HYBRID TRANSACTION CARD READER SYSTEM

Description

1. Technical field

[0001] The patent application relates to a hybrid transaction card reader. The invention relates more particularly to a hybrid reader which offers significant security while ensuring a level of compactness compatible with the constraints associated with this type of device. 2. Prior Art

[0002] The devices and methods of the present invention described herein are useful for using a card referred to as a transaction card, which includes one or more communication technologies.

[0003] Typically, a transaction card has at least one magnetic stripe on its surface that can be swiped at a point-of-sale terminal to complete a transaction for payment of a good or service. The ISO / EEC 7810 standard defines the dimensions of a transaction card, typically 85.60 x 53.98 millimeters. All standardized transaction cards typically have a thickness of 0.76 for a card.

[0004] A transaction card can also take the form of a smart card or integrated circuit card, as it may include a chip. A smart card is well known in the art and has an integrated circuit capable of processing information. A smart card can receive input that is processed via the integrated circuit or chip with an application based on it, and then provide an output. A contact smart card has a contact area consisting of several contact pads. When the contact smart card is inserted into a reader that contacts electrical connectors capable of reading information from the chip and writing it back. A typical smart card follows the dimensions of ISO / IEC 7810 which determines the dimensions of the card and ISO / IEC 7816 which defines the physical location and electrical characteristics of the chip.Contact smart cards typically do not contain batteries, and power is provided by the card reader for the functions performed on the chip. Contact smart cards typically have standard communication protocols, so a smart card can be used in different readers and transactions can be completed. Contact smart cards are used as a means of communication between a smart card and a host, and that host can be a computer, a point-of-sale terminal, a mobile phone, a transit entry point, a public telephone, etc.

[0005] Another type of transaction card is called a contactless smart card, or contactless card. A contactless smart card contains a chip that communicates with a card reader via RFID induction technology. A contactless smart card only requires proximity to an antenna to complete the transaction. A contactless smart card is generally defined by the dimensions of a standard transaction card, for example, ISO / IEC 7816, and will have a standardized communication protocol, for example, as defined by ISO / IEC 1443. Typically, a contactless smart card can be used for communication at distances of up to ten centimeters. The ISO / IEC 15693 standard for contactless smart cards is the one that allows communication at distances of up to 50 centimeters.Other standards may be available over longer distances for applications such as mass transit and toll roads.

[0006] A transaction card can contain multiple technologies. For example, a transaction card can have a magnetic stripe and a chip. A transaction card can have a magnetic stripe, a chip, and a contactless interface on a single card. A smart card can have a chip and a contactless interface on a single card. Sometimes, a transaction card with a magnetic stripe and at least one chip is called a hybrid smart card.

[0007] To accommodate the differences that may exist between transaction card technologies, manufacturers provide different transaction card readers. Typically, a traditional payment terminal, found at retail stores, includes a magnetic stripe card reader, usually located on the right side of the payment terminal and in the form of a slot into which the magnetic stripe card can be swiped. A traditional payment terminal also includes a chip card reader, which is located on the front of the terminal, below the keypad, and into which the chip card is inserted. A traditional payment terminal may also include a contactless card reader which is located at the top of the display screen and on which the user can place a contactless card or other contactless device (smartwatch, smartphone, etc.).

[0008] To meet specific constraints, manufacturers can also offer hybrid readers. A hybrid reader is, like a hybrid transaction card, a reader that supports at least two different technologies. For example, it is a reader comprising means for reading a chip from a smart card and means for reading a strip from a magnetic stripe card. Such hybrid readers can, for example, be integrated into automatic sales machines (such as gas station pumps, various vending machines) or even into automatic ticket machines (ATMs).

