Screen protection device of POS machine and POS machine

Abstract

The application provides a screen protection device of a POS machine and the POS machine, which comprises a flexible circuit board provided with a first mesh circuit, a printed circuit board provided with a second mesh circuit, the first mesh circuit and the second mesh circuit are connected through an electrical connection point, so that the first mesh circuit and the second mesh circuit form a closed loop, and the flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board are arranged in the interior of the POS machine, so that in the case that the screen of the POS machine is detached from the POS machine, the force generated by detaching the screen makes the electrical connection point disconnected to trigger the alarm of the POS machine, and the application realizes the protection of the POS machine without using silver paste film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of POS machine technology, and more specifically, relates to a screen protection device for a POS machine and a POS machine. Background Technology

[0002] A POS (Point of Sale) machine is an electronic payment device used by merchants for non-cash settlements. During financial transactions, the numeric keypad is displayed on the screen, while the PIN is entered via the touchscreen. Therefore, the POS machine screen needs to be protected by a tamper sensor to meet financial security requirements. Basic security requirements include preventing unauthorized screen lifting and preventing access to the display and PIN information via contact with the screen cable.

[0003] Current screen protection solutions mostly involve attaching a thin silver paste film with mesh-like traces to the back of the screen. This silver paste film is fragile. One end of the film is connected to the motherboard, while the fragile area adheres to the screen. When an attacker lifts the screen, this fragile area is damaged, triggering the motherboard's tamper sensor. The POS machine detects the attack and becomes unusable. Furthermore, in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, the silver paste film is prone to bulging upon contact with moisture, leading to open circuits in the mesh. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a screen protection device for a POS machine and a POS machine, so as to achieve protection of the POS machine without using silver paste film.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a screen protection device for a POS machine, comprising:

[0006] A flexible circuit board with a first grid of lines;

[0007] The printed circuit board has a second grid of lines.

[0008] The first grid line and the second grid line are connected by an electrical connection point so that the first grid line and the second grid line form a closed loop;

[0009] The flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board are installed inside the POS machine so that when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen will disconnect the electrical connection point to trigger the POS machine alarm.

[0010] Furthermore, the flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board are soldered together so that the first grid line and the second grid line are connected through the solder joint to form a closed loop; when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen causes the solder joint to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm.

[0011] Furthermore, the printed circuit board is disposed on the side of the POS machine screen facing away from the display surface of the screen; the flexible circuit board is disposed within the body of the POS machine; the screen is mounted on the body; when the screen of the POS machine is detached from the body of the POS machine, the force generated by detaching the screen causes the solder joint to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm.

[0012] Furthermore, the side of the printed circuit board facing the flexible circuit board is provided with a second grid line, and the side of the flexible circuit board facing the second grid line is provided with a first grid line; the side of the printed circuit board with the second grid line and the side of the flexible circuit board with the first grid line are soldered together by solder points, so that the first grid line and the second grid line are connected by solder points to form a closed loop; when the POS machine screen is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen causes the solder points to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm.

[0013] Furthermore, the main body is provided with a motherboard; the motherboard is provided with a processor with an anti-tamper sensor; the first grid line and / or the second grid line are connected to the processor so that when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen will disconnect the electrical connection point to trigger the anti-tamper sensor alarm.

[0014] Furthermore, the main body includes a casing; the screen is mounted on the casing; the motherboard is located inside the casing; and the screen is connected to the processor via a ribbon cable.

[0015] Furthermore, the second grid lines on the flexible circuit board are connected to the processor on the motherboard via zebra stripes or connectors.

[0016] Furthermore, the detachment includes lifting the screen, removing the screen, or dismantling the screen.

[0017] Furthermore, the POS machine does not include a silver paste film.

[0018] Secondly, this application provides a POS machine including the aforementioned protective device.

[0019] This application provides a screen protection device for a POS machine and a POS machine in an embodiment. The device connects a flexible circuit board with a first grid line and a printed circuit board with a second grid line through an electrical connection point, forming a closed loop between the first grid line and the second grid line. When the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen causes the electrical connection point to disconnect, triggering an alarm on the POS machine. This achieves protection for the POS machine without the need for a silver paste film. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a POS machine.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a casing with a screen.

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the front structure of the casing with the screen removed.

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the connection between a flexible circuit board and a printed circuit board.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the rear view of the casing.

