Point of sale terminal having pulsed current tamper control sensing
US7551098B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 28, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jun 23, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 25, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG08B29/08
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A point of sale terminal includes a microcontroller integrated circuit. In one aspect, a regulator within the IC receives power from a supply voltage terminal and/or a battery terminal. If the regulator does not receive adequate power from either terminal, then energy stored on-chip in a capacitor is used to erase secure memory. In another aspect, pulses of current are made to pulse through conductors of a conductive mesh. A tamper condition is detected if an improper voltage is detected on the IC terminal through which the pulse is conducted. In another aspect, each vendor signs his/her firmware with his own vendor ID. A bootloader uses the vendor ID to lookup a public key that is then used to verify a private key supplied by the firmware to be executed. In another aspect, a magnetic card reader includes a digital peak detector circuit involving programmable positive and negative thresholds.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.