GB2475292A

GB2475292A - PIN system providing supplementary codes

Info

Publication number: GB2475292A
Application number: GB0919859A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vaughan Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-11-13
Filing date: 2009-11-13
Publication date: 2011-05-18
Also published as: GB0919859D0

Abstract

A PIN recognition system, such as an ATM system, comprises a network of recognition machines 1 and an alphanumeric generator 5. The alphanumeric generator 5 is capable of generating a plurality of numbers and/or letter when prompted by a user's entry of his PIN in a recognition machine 1. The system is such that when that PIN is subsequently entered in that or another recognition machine 1, the recognition machine 1 will only fulfil the user's request if the user's PIN and at least some of the previously generated numbers or letters have also been entered. The generated number or letters act as an extra identifier or an additional one-time PIN for the user. The recognition machines 1 may be payment or withdrawal machines, ATMs, credit or debit card payment machines. The alphanumeric generator 5 is capable of generating sets of numbers and/or letters in a block, which each set comprising four numbers. The invention enhances security as in order to use a fraudulently obtained card the fraudster would need to know the additional PIN required to gain access.

Description

IMPOVEMENTS iN OR RELATING TO PIN RECOGMTION SYSTEMS The present invention relates to PIN recognition systems such as payment and/or withdrawal systems and particularly to improvements which help to overcome the problem of fraudulent use of such systems.

Payment and/or withdrawal machines such as automated teller machines (ATMs) have existed for over 40 years. The majority of these machines are connected to interbank networks so that people can pay in or withdraw cash from a machine that is not part of the bank in which a customer holds his account. One of the most common networks is known as LINK.

Although many steps have been taken to make them increasingly secure, they are still subject to fraudulent use. This can take many forms; for example a criminal can install a magnetic card reader over the card slot of a machine. A camera is used to photograph the customer's PIN and the card details are then cloned on to a second card which can be subsequently employed to take cash from the customer's account.

In order to combat card cloning so called smart cards have been developed, which cannot easily be copied. These may incorporate technology known as Chip and PIN but not all payment and/or withdrawal machines are currently able to read such cards.

It is an aim of the present invention to help overcome the problem of fraudulent use of payment and/or withdrawal machines and to that end there is provided a PIN recognition system comprising recognition machine means and alpha numeric generator means, which alpha numeric means is capable of generating, when prompted by a user's particular entry of his PIN in a recognition machine, a plurality of numbers and/or letters, the system being such that when that PIN is subsequently entered in that or another recognition machine that or the said another recognition machine will only fulfil the user's request if the users PIN and at least some of the previously generated numbers and/or letters have also been entered.

The PIN recognition system may comprise payment and/or withdrawal machine means The generating means may be capable of generating a block of numbers and/or letters, the block comprising a plurality of sets of numbers and/or letters.

Each set may comprise four numbers.

The payment and/or withdrawal machine may comprise an automated teller machine.

The payment and/or withdrawal machine may comprise a credit or debit card payment machine.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which shows a schematic arrangement of a PIN recognition system comprising an ATM system incorporating means for randomly generating numeric data.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown four ATM's 1 communicating with a central operating system 4 by means of an interbank network. Only four ATM's are shown to illustrate the principal of the present invention but in reality there could be many thousands of such machines. Also the lines 2 between each ATM's and the lines 3 between the ATM's and the central operating system 4, are only illustrative. In practice the network may comprise both wireless and hardline connections.

Associated with the central operating system is a number generator 5 which is capable of generating a series of numbers when a customer uses any of the ATM's in the interbank network.

The number generator may be capable of remembering the last number last used as an extra security measure.

Although the system is flexible in the way it operates, a particular example is as follows. When a customer inserts his card into the card slot of an ATM 1 and keys in his PiN, the machine reads the card in the usual manner. The customer is then prompted to enter four more numbers that have been generated by the number generator 5 the previous time that customer used that or another ATM in the network.

The numbers that are generated may be in five blocks of four, for example 2573, 1069, 5327, 3916 and 8403. The customer will then only be able to subsequently access an ATM if he enters the first block of generated numbers as well as his PIN. The next time an ATM is accessed the second block will have to used and so on. To prevent the customer running out of generated numbers fresh ones arc generated each time a machine is used.

Each set of numbers may be contained on an adhesive strip which can be removed from a backing sheet and destroyed when used, thereby leaving only the unused numbers.

The generated numbers can be either printed out whenever an ATM is used or be posted to the customer's address so that only the customer has access to them.

Although, the number generator is shown as being associated with the central operating system a number generator could be associated with each ATM in the system.

Although the above example has been described in relation to an ATM system, the present invention is equally applicable to a credit or debit card payment machine having a keypad as used in retail outlets.

The present invention is further applicable to a system such as one which accepts pre-payment information carriers, for example an oyster card when travelling by bus or train. In this case the card account is debited with or without the need to enter a pin number, depending on the system used.

The system is still further applicable to one for store cards or a security system for entry into a building.

Claims

Claims 1. A PIN recognition system comprising recognition machine means and alpha numeric generator means, which alpha numeric means is capable of generating, when prompted by a user's particular entry of his PIN in a recognition machine, a plurality of numbers andlor letters, the system being such that when that PIN is subsequently entered in that or another recognition machine that or the said another recognition machine will only fulfil the user's request if the users PIN and at least some of the previously generated numbers and/or letters have also been entered.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising payment and/or withdrawal machine means.
3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the generating means is capable of generating a block of numbers and/or letters, the block comprising a plurality of sets of numbers and/or letters.
4. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 2, wherein each set comprises four numbers.
5. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the payment and/or withdrawal machine comprises an automated teller machine.
6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the payment and/or withdrawal machine comprises a credit or debit card payment machine.
7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for accepting a prepayment information carrier, with or without the requirement to enter a PiN.
8. A PIN recognition system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing