WO1999014704A1

WO1999014704A1 - Smart card reader

Info

Publication number: WO1999014704A1
Application number: PCT/FR1998/001925
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frédéric NAVAS; Stéphane VAUDENDAINE
Original assignee: Gemplus S.C.A.
Priority date: 1997-09-12
Filing date: 1998-09-09
Publication date: 1999-03-25
Also published as: AU9081898A; FR2768531A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a smart card (2) reader (1) equipped with an end of travel sensor (3), for sensing the presence of a smart card inserted in the reader, and a lock (4) to prevent the card from being extracted once it has been inserted. The invention is characterised in that a signal (8) delivered by the lock and a signal (7) delivered by the presence sensing device are processed (8) simultaneously to authorise the reader to operate even if only one of said signals is present, in particular if the presence sensing device seems not to indicate the presence of a smart card any more.

Description

CHIP CARD READER

The present invention relates to a low cost smart card reader. It is intended to suit a very rapid extension of the market for the use of smart cards. By the simplicity of the design of the reader of the invention, mass production at a low price can be envisaged.

The reader of the invention finds application as a payment terminal by bank card or electronic purse card for carrying out financial transactions.

A smart card reader generally comprises a standard essential member commonly called a connector intended mainly to receive the card and to establish contact with the contact pads of a micro-module, carried by the card, which contains the chip. Contacting is only ensured if the smart card occupies a specific place in the connector. For this purpose, a connector naturally includes guide members, slides, for guiding the chip to its final position. The invention can also be applied to the field of contactless.

In order to avoid the application of untimely voltages on the contact pads of the micro-module, a presence detector is provided at the bottom of the reader. When the card is inserted in the reader, it presses the presence detector. This emits a signal which validates the application of voltages on the connectors of the micro-module and / or authorizes the transaction. As soon as the card is withdrawn, this validation disappears, all the tensions drop. This prevents short-circuit problems, dishonest attempts by fraudsters or accidental manipulation which has the effect of disrupting the progress of a transaction or exchange. To avoid fraud, various mechanisms are known which have the disadvantage of even slightly increasing the price of the reader. Thus, it is known blocking locking devices which either prevent the withdrawal of the card, or prevent it from even being accessible. The known devices include either a mechanical shutter, or a device for swallowing and / or ejecting the card. When they have a flap, this flap is intended to completely hide the vision that the operator can have of the card. In addition, this component is generally bulky, heavy. Its operation is complicated. The swallowing devices have the drawback that they too require complicated mechanics with displacement motors. One solution would consist in having means which would oppose or prevent withdrawal, for example linked to the above drive mechanisms. But again, such means would increase the price of the reader. In addition, another problem arose. It is linked to the tolerance for making cards and connectors and to the existence of the detector for the presence of a card inserted in the connector. The tolerance on the length of smart cards, combined with the manufacturing and mounting tolerances of connectors, can produce deviations of up to 0.9 mm. It is therefore necessary to have in addition to the space for the card, a mechanical clearance greater than or equal to 0.9 mm between the front part of the connector, the detector in the depressed position, and the latch. This game then has the disadvantage of causing the presence detector to be triggered in the event of accidental or intentional withdrawal of the card. Indeed, the presence detectors are designed to be triggered as soon as the card is withdrawn beyond approximately 0.3 mm.

The inventors have found that, the margin of displacement of the contact contact probes on the contact pads of the chip being approximately 1.5 mm, that the presence detector can invalidate a card which would be withdrawn beyond 0 , 3 mm whereas, on its withdrawal stroke, there would still be 1 mm for which the connection would normally be ensured. The object of the invention is to provide a simple compact and inexpensive anti-fraud reader.

