CA2192892A1 - Card security device - Google Patents
Card security deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA2192892A1 CA2192892A1 CA 2192892 CA2192892A CA2192892A1 CA 2192892 A1 CA2192892 A1 CA 2192892A1 CA 2192892 CA2192892 CA 2192892 CA 2192892 A CA2192892 A CA 2192892A CA 2192892 A1 CA2192892 A1 CA 2192892A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- card
- vault
- case
- disarming
- entry
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Abstract
A card security device for cards which have coded information on or within the cards has a mechanically closeable and releasably lockable card vault for releasable locking enclosure of cards within the card vault, the card vault releasably lockable by a releasable lock, releasable by a code entry and recognition processor, for opening a vault door on the card vault upon entry of a predetermined code into, and recognition of the code by, the code entry and recognition processor, wherein repeated incorrect entry by a user of an incorrect code into the code entry and recognition processor, or forcible entry into the card vault either by forced releasing of the vault door or disruption of the vault casing results in a triggering, by a monitoring and triggering device mounted within the vault casing, of a destruction device for rendering useless and unrecoverable by disfigurement or destruction by the destruction device of the coded information on the information carrying medium.
Description
IMPROVED CARD SECURITY DEVICE
Field of the Invention This invention relates to the field of portable vaults or portable lockable seeurity containers, and in particular to portable security containers for cards such as credit cards.
Baekground of the Invention Credit eard sized cards, which includes cards which may have dimensions typically in the order of 3 3/8 inch x 2 1/8 inch planar rectangular dimensions, and where typically the card may be 1/32 inch thick, are in common use by a large percentage of the population. Commonly, sueh eards are somewhat flexible and made of plastie so as to be conveniently carried. Such cards are prevalently used to carry information about the user, sometimes on a magnetic stripe along the length of the card, such information including type and quantity of financial credit available to user, coding information to access a user's bank account so as to debit that account, and eoded information identifying the bearer of the eard as being entitled to access through a controlled aeeess entry.
Field of the Invention This invention relates to the field of portable vaults or portable lockable seeurity containers, and in particular to portable security containers for cards such as credit cards.
Baekground of the Invention Credit eard sized cards, which includes cards which may have dimensions typically in the order of 3 3/8 inch x 2 1/8 inch planar rectangular dimensions, and where typically the card may be 1/32 inch thick, are in common use by a large percentage of the population. Commonly, sueh eards are somewhat flexible and made of plastie so as to be conveniently carried. Such cards are prevalently used to carry information about the user, sometimes on a magnetic stripe along the length of the card, such information including type and quantity of financial credit available to user, coding information to access a user's bank account so as to debit that account, and eoded information identifying the bearer of the eard as being entitled to access through a controlled aeeess entry.
2 o Sueh eards, if stolen, ean be used by unserupulous third parties to the detriment of the owner of the eard. Consequently, it is desirable that sueh eards be eontained in a eonveniently portable vault where, advantageously, the vault will deter unauthorized aeeess to the eards held within the vault, will render the eards unusable if the vault is foreed open, and, further advantageously, where the vault will remind the user to replaee the eards into the vault after a timely delay so as to prevent inadvertent loss of the eards, for example, following use in a re~l~ul~ll.
2 1 9~892 It is recognized in the prior art that it is desirable to in some manner prevent the unauthorized use of a credit card or to prevent the unauthorized removal of such objects from a receptacle for carrying such objects by means of password security such as an exterior keypad requiring a specific number sequence for (li~rming an alarm. In particular, Applicant is aware of United States Patent No. 5,365,046 which issued to Haymann on November 15, 1994 for a method of preventing unauthorized use of a credit card. Haymann teaches the use of a personal identification number by a credit card holder, the user entering the personal identification number at the time of a credit card transaction so that the number may be compared with a personal identification number corresponding to that credit card stored in a database at a remote site.
1 0 Applicant is also aware of United States Patent No. 4,755,802 which issued to Urbanczyk on July 5, 1988 for a handbag, briefcase and luggage alarm. Urbanczyk discloses the use of an alarm on a receptacle such as a handbag, briefcase or luggage which, when armed, is triggered when the receptacle is opened. The receptacle alarm may be disarmed by use of an exterior keypad programmed to receive a specific number sequence.
In the prior art, Applicant is also aware of numerous devices which provide receptacles for carrying objects such as credit cards in which the receptacle has an alarm which is triggered by the absence of the object. In particular, Applicant is aware of the following United States Patents:
Patent No. 4,480,250 which issued October 30, 1984 to McNeely for a credit card carrier with alarm, PatentNo.4,652,865 which issued March 24,1987 to M~h~r~h~k for a card holder, Patent No. 4,692,745 which issued September 8, 1987 to Simanowitz for a credit card alarm, Patent No. 4,717,908 which issued January 5, 1988 to Phillips et al for a creditcard case with alarm system, Patent No. 4,719,453 which issued January 12, 1988 to Beck et al for a card carrier having an alarm, Patent No. 4,721,948 which issued January 26, 1988 to Lin for a wallet with missing-card reminder, 1 0 Patent No. 4,870,405 which issued September 26, 1989 to Fletcher for an object monitoring and alarm device, Patent No. 4,890,094 which issued December 26, 1989 to Kopel for a wallet incorporating credit card alarm system, Patent No. 4,916,434 which issued April 10, 1990 to McNeely for a credit card carrier with alarm, Patent No. 5,053,749 which issued October 1, 1991 to Weiss for a retainer for 2 o documents with alarm.
The Maharshak and Weiss patents also disclose use of a timer cooperating with the alarm so that the triggering of the alarm may be delayed by a timed interval to allow for a credit card transaction to take place and the card to be reinserted into the receptacle thereby preventing 2 5 unnecessary triggering of the alarm.
- 2ls2as2 Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact, portable, rupture resistant card security device to provide physical protection of cards held within such a device so as to prevent unauthorized access to, and use of, the protected cards.
It is a further object ofthe present invention to provide a card security device where in addition to physical protection of the card in the manner of a hardened vault, the card security device provides active defence mech~ni~m~ including destruction of the utility of the card upon forced entry into the vault. Further, it is an object of the invention to provide the user of the card security device with an alert such as audible alert to warn the user that the cards kept within the l o vault are temporarily out of the vault and, presumably, in use, and that those cards have not been returned to the vault in a timely fashion.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a hardened card vault which allows a user access to the vault upon successful entry of a personal identification number, otherwise known as a PIN code, where, advantageously, failure to enter the correct PIN code upon repeated ~lle~ , renders entry to the vault impossible either indefinitely or for a timed period, or which, upon repeated efforts at entry into the vault, activates one or more of the active defence mech~ni~m~ ofthe card protection device.
2 o It is an object of the present invention to provide a card security vault wherein one or more cards may be releasably lockably secured.
Summary of the Invention The invention may be described generally as a mechanically closeable and releasably lockable card vault for releasable locking enclosure of cards within the card vault where the cards have information coded on the cards or within the cards and where the information is confidential coded information which is the subject of protection by the present invention. The cards may be credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, security access cards or any other security information carrying card or the like which carry confidential information on or within the card by information carrying means such as magnetic stripes, logic semi-conductor chips or the like.
The card vault may have releasable locking means releasable by activation of a code entry and recognition means whereby a vault door on the card vault may be opened upon entry of a predetermined code and recognition of the code by the code entry and recognition means. Repeated incorrect entry of the code or forcible entry into the card vault either by forced releasing of the vault door or disruption of the vault case results in a triggering of a destruction means whereby the confidential information on the information carrying means is rendered useless and unrecoverable by being disfigured or destroyed by the destruction means. The destruction means may include electrical burning or fusing by a heated wire or flash means, resistor or like element, or permanent disfigurement by ink or corrosive fluid or by pe~ nent liquid adhesive or the like.
In an alternative embodiment, mechanical destruction means may be employed to mechanically disfigure or destroy the information carrying means on a card if, once the vault door 2 o has been forced open, a card held within the card vault is forcibly removed from the vault. Such mechanical destruction means may include toothed card engagement means releasably engagable onto a card held in the vault by a traction or friction device having means for cutting, embedding or ripping into the card in the manner of a ratchet gear or a barbed device if the card is forcibly removed from the card vault without the toothed engagement means being released from the 2 5 traction or friction engagement against the card prior to the card being removed. One such means may be a toothed traction wheel selectively biased against a magnetic stripe on a card held within the card vault whereby if the card is forcibly pulled free of the card vault without proper entry and recognition of a code, the teeth on a toothed traction wheel permanently disfigure the magnetic stripe coating thereby rendering the confidential information irretrievably unusable and unrecoverable. Alternatively, the mechanical destruction means may be a "scrape gate" such as a sharp blade selectively releasably biased as by spring-loaded pressure against the information carrying means.