[0026] The names corresponding to the labels in the attached diagram are as follows:

[0027] 1-Screen, 2-Casing, 3-Printed circuit board, 4-Flexible circuit board, 5-Zebra stripe or connector, 6-Body, 7-Motherboard, 8-Flat cable, 9-Attachment part. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0029] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0030] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0032] A POS (Point of Sale) machine is an electronic payment device used by merchants for non-cash transactions. Currently, most screen protection solutions involve attaching a thin silver paste film with mesh (mesh) traces to the back of the screen. This silver paste film is fragile. One end of the film is connected to the motherboard, and the fragile area is attached to the screen. When an attacker lifts the screen, this fragile area is damaged, triggering the motherboard's tamper sensor. The POS machine detects the attack and becomes unusable. Furthermore, in high-temperature and high-humidity operating environments, the silver paste film is prone to bulging when exposed to moisture, leading to open circuits in the mesh.

[0033] Existing protection solutions have the following drawbacks:

[0034] Poor reliability: The existing solution uses a silver paste film, which is locally fragile. Even slight displacement between the screen and the front cover during drops or vibrations can damage these fragile parts, affecting normal use. In high-temperature and high-humidity environments, the silver paste film is prone to bulging upon contact with moisture, leading to open circuits in the mesh lines; this problem has remained unresolved. While insulation is achieved by printing UV insulation onto the silver paste traces, the close spacing of the mesh lines deteriorates the UV insulation performance under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions, frequently resulting in micro-short circuits due to silver ion migration.

[0035] Insulating UV refers to ultraviolet (UV) curing materials or related technologies with insulating properties, such as insulating UV adhesives and insulating UV coatings.

[0036] Low production efficiency: In the current solution, during the process of pasting the silver paste film onto the screen, the adhesive backing is easy to stick to the employees' hands or the machine casing, and the easy-tear area is torn and the machine cannot be used.

[0037] High cost: Existing solutions for silver paste mesh lines involve printing silver paste onto a substrate using a printing process, followed by printing insulating UV coating. In fragile areas, UV coating must be printed before silver thread printing, resulting in high raw material costs, high process costs, and high defect rates.

[0038] To protect POS machines without using silver paste films, embodiments of this application provide a screen protection device for a POS machine, see reference. Figure 1-4 As shown, it includes: a flexible circuit board 4 and a printed circuit board 3; the flexible circuit board 4 has a first grid line; the printed circuit board 3 has a second grid line; the first grid line and the second grid line are connected by an electrical connection point to form a closed loop; the flexible circuit board 4 and the printed circuit board 3 are used to be installed inside the POS machine so that when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen will disconnect the electrical connection point to trigger the POS machine alarm.

[0039] See Figure 3 As shown, the screen protection device includes a flexible circuit board 4 with a first grid pattern (not shown) and a printed circuit board 3 with a second grid pattern (not shown). The back of the screen can be glued to the printed circuit board 3 or fixed in other ways, as long as the force between the back of the screen and the printed circuit board 3 is greater than the force that would break the electrical connection. When the screen 1 is illegally removed, such as when the screen 1 is lifted, the force between the back of the screen and the printed circuit board 3 causes the electrical connection between the printed circuit board 3 and the flexible circuit board 4 to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm and protecting the POS machine.

[0040] The mesh circuitry is also known as MESH. Therefore, when the POS machine screen is illegally removed, the mechanical force generated during the removal process will directly cause the electrical connection between the flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board to break, thus breaking the closed loop formed by the first mesh circuitry and the second mesh circuitry.

[0041] POS machines are generally equipped with a main control system that provides anti-tamper alarms. When this closed loop is broken, the main control system of the POS machine can detect it in real time and immediately trigger an alarm mechanism (such as audible and visual alarms, remote alarms in the background, etc.) to quickly prevent illegal disassembly and reduce the risk of theft of the equipment and tampering of internal components (such as replacing the card reader module or implanting a fraudulent chip).

[0042] The POS machine screen is the core interactive component, not only undertaking display and operation functions, but also integrating sensitive operation modules such as password input and QR code scanning in some models.

[0043] This device is specifically designed for the high-risk scenario of "screen detachment". Through hardware-level circuit linkage, it directly converts the physical connection status between the screen and the main body of the device into circuit signals, forming exclusive protection for the screen and avoiding information leakage or device malfunction caused by the screen being disassembled separately.

[0044] The design combines flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs) and printed circuit boards (PCBs): the FPCs are bendable and highly flexible, allowing them to conform to irregular structural areas such as the back or edges of the screen; the PCBs are fixed to the main frame of the POS machine, and the two form a stable closed circuit through a grid of lines and connection points. This design does not require a large amount of additional internal space, can be adapted to POS machine models of different sizes and structures, does not affect the original functions of the device (such as screen touch, heat dissipation, etc.), and has strong versatility.

