Point-of-sale (POV) device with cradle for mobile computing devices

Abstract

To provide a system and a method for secure payment processing systems that interface flexibly and intuitively with a variety of mobile computing devices.SOLUTION: A POS device includes a nest portion and a cradle portion. The nest portion includes one or more payment cards or near field communication (NFC) readers. The cradle portion couples to interchangeable frames of different sizes that serve to secure a mobile computing device to the cradle portion of the POS device in turn. The mobile computing device is connected to the rest of the POS device via a connector. Payment card information read by the reader is transported to the mobile computing device via the connector for processing. The POS device may also include tamper detection circuitry.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to related applications) This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Non - Provisional Patent Application No. 16 / 588,491, entitled "Point - of - Sale Management Device with Cradle for Mobile Computing Devices", filed on September 30, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0002] Payment cards, such as credit cards and debit cards, are often used by customers during transactions with merchants. Merchants can use a payment card reader to read payment information from a payment card. A payment card reader includes a magnetic stripe reader that reads payment card information from the magnetic stripe of a payment card swiped through a slot, an Europay / MasterCard / Visa (EMV) chip reader that reads payment card information from the EMV chip of a payment card inserted into a slot, or a Near - Field Communication (NFC) reader that wirelessly reads payment card information from an NFC - enabled payment card. The payment card reader reads the payment card from the payment card and then sends that payment card information to a server associated with a financial entity, such as a bank or a credit card institution, to process the transaction by transferring funds from the customer's account to the merchant's account.

[0003] Mobile computing devices, such as smartphones or tablet computers, are computing devices that have a mobile and / or portable form factor. Mobile computing devices typically include a display screen and input interface, such as a touchscreen or touch interface. Mobile computing devices are becoming increasingly common, but they come in a wide range of different sizes and form factors. As a result, it can be difficult to interface a particular mobile computing device with another device because the bracket or other elements manufactured to hold or otherwise secure a mobile computing device may be compatible with the form factors and sizes of some mobile computing devices, but not with all of them. For example, manufacturers often change the thickness, size, ports, port locations, or other form factor elements of a mobile computing device from one version to the next, meaning that a new model of a mobile computing device often loses compatibility with interfaces that worked well with older versions of the same mobile computing device.

[0004] A merchant point-of-sale (POS) device is a system used by merchants to input items or services requested by customers, look up the price of each item or service, calculate the total, and, if necessary, prepare a receipt or invoice to be printed and given to the customer before or after payment processing.

[0005] There is a need for systems and methods for secure payment processing systems that interface flexibly and intuitively with various mobile computing devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1A]Figure 1A shows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device that holds and interfaces with a first mobile computing device having a first form factor.

[0007] [Figure 1B] Figure 1B shows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device that holds and interfaces with a second mobile computing device having a second form factor.

[0008] [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device with interchangeable frames for securing different mobile computing devices having different form factors.

[0009] [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the system architecture including point-of-sale (POS) terminal devices and mobile computing devices.

[0010] [Figure 4A] Figure 4A shows the latch of the frame of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device in an oblique view.

[0011] [Figure 4B] Figure 4B shows the latch of the frame of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device from a side view.

[0012] [Figure 4C] Figure 4C shows a side view of the latch on the frame of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device in the locking position that secures the mobile computing device.

[0013] [Figure 4D] Figure 4D shows a side view of the latch of the frame of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device in the unlocked position, supporting a mobile computing device.

[0014] [Figure 4E] Figure 4E shows the latch of the frame of the point-of-sale (POS) terminal device at the receiving / removing position from a side view.

[0015] [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device having a removable frame.

[0016] [Figure 6A] Figure 6A shows a curved near-field communication (NFC) antenna.

[0017] [Figure 6B] Figure 6B shows a curved NFC (near field communication) antenna along the payment card slot in a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device.

[0018] [Figure 6C] Figure 6C shows a second type of curved near-field communication (NFC) antenna along the payment card slot in a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device.

[0019] [Figure 7A] Figure 7A shows an exploded view of a secure enclosure that houses and connects a circuit board.

[0020] [Figure 7B] Figure 7B shows the inside of a secure enclosure that houses and connects a circuit board.

[0021] [Figure 8A] Figure 8A shows a tamper detection system in which a flexible member having conductive traces is tightly wound around a secure component.

[0022] [Figure 8B]Figure 8B shows a tamper detection system in which a flexible member with a conductive trace is securely wrapped around a secure enclosure.

[0023] [Figure 9A] Figure 9A shows a flexible member used in a tamper detection system that detects tampering with a screw.

[0024] [Figure 9B] Figure 9B shows a screw, a recessed housing, and a conductive gasket used in a tamper detection system that detects tampering on the screw.

[0025] [Figure 9C] Figure 9C shows an exploded side view of a tamper detection system that uses a screw to detect tampering.

[0026] [Figure 9D] Figure 9D shows a side view of the tamper detection system in Figure 9C in a secure state.

[0027] [Figure 9E] Figure 9E shows a side view of the tamper detection system of Figure 9D, which has a second solid housing element.

[0028] [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a tamper detection system in which one or more flexible members having conductive traces bridge two circuit boards.

