Card reader

Abstract

To provide a card reader capable of solving problems in conventional card reader that reliable detection is difficult depending on the material, installation position, size, etc. of the skimmer as well as many sensors are required for reliably detecting skimming devices over a wide area inside a card reader, increasing manufacturing costs.SOLUTION: The card reader reads magnetic information on an inserted card while transporting the same along the transport path. The card reader includes: an oscillator for emitting ultrasonic waves to the transport path; and a receiver for receiving the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the oscillator. Objects present in the transport path are detected by comparing a first received waveform at the receiver and a waveform of a second signal, which has been acquired beforehand and is received by the receiver under normal conditions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a card reader that reads magnetic stripe information provided on a card. [Background technology]

[0002] One method of illegally obtaining information from magnetic cards used in transaction processing devices such as automated teller machines (ATMs) is skimming, in which a device equipped with a magnetic head for illegally obtaining magnetic data (a skimmer) is installed in the transaction processing device, and the magnetic data on the magnetic card is illegally obtained using this magnetic head.

[0003] In this type of skimming, the skimmer is usually installed so that its magnetic head covers the magnetic card insertion slot of a transaction processing device or the like, thereby generating an interfering magnetic field near the insertion slot to prevent unauthorized reading of magnetic data.

[0004] On the other hand, in recent years, in order to avoid the interfering magnetic fields near the insertion port of the above-mentioned transaction processing device, etc., a thin skimmer equipped with a small magnetic head is inserted from the insertion port to the inside of the card transport path, and magnetic data is illegally obtained while avoiding the interfering magnetic field.

[0005] As a countermeasure against such new methods, for example, a technology has been disclosed that detects whether a skimming device has been attached inside a card reader (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0006] These technologies allow the installation of a small skimmer to be detected using a metal sensor or capacitance sensor installed inside the card reader, and when the installation of such a device is detected, a specified alarm is issued, making it possible to prevent the unauthorized reading of magnetic data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-24537 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-219971 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in the conventional methods described above, the skimmer detection method is a metal sensor or a capacitance sensor, so reliable detection can be difficult depending on the material, installation position, size, etc. of the member covering the skimmer's electronic circuit. Also, reliable detection of skimming devices over a wide area inside the card reader requires the installation of a large number of sensors, which can lead to increased manufacturing costs.

[0009] Another solution is to narrow the height of the card transport path of the card reader so that cards cannot be taken in when the skimmer is installed inside the transport path, but narrowing the transport path has the disadvantage of making it more likely for cards to become clogged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a card reader that reads magnetic information from an inserted card while transporting it along a transport path, and includes an oscillator that emits ultrasonic waves along the transport path and a receiver that receives the ultrasonic waves emitted from the oscillator.The present invention detects an object present along the transport path by comparing a first received waveform at the receiver with a second received waveform at the receiver under normal conditions that has been previously acquired. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] Since skimmers are detected by the received waveform of ultrasonic waves inside the card reader, they can be detected more reliably regardless of the material, installation position, size, etc. Furthermore, even when reliably detecting skimming devices over a wide area inside the card reader, fewer sensors need to be installed, which helps prevent increases in costs.

[0012] Furthermore, since there is no need to make the height of the card transport path excessively narrow, there is no risk of cards becoming jammed during legitimate transactions.

[0013] Other objects and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1A] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] 1 is a schematic view of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen through from above; [Figure 2A] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the propagation of ultrasonic waves in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the propagation of ultrasonic waves in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] 10 is an example of a received waveform in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] 10 is an example of a received waveform in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3C] 10 is an example of a received waveform in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3D] 10 is an example of a received waveform in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] 1 is a schematic view of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen through from above; [Figure 4B] 1 is a schematic view of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen through from above; [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a process flowchart according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8B] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

[0016] 1A and 1B are a schematic cross-sectional view and a transparent view from above of a main part of card reader 100 in this embodiment, respectively, in which card 180 is inserted from insertion slot 120 in the direction of arrow 181. Inside card reader 100, an upper transport guide 111 and a lower transport guide 112 form a transport path along which the card is transported, and card 180 is transported between these in the direction of dashed arrow 110 by transport rollers or the like (not shown), and information recorded on magnetic stripe 182 provided on the underside of card 180 is read by magnetic head 130.

