Secure point of sale terminal

• US 9,250,709 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mirkazemi-Moud, Mehran, Barrowman, John, Schulz, Christian Eric, Aviv, Arnon, Avital, Amihay, Meron, Sergey, Faoro, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US14/592,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20150128297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 713/194, 726/34, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/541, 340/568.2, 340/568.8, 340/571, 340/572.8, 341/20, 345/168, 361/170, 361/679.4, 235/128
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

A data entry device including a housing formed of at least two portions, data entry circuitry located within the housing, at least one case-open switch assembly operative to sense when the housing is opened and tamper indication circuitry operative to receive an input from the at least one case-open switch assembly and to provide an output indication of possible tampering with the data entry circuitry located within the housing, the at least one case-open switch assembly including an arrangement of electrical contacts including at least first, second and third contacts and a displaceable conductive element, the tamper indication circuitry and the third contact together being operative such that when the third contact is short circuited to at least one of the first contact, the second contact and another contact, an output indication of possible tampering is provided.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an enclosure;

circuitry located on an electrical circuit board within said enclosure;

at least one switch assembly operative to sense when said enclosure is opened; and

tamper indication circuitry operative to receive an input from said at least one switch assembly and to provide an output indication of possible tampering with said circuitry located on said electrical circuit board within said enclosure,

said at least one switch assembly including a raised resilient dome and an arrangement of electrical contacts located on said electrical circuit board, said electrical contacts including at least first, second and third mutually concentric conductive pads all underlying said dome;

said at least first, second and third mutually concentric conductive pads and said raised resilient dome being configured and arranged such that as long as said enclosure is closed in a non-tampered state, said raised resilient dome is in electrical contact with some but not all of said at least first, second and third mutually concentric conductive pads,

said tamper indication circuitry being operative such that when electrical connections between said at least first, second and third mutually concentric conductive pads change from those in said non-tampered state, an output indication of possible tampering is provided.

2. A device according to claim 1 and wherein said at least first, second and third mutually concentric conductive pads are connected to said tamper indication circuitry.

3. A data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein:

said enclosure includes a top portion including key apertures;

a plurality of keys are mounted in said enclosure to have key depression travel paths in said enclosure, said plurality of keys being associated with a substrate, which is disposed below said top portion; and

anti-tampering electrical conductors are arranged between said top portion and said substrate thereby to prevent unauthorized access to said substrate.

4. A device device according to claim 3 and wherein said substrate is a flexible substrate.

5. A device according to claim 3 and wherein said anti-tampering electrical conductors are disposed peripherally of said substrate.

6. A device according to claim 3 and also comprising a plurality of key switch contacts mounted on said substrate and arranged to be displaced into or out of electrical contact with a corresponding plurality of electrical switches by depression of corresponding ones of said plurality of keys to at least a predetermined extent along corresponding ones of said key depression travel paths.

7. A device according to claim 3 and also comprising a plurality of key switch contacts mounted on said plurality of keys and arranged to be displaced into or out of electrical contact with a corresponding plurality of electrical switches by depression of corresponding ones of said plurality of keys to at least a predetermined extent along corresponding ones of said key depression travel paths.

8. A device according to claim 3 and wherein said plurality of keys are integrally formed with said substrate.

9. A device according to claim 3 and wherein said anti-tampering electrical conductors are electrically connected to anti-tampering detection circuitry.

10. A device according to claim 3 and wherein said anti-tampering electrical conductors are disposed above and below said substrate.

11. A device according to claim 10 and wherein said anti-tampering electrical conductors above said substrate and said anti-tampering electrical conductors below said substrate are electrically connected to anti-tampering detection circuitry.

12. A device according to claim 10 and wherein said anti-tampering electrical conductors above said substrate are electrically connected to said anti-tampering electrical conductors below said substrate.

13. A device according to claim 1 and wherein said raised resilient dome is in a first operative orientation vis-à

-vis said at least first, second and third mutually concentric conductive pads when said enclosure is dosed and is in a second operative orientation vis-à

-vis said at least first, second and third mutually concentric conductive pads when said enclosure is open.

14. A device according to claim 13 and also comprising at least one urging element which normally urges said raised resilient dome into said first operative orientation vis-à

-vis said at least first, second and third mutually concentric conductive pads when said enclosure is closed.

15. A device according to claim 14 and also wherein said at least one urging element is mounted on said enclosure.