The solution of the invention consists in using a minimum of components, if possible standard in particular as regards the connector and the lock, and in adapting them to avoid the problem of inadvertent triggering of the presence detector. It also consists in designing a reader structure which avoids the use of drive and / or ejection mechanisms. The adaptation notably consists in considering only the position of the lock to validate the power-up and / or authorize the progress of a transaction whatever the state of the presence detector. In doing so, during an accidental movement of the card, it releases its pressure on the presence detector. The signal delivered by the latter then becomes ineffective insofar as, the card being prevented from reversing too much by the locking, the electrical contacts are maintained. The signal from lock can also come for security reasons to replace the presence detector signal to continue to validate the operation of the reader. The subject of the invention is therefore a chip card reader comprising a detector for the presence of a chip card inserted in the reader and a mechanical lock for blocking an inserted chip card, characterized in that it comprises a logic circuit for processing the indications delivered by the presence detector to trigger the locking in response to the presence detector and authorize the progress of a transaction and / or the powering up after the triggering of the locking. In short, the invention comprises the following essential elements:

- a simple guide of the card for the insertion, extraction and partial manual swallowing thereof, - a lock acting on the back of the card,

- a presence detector triggering the actuation of the lock,

- the powering up and / or the authorization of the progress of a transaction being ordered only after the actuation of the lock.

For security, the power-up and / or authorization may be subject to verification of

1 actuation of the lock. For this purpose, a lock actuation detector such as a position detector can be added.

Alternatively, the movement of the lock can establish an electrical contact which triggers the control of the power-up and / or the authorization. This means that one of the detector functions is bypassed of presence which usually is that above, in favor of the lock.

In other words, for an operation of the reader, it suffices to have the lock actuated whatever the state of the presence detector.

According to a simplified embodiment, a microprocessor circuit comprises a program comprising a step according to which it authorizes the power-up and / or the transaction, said step intervening after the execution of a step of controlling the actuation of the lock .

According to a security mode, the last control step above is only activated when the microprocessor receives a signal representative of the actuation of the lock. This signal can be emitted in particular by a position detector.

Unlocking can take place after the end of transaction signal has been received by the microprocessor circuit. A new cycle may only start again after unlocking, absence of card detection, and new card detection.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and on examining the figures which accompany it. These are given for information only and in no way limit the invention. The figures show:

- Figures la and lb: a smart card reader according to the invention with a lock in an open position on the one hand and closed on the other hand;

- Figure 2: an illustration of the different games of the smart card in the reader;

- Figure 3: a perspective representation of a reader according to the invention; - Figure 4: a flowchart of the various functions performed by the reader to process the indications delivered by the presence detector and the position detector of the invention. FIG. 1 shows a reader 1 for reading a chip card 2. The reader 1 comprises a presence detector 3 for detecting the presence of a chip card which is inserted in the reader. The reader also comprises a latch 4 shown respectively in the open position in FIG. 1 a and closed in FIG. 1 b. According to a characteristic of the invention, the lock 4 can be provided with a position detector 5. This position detector delivers an indication of the opening or closing position of the lock 4. In practice, the indications delivered by the detectors will be an electrical signal. The two electrical signals are here symbolically led by connections 6 and 7 respectively to a logic processing circuit 8 which produces a signal for validating the operation of the reader 1. To simplify the explanation, the logic circuit 8 is quite simply an OR gate forming a logical OR between the signals available on connections 6 and 7.

Although a fully mechanical solution for the lock 4, and the detector 5 can be envisaged, in which case the indications would be mechanical indications (position of lever or cam in a device), the position detector 5 will rather be an electronic detector. As such it will provide an electrical signal. In a preferred form, a position detector according to the invention comprises a photo-emitter 9, a photo-detector 10 and a connecting channel 11 for conducting the light produced by the photo-emitter 9 on the photo-detector 10. The detector 5 might not also include a simple electro-mechanical relay.

In the example, the lock comprises a rotating leg 12. The leg 12 can rotate around an axis 13 substantially parallel to the plane of the smart card 2. At one end of the leg 12 is fixed a bolt 14.

