BE1023424B1 - SEALED TERMINAL FOR CHIP CARDS - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a terminal for cards having a display and virtual keyboard function and comprising at least: an outer fairing suitable for receiving compartments and provided with at least one slot suitable for the passage of a smart card, a screen touch screen configured to display information and to be used as a virtual keyboard a first compartment adapted to receive a means for reading contact smart cards and provided with a slot which coincides with the slot of the outer fairing, a second compartment adapted to receive the less an electronic card, a contact smart card reading means, an electronic card configured to drive said contact chip card reading means and the touch screen as well as communicating with a computer system, an electronic link means between the electronic card and the smart card reading means, characterized in that the connecting means passes through a sealing means placed in the mo insert a wall of the first and / or second compartments, so that water cannot pass from the first compartment to the second compartment.

Description

SEALED TERMINAL FOR CHIP CARDS TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of card terminals or comprising a contactless contact card reader or magnetic cards and their use in automated payment terminals or withdrawal of money or security terminals or sales automatons.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

Chip card devices, usually automated payment terminals or withdrawal of money are generally constituted by an external fairing provided with a slot in which the user introduces his smart cards and perform manipulations. on a screen.

These devices can be arranged outside and are in this case subject to weather conditions and in particular rain. It is therefore essential to prevent the ingress of water into the device which could damage the electronic components especially the control cards.

To prevent water infiltration, it is known to use rain guards above the slots and / or opening to prevent water from entering the openings. Another solution used is to have the evacuation channels in the openings in order to divert the water present in the device.

However, these solutions are no longer effective in extreme conditions such as floods, storms, or malicious acts. In fact, water is introduced in too large quantities, it is no longer blocked or evacuated through the channels, thus reaching the main electronic components such as control charts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore aims to provide a sealed terminal, for bearing at least a portion of the disadvantages of the prior art.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a terminal for cards having a display function and virtual keyboard and comprising at least: - an outer fairing adapted to receive compartments and provided with at least one slot adapted to the passage a smart card, - a touch screen configured to display information and to be used as a virtual keyboard - a first compartment adapted to receive a means of reading contact smart cards and provided with a slot which coincides with the slot outer fairing, - a second compartment adapted to receive at least one electronic card, - a contact card chip reading means, - an electronic card configured to drive said contact chip card reading means and the screen as well as communicating with a computer system, - an electronic connection means between the electronic card and the chip card reading means,

Characterized in that the connecting means passes through a sealing means placed in at least one wall of the first and / or second compartments, so that water can not pass from the first compartment to the second compartment.

According to a feature, the touch screen is provided with a sealing means on its periphery and held against the fairing so that the sealing means cooperates with the outer fairing to seal the connection between the fairing outside and the touch screen.

According to another feature, the slot of the first compartment is provided with a sealing means on its outer periphery so that the sealing means cooperates with the outer fairing to make the connection between the first compartment and the waterproof exterior fairing while allowing the introduction of a smart card through said slots.

According to another feature, the contact chip card reading means is oriented so that the introduction of the card into the slots is performed at an angle between 0 ° and 90 °, relative to the sol, preferably between 20 ° and 60 °, more preferably between 30 ° and 45 °.

According to another feature, the terminal further comprises a magnetic card reading means, the magnetic card reading means comprises a read head disposed in an opening on a longitudinal side of the outer fairing, and maintained resting on the outer fairing by elastic means, the reading head is provided on its periphery with a sealing means so that the sealing means cooperates with the inner face of the outer fairing to make the connection between the In another feature, the outer fairing comprises a guide adapted to guide a magnetic stripe card on the read head of the magnetic tape reading means.

In another feature, the terminal further comprises an NFC antenna, preferably placed at the screen to allow reading of a contactless smart card.

In another feature, the virtual keyboard can perform an authentication with the card used, whether contact, magnetic or contactless.

According to another feature, the terminal further comprises a camera disposed behind a transparent surface sealing with the fairing, the camera used to monitor the terminal environment or to generate superimposable images on the animations provided on the screen. touch screen, or to record morphological data for use in authentication.

According to another feature, the terminal further comprises a proximity sensor for activating one of the card readers and the display of the terminal.