In the preferred embodiment, the card vault case is adapted to form a Faraday Shield by means of grounding of the enveloping metal vault case. This may include a static drain layer built into the keyboard layer to provide continuous and contiguous grounded shielding around the entire card vault thereby providing the card vault with a defence against electronic 1 0 assault.
In the preferred embodiment, the keypad is adapted so that disruption ofthe keypad to gain forced access to the card vault door will not be successful. Further, the hinge and closing mech~ni~m for the card vault door forms a continuous closed seal around the perimeter of the door to inhibit access between the door and the card vault case with a prying tool.
In a pler~lled embodiment, the code entry and recognition means include a code entry keypad cooperating with a programmable controller having an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) to facilitate reprogldl".~ g of the code entry and 2 o recognition means, for example, up and until the time the card vault of the present invention is sealed for product shipment. The code entry and recognition means thereby facilitates adjusting precletermin~ble adjustable variables within the preprogrammed software routines in the EEPROM
to allow adjustable tailoring of the active defence of the confidential information on the cards within the card vault, for example, adjusting the time period during which the code entry and recognition means would cause the card vault to go inactive, "sleep" or "lock-down" upon attempted entry of an unrecognized entry code.
In alternative embodiments, the destruction means which operates by means of electrical burning or fusing of the information carrying means on the card may include a fuser assembly which may take many different forms as, for example, electro-chemical, electrical or merely a burn-in template for burning in words such as "void" onto the information carrying means on the card. The fuser assembly may be in the form of camera flash bulbs or flash filaments, and may be adapted for fusing predetermined spots on the information carrying means depending on the type of the information carrying means employed by the card intended to be inserted into the card vault. Using the example of the magnetic stripe information carrying means, then selective spots may be fused on the magnetic stripe to selectively disfigure selected information on the magnetic stripe.
The destruction means may also include means to electrically damage the information carrying means on logically controlled "smart" cards carried within the card vault or may include magnetic destruction means to destroy, disfigure or otherwise render useless and unreadable a magnetic stripe bearing code information.
In a further alternative embodiment, the card security device of the present invention provides a card case for holding a credit card sized card, where the case has built-in ink, or like permanent m~rking solution reservoirs and built-in electrical magnetic strip demagnetizing means so that unauthorized removal of a card from the card case will cause the card to be permanently marked by the fluid in the reservoirs and will also cause the magnetic strip on the rear surface of the card to be perrn~nently damaged. Access, that is, removal of the card from the case, is governed by entry of a coded password onto an ~xtt-rn~l keypad. Entry of the correct password disarms the circuitry controlling the perm~nent m~rking means and magnetic strip demagnetizing 2 5 means in the card case so as to allow the removal of the card from the case without ~1~m~gin~ the card.
In the event that the card case of the present invention is forcibly broken open, the perm~nent m~rking fluid reservoirs rupture to perm:~nently mark the card. In the event that the card is removed from the card case without entry of the correct password, the permanent m~rking fluid in the reservoirs is released onto the card and the magnetic strip demagnetizing means is activated so as to damage or erase the magnetic strip on the card rendering the card both sufficiently marked so as to alert a teller or clerk manipulating the card during a card transaction, and electrically damaged so that a teller or clerk would be forced to look at the card to ascertain the account number for manual entry into the CO~ e~ ;7~d system m~inl~ined by the card issuing institution.
The card case is also provided with an alarm which is timed so that after a preset time from authoriæd removal of the card from the card case, if the card has not been returned to the card case, the alarm is triggered.
In summary, a card security device has a case for snugly receiving therein a card, sensing means in the case for sensing when the card has been inserted into the case and for sensing when the card is being removed from the case, and for sending a trigger signal as the card is removed from the case via communication means to a m~rking means for m~rking the card as the card is removed from the case or a card d~m~ging means for d~m~ging the card as the card is 2 o removed from the case. Di~rming signal means is provided for receipt of a tli~rming input from a user and communication of a ~ rming signal to a ~ rming means. The (li~rminp; means prevents communication of the trigger signal to the m~rking means for m~rking the card or the card d~m~ging means for d~m~gin~ the card upon receipt of the ~ rming signal as the card is removed from the case.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is, in perspective view, the card security device of the present invention.
- 2 ! 92892 Figure 2 is, in exploded front elevation view, the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 3a is, in plan view, the interior surface of the upper casing of the cardsecurity device of Figure 1.
Figure 3b is, in front elevation view, the upper casing of Figure 3a.
Figure 3c is, in side elevation view, the upper casing of Figure 3a.
0 Figure 3d is the keypad plate of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 3e is, in plan view, the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 4a is, in plan view, the interior surface of the lower casing of the cardsecurity device of Figure 1.
Figure 4b is, in front elevation view, the lower casing of Figure 4a.
Figure 4c is, in side elevation view, the lower casing of Figure 4a.
Figure Sa is, in front elevation view, the latch mechanism of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 5b is, in side elevation view, the latch of Figure 5a.
Figure 5c is, in plan view, the latch of Figure 5a.
Figure 6a is, in front elevation view, the access door of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 6b is, in side elevation view, the access door of Figure 6a.
Figure 6c is, in plan view, the access door of Figure 6a.
Figure 7a is, in plan view, an upper card receiving cavity member of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 7b is, in front elevation view, the upper card receiving cavity member ofFigure 7a.
Figure 7c is, in side elevation view, the upper card receiving cavity member of Figure 7a.
Figure 8a is, in plan view, the lower card receiving cavity member of the card security device of Figure 1.
2 o Figure 8b is, in front elevation view, the lower card receiving cavity member of Figure 8a.
Figure 8c is, in side elevation view, the lower card receiving cavity member of Figure 8a.
Figure 9 is, in plan view, the card destruction printed circuit mounting board of the card security device of Figure 1.
-Figure lOa is, in front elevation view, the card entry bezel of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 1 Ob is, in plan view, the card entry bezel of Figure 1 Oa.
Figure 1 Oc is, in side elevation view, the card entry bezel of Figure 1 Oa.
Figure 11 is a front elevation view of an ~ltern:~tive embodiment of the credit card security device of the present invention with a credit card inserted.
Figure 12 is a side elevation view ofthe credit card security device of Figure 11.
Figure 13 is a sectional view along line 3-3 in Figure 12.
Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the operation of the credit card security device of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment 2 o As illustrated in Figures 1 - 10, card security device 10 includes vault casing 12 for rigidly mounting therein the componentry as hereinafter described so as to releasably store cards 14 within vault casing 12. Preferably, cards 14 are standard credit card sized cards such as described above and vault casing 12 is sufficiently large so as to define therein a cavity 16 into which may be mounted, as better seen in exploded view in Figure 2, between upper vault casing 2 5 12a and lower vault casing 12b, a controller printed circuit board 18, a card destruction printed circuit board 20 sandwiched between adjacently mounted upper and lower card receiving cavity members 22 and 24 respectively, where controller printed circuit board 18 and card destruction 2 i 928~2 printed circuit board 20 are each generally planar and mounted in generally parallel spaced apart array sandwiched between upper case 12a and lower case 12b.
As may be seen in Figures 3a - 3d, upper casing 12a may define an aperture on anuppermost generally planar surface 26 into which, or behind which, may be mounted a keypad plate 28 for protrusion therethrough of keypad buttons 30. Keypad buttons 30 are mounted onto controller printed circuit board 18 so as to cooperate therewith. Keypad buttons 30, in one embodiment, are touch sensitive membranes labelled and arranged according to the configuration depicted in Figure 3e.
Flanges 22 extend from upper vault casing 12a so as to lockingly mate with corresponding mating apertures 34 in lower vault casing 12b, seen in Figures 4a - 4c. Lower vault casing 12b has flanges 36 for locking mating with upper vault casing 12a.
1 5 Flanges 38 on the lower interior surface of lower vault casing 12a as seen in Figure 4a support solenoid 40. Solenoid 40 when mounted within flanges 38 cooperates with door latch 42, where door latch 42 is better seen in Figures 5a - 5c. Door latch 42 is pivotally mounted within vault casing 12 so that when solenoid 40 is energized, push rod 44 engages push rod en~ging member 46 on door latch 42. When push rod 44 pushes against push rod en~gin~
2 o member 46, door latch 42 is rotated in direction A so as to release latch bar 48 from l~tçhin~
engagement with latch bar receiving groove 50 in access door 52. Access door 52 is pivotally mounted in lower vault casing 12b so that when unlatched by rotation of latch 42 in direction A
access door 52 may be pivoted in direction B so as to expose card entry bezel 54. Access door 52 is best seen in Figures 6a - 6c. Pivot pins 56 or the like may be mounted in channel 58 so as to 2 5 protrude from a lower edge of access door 52 so as to pivotally mount in pin receiving apertures 60 in lower vault case 12b. Protrusions 62 which protrude outwardly of door latch 42 pivotally mount in receiving apertures 64 in upper vault case 12a.