[0009] An example of a typical hybrid reader is shown in Figures 1 and 2. A hybrid reader is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, the width of which is close to that of a transaction card defined according to the 7810 ID1 / ID2 standard. The length dimensions are generally much greater than the length of the transaction card. The reader comprises an upper face (upper half-cover DCS) and a lower face (lower half-cover DCI). These two covers (upper / lower) are assembled to form a hybrid reader (LH), comprising a slot FEN for inserting a transaction card. The upper cover comprises elements for reading a chip from a smart card, while the lower cover comprises a magnetic reading head.More particularly, the lower cover DCI comprises an orifice ORI allowing a magnetic reading head (MAG) to pivot between a reading position (position in which the head is in contact with a transaction card) and a so-called rest position, position in which the upper surface (generally domed) of the magnetic head penetrates slightly into the insertion space of the memory card. The upper cover comprises a memory card connector which notably comprises a certain number of "pins", each "pin" corresponding to a contact area of ​​a chip of a smart card. The position of the connector is shaped so that the "pins" come into contact with the areas of the chip when the card is fully inserted into the hybrid reader (and when the transaction card includes a chip, of course).

[0010] Thus, such readers include a magnetic reading head present at the assumed location of the magnetic stripe card strip (or hybrid card) according to the 7810 / 7811 standards. This magnetic head is generally located in the lower area of ​​the reader. They also include a smart card connector located in the upper area according to the 7810 / 7816 standards.

[0011] In terms of operation, such hybrid readers are satisfactory (i.e. they are able to recognize a chip card from a magnetic stripe card and switch to one or the other technology depending on the transaction card that is presented). However, they suffer from manufacturing defects, particularly in terms of security and compactness.

[0012] At the security level, first of all, as can be seen on the Figures 1 and 2, such readers do not offer sufficient protection against attacks, in particular against the insertion of a "bug" in the magnetic reading head or in the smart card connector. Figure 1 , in particular clearly shows that these two parts of the hybrid reader are easily accessible. It is therefore possible, from outside the reader (from the transaction card insertion slot), to insert one or more fraudulent reading devices (called "bugs"), in order to fraudulently read the data from the cards that are inserted into the terminal in operation. To overcome these problems, manufacturers position, around the reader, large parallelepipeds of printed circuits (ref AKO, Figure 3 ), called safes, which are supposed to act as a barrier to attempts to insert bugs or spy devices. However, these safes are welded around the hybrid reader, as shown in Figure 3(ref AK1, Figure 3 ). This results in a more or less protected hybrid reader: it can be noted that the protection is not perfect, particularly at the level of the insertion slot (above this slot and below this slot). Furthermore, to protect the magnetic head and its tilting mechanism, which form a bulky assembly, the "protection" is extended on the right side of the reader, as shown in Figure 3. More specifically, the hybrid reader is walled in a construction based on horizontal printed circuits (upper printed circuit and lower printed circuit) these two upper and lower printed circuits being soldered to vertical printed circuits located at the rear of the reader and on the two left and right sides of the reader. The soldering points allowing the obtaining of such a casing are numerous, leading on the one hand to a manufacturing difficulty and a difficulty of overall maintenance of such a system: in the event of failure inside the casing, it is necessary to unsolder the assembly, manually, which leads to a significant loss of time and numerous scraps and waste.

[0013] In terms of compactness, then, such a player requires, as this again is visible in figures 1, 2 And 3, to have sufficient thickness in particular so that the magnetic reading head has enough space (ref AK2, Figure 3 ). This space is in fact necessary for the tilting movement of the head when inserting a transaction card. The space required is further increased due to the volume of the reading head itself. This space results in a significant height of the vertical protective walls around the entire perimeter of the hybrid reader.

[0014] In the end, the resulting system (consisting of the hybrid reader and its protection in the form of printed circuits mounted and soldered in the form of vertical and horizontal barriers) is too bulky for certain applications and is not secure enough.

[0015] Furthermore, documents US 2010 / 327856 and EP 1 432 031 describe printed circuit boards comprising a fully enclosed enclosure to protect certain of the electronic components arranged on these printed circuit boards. Furthermore, document EP 1432 031 describes a payment terminal including a magnetic card reader and a chip card reader.

[0016] There is therefore a need to provide a hybrid reader that is compact and secure. 3. Summary

[0017] The disclosed technique was created keeping these disadvantages of the prior art in mind.

[0018] More particularly, a hybrid transaction card reading system is proposed comprising a hybrid transaction card reader, a protection device and a slot for inserting a transaction card, the hybrid transaction card reader comprising means for reading a magnetic stripe and means for reading a chip, the protection device comprising an upper protection printed circuit, a lower protection printed circuit and a lateral protection printed circuit, the lateral protection printed circuit comprising a superposition of unitary printed circuits, the superposition plane of the unitary printed circuits being parallel to the plane of the upper protection printed circuit and to the plane of the lower protection printed circuit.

[0019] Such a system is remarkable in that the means for reading a chip are arranged between the upper protective circuit board, the lower protective circuit board and the side protective circuit board.

[0020] Thus, the proposed technique makes it possible to make the system which is the subject of the present invention much more compact and secure than the solutions of the prior art.

[0021] According to a particular embodiment, the side protection printed circuit comprises a plurality of independent portions, welded or screwed onto the upper protection printed circuit and / or onto the lower protection printed circuit.

[0022] Thus, the system of the invention is simpler to build and assemble. The manufacturing costs of a terminal incorporating such a system are therefore lower, while facilitating implementation.

[0023] According to a particular characteristic, the side protection printed circuit comprises at least one assembly screw passage hole.

[0024] Thus, the proposed system is much simpler to maintain.

[0025] According to a particular characteristic, the side protection printed circuit comprises at least one orifice for positioning at least one elastomer connector.

[0026] Thus, the security of the system is improved by ensuring that any dismantling of the system results in a relaxation of the elastomer connector present, and therefore a loss of the security signal and consequently immediate detection of fraud, allowing the implementation of security measures.

[0027] According to a particular characteristic, the means for reading a magnetic track of the hybrid reader comprise a magnetic reading head and a reverse tilting system within which the magnetic reading head is inserted.

[0028] This improves the compactness of the reading head.

[0029] According to a particular embodiment, the magnetic reading head comprises means of connection to a signal transmission sheet.

[0030] According to a particular embodiment, the signal transmission sheet comprises a multi-layer flexible printed circuit, the outer layer of the multi-layer flexible printed circuit comprising a protective mesh.

[0031] This secures the magnetic reading head independently.

[0032] According to a particular embodiment, the dimensions of the protection device are shaped so as to protect access to the chip reading means. 4. Presentation of the drawings

[0033] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment, given as a simple illustrative and non-limiting example, and the appended drawings, among which: there Figure 1 , already presented, illustrates the architecture of a hybrid reader of the prior art; the Figure 2 , already presented, is another representation of the architecture of a hybrid reader of the prior art; the Figure 3 , already presented, illustrates a hybrid reading system of the prior art, comprising a hybrid reader such as that presented in Figures 1 and 2 and a protection device for this hybrid reader; the Figure 4illustrates a hybrid reading system according to the invention, in an isometric view; the Figure 5 is an exploded view of the hybrid reading system according to the invention in a first embodiment; the Figure 6 is an exploded view of the hybrid reading system according to the invention in a second embodiment, integrating a processor unit for processing transaction data; Figure 7 illustrates a side protection printed circuit according to the invention; the figure 8 also illustrates a side protection printed circuit according to the invention; the figure 9 illustrates the magnetic head tilting system according to the invention. 5. Presentation of the invention

[0034] In the above and the following, the descriptions made are carried out with respect to a reference frame of type (O, x, y, z). The elements described as "upper" have, with respect to this reference frame, an altitude (z) higher than the elements described as "lower". The notions of left, right, top and bottom are also to be understood as referring to this orthonormal reference frame (O, x, y, z). Thus the left part of the hybrid reader is the one whose abscissa is closest to O while the right part of the hybrid reader is the one whose abscissa is furthest from O. The front part of the hybrid reader is the one whose ordinate is closest to O while the rear part of the hybrid reader is the one whose ordinate is furthest from O. The same reference frame is used for the description of the elements making up the hybrid reader, such as the magnetic reading head, the printed circuits, the ribbon cables, etc.

