Secured keypad devices

• US 9,779,270 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Faoro, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US15/225,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20160342816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• 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 including a top housing portion including key apertures, a plurality of data entry keys mounted in the housing to have data entry key depression travel paths in the housing, the plurality of data entry keys being associated with a substrate, which is disposed below the top housing portion and anti-tampering electrical conductors arranged between the top housing portion and the substrate thereby to prevent unauthorized access to the substrate.

Claims

1. A data entry device comprising:

a housing including a top housing portion including key apertures;

a key assembly including a plurality of depressible keys, which partially extend through said key apertures, and a corresponding plurality of key contacts which do not underlie said key apertures; and

a protective partial enclosure at least partially surrounding said key assembly, said protective partial enclosure including at least one anti-tampering grid formed of a multiplicity of interconnected anti-tampering electrical conductors and being formed with grid apertures aligned with said key apertures for permitting displacement of said depressible keys therethrough;

said key contacts underlying said at least one anti-tampering grid; and

said key assembly being constructed such that said key contacts define an open electrical circuit when a first key of said depressible keys is depressed and define a closed electrical circuit when a second key of said depressible keys is not depressed; and

wherein said key assembly further includes a printed circuit board and a plurality of depressible key elements which are displaceable relative thereto, said printed circuit board defining a first key contact for each of said plurality of depressible key elements, which does not underlie a corresponding key aperture, and said each of said plurality of depressible key elements defining a second key contact, which does not underlie a corresponding key aperture, for selectable engagement with said first key contact.

2. The data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said anti-tampering electrical conductors are electrically connected to anti-tampering detection circuitry.

3. The data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said protective partial enclosure further includes a bottom anti-tampering grid underlying said key assembly.

4. The data entry device according to claim 1 and wherein said plurality of key contacts do not underlie said grid apertures.