~ 2 1 92892 Card entry bezel 54 has parallel spaced apart card receiving slots 66 which correspond to generally planar parallel spaced apart card slots 68 formed by the mounting of upper and lower card receiving cavity members 22 and 24 on opposed sides of card destruction printed circuit board 20 as may better be seen in Figures 7a - 7c, which illustrate upper card receiving cavity member 22, and Figures 8a - 8c, which illustrates lower card receiving cavity member 24.
It may be seen that card slots 68 are defined by the generally plate-like card receiving cavity members 22 and 24 mounted by mounting flanges 70 to card destruction printed circuit board 20 so as to space apart interior surfaces 72 and 74 respectively of upper and lower card receiving cavity members 22 and 24 from the opposed corresponding surfaces of card destruction printed circuit board 20. In the preferred embodiment receiving slots 66 and card slots 68 are closely aligned and sized to exacting tolerances so that standard credit-card sized cards fit very snugly into cards slots 68 through receiving slots 66. In this embodiment, for applications where cards 14 have raised lettering in a conventionally sized and conventionally positioned format, receiving slots 66 and card slots 68 are notched and channelled respectively to allow passage of the raised 1 5 lettering. In the drawings, only notches 66a are depicted (in Figure 1 Oa) on receiving slots 66, it being understood that corresponding longitudinal channels would be formed in upper and lower card receiving cavity members 22 and 24. Advantageously, notches 66a and their corresponding channels would, as depicted, be formed so as not to be adjacent card destruction printed circuit board 20. Thus, in the case of a conventional card 14 having raised lettering 14a on one side and 2 o a magnetic strip 84 on the opposite side, notches 66a require that card 14 be inserted in only one orientation. Consequently the location of magnetic strip 84 will be known, or at least it will be known that magnetic strip 84 will be adjacent card destruction printed circuit board 20, so that the destruction means 82, 86 or 88 need only be mounted on circuit board 20.
The laterally opposed edges of card destruction printed circuit board 20 and controller printed control board 18 are mounted in corresponding grooves in the laterally opposed sides of vault casing 12.
Upper card receiving cavity member 22 may be adapted to support a battery (not shown) thereon by means of battery enclosure 78. Opposed generally vertical flange members 80 mounted to the upper surface of upper receiving cavity member 22 stabilize controller printed circuit board 18 in spaced apart relation above card destruction printed circuit board 20.
As seen in Figure 9, card destruction printed circuit board 20 will have mountedtherein various defence mech~ni~m~ which, when triggered by a coordin:~ting signal from controllerprinted circuit board 18, will activate so as to render useless one or both of cards 14 held within card slots 68. In particular, electrical or magnetic demagnetizing means may be provided 1 0 on opposed sides of card destruction printed circuit board 20 (although one side is depicted in Figure 9) so that when triggered by controller printed circuit board 18, the demagnetizing means 82 such as would be known to those skilled in the art, will demagnetize magnetic strip 84 on card 14. An electrical destruction means may operate by means of heating as by fusing or heating element 86 which, when heated, will act to render card 14 useless or at least disfigure card 14.
Further, friction or traction card destruction means 88 which may take the form of a toothed pr barbed surface which, when actuated or released by a triggering signal from controller printed circuit board 18, will engage the magnetic strip 84 or like information carrying medium on card 14 by selective spring biasing or the like so as to render card 14 useless or at least disfigured.
Where notches 66a are not employed to orient card 14, corresponding d~m~gnetizing means 82, fusing or heating element 86, and friction or traction destruction means 88 may also be cooperatively mounted in opposed facing relation on interior surfaces 72 and 74 of card receiving cavity members 22 and 24. Thus, in order for a card 14 to be effectively "killed"
by demagneti7ing, heating or traction destruction, it would not matter how card 14 was oriented 2 5 within its card slot when stored between its corresponding card receiving cavity member and card destruction printed circuit board 20.
2 ~ 92a~2 In a prerelled embodiment, status indicators 90, which may be light emitting diodes (LEDs), are mounted so as to visibly disposed adjacent keypad buttons 30. Although collectively indicated by reference numeral 90, status indicators 90 would operate independently as controlled by controller printed circuit board 18 so as to indicate when vault 12 was in a "locked" mode, indicating that access door 52 was locked shut by latch 42, in an "open" mode indicating that access door 52 was unlatched, "warning" mode indicating that incorrect PIN codes have been entered and that the user is risking activation of one or all of the various card destruction means as controlled by controller printed circuit board 18 so as to trigger card destruction printed circuit board 20, and a "dead" or "killed" mode indicating that the operation of card destruction printed circuit board 20 has been triggered by controller printed circuit board 18 so that any card 14 stored in card slot 68 has been rendered useless or disfigured.
A pl~r~lled method of operation for activating the defence mech~nism~ pursuant to the progl~."l"il-g ofthe code entry and recognition means according to the present invention, is set out in Table 1, although it will be understood that other warning and destruction protocols may be programmed into the controller printed circuit board microprocessors or EEPROM and still fall within the scope of the present invention. The status indicated by the colour of the various status indicators 90 in the preferred embodiment are set out in Table 2.
2 o In an ~ltern~tive embodiment, the "start" button 30a which, when pressed, initiates the various routines governed by controller printed circuit board 18, may also act as a "status"
button triggering illumination of status indicators 90 corresponding to the current mode of the device. The enter code button 30b in the preferred embodiment is used to trigger the routine governed by controller printer circuit board 18 which allows for entry of the PIN code.
2~ 92~9~
TABLE l OPERATION
l . Enter PIN code. Either flash or beep as each keystroke is made, to help avoid mis-cues during entry. (the audible Enter numbers, then press ENTER key 36. cue should be able to be turned off, as it gives a clue to an eavesdropper of the number of digits in the code sequence.) 2. If code is recognized as OK, blink LEDflashes(UNLOCKED), solenoid UNLOCKED indicator, open retracted.
mechanical release latch 42.
2 1 9~892 It is recognized in the prior art that it is desirable to in some manner prevent the unauthorized use of a credit card or to prevent the unauthorized removal of such objects from a receptacle for carrying such objects by means of password security such as an exterior keypad requiring a specific number sequence for (li~rming an alarm. In particular, Applicant is aware of United States Patent No. 5,365,046 which issued to Haymann on November 15, 1994 for a method of preventing unauthorized use of a credit card. Haymann teaches the use of a personal identification number by a credit card holder, the user entering the personal identification number at the time of a credit card transaction so that the number may be compared with a personal identification number corresponding to that credit card stored in a database at a remote site.
1 0 Applicant is also aware of United States Patent No. 4,755,802 which issued to Urbanczyk on July 5, 1988 for a handbag, briefcase and luggage alarm. Urbanczyk discloses the use of an alarm on a receptacle such as a handbag, briefcase or luggage which, when armed, is triggered when the receptacle is opened. The receptacle alarm may be disarmed by use of an exterior keypad programmed to receive a specific number sequence.
In the prior art, Applicant is also aware of numerous devices which provide receptacles for carrying objects such as credit cards in which the receptacle has an alarm which is triggered by the absence of the object. In particular, Applicant is aware of the following United States Patents:
Patent No. 4,480,250 which issued October 30, 1984 to McNeely for a credit card carrier with alarm, PatentNo.4,652,865 which issued March 24,1987 to M~h~r~h~k for a card holder, Patent No. 4,692,745 which issued September 8, 1987 to Simanowitz for a credit card alarm, Patent No. 4,717,908 which issued January 5, 1988 to Phillips et al for a creditcard case with alarm system, Patent No. 4,719,453 which issued January 12, 1988 to Beck et al for a card carrier having an alarm, Patent No. 4,721,948 which issued January 26, 1988 to Lin for a wallet with missing-card reminder, 1 0 Patent No. 4,870,405 which issued September 26, 1989 to Fletcher for an object monitoring and alarm device, Patent No. 4,890,094 which issued December 26, 1989 to Kopel for a wallet incorporating credit card alarm system, Patent No. 4,916,434 which issued April 10, 1990 to McNeely for a credit card carrier with alarm, Patent No. 5,053,749 which issued October 1, 1991 to Weiss for a retainer for 2 o documents with alarm.
The Maharshak and Weiss patents also disclose use of a timer cooperating with the alarm so that the triggering of the alarm may be delayed by a timed interval to allow for a credit card transaction to take place and the card to be reinserted into the receptacle thereby preventing 2 5 unnecessary triggering of the alarm.
- 2ls2as2 Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact, portable, rupture resistant card security device to provide physical protection of cards held within such a device so as to prevent unauthorized access to, and use of, the protected cards.
It is a further object ofthe present invention to provide a card security device where in addition to physical protection of the card in the manner of a hardened vault, the card security device provides active defence mech~ni~m~ including destruction of the utility of the card upon forced entry into the vault. Further, it is an object of the invention to provide the user of the card security device with an alert such as audible alert to warn the user that the cards kept within the l o vault are temporarily out of the vault and, presumably, in use, and that those cards have not been returned to the vault in a timely fashion.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a hardened card vault which allows a user access to the vault upon successful entry of a personal identification number, otherwise known as a PIN code, where, advantageously, failure to enter the correct PIN code upon repeated ~lle~ , renders entry to the vault impossible either indefinitely or for a timed period, or which, upon repeated efforts at entry into the vault, activates one or more of the active defence mech~ni~m~ ofthe card protection device.
2 o It is an object of the present invention to provide a card security vault wherein one or more cards may be releasably lockably secured.
Summary of the Invention The invention may be described generally as a mechanically closeable and releasably lockable card vault for releasable locking enclosure of cards within the card vault where the cards have information coded on the cards or within the cards and where the information is confidential coded information which is the subject of protection by the present invention. The cards may be credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, security access cards or any other security information carrying card or the like which carry confidential information on or within the card by information carrying means such as magnetic stripes, logic semi-conductor chips or the like.
The card vault may have releasable locking means releasable by activation of a code entry and recognition means whereby a vault door on the card vault may be opened upon entry of a predetermined code and recognition of the code by the code entry and recognition means. Repeated incorrect entry of the code or forcible entry into the card vault either by forced releasing of the vault door or disruption of the vault case results in a triggering of a destruction means whereby the confidential information on the information carrying means is rendered useless and unrecoverable by being disfigured or destroyed by the destruction means. The destruction means may include electrical burning or fusing by a heated wire or flash means, resistor or like element, or permanent disfigurement by ink or corrosive fluid or by pe~ nent liquid adhesive or the like.
In an alternative embodiment, mechanical destruction means may be employed to mechanically disfigure or destroy the information carrying means on a card if, once the vault door 2 o has been forced open, a card held within the card vault is forcibly removed from the vault. Such mechanical destruction means may include toothed card engagement means releasably engagable onto a card held in the vault by a traction or friction device having means for cutting, embedding or ripping into the card in the manner of a ratchet gear or a barbed device if the card is forcibly removed from the card vault without the toothed engagement means being released from the 2 5 traction or friction engagement against the card prior to the card being removed. One such means may be a toothed traction wheel selectively biased against a magnetic stripe on a card held within the card vault whereby if the card is forcibly pulled free of the card vault without proper entry and recognition of a code, the teeth on a toothed traction wheel permanently disfigure the magnetic stripe coating thereby rendering the confidential information irretrievably unusable and unrecoverable. Alternatively, the mechanical destruction means may be a "scrape gate" such as a sharp blade selectively releasably biased as by spring-loaded pressure against the information carrying means.
In the preferred embodiment, the card vault case is adapted to form a Faraday Shield by means of grounding of the enveloping metal vault case. This may include a static drain layer built into the keyboard layer to provide continuous and contiguous grounded shielding around the entire card vault thereby providing the card vault with a defence against electronic 1 0 assault.
In the preferred embodiment, the keypad is adapted so that disruption ofthe keypad to gain forced access to the card vault door will not be successful. Further, the hinge and closing mech~ni~m for the card vault door forms a continuous closed seal around the perimeter of the door to inhibit access between the door and the card vault case with a prying tool.
In a pler~lled embodiment, the code entry and recognition means include a code entry keypad cooperating with a programmable controller having an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) to facilitate reprogldl".~ g of the code entry and 2 o recognition means, for example, up and until the time the card vault of the present invention is sealed for product shipment. The code entry and recognition means thereby facilitates adjusting precletermin~ble adjustable variables within the preprogrammed software routines in the EEPROM
to allow adjustable tailoring of the active defence of the confidential information on the cards within the card vault, for example, adjusting the time period during which the code entry and recognition means would cause the card vault to go inactive, "sleep" or "lock-down" upon attempted entry of an unrecognized entry code.
In alternative embodiments, the destruction means which operates by means of electrical burning or fusing of the information carrying means on the card may include a fuser assembly which may take many different forms as, for example, electro-chemical, electrical or merely a burn-in template for burning in words such as "void" onto the information carrying means on the card. The fuser assembly may be in the form of camera flash bulbs or flash filaments, and may be adapted for fusing predetermined spots on the information carrying means depending on the type of the information carrying means employed by the card intended to be inserted into the card vault. Using the example of the magnetic stripe information carrying means, then selective spots may be fused on the magnetic stripe to selectively disfigure selected information on the magnetic stripe.
The destruction means may also include means to electrically damage the information carrying means on logically controlled "smart" cards carried within the card vault or may include magnetic destruction means to destroy, disfigure or otherwise render useless and unreadable a magnetic stripe bearing code information.
In a further alternative embodiment, the card security device of the present invention provides a card case for holding a credit card sized card, where the case has built-in ink, or like permanent m~rking solution reservoirs and built-in electrical magnetic strip demagnetizing means so that unauthorized removal of a card from the card case will cause the card to be permanently marked by the fluid in the reservoirs and will also cause the magnetic strip on the rear surface of the card to be perrn~nently damaged. Access, that is, removal of the card from the case, is governed by entry of a coded password onto an ~xtt-rn~l keypad. Entry of the correct password disarms the circuitry controlling the perm~nent m~rking means and magnetic strip demagnetizing 2 5 means in the card case so as to allow the removal of the card from the case without ~1~m~gin~ the card.
In the event that the card case of the present invention is forcibly broken open, the perm~nent m~rking fluid reservoirs rupture to perm:~nently mark the card. In the event that the card is removed from the card case without entry of the correct password, the permanent m~rking fluid in the reservoirs is released onto the card and the magnetic strip demagnetizing means is activated so as to damage or erase the magnetic strip on the card rendering the card both sufficiently marked so as to alert a teller or clerk manipulating the card during a card transaction, and electrically damaged so that a teller or clerk would be forced to look at the card to ascertain the account number for manual entry into the CO~ e~ ;7~d system m~inl~ined by the card issuing institution.
The card case is also provided with an alarm which is timed so that after a preset time from authoriæd removal of the card from the card case, if the card has not been returned to the card case, the alarm is triggered.
In summary, a card security device has a case for snugly receiving therein a card, sensing means in the case for sensing when the card has been inserted into the case and for sensing when the card is being removed from the case, and for sending a trigger signal as the card is removed from the case via communication means to a m~rking means for m~rking the card as the card is removed from the case or a card d~m~ging means for d~m~ging the card as the card is 2 o removed from the case. Di~rming signal means is provided for receipt of a tli~rming input from a user and communication of a ~ rming signal to a ~ rming means. The (li~rminp; means prevents communication of the trigger signal to the m~rking means for m~rking the card or the card d~m~ging means for d~m~gin~ the card upon receipt of the ~ rming signal as the card is removed from the case.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is, in perspective view, the card security device of the present invention.
- 2 ! 92892 Figure 2 is, in exploded front elevation view, the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 3a is, in plan view, the interior surface of the upper casing of the cardsecurity device of Figure 1.
Figure 3b is, in front elevation view, the upper casing of Figure 3a.
Figure 3c is, in side elevation view, the upper casing of Figure 3a.
0 Figure 3d is the keypad plate of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 3e is, in plan view, the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 4a is, in plan view, the interior surface of the lower casing of the cardsecurity device of Figure 1.
Figure 4b is, in front elevation view, the lower casing of Figure 4a.
Figure 4c is, in side elevation view, the lower casing of Figure 4a.
Figure Sa is, in front elevation view, the latch mechanism of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 5b is, in side elevation view, the latch of Figure 5a.
Figure 5c is, in plan view, the latch of Figure 5a.
Figure 6a is, in front elevation view, the access door of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 6b is, in side elevation view, the access door of Figure 6a.
Figure 6c is, in plan view, the access door of Figure 6a.
Figure 7a is, in plan view, an upper card receiving cavity member of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 7b is, in front elevation view, the upper card receiving cavity member ofFigure 7a.
Figure 7c is, in side elevation view, the upper card receiving cavity member of Figure 7a.
Figure 8a is, in plan view, the lower card receiving cavity member of the card security device of Figure 1.
2 o Figure 8b is, in front elevation view, the lower card receiving cavity member of Figure 8a.
Figure 8c is, in side elevation view, the lower card receiving cavity member of Figure 8a.
Figure 9 is, in plan view, the card destruction printed circuit mounting board of the card security device of Figure 1.
-Figure lOa is, in front elevation view, the card entry bezel of the card security device of Figure 1.
