Software pin entry

• US 9,367,842 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Quigley, Oliver S. C., McCauley, Nathan, Lee, Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): ALUNKAL, THOMAS D
• Application Number:
  US13/800,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 705/44, 705/18, 705/71, 713/168, 713/176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/353 Payments by cards read by M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1041 PIN input keyboard gets new key allocation at each use
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1091 Use of an encrypted form of the PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

A card reader configured to read a smart card can be detachably connected to a mobile computing device. When the card reader is attached to the mobile device, an application installed on the mobile computing device permits the mobile device to communicate with the card reader in order to process transactions.

Security measures can be used on the mobile device to prevent theft of a PIN during software PIN entry of a payment transaction. The mobile device can prevent the keypad or other input interface from displaying feedback. The mobile device can also prevent passcodes from being stolen by displaying media encoded with digital rights management (DRM) and by managing the media and user inputs at a secure server.

A mobile device can securely communicate with a card reader for a payment transaction using asymmetric or symmetric encryption.

Claims

1. A method for providing security during passcode entry on a mobile device, comprising:

displaying an interface for receiving a passcode, where the interface includes one or more objects;

receiving user input on a display of the mobile device;

preventing unauthorized software executing on the mobile device from taking a screenshot to capture the user input, including disabling at least a portion of a visual feedback on the user input, where the mobile device does not display feedback in each of the one or more objects;

determining the passcode based on the user input;

receiving, by the mobile device, a cryptographic key from a server in response to sending, by the mobile device, a unique identification code of a card reader to the server;

encrypting the passcode in the mobile device by using the cryptographic key received from the server;

sending the encrypted passcode from the mobile device to the card reader connected to the mobile device;

receiving encrypted data from the card reader;

decrypting, by the mobile device and using the cryptographic key, the encrypted data received from the card reader;

processing the decrypted data; and

continuing secure communication between the card reader and the mobile device, wherein said continuing the secure communication includes encrypting and decrypting using the cryptographic key.

2. The method of claim 1, where the encrypted data received by the mobile device from the card reader comprises an acknowledgement that the card reader has verified a passcode match.

3. The method of claim 1, where the processing comprises submitting a payment transaction to a payment processing system.

4. The method of claim 1, where the one or more objects include a keypad and a passcode field, and where the mobile device displays, on the passcode field, a symbol for each user entry from the user, and where the mobile device does not display, on the keypad, the visual feedback based on the user input.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising, prior to the encrypting:

receiving, at the mobile device, a certificate from the card reader;

sending the certificate from the mobile device to the server, where the server verifies a signature of the certificate; and

receiving, at the mobile device, a verification of the certificate from the server.

6. The method of claim 1, where the secure communication between the card reader and the mobile device is performed through an audio jack of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, where said determining the passcode is based on locations of the user input on the display.

8. A system comprising:

a card reader;

a mobile device having a processor and being connected to the card reader; and

computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

displaying, on the mobile device, an interface for receiving a passcode, where the interface includes one or more objects;

receiving user input on a display of the mobile device;

preventing unauthorized software executing on the mobile device from taking a screenshot to capture the user input, including disabling at least a portion of a visual feedback on the user input, where the mobile device does not display feedback in each of the one or more objects;

determining the passcode based on the user input;

receiving, by the mobile device, a cryptographic key from a server in response to sending, by the mobile device, a unique identification code of the card reader to the server;

encrypting the passcode in the mobile device by using the cryptographic key received by the mobile device from the server;

sending the encrypted passcode from the mobile device to the card reader;

receiving encrypted data from the card reader;

decrypting, by the mobile device and using the cryptographic key, the encrypted data received from the card reader;

processing the decrypted data; and

continuing secure communication between the card reader and the mobile device, wherein said continuing the secure communication includes encrypting and decrypting using the cryptographic key.

9. The system of claim 8, where the encrypted data received from the card reader comprises an acknowledgement that the card reader has verified a passcode match.

10. The system of claim 8, where the processing comprises submitting a payment transaction to a payment processing system.

11. The system of claim 8, where the one or more objects include a keypad and a passcode field, and where the mobile device displays, on the passcode field, a symbol for each user entry from the user, and where the mobile device does not display, on the keypad, the visual feedback based on the user input.

12. The system of claim 8, where the secure communication between the card reader and the mobile device is performed wirelessly.

13. The system of claim 8, where the secure communication between the card reader and the mobile device is performed through an audio jack of the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising, prior to the encrypting:

receiving, at the mobile device, a certificate from the card reader;

sending the certificate from the mobile device to the server, where the server verifies a signature of the certificate;

receiving, at the mobile device, a verification of the certificate from the server; and

disabling an ability of the one or more objects to change visual state.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

displaying, on a mobile device, an interface for receiving a passcode, where the interface includes one or more objects;

receiving user input on a display of the mobile device;

preventing unauthorized software executing on the mobile device from taking a screenshot to capture the user input, including disabling at least a portion of a visual feedback on the user input, where the mobile device does not display feedback in each of the one or more objects;

determining the passcode based on the user input;

receiving, by the mobile device, a cryptographic key from a server in response to sending, by the mobile device, a unique identification code of a card reader to the server;

encrypting the passcode in the mobile device by using the cryptographic key received by the mobile device from the server;

sending the encrypted passcode from the mobile device to the card reader connected to the mobile device;

receiving encrypted data from the card reader;

decrypting, by the mobile device and using the cryptographic key, the encrypted data received from the card reader;

processing the decrypted data; and

continuing secure communication between the card reader and the mobile device, wherein said continuing the secure communication includes encrypting and decrypting using the cryptographic key.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the encrypted data received from the card reader comprises an acknowledgement that the card reader has verified a passcode match.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where said processing the decrypted data comprises submitting a payment transaction to a payment processing system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the secure communication between the card reader and the mobile device is performed through an audio jack of the mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the feedback is not displayed in any of the one or more objects.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the secure communication between the card reader and the mobile device is performed wirelessly.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising, prior to the encrypting:

receiving, at the mobile device, a certificate from the card reader;

sending the certificate, from the mobile device to the server, where the server verifies a signature of the certificate; and

receiving, at the mobile device, a verification of the certificate from the server.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where said determining the passcode is based on locations of the user input on the display.