[0017] In this embodiment, the space between the upper conveying guide 111 and the lower conveying guide 112 is the conveying path, but for convenience, the dashed arrow 110 may be referred to as the conveying path 110. Also, Figures 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams for explaining this embodiment, and the dimensional ratios of each part may not necessarily be the same as those of the actual device.

[0018] Here, the card reader 100 is provided with an oscillator 140 that emits ultrasonic waves into the transport path 110, and a receiver 145 that detects and receives the ultrasonic waves emitted from the oscillator 140, which are characteristic components of this embodiment. The ultrasonic waves emitted by the oscillator 140 are reflected inside the transport path 110 and propagate to the receiver 145, where they are observed as a received waveform.

[0019] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of the propagation of ultrasonic waves at this time, with dashed arrows 150 indicating the propagation of ultrasonic waves added to the cross-sectional view of Figure 1A. Ultrasonic waves 150 emitted from oscillator 140 into the transport path (between transport guides 111 and 112) are reflected between the upper and lower guides and propagate to receiving sensor 145 at the rear.

[0020] The received waveform obtained at this time is not a waveform due to a single reflection, but is obtained as a composite of several reflections (echoes), but if there is an object 160 (such as a skimmer) on the conveyance path (if there is an abnormality), as shown in Figure 2B, the reflection path of the oscillated ultrasonic waves changes, and the received waveform at the receiver 145 changes from the waveform when there is no object (normal). In this embodiment, the presence or absence of an object is identified from this change in waveform.

[0021] 3A to 3D show examples of how the received waveform at the receiving unit 145 changes depending on the presence or absence of an object. These are the received waveforms when ultrasonic waves are emitted from the oscillator 140 for a predetermined unit time and received by the receiving unit 145, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing signal intensity. FIG. 3A shows the case where there is no object, while FIGS. 3B to 3D show the case where there is an object. Note that the dashed lines in FIGS. 3B to 3D indicate the outer edge of the waveform in FIG. 3A for comparison. In the case shown in FIG. 3B, the waveform length is shortened overall, and in the case shown in FIG. 3C, the amplitude is reduced. Furthermore, in the case shown in FIG. 3D, the amplitude is reduced midway through the waveform.

[0022] The presence or absence of an object can be determined from the height, length, and tendency of increase or decrease of these waveforms. Methods of determination include setting a reference value from the waveform height and length when there is no object, and determining the difference from the reference value, analyzing the difference through image and waveform analysis, and machine learning.

[0023] 1A, the oscillator 140 and the receiver 145 are respectively provided at the end of the transport path 110 on the insertion slot 120 side and the opposite end on the upper transport guide 111 side, but other arrangements are also possible. For example, in the above arrangement, the oscillator 140 and the receiver 145 may be installed in reverse positions, or both may be installed on the lower transport guide 112 side, or one may be installed on the upper transport guide 111 side and the other on the lower transport guide 112 side.

[0024] Furthermore, both do not necessarily have to be installed at both ends of the transport path 110, and may be installed roughly outside the area in the transport path 110 where a skimmer can be installed. In other words, the skimmer needs to be installed so that the ultrasonic waves emitted from the oscillator 140 are affected by the installation of the skimmer and the receiving unit 145 can detect this effect, and even if the two are installed close to each other, they can be detected depending on the thickness and size of the skimmer.

[0025] Furthermore, multiple oscillators 140 and receivers 145 may be installed. In this case, ultrasonic waves from the multiple oscillators are combined and received by each of the multiple receivers, and even if no change in the received waveform is observed at one receiver, if a change in the received waveform is observed at another receiver, it can be determined that a foreign object is present.

[0026] On the other hand, regarding the horizontal arrangement of the oscillator 140 and receiver 145, in FIG. 1B, the skimmer is generally placed on the magnetic stripe line 131 (i.e., the position of the magnetic head 130) to read the magnetic stripe of the inserted card, so they are placed on the magnetic stripe line 131, but they may be placed in other positions.