[0035] To overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, as previously explained, the inventors have produced a compact hybrid reader, which is in line with the requirements of protecting the signals emitted and received by transaction cards on the one hand; and by the necessary reduction in size of the assembly on the other hand, in order to meet the reduction needs of these readers. Compactness and security are functions which are ensured by a system comprising a compact hybrid reader and a set of printed circuits in parallel layers, ensuring overall protection in the upper, lower and peripheral parts of the hybrid reader. Thus, unlike a device of the prior art, which has an upper card, a lower card and three side cards, and in which all the cards are protected by lattices, the lattices cannot however extend to the edge of the cards: there remains a space of 0.5 mm at the junction of the cards which is not protected by the mesh, and which makes the prior art device vulnerable.

[0036] In the device of the invention, the upper and lower boards have a lattice. The side boards are replaced by "bunkers" that do not have a lattice but vias, which creates an impassable barrier without space with the lower and upper boards. The security is much better, while obtaining a much more compact device. In addition, the vias and the lattices can be alternatively connected, for example in pairs, to use an alternation in the security signals that pass through these circuits (lattices, vias) and therefore to allow protection against lateral drilling, which further increases the level of security.

[0037] Furthermore, the inventors have eliminated the need for protection at the magnetic reader head of the hybrid reader by modifying the positioning architecture of the magnetic reader head. More particularly, the inventors have reduced the height required for the protection of the prior art hybrid reader by proposing an alternative mechanism for protecting the magnetic read head. Since the magnetic read head is protected in a different way (compared to the lateral protection of the prior art), it is therefore possible to reduce the height of the protection of the hybrid reader to only the height of the hybrid reader, without taking into account the height and the travel of the magnetic reader head, and thus to obtain a much more compact hybrid reader.More specifically, the head is no longer in the security envelope created by cards, it is secured autonomously (double lattice on the FPC), which allows the reduction of the height of the reader.

[0038] Thus, according to the invention, a modification of the magnetic reading head tilting mechanism is cleverly combined with an innovative lateral protection device for the hybrid reader. This combination is carried out to reduce the size of the system consisting of the compact hybrid reader and the protective printed circuits while drastically increasing the security of the resulting assembly.

[0039] More particularly, as described in connection with the figures 4, 5 And 6, the system according to the invention comprises a hybrid reader (LECH), an upper protection printed circuit (CIPS), a lower protection printed circuit (CIPI) and a side protection printed circuit (CIPL). In the example given in figures 4, 5 And 6, the side protection printed circuit (CIPL) is divided into two separate parts: an upper side protection printed circuit (CIPLS), which is integrated / associated in parallel with the upper side protection printed circuit (CIPS), and a lower side protection printed circuit (CIPLI), which is integrated / associated in parallel with the lower side protection printed circuit (CIPI). In this embodiment, the cutting into two parts of the side protection printed circuit (CIPL) is carried out at mid-height thereof, and the upper side protection printed circuit (CIPLS) is a part of the upper side protection printed circuit (CIPS). Similarly, the lower side protection printed circuit (CIPLI) is a part of the lower side protection printed circuit (CIPI).

[0040] It is understood that in other examples or embodiments the side protection printed circuit (SPC) may take the form of an independent part of the upper protection printed circuit (UPPC) and / or the lower protection printed circuit (LPPC). It is understood that in other examples or embodiments the side protection printed circuit (SPC) may, in its entirety, be a part of the upper protection printed circuit (UPPC) or the lower protection printed circuit (LPPC). Details of the side protection printed circuit (SPC) are described in connection with the figures 7 and 8 .