This bolt 14 is used to block, figure lb, the rear of the smart card 2. When it is raised, figure la, the bolt 14 allows the insertion or extraction of the smart card 2. At another end , leg

15 carries an index 15. The index 15, could nevertheless be produced on the same end as that where the bolt 14 is produced. In the form shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the lock is generally in the form of an S. L 'index, depending on its position, figure la or figure lb, is interposed or not in the channel 11 formed between the photo-emitter 9 and the photo-detector 10. The photo-detector 10 therefore delivers a signal, conveyed by the connection 6, representative of the closed or open position of the lock 4. In the following explanations which will be given, the signal from the photo-detector 10 will be said to be active when the index does not obstruct the channel 11, that is to say when the lock is closed.

In the preferred embodiment, the connector 30 is provided with members not shown for contacting the contact pads 16 of the chip 2 as well as a presence detector mounted on a printed circuit 17. The axis 13 and the plane of the card are parallel to the plane of the printed circuit 17. In the invention, the existence of this printed circuit is advantageously used to also mount an electromagnet 18 used to maneuver and hold the leg 12. Thus, no further adaptation is to be made on the reader housing. According to another embodiment, there is independence between the means for guiding the card, the presence detector and the members for bringing the grid or landing runway into contact. The latter two can be mounted in isolation on the printed circuit board.

The electromagnet 18 is controlled by a control circuit 19 of the reader. The circuit 19 may in particular include a microprocessor for implementing a program as will be explained below. The circuit 19 also receives by a bus 20 all the signals available on the connector of the reader in relation to the connector 16 of the smart card. In the invention, the circuit 19 receives by a connection 21 a signal processed by the circuit 8 and produces by a connection 22 a control signal from the electromagnet 18.

Circuit 8 is shown outside of circuit 19 to make it understand how it works. However, the microprocessor 19 is of course capable of also ensuring the function of the circuit 8. The function of this circuit 3 is to replace the presence detection signal delivered by the connection 7 with a detection signal of the closed position of the latch. When the card has inadvertently been slightly withdrawn, while remaining held by the clip 14 inside the reader 1, the signal on the connection 6 keeps the reader functions validated. The circuit 19 can also be deported to a device external to the reader 1, and to which the reader 1 is connected.

The solution consisting in fixing all the elements 30, 4, 19 on the same printed circuit 17 is particularly economical and finds its interest in the light nature of the lock 4 thus produced.

FIG. 2 shows the games authorized by the reader of the invention. It repeats the same elements as FIGS. 1 a and 1 b and also shows a smart card 2 whose manufacturing tolerances, cumulated with the manufacturing tolerances of the reader itself, lead to a clearance 23 of approximately 0.9 mm. . As the travel of the position detector 3, in the direction of insertion of the smart card, is of the order of 0.3 mm there are cases where the card can be slightly withdrawn, stay in contact with the targette 14 while no longer being detected by the limit switch 3. FIG. 3 shows a box 25 serving to contain the reader 1. The profile 26 of the box 25 is recalled in FIG. 2. The smart card having a rectangular shape, the housing 25 is designed in such a way that it has an opercular part 27 to reveal a part of the card 2, in this case a corner. The housing 25 also has another part 28, adjacent to the part 27, for masking another part of the card, in this case another corner thereof. In part 23 to hide, the lock 4 was made.

The particularity of part 27 is twofold. On the one hand, it allows the card to be grasped by hand, and therefore avoids having to carry out transport means for bringing the smart card 2 into contact with the connector corresponding to the connector 16 of the smart card, or means ejection for example by spring. On the other hand, the shape of the part 27 has the particularity of being small so that the gripping by an operator cannot be exerted with force. sufficient. In fact, an operator can only grasp card 2 with the tip of two fingers, for example the thumb and the index finger. Under these conditions, it cannot exert a very large force for extraction. This then has the effect that the bolt 14 can be made, as well as the whole of the lock 4, in light materials, less resistant, but above all much cheaper. The gripping force is then insufficient to allow the user to break the locking mechanism. If necessary, the draft of the part 27 can be enlarged to suit easier gripping of the card 2. The position of the lock 4 in the part 28 of course prevents an operator from being able to actuate this lock inadvertently.