Figure 1 Ob is, in plan view, the card entry bezel of Figure 1 Oa.
Figure 1 Oc is, in side elevation view, the card entry bezel of Figure 1 Oa.
Figure 11 is a front elevation view of an ~ltern:~tive embodiment of the credit card security device of the present invention with a credit card inserted.
Figure 12 is a side elevation view ofthe credit card security device of Figure 11.
Figure 13 is a sectional view along line 3-3 in Figure 12.
Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the operation of the credit card security device of the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment 2 o As illustrated in Figures 1 - 10, card security device 10 includes vault casing 12 for rigidly mounting therein the componentry as hereinafter described so as to releasably store cards 14 within vault casing 12. Preferably, cards 14 are standard credit card sized cards such as described above and vault casing 12 is sufficiently large so as to define therein a cavity 16 into which may be mounted, as better seen in exploded view in Figure 2, between upper vault casing 2 5 12a and lower vault casing 12b, a controller printed circuit board 18, a card destruction printed circuit board 20 sandwiched between adjacently mounted upper and lower card receiving cavity members 22 and 24 respectively, where controller printed circuit board 18 and card destruction 2 i 928~2 printed circuit board 20 are each generally planar and mounted in generally parallel spaced apart array sandwiched between upper case 12a and lower case 12b.
As may be seen in Figures 3a - 3d, upper casing 12a may define an aperture on anuppermost generally planar surface 26 into which, or behind which, may be mounted a keypad plate 28 for protrusion therethrough of keypad buttons 30. Keypad buttons 30 are mounted onto controller printed circuit board 18 so as to cooperate therewith. Keypad buttons 30, in one embodiment, are touch sensitive membranes labelled and arranged according to the configuration depicted in Figure 3e.
Flanges 22 extend from upper vault casing 12a so as to lockingly mate with corresponding mating apertures 34 in lower vault casing 12b, seen in Figures 4a - 4c. Lower vault casing 12b has flanges 36 for locking mating with upper vault casing 12a.
1 5 Flanges 38 on the lower interior surface of lower vault casing 12a as seen in Figure 4a support solenoid 40. Solenoid 40 when mounted within flanges 38 cooperates with door latch 42, where door latch 42 is better seen in Figures 5a - 5c. Door latch 42 is pivotally mounted within vault casing 12 so that when solenoid 40 is energized, push rod 44 engages push rod en~ging member 46 on door latch 42. When push rod 44 pushes against push rod en~gin~
2 o member 46, door latch 42 is rotated in direction A so as to release latch bar 48 from l~tçhin~
engagement with latch bar receiving groove 50 in access door 52. Access door 52 is pivotally mounted in lower vault casing 12b so that when unlatched by rotation of latch 42 in direction A
access door 52 may be pivoted in direction B so as to expose card entry bezel 54. Access door 52 is best seen in Figures 6a - 6c. Pivot pins 56 or the like may be mounted in channel 58 so as to 2 5 protrude from a lower edge of access door 52 so as to pivotally mount in pin receiving apertures 60 in lower vault case 12b. Protrusions 62 which protrude outwardly of door latch 42 pivotally mount in receiving apertures 64 in upper vault case 12a.
~ 2 1 92892 Card entry bezel 54 has parallel spaced apart card receiving slots 66 which correspond to generally planar parallel spaced apart card slots 68 formed by the mounting of upper and lower card receiving cavity members 22 and 24 on opposed sides of card destruction printed circuit board 20 as may better be seen in Figures 7a - 7c, which illustrate upper card receiving cavity member 22, and Figures 8a - 8c, which illustrates lower card receiving cavity member 24.
It may be seen that card slots 68 are defined by the generally plate-like card receiving cavity members 22 and 24 mounted by mounting flanges 70 to card destruction printed circuit board 20 so as to space apart interior surfaces 72 and 74 respectively of upper and lower card receiving cavity members 22 and 24 from the opposed corresponding surfaces of card destruction printed circuit board 20. In the preferred embodiment receiving slots 66 and card slots 68 are closely aligned and sized to exacting tolerances so that standard credit-card sized cards fit very snugly into cards slots 68 through receiving slots 66. In this embodiment, for applications where cards 14 have raised lettering in a conventionally sized and conventionally positioned format, receiving slots 66 and card slots 68 are notched and channelled respectively to allow passage of the raised 1 5 lettering. In the drawings, only notches 66a are depicted (in Figure 1 Oa) on receiving slots 66, it being understood that corresponding longitudinal channels would be formed in upper and lower card receiving cavity members 22 and 24. Advantageously, notches 66a and their corresponding channels would, as depicted, be formed so as not to be adjacent card destruction printed circuit board 20. Thus, in the case of a conventional card 14 having raised lettering 14a on one side and 2 o a magnetic strip 84 on the opposite side, notches 66a require that card 14 be inserted in only one orientation. Consequently the location of magnetic strip 84 will be known, or at least it will be known that magnetic strip 84 will be adjacent card destruction printed circuit board 20, so that the destruction means 82, 86 or 88 need only be mounted on circuit board 20.
The laterally opposed edges of card destruction printed circuit board 20 and controller printed control board 18 are mounted in corresponding grooves in the laterally opposed sides of vault casing 12.
Upper card receiving cavity member 22 may be adapted to support a battery (not shown) thereon by means of battery enclosure 78. Opposed generally vertical flange members 80 mounted to the upper surface of upper receiving cavity member 22 stabilize controller printed circuit board 18 in spaced apart relation above card destruction printed circuit board 20.
As seen in Figure 9, card destruction printed circuit board 20 will have mountedtherein various defence mech~ni~m~ which, when triggered by a coordin:~ting signal from controllerprinted circuit board 18, will activate so as to render useless one or both of cards 14 held within card slots 68. In particular, electrical or magnetic demagnetizing means may be provided 1 0 on opposed sides of card destruction printed circuit board 20 (although one side is depicted in Figure 9) so that when triggered by controller printed circuit board 18, the demagnetizing means 82 such as would be known to those skilled in the art, will demagnetize magnetic strip 84 on card 14. An electrical destruction means may operate by means of heating as by fusing or heating element 86 which, when heated, will act to render card 14 useless or at least disfigure card 14.
Further, friction or traction card destruction means 88 which may take the form of a toothed pr barbed surface which, when actuated or released by a triggering signal from controller printed circuit board 18, will engage the magnetic strip 84 or like information carrying medium on card 14 by selective spring biasing or the like so as to render card 14 useless or at least disfigured.
Where notches 66a are not employed to orient card 14, corresponding d~m~gnetizing means 82, fusing or heating element 86, and friction or traction destruction means 88 may also be cooperatively mounted in opposed facing relation on interior surfaces 72 and 74 of card receiving cavity members 22 and 24. Thus, in order for a card 14 to be effectively "killed"
by demagneti7ing, heating or traction destruction, it would not matter how card 14 was oriented 2 5 within its card slot when stored between its corresponding card receiving cavity member and card destruction printed circuit board 20.
2 ~ 92a~2 In a prerelled embodiment, status indicators 90, which may be light emitting diodes (LEDs), are mounted so as to visibly disposed adjacent keypad buttons 30. Although collectively indicated by reference numeral 90, status indicators 90 would operate independently as controlled by controller printed circuit board 18 so as to indicate when vault 12 was in a "locked" mode, indicating that access door 52 was locked shut by latch 42, in an "open" mode indicating that access door 52 was unlatched, "warning" mode indicating that incorrect PIN codes have been entered and that the user is risking activation of one or all of the various card destruction means as controlled by controller printed circuit board 18 so as to trigger card destruction printed circuit board 20, and a "dead" or "killed" mode indicating that the operation of card destruction printed circuit board 20 has been triggered by controller printed circuit board 18 so that any card 14 stored in card slot 68 has been rendered useless or disfigured.
A pl~r~lled method of operation for activating the defence mech~nism~ pursuant to the progl~."l"il-g ofthe code entry and recognition means according to the present invention, is set out in Table 1, although it will be understood that other warning and destruction protocols may be programmed into the controller printed circuit board microprocessors or EEPROM and still fall within the scope of the present invention. The status indicated by the colour of the various status indicators 90 in the preferred embodiment are set out in Table 2.
2 o In an ~ltern~tive embodiment, the "start" button 30a which, when pressed, initiates the various routines governed by controller printed circuit board 18, may also act as a "status"
button triggering illumination of status indicators 90 corresponding to the current mode of the device. The enter code button 30b in the preferred embodiment is used to trigger the routine governed by controller printer circuit board 18 which allows for entry of the PIN code.