[0027] 4A, if skimmer 200 consisting of magnetic head 210 and circuit component 220 is attached, and magnetic head 210 is formed as an extremely thin plate as described below, it may not be possible to detect it with oscillator 140 and receiver 145 arranged as shown in FIG. 1B. However, if circuit component 220 is configured to be thicker than magnetic head 210, oscillator 140A and receiver 145A, as in the case of oscillator 140A, are arranged diagonally in the card transport direction of transport path 110 (upper transport guide 111, lower transport guide 112) (on the card insertion slot 120 side, the end in the transport direction opposite magnetic head 130 with respect to the short side direction of the card, and on the opposite side of card insertion slot 120, the end in the transport direction of magnetic head 130), and circuit component 220 is positioned in main path 147 of the ultrasonic wave, which significantly affects the received waveform, thereby enabling detection of circuit component 220 of skimmer 200.

[0028] Figure 4B shows a case where the skimmer 200 is installed on the opposite side of the card insertion slot 120 from the magnetic head 130. In this case, on the card insertion slot 120 side, the oscillator 140B is placed at the end of the transport direction on the magnetic head 130 side relative to the short side of the card, and on the opposite side of the card insertion slot 120, it is placed at the end of the transport direction opposite the magnetic head 130 side. This places the circuit component 220 on the main path 148 of the ultrasonic wave, which greatly affects the received waveform, thereby making it possible to detect the circuit component 220 of the skimmer 200.

[0029] In both cases of Figures 4A and 4B, the oscillator and receiver may be interchanged, and may not be located at the end in the conveying direction. Also, a configuration combining Figures 4A and 4B may be used, i.e., a configuration in which the oscillator and receiver are located at the four corners of the conveying path (a configuration consisting of two oscillators and two receivers). In this case, if a change in waveform is observed in either receiver, it can be determined that a skimmer is present.

[0030] Next, the control mechanism of the card reader in this embodiment will be described using the control block diagrams shown in Figures 5A and 5B. In Figure 5A, 500 denotes a host device on which a card reader such as an ATM is mounted, and 510 denotes a control board that controls each component of the host device. 520 (100) denotes the card reader, which controls the operation of each component, including the shutter unit 521, via a card reader control board 522. The card reader control board 522 also performs predetermined control in cooperation with the host device control board 510 as necessary. The oscillation-side sensor and the receiving-side sensor 530 correspond to the oscillation unit 140 and the receiving unit 145 in Figure 1A, etc., and the card reader control board 522 controls the operation of the oscillation-side sensor and the receiving-side sensor 530 to detect a skimmer and close the shutter unit 521 after detecting a skimmer. In addition to the normal control of the card reader, the card reader control board 522 also includes a program for skimmer detection control.

[0031] 5B shows another example of the control mechanism of the card reader in this embodiment, in which the skimmer detection unit in this embodiment is modularized as sensor unit 540, and a dedicated control board (sensor unit control board 541) is provided for controlling the operation of the oscillation-side sensor and receiving-side sensor 530. This makes it possible to efficiently implement the skimmer detection function in this embodiment by retrofitting it to an existing card reader. Sensor unit control board 541 works in conjunction with card reader control board 522 to control the operation of the oscillation-side sensor and receiving-side sensor 530 to detect a skimmer, and to perform processes such as closing shutter unit 521 after a skimmer is detected.

[0032] 5A and 5B, mechanisms and the like that are not directly related to skimmer detection and the like in this embodiment are omitted from the illustration.

[0033] Next, the process of skimmer detection in the card reader of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0034] First, the ultrasonic waveforms previously acquired and stored in the memory of the control boards 522 and 541 are reset, and the oscillator 140 and receiver 145 are activated to acquire new ultrasonic waveform data (measurement value A) (steps S600 and S601). The received waveform when there is no object on the conveyance path may change from the initial state immediately after the device was installed due to factors such as the temperature and humidity surrounding the ultrasonic sensor (oscillator 140 and receiver 145), dust accumulation, and changes in condition due to deterioration of the device over time. To prevent false detection due to such disturbances, it is desirable to use the waveform most recently acquired when there was no object as the basis for determining the presence or absence of an object.

[0035] Thereafter, after an arbitrary time set by the timer has elapsed (step S602), ultrasonic waveform data (measured value B) is acquired (step S603). For example, the arbitrary time may be every hour in an area where skimming crimes are prevalent, or may be acquired every day when the device is started up, or every half day.