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, a flexible circuit board with a first grid line and a printed circuit board with a second grid line are connected by an electrical connection point, so that the first grid line and the second grid line form a closed loop; so that when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen will cause the electrical connection point to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm, thus avoiding the use of silver paste film and achieving protection of the POS machine.

[0046] Optionally, the flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board are soldered together so that the first grid lines and the second grid lines are connected through the solder joints to form a closed loop; when the POS machine screen is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen causes the solder joints to break, thereby opening the closed loop and triggering the POS machine alarm.

[0047] This technical solution, through the innovative design of "reusing welding points as anti-tamper triggering elements", achieves the core goal of "precise anti-tamper alarm and preventing malicious disassembly" while also having advantages such as "simplified structure, reduced cost, high reliability and rapid response". Ultimately, it improves the security, anti-tampering ability and industrial adaptability of POS machines, and is especially suitable for financial equipment scenarios with extremely high payment security requirements.

[0048] Optionally, the printed circuit board 3 is disposed on the side of the screen 1 of the POS machine that is opposite to the display surface of the screen 1; the flexible circuit board is disposed inside the body 6 of the POS machine; the screen 1 is mounted on the body; when the screen of the POS machine is detached from the body of the POS machine, the force generated by detaching the screen causes the solder joint to break, thereby opening the closed circuit and triggering the alarm of the POS machine.

[0049] See Figure 1-3 As shown, the printed circuit board 3 is located on the back of the screen 1 (i.e., the non-display surface), and the flexible circuit board 4 is located inside the body 6 of the POS machine. When the screen 1 is removed from the body 6, the force generated by removing the screen 1 causes the back of the screen 1 to pull the printed circuit board 3 and the printed circuit board 4, thereby causing the solder joint connecting the printed circuit board 3 and the printed circuit board 4 to break and the closed circuit to open, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm and realizing the protection of the POS machine.

[0050] Optionally, the side of the printed circuit board facing the flexible circuit board 4 is provided with a second grid line, and the side of the flexible circuit board facing the second grid line is provided with a first grid line; the side of the printed circuit board 3 with the second grid line is soldered to the side of the flexible circuit board with the first grid line through solder points, so that the first grid line and the second grid line are connected through solder points to form a closed loop; when the POS machine screen is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen causes the solder points to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm.

[0051] See Figure 1-4 As shown, the lower side of the printed circuit board 3 faces the flexible circuit board 4, and the lower side of the printed circuit board 3 is provided with a second grid line. The flexible circuit board 4 is provided with a bonding part 9, and the upper side of the bonding part 9 faces the lower side of the printed circuit board and is soldered to the printed circuit board 3 through a solder point, so that the first grid line and the second grid line are connected through the solder point to form a closed loop.

[0052] Optionally, the main body is provided with a motherboard 7; the motherboard is provided with a processor with a tamper sensor; the first grid line and / or the second grid line are connected to the processor so that when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen causes the electrical connection point to disconnect, thereby triggering the tamper sensor alarm.

[0053] Specifically, the printed circuit board 3 is attached to the back of the screen 1, and the second grid line on the printed circuit board 3 is connected to the first grid line on the flexible circuit board 4 through solder points; the flexible circuit board 4 is connected to the processor on the motherboard. When the screen 1 is abnormally lifted, the solder points are pulled. When the solder points are broken, the anti-tamper sensor alarm is triggered, making the POS machine unable to continue to be used, thereby preventing the screen from being abnormally lifted.

[0054] This method allows for the timely detection of unauthorized removal. When the POS machine screen is maliciously removed, the force generated will break the electrical connection between the first and second grid lines, quickly triggering the anti-tamper sensor alarm and enabling immediate detection of unauthorized screen removal. (See also...) Figure 5 As shown, using a processor with an anti-tamper sensor can trigger an alarm by activating the anti-tamper sensor when the POS screen is removed from the POS machine.

[0055] Optionally, the main body includes a housing 2; the screen is mounted on the housing 2; the motherboard is located inside the housing 2; and the screen is connected to the processor via a ribbon cable 8.

[0056] The ribbon cable connection replaces traditional soldering or rigid connections, allowing for flexible layout of the screen and motherboard in three-dimensional space. For example, in a POS machine, the screen can be mounted on the top of the casing, while the motherboard is fixed at the bottom, with flexible ribbon cables spanning the internal space to maximize the use of limited volume, while reserving space for other components such as heat dissipation modules and batteries. This design is particularly suitable for miniaturized devices, improving space utilization.

[0057] Furthermore, the second grid lines on the flexible circuit board 4 are connected to the processor on the motherboard 7 via zebra stripes or connectors 5.

