WO2011081610A1

WO2011081610A1 - A device for a card jammed in a card reader

Info

Publication number: WO2011081610A1
Application number: PCT/TR2009/000160
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ismet Yesil; Devrim Alp Kosal
Original assignee: Ismet Yesil; Devrim Alp Kosal
Priority date: 2009-12-29
Filing date: 2009-12-29
Publication date: 2011-07-07

Abstract

The present invention relates to a detector for use in self-service terminals (SSTs) such as ATMs, which is arranged for anti-fraud purposes to prevent the intentional jamming of a magnetic or chip card in a card reader, as well as to a device, which prevents third parties from removing such jammed cards from the card reader or prevents reading-access to card data even when the card is removed out from the card reader.

Description

A DEVICE FOR A CARD JAMMED IN A CARD READER

Field of Invention The present invention relates to a detector for use in Self-Service Terminals (SSTs) such as ATMs, which is arranged for anti-fraud purposes to prevent jamming of a magnetic or chip card in a card reader, as well as to a device, which prevents third parties from removing such jammed cards from the card reader or prevents reading-access to the data on the card even when the card is removed out from the card reader.

Background of Invention

Cards are frequently used particularly in banking transactions at ATMs, as well as at gas station pumps, or for purchasing travel tickets, or at self-service terminals (SSTs), which provide for transactions following the login to private accounts.

A self-service terminal (SST) such as an ATM is generally classified in two groups, one of these groups being represented by motorized-type devices, which draw in a card entirely by means of a driver unit, and the other group being represented by devices without motors (i.e. motorless type), which draw in a card partially. On the other hand, an ATM comprises the following basic structural components: A card entry slot, a card driver unit, which in motorized-type devices drives in and out a card (1 ) into/out of the reader, a card reader, a power unit, and a processor.

In order to conduct a banking transaction by means of an ATM, a user (card holder) first inserts the card into the card entry slot, whereafter this card is driven into the ATM by means of the card driver unit in motorized-type devices, whereas the data on the magnetic strip or on the chip of the card are read by means of the device. If the card belongs to a valid user as determined following the data reading process, the ATM provides guiding information on the monitor, asking the user to enter the PIN code. Following the completion of this process, the card is returned by the ATM back from the entry slot.

It is a frequently-encountered type of fraud that a card is retained by means of a mechanism camouflaged in front of the entry slot of a card reader in SSTs (more often in ATMs) equipped with a motorized-type card reader.

In brief, this fraud is based on preventing a card from being driven in into the card reader, by means of a thin tape disposed in front of the entry slot for having the card become jammed at said slot, as well as on preventing said card from being driven out therefrom by means of a mechanism which allows to one-direction displacement only. A thin layer can similarly be applied to the entry slot for having the card become jammed. Since such mechanisms disposed look like original components, it is quite hard for the users to recognize them. When the card of a user becomes jammed, he/she supposes that the card is retained by the SST or that the SST is out-of-service, thereafter going away from the SST leaving the card therein. Once the user, i.e. the holder of the card, leaves the SST, the fraudster disassembles the mechanism disposed previously by himself at the entry slot of the card reader and obtains the card.

It is known that various mechanisms have been proposed for avoiding the theft of cards which become jammed in SSTs with motorized-type readers. The patent US 6494364, for instance, discloses a shutter, which -by means of a stepper motor- is displaced down- and upward over a guide once a card becomes jammed, thereby avoiding access to such jammed card from the exterior.

The patent US 7175085, on the other hand, discloses a mechanism, which restrains the card, if it becomes jammed in the reader, by means of a stressing element with a circular form. The case that whether the card is jammed or not is determined by three sensors disposed in the reader, which regularly check the presence of the card. For instance, if the 1^st sensor cannot detect the card a certain time period after it previously has detected it, and likewise if the 3^rd sensor cannot detect it a certain time period after the previous sensor has detected the card, the card is assumed to be jammed and the mechanism is operated to prevent the card from being taken out.