[0036] Then, the ultrasonic waveform data (measured value A) acquired in step S601 is compared with the ultrasonic waveform data (measured value B) acquired in step S603 to determine whether an object has been detected (step S604). Although changes in the ultrasonic waveform due to external factors such as environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, dust accumulation, and changes in the state of the device due to aging are small, when an object is added to the conveyance path, a large change occurs in the ultrasonic waveform. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the difference in the waveforms of measured values ​​A and B is due to an object being added to the conveyance path or an external factor. Note that this flow is repeated at predetermined time intervals managed by the timer in step S602, but after the first determination, the determination may be made by comparing the data of measured value B with the data of B measured previously. By continuously performing this check, the presence or absence of an object on the conveyance path can be constantly determined.

[0037] If it is determined in step S604 that an object has been detected, the detection of an abnormality is output (notified) to a higher-level device or the like in step S611, the shutter at the insertion port of the card reader is closed to prohibit further card insertion (step S612), and the series of processes ends. Note that the higher-level device that has received the abnormality notification in step S611 can prevent information from being stolen by a skimmer by taking measures such as stopping the operation of the device or notifying the higher-level system. Also, if the card reader itself is equipped with a mechanism for preventing card insertion, it can prevent the insertion of a card without a command from the higher-level device, thereby preventing information from being stolen by a skimmer. Note that the processing of step S612 may be omitted.

[0038] Returning to step S604, if it is determined that an object has not been detected (undetected), it is determined whether a card has been inserted (step S605), and thereby whether a transaction or the like has started. The insertion determination is performed, for example, by an insertion detection sensor provided near the insertion slot of the card reader. If insertion is not determined, the process returns to step S602 and the subsequent flow is repeated.

[0039] If it is determined in step S605 that a card has been inserted, the card is taken in from the transport path in step S606, the magnetic stripe data on the card is read, and a predetermined process is performed by a higher-level device (for example, transaction processing by an ATM), and then the card is ejected (step S607).

[0040] Thereafter, when it is detected that the card has been removed by the user ("detected" in step S608), ultrasonic waveform data (measurement C) is acquired after the card has been removed in order to determine whether an object (such as a skimmer) has been intentionally left in the transport path (step S609).The ultrasonic waveform data (measurement B) acquired in step S603 is compared with the ultrasonic waveform data (measurement C) acquired in step S609 to determine whether an object has been detected (step S610).

[0041] If an object is detected in step S610, the process from step S611 onwards is carried out, and if an object is not detected, the process returns to step S602 and repeats the process from the acquisition of ultrasonic waveform data (step S603) onwards after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0042] When performing object detection determination using machine learning, a considerable amount of ultrasonic waveform data is acquired in advance under various conditions, both when there is no object and when there is an object, and a machine learning model is constructed from this data, and in steps S604 and S610, object detection is performed for measurement values ​​B and C using the constructed machine learning model.

[0043] As explained above, according to this embodiment, the presence or absence of a foreign object is detected based on received waveform data of ultrasonic waves propagating inside the card reader, so foreign objects can be reliably detected regardless of the material, mounting position, size, etc. of the components that make up the skimmer. Furthermore, even to reliably detect skimming devices over a wide area inside the card reader, it is not necessary to install a large number of sensors, which prevents an increase in manufacturing costs. [Example]

[0044] As a means for improving the accuracy of object detection, by changing the shape of the frame of the transport path portion of the card reader or by combining multiple oscillators and receivers, it is possible to not only improve the accuracy of object detection but also identify the position of the object. Furthermore, by using a single sensor to oscillate and receive ultrasonic waves, this function can be realized inexpensively. In this embodiment, such a modified example will be described.

[0045] In the card reader configuration described in Example 1, if the object to be detected is very thin, there is a possibility that the change in the state of reflection of the ultrasonic waves will be small and the change will not be able to be detected. Therefore, in the configuration shown in Figure 7A, the upper surface of the lower conveying guide 112A is made uneven, and the ultrasonic waves propagating within the conveying path are intentionally diffused or the degree of diffuse reflection is increased.