In another feature, the terminal further comprises between the compartments and the fairing, more particularly on the outer periphery of at least a portion of the compartments, a means for detecting an opening or breaking of said compartments.

Another object of the present invention is the use of the terminal according to the invention, on a terminal of payment, withdrawal of money, or control.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other features, details and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description which follows with reference to the appended figures, which illustrate: FIG. 1 represents an external view of an embodiment according to FIG. invention of the sealed device (1) - Figure 2 shows a close-up of a sectional diagram of an embodiment according to the invention of the sealed device (1), the close-up being focused on the slots (21, 31) allowing the introduction of a smart card into the terminal - Figure 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the device (1) according to the invention - Figures 4a and 4b show schematic views of the sealing means (33) - Figure 5 shows a schematic view of a read head (61) of a magnetic strip card reading means used in an embodiment of the terminal (1) according to the invention. - Figure 6 shows a schematic view of a screen (5) used in one embodiment of the device (1) according to the invention. FIG. 7 represents a close-up of the slot (31) of the first compartment (3)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENT MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Many combinations can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention; the skilled person will choose one or the other depending on the economic, ergonomic, dimensional or other constraints that must be respected.

More particularly, according to a mode of the invention illustrated by Figure 1, the device (1) comprises at least: • an outer fairing (2) provided with at least one slot (21) adapted to the passage of a smart card and able to contain all the elements of the device, • a first compartment (3) provided with a slot (31) adapted to the passage of a smart card. The compartment (3) is adapted to receive a chip card reading means (32), preferably this water-resistant chip card reading means (32), that is to say that it continues to work even if it has been exposed to water,

Once the terminal is assembled, the slots (21 and 31) coincide so that a chip card can be inserted in the chip card reader (32) as shown in FIG. 2. • a second compartment (4) adapted receiving at least one electronic card (41) configured to drive said chip card reading means (32) and communicate with a computer system. The computer system may be another electronic device such as a cash register, a computer server, a sales automat, a terminal or any other computer system known to those skilled in the art. Communication with the computer system can be wired or wireless (wifi, GPRS, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth, LiFi, infrared, radio frequency).

The compartments (3 and 4) are arranged so that they can accommodate through their respective walls, at least one electronic connection means (42) between the electronic card (41) and the reading means chip cards (32). Such an electronic connection means (42) may be in the form of a cable, a printed circuit, preferably, impervious and flexible or any other means known to those skilled in the art.

The electronic connection means (42) passes through a sealing means (33) placed in at least one wall of the first and / or second compartment (s) so that the water can not pass. from the first compartment to the second compartment.

Thus, according to the embodiments, when the device comprises a first and a second compartment having a common wall ("common wall" means: two walls juxtaposed to one another, or a single wall having for each outer surface a different compartment), a single sealing means (33) can be used in the common wall to allow the electronic connecting means (42) to pass from one compartment (3) to the other compartment (4) while maintaining the compartment (4), which comprises at least one electronic card (41), sealed. When the device comprises more than two compartments, it is possible to choose to put more than one sealing means (33) in order to ensure the tightness of all the compartments traversed by the electronic connection means (42).

The sealing means (33) may be a seal or any other element known to those skilled in the art to prevent water from passing but allowing the passage of the electronic connection means (42). Such means (33) can be compressed between the two walls juxtaposed compartments (3 and 4) forming the common wall or be integrated into the single wall during manufacture thereof.

In one embodiment, the sealing means (33) is of elastic material and comprises a slot (331) provided with at least two lips (332 and 333) which overlap so that the lips (332) and 333) conform to the surface of the electronic connection means (42) thus allowing a perfect seal.

Figures 4a and 4b illustrate a particular embodiment of the sealing means (33). This comprises a triangular abutment, for stalling the chip card reading means (32) in the first compartment (3). In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the sealing means (33) may comprise a groove (334) making it possible to give the electronic connection means (42) the space necessary for its deployment in order to connect the chip card reading means (32) to the electronic card (41).

In another embodiment, the sealing means (33) is provided with at least one lug cooperating with at least one wall of the first compartment (3) and / or the second compartment (4), for example through a hole or blind hole, to allow its maintenance, especially during assembly and to obtain a more robust construction.