The patent US 5721420, in turn, discloses a mechanism, which is developed against any intention of opening/closing the shutter by any external intervention and which provides the opening/closing of the shutter by means of a cam mechanism.

In other arrangements already used in this technical field, the case that a card becomes jammed in the card reader is detected by means of a switch triggered by the shutter, and after a signal received from this switch is transmitted to the main board of the reader, a motor mechanism is driven, which is arranged in the interior of the card reader at a place close to the shutter. If the shutter does not close in a predetermined period of time (i.e. if the card is jammed), the switch signal is interpreted by a control unit in the main board so that the motor is driven and the card is locked (i.e. restrained) or broken by means of a locking/thrust component in connection with the motor, preventing the removal of the card from the card reader. A disadvantage of current mechanisms in use is that they comprise an internal configuration, meaning that if the conditions occur by which the card is jammed following a signal from the shutter switch is transmitted to the main board (i.e. if the shutter is left open a period longer than required), the motor is driven to restrain the card. This internal mechanism obligates that the card reader's main board be designed beforehand so as to implement this operation. In another words, this fact creates a significant drawback for the ATMs (SSTs), already in use (or to be used) in the field and lacking such main boards designed specifically for said operation to provide an internal solution. Brief Description of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide the capability of implementing the operation of preventing the removal of a card out of a SST's card reader externally (i.e. not via the main board), when the card is jammed therein, and thereby to eliminate the disadvantage of using a main board which must be designed specifically for this purpose, for use in any kind of SSTs with the aim of eliminating the aforesaid drawback.

The main object of the present invention is achieved by feeding an output signal from the shutter switch to an independent control unit directly without being sent to the card reader's main board, and this control unit drives a motor which is capable of restraining a jammed card according to the signal received from the shutter switch.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the case that if the card is jammed in the card reader can be alternatively detected by means of sensors, other than the shutter switch, which are arranged at a place close to the shutter and preferably on a support where the card restraining motor is disposed.

According to another alternative embodiment, the case whether a card is jammed in the card reader can be detected by means of interpreting the current drawn by the card reader.

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 illustrates the device according to the present invention, together with the card reader.

Figure 2 illustrates the card reader's card entry slot from front view.

Detailed Description of Invention In order to make a transaction on a currently-available SSTs, such as a motorized- type ATM, a magnetic or chip card (1) is inserted by the user into the card reader (2) through the slot (3) of the latter (2). When it is desired to insert the card (1) into the card slot (3), the card reader (2) first opens the shutter (4) to take in the card (1 ) , the card is taken in from the reader (2) for reading-writing operations, and then the shutter (4) is closed back. The information that the card (1 ) is entirely taken into the card reader (2) is provided by means of the switch (5), which mechanically contacts one end of the shutter as the shutter is opened, and which looses contact with the shutter as the shutter is closed following a certain time period. The signal from the switch (5) is transmitted to a main board (6) in the card reader (2). The reading-writing operations on the card (1) is conducted in the card reader (2) and the card (1 ) is returned to the user when the operation is completed. In order to carry out a typical fraudulent action by jamming the card in the card reader (2) of an SST, a thin foil is inserted through the card slot (3) into the reader

(2) so as to form a loop. In this case, since the card reader (2) shall not conduct any operation as the card (1) is not taken entirely in, it shall be attempted to lead the card (1 ) out, but since also the open inlet of the loop comprises a closed form, this attempt shall fail. In result, the shutter (4) shall be left in the open position.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention, the detection that a card (1) is jammed is performed by the shutter (4) being left open a time period that is longer than an allowed certain period of time. For this purpose, the shutter switch (5) comprises an additional signal output (7) except the signal output transmitted to the main board (6) and this signal (7) is sent to an independent control unit (8).