[0046] If a thin object 160A as shown in Figure 7B is attached to a card reader with this configuration, no diffuse reflection occurs on the surface of object 160A, or the degree of diffuse reflection is small, so the change in the received waveform at the receiving unit becomes large, and the presence of object 160A can be detected.

[0047] 8A shows another example of a configuration in which ultrasonic wave absorbing material 112B is attached to the surface of lower conveying guide 112. In this case, ultrasonic wave 152 is attenuated as it propagates, and therefore the signal is significantly attenuated at the receiving section.

[0048] If a thin object 160B as shown in FIG. 8B is attached to a card reader of this configuration, ultrasonic waves 152a are less likely to attenuate on the surface of object 160B, resulting in a larger received waveform than when object 160B is not present (FIG. 8A), making it possible to detect the presence of object 160B.

[0049] 9 shows another modified example of a card reader, in which multiple receivers 145a, 145b, and 145c are provided for the oscillator 140. In this case, when an object is attached to the conveyance path, more accurate object detection is possible by checking the change in the received waveform of each receiver 145a, 145b, and 145c. In addition, since the degree of change in the received waveform varies depending on the position of the object attached to the conveyance path, it is also possible to estimate the approximate location of the object by comparing the degree of change at each receiver. In this example, the lower conveyance guide has an uneven shape (mountain-shaped) as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B in order to emphasize the effect on the received waveform when an object is present, but it may also be flat.

[0050] Figure 10 shows yet another modified example of a card reader, which uses an ultrasonic sensor 148 that can both emit and receive ultrasonic waves using a single component. In this example, the lower transport guide also has a concave-convex (mountain-shaped) shape, similar to that shown in Figures 7A and 7B, so that the ultrasonic sensor 148 can receive a predetermined amount of ultrasonic waves emitted by itself. The angle of this mountain-shaped shape may not be constant, but may be changed in accordance with the position and angle of the ultrasonic sensor 148. Furthermore, the lower transport guide may have a flat shape instead of a concave-convex (mountain-shaped) shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100: Card reader 110: Transport path 111: Upper transport guide 112: Lower transport guide 120: Insertion slot 130: Magnetic head 140: Oscillator 145: Receiving unit 180: Card 182:Magnetic stripe

Claims

1. A card reader that reads magnetic information from an inserted card while transporting the card through a transport path, an oscillator for emitting ultrasonic waves and a receiver for receiving ultrasonic waves emitted from the oscillator are provided on the transport path; A card reader characterized in that it detects an object present on the conveying path by comparing a first received waveform at the receiving unit with a second received waveform at the receiving unit under normal conditions that has been previously acquired.

2. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, A card reader characterized in that, when a difference in waveform height and waveform length between the first received waveform and the second received waveform exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that the object is present.

3. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, A card reader characterized in that it determines the presence of the object from the first received waveform using a pre-constructed machine learning model.

4. 4. The card reader according to claim 2, The card reader is characterized in that the oscillation unit and the receiving unit are provided at both ends of the transport path in the card transport direction.

5. 5. The card reader according to claim 4, A card reader, wherein the oscillation unit and the reception unit are each provided on a line on the transport path through which the magnetic stripe of the card passes.

6. 4. The card reader according to claim 2, The card reader is characterized in that the oscillation unit and the reception unit are provided at both ends of the transport path in the card transport direction and at both ends in the short side direction of the card.

7. 6. The card reader according to claim 5, a first detection process for acquiring the first received waveform before the card is inserted and detecting an object present on the transport path; a second detection process for detecting an object remaining after the card is ejected by acquiring a third received waveform in the receiving unit after the card is inserted and ejected, and comparing the first received waveform with the third received waveform, when it is determined that no object is present as a result of the first detection process; A card reader characterized by performing the above.

8. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, the conveying path is constituted by an upper conveying guide and a lower conveying guide, The card reader is characterized in that the surface of the lower transport guide has an uneven shape.

9. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, the conveying path is constituted by an upper conveying guide and a lower conveying guide, The card reader is characterized in that the lower transport guide has an ultrasonic absorbing material on its surface.

10. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, A card reader having a plurality of receiving units at different locations on the transport path.

11. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, The card reader specifies that the oscillator and receiver are configured by a single ultrasonic sensor having the functions of both emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves.

Images