2~ 92~9~
TABLE l OPERATION
l . Enter PIN code. Either flash or beep as each keystroke is made, to help avoid mis-cues during entry. (the audible Enter numbers, then press ENTER key 36. cue should be able to be turned off, as it gives a clue to an eavesdropper of the number of digits in the code sequence.) 2. If code is recognized as OK, blink LEDflashes(UNLOCKED), solenoid UNLOCKED indicator, open retracted.
mechanical release latch 42.
3. If code is not recognized (i.e., a bad LED flashes (LOCKED).
code), blink LOCKED indicator.
code), blink LOCKED indicator.
4. After three retries (all bad codes) shut LED flashes (LOCKED), warning beeper off all activity for one minute delay). sounds.
beep 5. After the one minute delay, if another LED flashes (WARNING), warning beeper bad code is entered, flash WARNING sounds indicator, beep, then shut off all activity for five minute delay.
beep 5. After the one minute delay, if another LED flashes (WARNING), warning beeper bad code is entered, flash WARNING sounds indicator, beep, then shut off all activity for five minute delay.
6. After five minute delay, if one more bad LED flashes (KILLED), pulse mag field.
code is entered within a preset time (e.g.
2 o l hour, 3 hours, one day), kill card by triggering card destruction board 20.
Flash ~TT T Fn or DEAD indicator.
code is entered within a preset time (e.g.
2 o l hour, 3 hours, one day), kill card by triggering card destruction board 20.
Flash ~TT T Fn or DEAD indicator.
7. ST~TUS key can indicate when StatuswillshowLOCKED,UNLOCKEDor tampering detected, or allow new code WARNING or KILLED (or DEAD).
2 5 entry.
2 5 entry.
8. Once card 14 is removed through bezel Audible beep according to a "waiting for card 54, unit provides audible warnings until to return" program sequence.
card is returned through bezel 54.
card is returned through bezel 54.
9. Once the card is returned, and the access Unit will beep and flash LOCKED. Solenoid 3 o door 54 closed, the unit will self-lock by engage.
re-en~gin~ door latch 42 with access door 54 (sensing the card return by sensing means).
Indicators UNLOCKED GREEN shows unit is open.
LOCKED RED shows unit is closed.
WARNING RED or AMBER shows unit is in danger from tampering, or through incorrect operation.
KILLED RED, shows card has been destroyed.
As illustrated in Figure 11, in an alternative embodiment, credit card security device 112 has outer casing 114 which may be made of plastic, and which may be formed of two halves such as illustrated in Figure 12 as casing components 114a and 114b. Casing components 114a and 114b define a planar cavity therebetween for snugly receiving therein conventional credit card 116. Credit card 1 16, better seen in Figure 13, has a conventional longitudinal magnetic stripe 118, illustrated in dotted outline as extending longit~l(lin:~lly along the back surface of credit card 1 5 116. Casing 114 has magnetic stripe erasing coils 110 (also shown in dotted outline) incorporated into casing components 114a and 114b, placed so as to place at least one magnetic stripe erasing coil 110 adjacent magnetic stripe 118 on credit card 116 when credit card 116is inserted into casing 114, no matter in what orientation credit card 116is inserted.
2 o Casing elements 114a and 114b also define therebetween perm~nent m~rking fluid reservoirs 122 so that when casing elements 114a and 114b are assembled to form casing 114, reservoirs 122 may contain permanent m~rking fluid such as ink or m~rking fluid detectable under infra-red light or other radiation not visible to the human eye (hereinafter collectively referred to as "ink") held within the reservoirs. In the event that casing 114is physically broken or warped, 2 5 such as might occur if a person was to attempt to break open casing 114so as to gain unauthorized access to credit card 116, such physical deformation of casing 114 ruptures reservoirs 122 releasing the ink contained in reservoirs 122 into the cavity in casing 114 enclosing credit card 28 g~
116. In this manner, credit card 116 is permanently marked by the ink so as to visually indicate on credit card 116 that credit card 116 has been obtained by unauthorized access to casing 114.
Similarly, as fi~rther described below, electronically triggered permanent m~rking fluid reservoir 122a also contains ink or like perm~nent m~rking fluid so as to visually mark credit card 116 when reservoir 122a is ruptured upon an electronic trigger.
Tamper sensing switch 214 senses unauthorized tampering with casing 114, such as the above described physical deformation, and electronically triggers the rupturing of electronic triggered permanent m~rking fluid reservoir 122a so as to visually mark credit card 116, and lo energizes magnetic stripe erasing coils 110 so as to damage or erase magnetic stripe 118 on credit card 116.
A credit card 116 inserted into casing 114 is physically restrained therein by means of nipples 216 and interlock switches 218. Interlock switches 218 are interrogated, or otherwise transmit a signal to electronic control module 220 to indicate to electronic control module 220 when credit card 116 has been inserted into casing 114 and whether credit card 116 has been fully inserted. Interlock switch 218a senses when credit card 116 has been fully inserted into casing 114. Interlock switch 218b also assists in retaining credit card 116 within casing 114. Interlock switch 218c is spaced longitudinally from interlock switch 218b away from credit card 116 when 2 o fully inserted into casing 114, and closer to the opening, ie. the credit card removal aperture, in casing 114.
Electronic control module 220, magnetic stripe erasing coils 110, and an electronic fuse (not shown) used to rupture electronically triggered permanent m~rking fluid reservoir 122a, 2 5 and sensor circuits communicating between electronic control module 220 and interlock switches 218 and tamper sensing switch 214, are powered by batteries 222 and solar powered cell 224.
Batteries 222 may be 1.5 volt DC lithium batteries, perm~nently installed in casing 114. Batteries 222 are a back-up power source to solar power cell 224.
2 i ~2892 Digital display 226, password entry button 228, conventional calculator functionbuttons 230, and power button 232 are provided on the front face of casing 114 for interaction between a user and electronic control module 220 as hereinafter described.
When the credit card security device 112 is manufactured, electronic control module 220 is pre-programmed to recognize a digital password which is known only to the user of credit card security device 112. In use, the first insertion of credit card 116 into casing 114 by a user activates interlock switches 218, so that with credit card 116 fully inserted into casing 114 as indicated by activation of interlock switch 218a, credit card security device 112 is armed and o credit card 116 can only be removed without damage by keying in ofthe correct pre-programmed password.
Apart from use of electronic control module 220 as merely a conventional calculator by means of manipulation of calculator function buttons 230, which electronic control module 220 will allow at any time whether credit card security device 112 is armed or not, calculator function buttons 230 are used to enter the correct pre-programmed password by the user to gain authorized access to credit card 116 (see Figure 14). To use the conventional calculator functions, power button 230 is depressed so as to power electronic control module 220. Calculator function buttons 230 may be then used in the usual manner. To enter the pre-programmed 2 o password so as to gain access to credit card 116, power button 232 is first depressed and then password button 228 is depressed. The pre-programmed password may then be entered by depressing the numeric keys of calculator function buttons 230. The sequence of numerals depressed are displayed on digital display 226. Upon depression of password entry button 228, Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds a single beep to indicate to the user that the password may be 2 5 entered. Upon entry of the password, password entry button 228 is again depressed and, if the correct pre-programmed password has been entered, Piezo electric buzzer 234 will sound again as three rapid beeps to indicate correct password entry. Electronic control module 220 then - 2 1 92~92 disarms credit card security device 112 forperiod of 15 seconds within which time credit card 116 may be safely removed from casing 114.
If credit card 116 is not removed within the 15 second time frame controlled by electronic control module 220, Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds again as a beep of 1 second duration to indicate that the password has to be re-entered. Similarly, if the password entered was incorrect, Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds as a 1 second beep to indicate that the password has to be reentered.
If after 5 mimltes, or some other a~ro~liate time pre-programmed into electroniccontrol module 220 to allow for a credit card transaction, credit card 116 has not been reinserted into casing 114 so as to activate interlock switch 218a, Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds as 3 beeps to indicate to the user to reinsert credit card 116 into casing 114. At further pre-programmed timed intervals, for example, at the end of each of two further 5 minute timed intervals, Piezo 1 5 electric buzzer 234 again sounds as a further reminder to the user to reinsert credit card 116 into casing 114. If credit card 116 has not been reinserted into casing 114 within the pre-programmed sequence governed by electronic control module 220, credit card security device 112 is deactivated and will not reactivate until reinsertion of credit card 116 into casing 114 so as to activate interlock switches 218. If credit card 116is reinserted into casing 114 within the pre-programmed sequence governed by electronic control module 220, then credit card security device 112 is once again armed.
In the event that a user neglects to enter the correct pre-programmed password so as to disarm credit card security device 112 before attempting to remove credit card 116 from 2 5 casing 114, then as credit card 116is initially slid outwards from casing 114 so as to activate interlock switch 218b, but has not activated interlock switch 218c (ie, credit card 116 has not been pulled sufficiently far out of casing 114), Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds as 3 beeps in rapid succession to warn the user that further removal of credit card 116 from casing 114 will trigger "~- 2 1 92892 the credit card m~rking and ~l~m~ging operation of credit card security device 112. So long as the user heeds the warning and enters the correct pre-programmed password as described above, credit card security device 112 can still be disarmed so as to allow access to credit card 116 in the above described manner governed by electronic control module 220.