The control unit (8) controls a motor (9), which is disposed within the card reader (2), at a place close to the shutter (4). This motor (9) is preferably placed into a motor support (10) and the motor's (9) output end is equipped with a thrust pin (1 1). By means of the motor support (10), it becomes possible later to assemble or disassemble the motor (9) into/out from the card reader (2). When the shutter (4) is left open a time period that is longer than a predetermined threshold value, the signal from the signal output (7) at the switch (5) is interpreted by the control unit (8) so that the motor (9) is operated and the thrust pin (1 1 ) is preferably driven linearly so as to exert force onto (i.e. restrain) the card (1). It may be possible to produce a physical deformation on the card, such as punching out a hole, according to the intensity of this force. Thus, the card (1) is jammed in such a manner that it cannot be taken out from within the card reader (2). Additionally, the thrust pin (1 1 ) can optionally deform the data-carrying parts of the card (1 ) -i.e. magnetic tape or chip- permanently, so that even if the card is taken out anyhow, the data thereon can be rendered unreadable.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the detection that a card (1 ) is jammed in the reader (2) can be implemented not by the shutter switch (5), but by means of at least one infrared or ultrasonic sensor (12) disposed preferably on the motor support (10). These sensors (12) are brought in connection with the control unit (8) and the motor (9) is controlled by the control unit (8) as disclosed above. If the card (1 ) is left in the shutter (4) a time period longer than a certain threshold value, the motor (9) is then driven. The control unit (8) is further equipped with a LED indicating the operation status of the device, as well as a button, which allows authorized persons to release a restrained card from the interior. The control unit (8) can also operate audible or visual alarming units when any card jamming is detected. According to a further alternative embodiment, the case whether a card is jammed in the card reader can be detected by means of interpreting the current drawn by the card reader. Since, in this case when the card (1 ) is jammed, the card reader shall continuously attempt to displace the card (1 ) back and forth, the time during which current is drawn shall last a time period that is longer than a threshold value. In such circumstance, the control unit (8) shall operate the motor (9) to displace the thrust pin (1 1 ), so that the card (1 ) is restrained or deformed.

Claims

1. A device comprising a thrust pin (11) preventing removal of a card (1) from the exterior or deforming a card (1) permanently by exerting force thereon when it is detected that said card (1) is jammed in a SST card reader (2), comprising an open- and closeable shutter (4) through which a card (1) is introduced via a slot (3), a switch (5) to which the shutter (4) contacts when the shutter is opened, a main board (6) which is in connection with said switch, and a driver motor for driving said card (1) into/out of the card reader, characterized by comprising an independent control unit (8) to which an additional output signal (7) from said switch (5) is fed directly without being sent to the main board (6), wherein said control unit (8) controls said motor (9).

2. A device according to Claim 1 , characterized by comprising a motor support (10) including the motor (9).

3. A device comprising a thrust pin (11) that prevents the removal of a card (1) from the exterior or that deforms a card (1 ) permanently by exerting force onto the card (1) when it is detected that said card (1) is jammed in a SST card reader (2), comprising an open- and closeable shutter (4) through which said card (1) is introduced via a slot (3), a switch (5) to which the shutter (4) contacts when the shutter is opened, a main board (6) which is in connection with said switch, and a driver motor for driving said card (1) into/out of the card reader, characterized by comprising at least one sensor (12) which provides for the detection that a card is jammed in said card reader (2), and an independent control unit (8) which is in connection with said at least one sensor (12), wherein said control unit (8) controls the motor (9).

4. A device according to Claim 3, wherein said at least one sensor (12) is an infrared, ultrasonic or a capacitive sensor.

5. A device according to Claim 3, wherein said at least one sensor (12) is disposed on said motor support (10).

6. A device comprising a thrust pin (11) that prevents the removal of a card (1) from the exterior or that deforms a card (1 ) permanently by exerting force onto the card (1) when it is detected that said card (1) is jammed in a SST card reader (2) comprising an open- and closeable shutter (4) through which a card (1) is introduced via a slot (3), a switch (5) to which the shutter (4) contacts when the shutter is opened, a main board (6) which is in connection with said switch, and a driver motor for driving said card (1) into/out of the card reader, characterized by comprising an independent control unit (8), which controls the motor (9) when the motor draws current a time period that is longer than a certain threshold time period when a card is jammed in the card reader (2).