According to the embodiment chosen, the chip card reading means (32) is oriented so that the introduction of the smart cards in the slots (21 and 31) is performed at an angle included between 0 ° and 90 °, with respect to the ground, preferably between 20 ° and 60 °, more preferably between 30 ° and 45 °. Thus, the smart card is introduced in a substantially bottom-up direction. This configuration makes it possible to limit the introduction of water, in particular rain water or runoff water into the chip card reader (32). In addition, with such a configuration, the electronic connection means (42) preferably passes through the sealing means (33) in its upper part of the first compartment (3) further limiting the risk of seeing the water enter the second compartment (4) as shown in Figure 3.

In one embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 7, the slot (31) of the compartment (3) is provided on its periphery with a sealing means (34), so that when the device is assembled , the sealing means (34) is in contact with the periphery of the slot (21) of the outer fairing (2) for making a tight connection. Such means (34) may be a seal or any other element known to those skilled in the art to prevent water from passing.

In another feature, the outer fairing (2) is provided with an opening (22) adapted to receive a screen (5). The screen (5) is preferably a touch screen.

The use of a touch screen allows the device (1) to have an outer surface of the screen promoting sealing and a virtual keyboard function, thus eliminating mechanical buttons that can facilitate the entry of water into the terminal (1).

According to another embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, the touch screen (5) is provided on its periphery with a sealing means (51), so that when the terminal (1) is assembled, the sealing means (51) is in contact on the one hand with the periphery of an opening, on the size of the display area of the screen, made in the outer fairing (2) and on the other hand with the periphery of the screen for making a tight connection with the inner face of the fairing.

According to another embodiment, the sealed device (1) comprises a reading means of the magnetic strip (s) (6) of a card is composed of at least one read head (61) sealed, biased elastically outwardly of the fairing and whose size is adapted to another opening formed on the side of the outer fairing (2).

According to one embodiment, when the device is provided with a magnetic reading head, the reading head is provided on its periphery with a sealing means so that the sealing means (62) co-operates with the inner surface of the outer fairing (2) to make the connection between the read head (61) and the outer fairing (2) watertight. Such means (62) may be a seal or any other element known to those skilled in the art to prevent water from passing.

In a particular embodiment, an electronic connection means (63) between the read head (61) and the magnetic tape reading means (6) (which can be integrated with the electronic card (41)) can passing through said sealing means (62) to ensure complete sealing of the read head and communication with the electronics, as shown in Figure 5.

According to another embodiment, the outer fairing (2) may be provided with a guide (23) adapted to guide the movement of the magnetic card along the read head (61) of the reading means of magnetic tapes (6). Such a guide (23) may be in the form of a gutter in which the card is slid all the way to be in contact with the magnetic read head (61) and read the information of the magnetic track (s). . In the absence of a card in the terminal the head protrudes into the groove and leaves between the guide and the head a space less than the thickness of the magnetic card.

In another embodiment, the device further comprises an NFC antitheft, preferably placed behind or at the screen around the opening of the fairing. Thus a contactless card can communicate with the antenna and the electronic circuit incorporated in the box to manage the NFC cards and allow a transaction displayed on the screen or perform an authentication or a signature.

In another embodiment, the terminal further comprises a camera, and / or a proximity sensor, for identifying or detecting the presence of a user for example to illuminate the touch screen (5) and triggering the display of the first usage messages. The outer fairing (2) comprises a transparent material at the location of the camera and / or the proximity sensor. Preferably, said transparent material has been included in the outer fairing (2) during molding thereof in order to obtain a tight connection between the outer fairing (2) and the transparent material.

Finally the camera can either perform proximity detection or surveillance of the area near the terminal or still contribute to a morphological authentication, by face, retina, fingerprint or other ..

In one embodiment, particularly when the device is intended to be used as a payment terminal or withdrawal of money or control, the device comprises a means for detecting an opening or breaking of said compartments. Such detection means may be in the form of a sensor, or a film or any other means known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the detection means is located between the compartments and the fairing, more particularly on the outer periphery of at least a portion of the compartments.