In the event that credit card 116 is removed from casing 114 without entry of the correct pre-programmed pas~word, and credit card 116 is pulled from casing 114 so as to activate interlock switch 218c, electronic control module 112 operates to:
1 o (a) sound Piezo electric buzzer 234 as a continuous series of short beeps;
(b) apply an electric current to the electric fuse associated with electronically triggered permanent m~rking fluid reservoir 122a so as to open that reservoir's membrane causing permanent m~rking fluid to flow onto credit card 116; and, (c) apply an electric current to magnetic stripe erasing coils 110 so as to damage or erase magnetic stripe 11 8 as credit card 11 6 is removed from casing 11 4.
As will be a~pa~ to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, 2 o many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.
re-en~gin~ door latch 42 with access door 54 (sensing the card return by sensing means).
Indicators UNLOCKED GREEN shows unit is open.
LOCKED RED shows unit is closed.
WARNING RED or AMBER shows unit is in danger from tampering, or through incorrect operation.
KILLED RED, shows card has been destroyed.
As illustrated in Figure 11, in an alternative embodiment, credit card security device 112 has outer casing 114 which may be made of plastic, and which may be formed of two halves such as illustrated in Figure 12 as casing components 114a and 114b. Casing components 114a and 114b define a planar cavity therebetween for snugly receiving therein conventional credit card 116. Credit card 1 16, better seen in Figure 13, has a conventional longitudinal magnetic stripe 118, illustrated in dotted outline as extending longit~l(lin:~lly along the back surface of credit card 1 5 116. Casing 114 has magnetic stripe erasing coils 110 (also shown in dotted outline) incorporated into casing components 114a and 114b, placed so as to place at least one magnetic stripe erasing coil 110 adjacent magnetic stripe 118 on credit card 116 when credit card 116is inserted into casing 114, no matter in what orientation credit card 116is inserted.
2 o Casing elements 114a and 114b also define therebetween perm~nent m~rking fluid reservoirs 122 so that when casing elements 114a and 114b are assembled to form casing 114, reservoirs 122 may contain permanent m~rking fluid such as ink or m~rking fluid detectable under infra-red light or other radiation not visible to the human eye (hereinafter collectively referred to as "ink") held within the reservoirs. In the event that casing 114is physically broken or warped, 2 5 such as might occur if a person was to attempt to break open casing 114so as to gain unauthorized access to credit card 116, such physical deformation of casing 114 ruptures reservoirs 122 releasing the ink contained in reservoirs 122 into the cavity in casing 114 enclosing credit card 28 g~
116. In this manner, credit card 116 is permanently marked by the ink so as to visually indicate on credit card 116 that credit card 116 has been obtained by unauthorized access to casing 114.
Similarly, as fi~rther described below, electronically triggered permanent m~rking fluid reservoir 122a also contains ink or like perm~nent m~rking fluid so as to visually mark credit card 116 when reservoir 122a is ruptured upon an electronic trigger.
Tamper sensing switch 214 senses unauthorized tampering with casing 114, such as the above described physical deformation, and electronically triggers the rupturing of electronic triggered permanent m~rking fluid reservoir 122a so as to visually mark credit card 116, and lo energizes magnetic stripe erasing coils 110 so as to damage or erase magnetic stripe 118 on credit card 116.
A credit card 116 inserted into casing 114 is physically restrained therein by means of nipples 216 and interlock switches 218. Interlock switches 218 are interrogated, or otherwise transmit a signal to electronic control module 220 to indicate to electronic control module 220 when credit card 116 has been inserted into casing 114 and whether credit card 116 has been fully inserted. Interlock switch 218a senses when credit card 116 has been fully inserted into casing 114. Interlock switch 218b also assists in retaining credit card 116 within casing 114. Interlock switch 218c is spaced longitudinally from interlock switch 218b away from credit card 116 when 2 o fully inserted into casing 114, and closer to the opening, ie. the credit card removal aperture, in casing 114.
Electronic control module 220, magnetic stripe erasing coils 110, and an electronic fuse (not shown) used to rupture electronically triggered permanent m~rking fluid reservoir 122a, 2 5 and sensor circuits communicating between electronic control module 220 and interlock switches 218 and tamper sensing switch 214, are powered by batteries 222 and solar powered cell 224.
Batteries 222 may be 1.5 volt DC lithium batteries, perm~nently installed in casing 114. Batteries 222 are a back-up power source to solar power cell 224.
2 i ~2892 Digital display 226, password entry button 228, conventional calculator functionbuttons 230, and power button 232 are provided on the front face of casing 114 for interaction between a user and electronic control module 220 as hereinafter described.
When the credit card security device 112 is manufactured, electronic control module 220 is pre-programmed to recognize a digital password which is known only to the user of credit card security device 112. In use, the first insertion of credit card 116 into casing 114 by a user activates interlock switches 218, so that with credit card 116 fully inserted into casing 114 as indicated by activation of interlock switch 218a, credit card security device 112 is armed and o credit card 116 can only be removed without damage by keying in ofthe correct pre-programmed password.
Apart from use of electronic control module 220 as merely a conventional calculator by means of manipulation of calculator function buttons 230, which electronic control module 220 will allow at any time whether credit card security device 112 is armed or not, calculator function buttons 230 are used to enter the correct pre-programmed password by the user to gain authorized access to credit card 116 (see Figure 14). To use the conventional calculator functions, power button 230 is depressed so as to power electronic control module 220. Calculator function buttons 230 may be then used in the usual manner. To enter the pre-programmed 2 o password so as to gain access to credit card 116, power button 232 is first depressed and then password button 228 is depressed. The pre-programmed password may then be entered by depressing the numeric keys of calculator function buttons 230. The sequence of numerals depressed are displayed on digital display 226. Upon depression of password entry button 228, Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds a single beep to indicate to the user that the password may be 2 5 entered. Upon entry of the password, password entry button 228 is again depressed and, if the correct pre-programmed password has been entered, Piezo electric buzzer 234 will sound again as three rapid beeps to indicate correct password entry. Electronic control module 220 then - 2 1 92~92 disarms credit card security device 112 forperiod of 15 seconds within which time credit card 116 may be safely removed from casing 114.
If credit card 116 is not removed within the 15 second time frame controlled by electronic control module 220, Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds again as a beep of 1 second duration to indicate that the password has to be re-entered. Similarly, if the password entered was incorrect, Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds as a 1 second beep to indicate that the password has to be reentered.
If after 5 mimltes, or some other a~ro~liate time pre-programmed into electroniccontrol module 220 to allow for a credit card transaction, credit card 116 has not been reinserted into casing 114 so as to activate interlock switch 218a, Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds as 3 beeps to indicate to the user to reinsert credit card 116 into casing 114. At further pre-programmed timed intervals, for example, at the end of each of two further 5 minute timed intervals, Piezo 1 5 electric buzzer 234 again sounds as a further reminder to the user to reinsert credit card 116 into casing 114. If credit card 116 has not been reinserted into casing 114 within the pre-programmed sequence governed by electronic control module 220, credit card security device 112 is deactivated and will not reactivate until reinsertion of credit card 116 into casing 114 so as to activate interlock switches 218. If credit card 116is reinserted into casing 114 within the pre-programmed sequence governed by electronic control module 220, then credit card security device 112 is once again armed.
In the event that a user neglects to enter the correct pre-programmed password so as to disarm credit card security device 112 before attempting to remove credit card 116 from 2 5 casing 114, then as credit card 116is initially slid outwards from casing 114 so as to activate interlock switch 218b, but has not activated interlock switch 218c (ie, credit card 116 has not been pulled sufficiently far out of casing 114), Piezo electric buzzer 234 sounds as 3 beeps in rapid succession to warn the user that further removal of credit card 116 from casing 114 will trigger "~- 2 1 92892 the credit card m~rking and ~l~m~ging operation of credit card security device 112. So long as the user heeds the warning and enters the correct pre-programmed password as described above, credit card security device 112 can still be disarmed so as to allow access to credit card 116 in the above described manner governed by electronic control module 220.
In the event that credit card 116 is removed from casing 114 without entry of the correct pre-programmed pas~word, and credit card 116 is pulled from casing 114 so as to activate interlock switch 218c, electronic control module 112 operates to:
1 o (a) sound Piezo electric buzzer 234 as a continuous series of short beeps;
(b) apply an electric current to the electric fuse associated with electronically triggered permanent m~rking fluid reservoir 122a so as to open that reservoir's membrane causing permanent m~rking fluid to flow onto credit card 116; and, (c) apply an electric current to magnetic stripe erasing coils 110 so as to damage or erase magnetic stripe 11 8 as credit card 11 6 is removed from casing 11 4.