[0058] This technical solution uses a second grid of lines on a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) combined with zebra strips or connectors to achieve connection with the motherboard processor, forming an electrical connection structure that combines high reliability, flexibility and security.

[0059] It is understood that the detachment includes lifting the screen, removing the screen, or dismantling the screen.

[0060] The disassembly described in this application includes, but is not limited to, lifting, removing, or detaching the screen, as well as other destructive, non-destructive, or illegal disassembly of the POS machine. Under any of these operations, an alarm will be triggered simply by causing a break in the electrical connection points, thereby protecting the POS machine.

[0061] Furthermore, the POS machine does not include a silver paste film.

[0062] This application uses a flexible circuit board with a first grid of lines instead of a silver paste film. Flexible circuit boards are widely used in electronic products, and their manufacturing process is very stable and mature. The lines of the flexible circuit board are etched from copper on a substrate such as PI (polyimide), and the migration rate of copper ions is 1000 times slower than that of silver ions. Furthermore, the PI (polyimide) protective film covering the lines effectively ensures insulation between the lines while isolating them from air. It will not experience short circuits or cracking under high temperature and humidity conditions. The flexible circuit board ensures stability and reliability under high temperature and humidity environments.

[0063] This application uses a printed circuit board with a second grid of lines soldered onto a flexible circuit with a first grid of lines. This soldering integrates the printed circuit board and the flexible circuit board into a single unit, serving as a screen security protection device. Specifically, the soldering of the printed circuit board and the flexible circuit board replaces the fragile area of ​​the silver paste film. The flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board are connected by solder pads, ensuring a relatively reliable connection. During normal production, employee operation is unlikely to cause a break in the connection, resulting in high production efficiency. The soldering process ensures that after the entire device is assembled, attempting to lift the screen will separate the flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board, thus breaking the circuit and detecting unauthorized attacks.

[0064] The flexible circuit board process used in this application is very stable and mature, with a low defect rate in mass production and relatively low cost. The soldering of the printed circuit board and the flexible circuit board is automated through surface mount technology, further reducing production costs. The overall cost is lower than that of silver paste film.

[0065] Secondly, see Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this application provides a POS machine including the aforementioned protective device.

[0066] The functions and effects of the technical features in this technical solution that are similar to or related to the aforementioned technical solution are similar to those in the aforementioned technical solution, and the inventive concept and beneficial effects of this technical solution are similar to those in the aforementioned technical solution, so they will not be repeated here.

[0067] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A screen protection device for a POS machine, characterized in that, include: A flexible circuit board with a first grid of lines; The printed circuit board has a second grid of lines. The first grid line and the second grid line are connected by an electrical connection point so that the first grid line and the second grid line form a closed loop; The flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board are installed inside the POS machine so that when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen will disconnect the electrical connection point to trigger the POS machine alarm.

2. The screen protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible circuit board and the printed circuit board are soldered together so that the first grid line and the second grid line are connected through the solder joint to form a closed loop; when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen causes the solder joint to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm.

3. The screen protection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The printed circuit board is disposed on the side of the POS machine screen facing away from the display surface of the screen; the flexible circuit board is disposed within the body of the POS machine; the screen is mounted on the body; when the screen of the POS machine is detached from the body of the POS machine, the force generated by detaching the screen causes the solder joint to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm.

4. The screen protection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The printed circuit board has a second grid line on the side facing the flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board has a first grid line on the side facing the second grid line. The side of the printed circuit board with the second grid line and the side of the flexible circuit board with the first grid line are soldered together by solder points, so that the first grid line and the second grid line are connected by solder points to form a closed loop. When the POS machine screen is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen causes the solder points to break, thereby triggering the POS machine alarm.

5. The screen protection device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The main body contains a motherboard; the motherboard has a processor with an anti-tamper sensor; the first grid line and / or the second grid line are connected to the processor so that when the screen of the POS machine is removed from the POS machine, the force generated by removing the screen will disconnect the electrical connection point to trigger the anti-tamper sensor alarm.

6. The screen protection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main body includes a casing; the screen is mounted on the casing; the motherboard is located inside the casing; the screen is connected to the processor via a ribbon cable.

7. The screen protection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second grid lines on the flexible circuit board are connected to the processor on the motherboard via zebra stripes or connectors.

8. The screen protection device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The removal includes lifting the screen, removing the screen, or dismantling the screen.

9. The screen protection device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The POS machine does not include silver paste film.

10. A POS machine, characterized in that, Includes the protective device described in any one of claims 1-9.

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