The various elements of the terminal, contact card reader, touch screen, NFC antenna, camera, proximity detector, magnetic card reader are all connected to a set of electronic cards management and control of these elements, these electronic cards being arranged in the sealed compartment (4) of the terminal.

It will be readily understood from the present application that the features of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the description of the present invention and the accompanying figures are not intended to limit the scope of the invention but merely represent selected embodiments.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the technical features of a given embodiment may in fact be combined with features of another embodiment unless the reverse is explicitly mentioned or not it is obvious that these features are incompatible. In addition, the technical features described in a given embodiment can be isolated from the other features of this mode unless the opposite is explicitly mentioned.

It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention allows embodiments in many other specific forms without departing from the scope defined by the scope of the appended claims, these embodiments must be considered by way of illustration and the invention should not be limited to the details given above.

Claims (11)

1. Terminal (1) for cards having a display function and virtual keyboard and comprising at least: - a single outer fairing (2) adapted to receive at least a first (3) and a second (4) compartments and provided with at least one slot (21) adapted to pass a smart card, - a touch screen (5) configured to display information and be used as a virtual keyboard - a first compartment (3) adapted to receive a means of reading contact smart cards (32) and provided with a slot (31) which coincides with the slot (21) of the outer fairing (2), - a second compartment (4) adapted to receive at least one electronic card ( 41), - contact chip card reading means (32), - an electronic card (41) configured to drive said contact chip card reading means (32) and the touch screen (5) as well as only communicate with a computer system, - an electronic connection means (42) between the electronic card (41) and the chip card reading means (32), characterized in that the terminal further comprises a proximity sensor for activating the card reading means and the display of the touch screen ( 5), and that the connecting means (42) passes through a sealing means (33) placed in at least one wall of the first (3) and / or second (4) compartments, so that the water can not pass from the first compartment (3) to the second compartment (4), not only in the event of water drops due to rain, but also in case of introduction of large quantity of water into the first compartment during extreme conditions such as floods, storms or malicious acts. Card terminal according to Claim 1, characterized in that the touch screen (5) is provided with a sealing means (51) around its circumference and held against the fairing so that the sealing means (51) ) cooperates with the outer fairing (2) to seal the connection between the outer fairing (2) and the touch screen (5). 3. Card terminal according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the slot (31) of the first compartment is provided with a sealing means (34) on its outer periphery so that the means of sealing (34) cooperates with the outer fairing (2) to make the connection between the first compartment (3) and the outer fairing (2) sealed while allowing the introduction of a smart card through said slots (31). and 21). 4. Card terminal according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the contact chip card reading means (32) is oriented so that the card is inserted into the slots (21). , 31) is carried out at an angle of between 0 ° and 90 °, relative to the ground, preferably between 20 ° and 60 °, more preferably between 30 ° and 45 °. 5. Card terminal according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises a magnetic card reading means (6), the magnetic card reading means (6) comprises a head of reading (61) disposed in an opening on a longitudinal side of the outer fairing (2), and held in abutment on the outer fairing by elastic means, the reading head (61) is provided on its periphery with a means sealing device (62) so that the sealing means (62) cooperates with the inner face of the outer fairing (2) to make the connection between the read head (61) and the outer fairing (2) watertight 6. Card terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that the outer fairing (2) comprises a guide (23) adapted to guide a magnetic stripe card on the read head (61) of the magnetic tape reading means ( 6). 7. Card terminal according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it further comprises an NFC antenna, preferably placed at the screen (5) to allow reading of a smart card without touching. 8. Card terminal according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the virtual keyboard allows to perform an authentication with the card used, whether contact, magnetic or contactless. 9. Card terminal according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises a camera disposed behind a transparent surface sealing with the fairing, the camera for monitoring the environment of the terminal or to generate superimposable images on the animations provided on the touch screen, or to record morphological data to be used in the authentication. 10. Card terminal according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it further comprises between the compartments (3, 4) and the shroud (2), more particularly on the outer periphery of at least one part of the compartments (3, 4), a means of detecting an opening or breaking of said compartments (3, 4). 11. Use of the terminal according to one of claims 1 to 10, on a terminal of payment, withdrawal of money, or control.