As will be a~pa~ to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, 2 o many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.
Claims (28)
1. A card security device for cards which have coded information on or within the cards comprising a mechanically closeable and releasably lockable card vault for releasable locking enclosure of cards within said card vault said card vault releasably lockable by releasable locking means, releasable by code entry and recognition means, for opening a vault door on said card vault upon entry of a predetermined code into, and recognition of said code by, said code entry and recognition means, wherein repeated incorrect entry by a user of an incorrect code into said code entry and recognition means, or forcible entry into said card vault either by forced releasing of a vault door or disruption of a vault casing results in a triggering, by monitoring and triggering means mounted within said vault casing, of a destruction means for rendering useless and unrecoverable by disfigurement or destruction by said destruction means of said coded information on information carrying means.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said destruction means may includes electrical burning means such as a heated wire or flash means, resistor or like element, or permanent disfigurement by ink or corrosive fluid or by permanent liquid adhesive.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein said destruction means is a mechanical destruction means to mechanically disfigure or destroy information carrying means for carrying said coded information on said card if a card held within said card vault is forcibly removed from said card vault, wherein said mechanical destruction means may include toothed card engagement means releasably engagable onto a card held in said card vault by a traction or friction device having means for cutting, or ripping into said card if said card is forcibly removed from said card vault without the toothed engagement means being released from the traction or friction engagement against said card prior to said card being removed.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein said toothed engagement means is a toothed traction wheel biased against a magnetic stripe on a card held within said card vault, wherein if said card is forcibly pulled free of said card vault without proper entry and recognition of said predetermined code by said code entry and recognition means, teeth on said toothed traction wheel permanently disfigure a magnetic stripe coating on said card whereby said confidential information is rendered irretrievably unusable and unrecoverable.
5. The device of claim 3 wherein mechanical destruction means is a "scrape gate".
6. The device of claim 5 wherein said scrape gate is a sharp blade releasably biased as by spring-loaded pressure against said information carrying means.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein said card vault case is a metal vault case adapted to form a Faraday Shield by means of grounding of said metal vault case, said Faraday Shield including a static drain layer built into a keyboard layer to provide continuous and contiguous grounded shielding around the entirety of said card vault thereby defending said card vault against electronic assault.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein said card vault further comprises a code entry keypad, said keypad adapted to prevent disruption of said keypad to gain forced access to said card vault.
9. The device of claim 2 further comprising a continuous hinge and closing mechanism for the card vault door so as to form a continuous closed seal around a perimeter of said card vault door to inhibit access between said card vault door and said card vault case with a prying tool.
10. The device of claim 6 wherein code entry and recognition means includes said code entry keypad cooperating with electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) to facilitate reprogramming of said code entry and recognition means, said code entry and recognition means thereby facilitating selectively adjusting predeterminable adjustable variables within a preprogrammed software routine in the EEPROM to allow selective adjusting of said card destruction means or of timing routines programmed into said EEPROM.
11. The device of claim 2 wherein said destruction means operatable by means of electrical burning of said information carrying means on said card includes a fuser.
12. The device of claim 2 wherein said destruction means is electro-chemical, electrical or a burn-in template for burning in words such as "void" onto said information carrying means on said card.
13. The device of claim 11 wherein said fuser is adapted for fusing predetermined spots on said information carrying means depending on the type of said information carrying means employed by said card.
14. The device of claim 2 wherein said destruction means includes means to electrically damage said information carrying means on logically controlled "smart" cards carried within said card vault.
15. The device of claim 2 wherein said destruction means includes magnetic destruction means to render useless and unreadable on said card a magnetic stripe bearing said coded information.
16. A card security device comprising:
a case for snugly receiving a credit card sized card therein, sensing means in said case for sensing when said card is being removed from said case, and for sending a trigger signal as said card is removed from said case via communication means to a disfiguring and marking means for disfiguring and marking said card as said card is removed from said case, disarming signal means for receipt of a disarming input from a user and communication of a disarming signal to a disarming means, said disarming means preventing communication of said trigger signal to said disfiguring and marking means upon receipt of said disarming signal by said disarming means.
a case for snugly receiving a credit card sized card therein, sensing means in said case for sensing when said card is being removed from said case, and for sending a trigger signal as said card is removed from said case via communication means to a disfiguring and marking means for disfiguring and marking said card as said card is removed from said case, disarming signal means for receipt of a disarming input from a user and communication of a disarming signal to a disarming means, said disarming means preventing communication of said trigger signal to said disfiguring and marking means upon receipt of said disarming signal by said disarming means.
17. A card security device comprising:
a case for snugly receiving a credit card sized card therein, sensing means in said case for sensing when said card is being removed from said case, and for sending a trigger signal as said card is removed from said case via communication means to a card damaging means for damaging said card as said card is removed from said case, disarming signal means for receipt of a disarming input from a user and communication of a disarming signal to a disarming means, said disarming means preventing communication of said trigger signal to said card disarming means upon receipt of said disarming signal by said disarming means.
a case for snugly receiving a credit card sized card therein, sensing means in said case for sensing when said card is being removed from said case, and for sending a trigger signal as said card is removed from said case via communication means to a card damaging means for damaging said card as said card is removed from said case, disarming signal means for receipt of a disarming input from a user and communication of a disarming signal to a disarming means, said disarming means preventing communication of said trigger signal to said card disarming means upon receipt of said disarming signal by said disarming means.
18. The device of claim 16 wherein said disfiguring and marking means comprises a fluid storage and releasing means for storing card marking fluid and releasing marking fluid into said case upon receipt of said trigger signal, whereby said card is marked by said card marking fluid upon removal of said card from said case.
19. The device of claim 18 wherein said fluid storage and releasing means comprises first marking fluid reservoirs formed in said case adjacent to, and at least one position around the periphery of, said card when inserted in said case, and said disfiguring and marking means further comprises second card marking fluid reservoirs in said case adjacent to, and at least one position around the periphery of, said card when inserted in said case, said second card marking fluid reservoirs rupturable so as to release card marking fluid into said case so as to mark said card upon deformation of said case.
20. The device of claim 17 wherein said card damaging means comprises magnetic stripe demagnetizing means for demagnetizing a magnetic stripe on said card.
21. The device of claim 20 wherein said magnetic stripe demagnetizing means comprises magnetic stripe demagnetizing coils.
22. The device of claim 21 wherein said magnetic stripe demagnetizing coils comprise an opposed pair of magnetic stripe demagnetizing coils adjacent a card removal aperture in said case whereby at least one of said magnetic stripe demagnetizing coils is positioned adjacent said magnetic stripe on said card when said card is inserted in said case.
23. The device of claim 19 wherein said disarming signal means comprises password entry means for receipt of a disarming password from a user.
24. The device of claim 17 wherein said disarming signal means comprises password entry means for receipt of disarming password from a user.
25. The device of claim 24 further comprising audible alarm means for audible signalling said trigger signal and said disarming signal.
26. The device of claim 25 further comprising timing means for timing an authorized removal period from when said sensing means sends said trigger signal until said sensing means sends a credit card insertion signal to said timing means upon reinsertion of said credit card into said case, said timing means activating said audible alarm when said authorized removal period exceeds a preset time.
27. The device of claim 17 wherein said case has a card removal aperture at a first longitudinal end of said case, said card removal aperture adapted to receive therethrough said card being removed from a first position in said case, wherein, in said first position, said card is fully inserted into said case, along an insertion and removal path, said sensing means comprising at least one sensor sensing into said insertion and removal path of said card as said card is removed through said credit card removal aperture from said first position.
28. The device of claim 27 wherein said at least one sensor is a switch means comprising first and second spaced apart switches, said first switch communicating with said audible alarm so as to activate said audible alarm upon removal of said card from said first position past said first switch, said second switch communicating with said disfiguring and marking means and said card damaging means so as to activate said disfiguring and marking means and said card damaging means as said card is removed from said first position past said first switch so as to engage said second switch.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US872695P | 1995-12-15 | 1995-12-15 | |
| US60/008,726 | 1995-12-15 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2192892A1 true CA2192892A1 (en) | 1997-06-16 |
Family
ID=21733309
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2192892 Abandoned CA2192892A1 (en) | 1995-12-15 | 1996-12-13 | Card security device |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2192892A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6374757B1 (en) * | 1999-12-02 | 2002-04-23 | Avner Farkash | Credit card security device |
-
1996
- 1996-12-13 CA CA 2192892 patent/CA2192892A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6374757B1 (en) * | 1999-12-02 | 2002-04-23 | Avner Farkash | Credit card security device |
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