[0041] Regardless of the implementation of this side protection printed circuit (LPPC), it has the main characteristic of being made up of a plurality of individual printed circuit layers (PLC) (from four to eight layers), each printed circuit layer being stacked parallel to the previous one, in order to form a wall. The layers are connected to each other via vias (not shown), which allow the transmission of security signals between the layers. In other words, the hybrid reader protection device comprises a side protection printed circuit (cut into one or more parts) which comprises a superposition of unitary printed circuits, the superposition plane of these unitary printed circuits being parallel to the plane of the upper protection printed circuit and to the plane of the lower protection printed circuit.Each layer may individually comprise one or more protective meshes (not shown), connected for example to ground, in order to allow detection of possible drilling or lamination. The geometry of the side protection printed circuit (SPC) is adapted to the volume of the hybrid reader. More particularly, the internal shape (i.e. the shape of the walls which are closest to the LecH hybrid reader) is shaped to limit the potential gaps within the “bunker” formed by the side protection printed circuit (SPC), the upper protection printed circuit (UPC) and the lower protection printed circuit (LPPC) (the geometry is obviously simplified to . figure 8). The side protection printed circuit board (SPC) includes holes (O1, O2, O3, O4, etc.) for the passage of assembly screws (see below) and holes (OE1, OE2, etc.) for positioning elastomer connectors. These elastomer connectors allow transmission of safety signals, for example, between the upper protection printed circuit board (UPPC) and the lower protection printed circuit board (LPPC) to enable detection of any unauthorized attempt to open the system. Depending on the embodiments, the upper protection printed circuit boards (UPPC) and the lower protection printed circuit board (LPPC) may have functions other than protection functions. For example, these may be cards containing inter-CPU communication functions or power supply functions.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the invention, the "bunker" formed by the side protection printed circuit (SPC), the top protection printed circuit (UPPC) and the bottom protection printed circuit (LPPC) is mounted using assembly screws, which are used to overcome the drawback of the prior solution consisting of soldering the side walls (and therefore overcome the problem of lack of maintainability). In this way, the maintainability of the system is preserved. It should be noted that this type of mounting, using screws, is only made possible thanks to the implementation of the side protection printed circuit (SPC) as previously described. Indeed, the use of several parallel layers of printed circuits to form the side protection printed circuit (SPC) makes it possible to have sufficient thickness to provide screw holes to secure the assembly, which is not possible with the solutions of the prior art.The side protection printed circuit (CIPL) can be made up of several independent portions (P1, P2, etc.), which are assembled one by one in parallel on the upper protection printed circuit (CIPS) and / or the lower protection printed circuit (CIPI) in order to facilitate, on the one hand, the manufacture of the side protection printed circuit (CIPL) and, on the other hand, its assembly. The advantage, for manufacturing, lies in the relative ease of manufacturing such portions, relatively rectilinear, not requiring overly complex designs. Furthermore, such manufacturing is advantageous in terms of cost because it avoids having to pay for lost material (i.e. for the cut-out portions of printed circuit, which, although being scrapped, are still invoiced).From an assembly point of view, this method is also interesting because it allows the various portions to be positioned successively and in parallel, without excessive alignment difficulties. The bunker protects all the functions implemented at the smart card connector. The reading functions at the magnetic head are deprived of the protection provided by the bunker. As a result, the bunker generally has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, without the protrusion at the magnetic reading head.

[0043] Furthermore, according to the invention, a hybrid reader comprises a compact magnetic reading head, associated with a reverse tilting system. By compact, we mean a magnetic reading head whose length and width are respectively between 10 and 20 millimeters and whose height is between 5 and 15 millimeters. The combination of these two characteristics makes it possible to reduce by half the thickness necessary for the implementation of the magnetic head and therefore to meet the requirement of compactness and that of security, as explained below, in relation to the figure 9. As for compactness, the inverted construction of the magnetic reading head tilting system comprises a magnetic head support, of longitudinal shape, comprising a securing portion, for gripping and holding the magnetic reading head. In the embodiment presented, the securing portion comprises four clamping tabs, two on each side of the head. The securing portion is followed by a flat portion, comprising two orifices: the first orifice is used to accommodate a support pad for a return means (here a spring), the support pad comprising at its base a stop disc for the return means. Thus, when the head is set in motion, for example by inserting a card, the head is released to accommodate the card, then, when the card is removed, the inverted return means allows the magnetic reading head to return to its place in the orifice assigned to it.The advantage of this embodiment is that no tilting system is provided, as in the hybrid readers of the prior art, but instead a translation system, thus allowing the use of a return means of a lower height, and ultimately allowing the obtaining of a hybrid reader of a lower thickness. In comparison with the device of the . Figure 1 , the height reduction is more than 50%. In addition, the technique used also increases safety.

