Terminal, method of checking conformity of at least one removable battery of an electronic payment terminal, and the corresponding removable battery and computer program product

• US 8,074,888 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banks And Acquirers International Holding
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Industrielle et Financiere D'Ingenierie "Ingenico"
• Inventors: Naccache, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUDORF, LAURA A
• Application Number:
  US12/399,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20090230180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.02, 340/5.8, 320/106, 320/112, 320/132, 320/150, 320/162, 320/165, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 235/472.02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A portable electronic payment terminal is provided, which includes at least one removable battery. The removable battery carries an electronic chip containing at least one item of identification information and is able to communicate with a contactless reading device present in the terminal. The terminal further includes: a transmitter for transmitting the identification information to a distant control server of the terminal manufacturer; and a receiver for receiving from the server conformity or non-conformity information according to whether the identification information belongs to a list approved by the manufacturer.

Claims

1. A portable electronic payment terminal, provided by a manufacturer, comprising:

at least one removable battery, said removable battery carrying an electronic chip containing at least one item of identification information related to said battery;

a contactless reader present in said terminal, said contactless reader being configured to communicate with chips equipping an electronic payment card, which receives said identification information from said battery;

a transmitter, which transmits said identification information from said terminal to a control server when at least one of the events belonging to the following group occurs;

said terminal is switched on;

said terminal is switched off;

a battery is inserted in said terminal;

before a bank transaction from said terminal;

at regular intervals;

a receiver, which receives from said control server conformity information if said identification information belongs to a list of approved battery identification information updated by said manufacturer of said terminal and stored in said server;

means for blocking said terminal, if said conformity information is not received.

2. The portable electronic payment terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal further comprises means for generating at least one alarm, when said conformity information is not received.

3. The portable electronic payment terminal according to claim 1, wherein said contactless reader and said chip use at least one of the communication techniques belonging to the group comprising:

Bluetooth technology;

Radio Frequency Identification technology.

4. The portable electronic payment terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal further comprises means for storing at least one reference and/or an identifier of said removable battery.

5. Removable battery for a terminal according to claim 1, wherein said chip is fixed so as to prevent functioning of said chip in case of removal and/or an attempt at removal.

6. A method of checking conformity of at least one removable battery in a portable electronic payment terminal, provided by a manufacturer, said removable battery carrying an electronic chip containing at least one item of identification information related to said battery, and being able to communicate with a contactless reader present in said terminal, wherein said method comprises:

sending an interrogation message to said chip by said contactless reader, wherein said contactless reader is also configured to communicate with chips equipping an electronic payment card;

receiving a response from said chip containing said identification information;

deciding on conformity of said removable battery according to said response from said chip, comprising;

a substep of transmitting by said terminal said identification information to a control server when at least one of the events belonging to the following groups occurs;

said terminal is switched on;

said terminal is switched off;

a battery is inserted in said terminal;

before a bank transaction from said terminal;

at regular intervals; and

a substep of receiving from said control server conformity information if said identification information belongs to a list of approved battery identification information updated by said manufacturer of said terminal and stored in said server; and

blocking said terminal if said conformity information is not received.

7. The method for checking conformity according to claim 6, wherein said response of said chip comprises at least one item of information on at least one of a state of functioning or a parameter of said removable battery.

8. The method for checking conformity according to claim 6, wherein said step of blocking of said terminal comprises implementation of at least one action belonging to the group comprising:

sending an alert message;

recording by said terminal at least one item of information representing non-conformity.

9. A computer program product recorded on a medium that can be read by computer and/or executed by a processor, wherein the product comprises program code instructions for implementing a method of checking conformity of at least one removable battery in a portable electronic payment terminal, provided by a manufacturer, said removable battery carrying an electronic chip containing at least one item of identification information related to said battery and being able to communicate with a contactless reader present in said terminal, wherein said method comprises:

sending an interrogation message to said chip by said contactless reader, wherein said contactless reader is also configured to communicate with chips equipping an electronic payment card;

receiving a response from said chip containing said identification information;

deciding on conformity of said removable battery according to said response from said chip, comprising;

a substep of transmitting by said terminal said identification information to a control server when at least one of the events belonging to the following group occurs;

said terminal is switched on;

said terminal is switched off;

a battery is inserted in said terminal;

before a bank transaction from said terminal;

at regular intervals; and

a substep of receiving from said control server conformity information if said identification information belongs to a list of approved battery identification information updated by said manufacturer of said terminal and stored in said server; and

blocking said terminal if said conformity information is not received.