upon a difference in the first and second values greater than an adjustable absolute limit

detecting a third value at a third position of the payment module, the third position different from the first position, a difference in the first and third values greater than the adjustable absolute limit;

matching the difference of the first and third values to one of a plurality of stored differential values, each of the differential values corresponding to an authorized movement of the payment module relative to the first position including movement resulting from a servicing of the payment module; and

transmitting a signal to the payment module to prevent activation of the security measure based on the match.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the movement detection device is integral with the payment module.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the movement detection device comprises an accelerometer.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the accelerometer is a low g, three-axis accelerometer.

17. The method of claim 13, the payment module comprising one or more secure keys, the method further comprising erasing the secure keys upon activation of the security measure.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of values to a bypass device, the bypass device communicably coupled to the movement detection device and the payment module;

calculating a value average based on the plurality of values; and

preventing activation of the security measure based upon the value average less than an adjustable threshold value.

19. The method of claim 18, the bypass device comprising a digital low pass filter.

20. The method of claim 18, the value average comprising an average of sixteen values, the values representing magnitude of acceleration of the payment module values.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second values are representative of at least one of the following:

degree of rotation values of the payment module about an axis of rotation;

or

magnitude of acceleration of the payment module values.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the adjustable absolute limit is approximately equal to at least one of five degrees of rotation or 0.1 g.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising activating an alarm upon activation of the security measure, the alarm located at one or more of the following:

a remote monitoring location;

the fuel dispenser; and

a point of sale terminal, the point of sale terminal communicably coupled to the fuel dispenser.

24. The method of claim 13 further comprising disabling a fuel dispenser fueling mechanism upon activation of the security measure.

25. A system for component movement detection, the system comprising:

a fuel dispenser module;

a fuel dispenser, the fuel dispenser adapted to receive the fuel dispenser module and enclose the fuel dispenser module at a first position, the first position defined by a fixed position of the fuel dispenser module relative to the fuel dispenser; and

an accelerometer, the accelerometer communicably coupled to the fuel dispenser module and a processor and adapted to;

detect a first value at the first position and a second value at a second position of the fuel dispenser module, the second position different from the first position;

transmit the first and second values second to the processor, the processor adapted to activate a security measure based upon a difference in the first and second values greater than an adjustable absolute limit

detect a third value at a third position of the fuel dispenser module, the third position different from the first position, a difference in the first and third values greater than the adjustable absolute limit;

match the difference of the first and third values to one of a plurality of stored differential values, each of the differential values corresponding to an authorized movement of the payment module relative to the first position including movement resulting from a servicing of the fuel dispenser module; and

transmit a signal to the payment module to prevent activation of the security measure based on the match.