[0044] As for the magnetic reading head itself, the connection of the latter to a printed circuit board is made by means of a ribbon cable, taking the form of a flexible printed circuit. This ribbon cable is connected to the magnetic reading head from below it, with the particularity of releasing the connection ribbon cable towards the outside (right side) of the hybrid reader. In this way, it is not possible to have access to the signals from below the magnetic head (prior art). On the contrary, the ribbon cable which is connected laterally to the magnetic head is shaped to be connected to a secure portion of the hybrid system of the invention. According to the invention, the ribbon cable consists of a multi-layer flexible printed circuit (at least double layer), in which the external layer (i.e. the layer which does not transpose the signals resulting from the reading of the magnetic card), comprises a protective mesh.In this way, signals from magnetic tapes cannot be accessed by introducing a bug below the magnetic reading head, as in the example of the . figure 1 or 2. Thus, the compactness of the hybrid reading system (SLH) does not compromise the security of the signals coming from the magnetic head. Furthermore, the protective mesh of this sheet is connected to an intrusion detection mechanism, involving the triggering of a protection measure of the hybrid reading system in the event of an attempt to roll or pierce this flexible cable. In addition, even if the attacker attempts to insert a bug at the level of the magnetic head, this is prevented. Indeed, if the bug is placed in front of the head, a known attack is to come and place a false front face but the card will sink too much and will not be able to be removed, thanks to the proposed implementation. It is therefore a more than effective improvement to block this type of attempt. Finally, the bug cannot be placed behind the head (which is possible with the old reader of the Figures 1 and 2 ).

Claims

1. A hybrid transaction card reading system (SLH) comprising a hybrid transaction card reader (LecH), a protection device (BNK) and an insertion slot (FEN) for a transaction card, the hybrid transaction card reader comprising means for reading a magnetic track and means for reading a chip, the protection device comprising an upper protection printed circuit (CIPS), a lower protection printed circuit (CIPI) and a lateral protection printed circuit (CIPL), the lateral protection circuit comprising a superposition (PLC) of unitary printed circuits (CIU), the plane of superposition of the unitary printed circuits (CIU) being parallel to the plane of the upper protection printed circuit (CIPS) and to the plane of the lower protection printed circuit (CIPI), characterized in that the means for reading a chip are disposed between the upper protection printed circuit (CIPS), the lower protection printed circuit (CIPI) and the lateral protection printed circuit (CIPL).

2. The hybrid transaction card reading system (SLH) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral protection printed circuit (CIPL) comprises a plurality of independent portions (P1, P2), welded or screwed onto the upper protection printed circuit (CIPS) and / or onto the lower protection printed circuit (CIPI).

3. The hybrid transaction card reading system (SLH) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lateral protection printed circuit (CIPL) comprises at least one opening (01, O2, O3, O4, O5, O6) for passing assembly screws.

4. The hybrid transaction card reading system (SLH) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lateral protection printed circuit (CIPL) comprises at least one opening (OE1, OE2) for positioning at least one elastomer connector.

5. The hybrid transaction card reading system (SLH) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the means for reading a magnetic track comprise a magnetic reading head and a reverse tilting system within which the magnetic reading head is inserted.

6. The hybrid transaction card reading system (SLH) according to claim 5, characterized in that the magnetic reading head comprises means for connecting to a signal transmission cable.

7. The hybrid transaction card reading system (SLH) according to claim 6, characterized in that the signal transmission cable comprises a multi-layer flexible printed circuit, the outer layer of the multi-layer flexible printed circuit comprising a protection mesh.

8. The hybrid transaction card reading system (SLH) according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the dimensions of the protection device (BNK) are shaped so as to protect access to the chip reading means.