Figure 4 shows a flowchart of the operation of the reader according to the invention. The circuit 19, if it is carried by the printed circuit 17, or another circuit to which the buses 8 and the connections 21 and 22 would be connected, performs a first cyclic test 31. Test 31 consists in knowing whether a smart card is present in the reader 1. This test 31 relates to the measurement of the signal available on the connection 7. As long as a smart card is not inserted, the system loops . As soon as the program detects that a smart card has been inserted, it causes by an instruction 32 the locking by one electromagnet 18 of the lock 4. The instruction 32 takes the form of the circulation of an adequate signal in the connection 22. Following this action, the program tests the position of the lock 4 by an instruction 33. The test 33 is carried out by examining for example the signal available on the connection 6. As a variant, the microprocessor 19 stores in memory the causes it to give an order to close the lock and uses this memorization as a signal equivalent to that of the lock position detector. If this signal is not active, there may be edition of an error message displayed on the screen 34 of the reader (FIG. 3) or else the execution of a new closing order 35.

When the lock is closed, the photo-emitter 9 illuminates the photo-detector 10, the signal on the connection 6 becomes active. In this case, by an instruction 36, the microprocessor 19 deactivates the presence detector 3. This deactivation 36 is equivalent to the existence of the OR gate 8. Then the reader 1 communicates with the card 2 in a set of operations 37 relating to the use of card 2 with reader 1.

When the exchange is finished, the program launches an end of exchange test 38. At the end of the exchange, the program causes the chip card 39 to be switched off, and the lock 40 to open and, if necessary, the emission of a perceptible signal, for example a light signal, to indicate withdrawal. manual of the card by a user. Depending on the technology or the system selected, there will subsequently be an operation 41 of reactivation of the presence detector, either after a few seconds, or only after removing the lock.

In the latter case, deactivation is in two stages. Firstly, the presence detector 3 is reactivated, it provides a signal relating to the fact that the card has not yet been removed. A reactivation and an operation in accordance with the program shown in the figure are then authorized _. 4 as soon as the signal delivered by the presence detector 3 has passed a times by a state in which it detects the absence of a smart card and then the presence of a new card.

The electromagnet 18 is provided in such a way that, if the reader is not supplied with electricity, the targette 14 automatically rises releasing the smart card 2. The control of the electromagnet itself requires sending of a sufficient pulse to rotate the leg 12, then a low holding voltage when the targette is lowered. In the embodiment, it is preferable to use a holding electromagnet to an electromagnet of the movable core type due in particular to its lightness, compactness, consumption. In addition, it is best suited for mounting on a printed circuit board.

Claims

1 - smart card reader (1) (2) comprising a detector (3) for the presence of a smart card inserted in the reader and a mechanical lock (4) for blocking an inserted smart card, characterized in what it includes is a logic circuit (8) for processing the indications (6,7) delivered by the presence detector to trigger the locking in response to the presence detector and authorize the progress of a transaction and / or the setting voltage after triggering of the locking.

2 - Reader according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a lock position detector and in that the logic circuit (8, 19, 36) comprises a circuit for replacing a presence detection signal by a signal of position detection.

3 - Reader according to claim 2, characterized in that the position detector comprises a photoemitter (9), a photo-detector (10), and a channel (11) for interposing a part (15) of the lock between the photo- detector and photoemitter.

4 - Reader according to claim 3, characterized in that the photoemitter and photo-detector are electronic components and that the indications are electrical signals. 5 - Reader according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the presence detector and position detector are fixed to the same circuit (17) printed.

6 - Reader according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the lock comprises a leg (12) rotary (13), a targette (14) fixed to the leg to block, in a position of the leg, the extraction of the smart card, and an index (15) also fixed to the leg to pass in front of the detector of position. 7 - Reader according to claim 6, characterized in that the lock comprises a holding electromagnet (18) for maneuvering the leg.

8 - Reader according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a frame (26) comprising a part (27) opercular to let protrude a portion of the card and a part (28) to hide another portion of the card, the lock being in the part to hide.

9 - Reader according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a member (30) for guiding the insertion of the smart card.

10 - Reader according to claim 7, characterized in that, at rest, 1 electromagnet leaves the lock open. 11 - Reader according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the lock is mounted on a printed circuit.