[0029] [Figure 11A] Figure 11A shows a chip card reader equipped with reading circuits on both sides of the slot.

[0030] [Figure 11B] Figure 11B shows a circuit diagram of a chip card reader equipped with reading circuits on both sides of the slot.

[0031] [Figure 12A] Figure 12A shows a tamper detection system with a housing and circuit board in a secure state.

[0032] [Figure 12B] Figure 12B shows the tamper detection system from Figure 12A in an insecure tampered state where the housing is separated from the circuit board.

[0033] [Figure 13A] Figure 13A shows the tamper detection system in a secure state with the tamper dome compressed.

[0034] [Figure 13B] Figure 13B shows the tamper detection system from Figure 13A in an unsecured tamper state where the tamper dome is not compressed.

[0035] [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal that rotates around a base along various axes.

[0036] [Figure 15A] Figure 15A shows the base on which a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device rotates using a magnetic damper.

[0037] [Figure 15B] Figure 15B shows the base of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device that rotates using a spring-based damper.

[0038] [Figure 16A] Figure 16A shows a radial liquid ingress prevention seal.

[0039] [Figure 16B] Figure 16B shows the boot liquid ingress prevention seal.

[0040] [Figure 17]Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a tamper detection system that detects tampering using a fastener.

[0041] [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a tamper detection system that detects tampering using a flexible member connected to two connectors.

[0042] [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device that may be used to implement some aspects of this technology. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0043] A point-of-sale (POS) terminal device includes a nesting section and a cradle section. The nesting section includes one or more payment cards or a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader. The cradle section is coupled to interchangeable frames of different sizes and then helps to secure a mobile computing device to the cradle section of the POS terminal device. The mobile computing device is connected to the rest of the POS terminal device via a connector. Payment card information read by the reader is transmitted to the mobile computing device via the connector for processing. The POS terminal device may also include a tamper detection circuit.

[0044] The point-of-sale (POS) device may include a flexible member having two exposed conductive regions that are part of a tamper detection circuit. The adhesive attaches the flexible member to the screw and the conductive gasket to the opening in the recess, so that when the screw is removed from the recess, the conductive gasket separates from the two exposed conductive regions, opening the tamper detection circuit.

[0045] Optionally, a point of sale device may include a tamper detection circuit in which one or more flexible members, each containing multiple parallel conductive traces, connect the two circuit boards, so that one circuit board must remain very close to the other when the device remains in a secure, tamper-free state. Disconnection of the traces of the flexible members, or severance of the flexible members from either circuit board, would result in an unexpected voltage sensor reading indicating a tampering attempt.

[0046] Figure 1A shows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device that holds and interfaces with a first mobile computing device having a first form factor.

[0047] The POS terminal device 110 in Figure 1A includes a part called a nest 115 and a part called a cradle 120. The nest 115 includes one or more payment device readers. For example, the nest 115 may include a magnetic stripe reader that reads payment device information from the magnetic stripe of a payment device such as a payment card. The nest 115 may also include an integrated circuit (IC) chip reader that reads payment device information from the IC chip of a payment device such as a payment card. The IC chip may be, for example, a Europay / Mastercard / Visa (EMV) chip, a smart card chip, a subscriber identification module (SIM) card chip, or an IC chip having a similar design. The nest 115 may also include a near-field communication (NFC) reader that wirelessly reads payment device information from a wireless signal received from an NFC transmitter or NFC transceiver of a payment device. The NFC transmitter or NFC transceiver of the payment device may be an active NFC transmitter / transceiver or a passive NFC transmitter / transceiver. In some cases, nest 115 may be referred to as the payment area, payment section, payment portion, transaction area, transaction section, or transaction portion of the POS terminal device 110. In some cases, the term “nest 115” as used herein may alternatively refer to any part of the POS terminal device 110 other than the mobile computing device 105 and / or frame 130 and / or base 150. In other words, the term “nest 115” may also include the cradle 120, and optionally the frame 130 and / or base 150. Thus, electronic equipment or other components described herein as being located within or at least partially within nest 115 may, in some cases, be located at least partially within the cradle 120 (and / or frame 130 and / or base 150) instead of, or in addition to, being located within nest 115.

[0048] The cradle 120 of the POS terminal device 110 accepts the mobile computing device and secures the mobile computing device to the POS terminal device 110 via a frame 130A. The frame 130A includes a support boundary barrier structure extending from the surface 205 of the cradle 120, and the support boundary barrier structure of the frame 130A forms a cavity 140A in a central region around which it extends. The size of the cavity 140A depends on the thickness of the frame 130A. The thickness along each side of the frame 130A may be designed to be such that the cavity 140A secures the mobile computing device 105A in place.

[0049] Frame 130A itself may be removable. Therefore, when fixed, frame 130A is secured to the surface 205 of cradle 120. When unfixed, frame 130A is detached from the surface 205 of cradle 120, as seen in Figure 2. Frame 130A can be one of many interchangeable frames 130, each having a different boundary thickness to accommodate different sizes and form factors of mobile computing devices 105. In particular, cradle 120 in Figure 1A includes a first interchangeable frame 130A having a cavity 140A sized to accommodate mobile device 105A in Figure 1A. In some cases, at least a portion of the mobile computing device 105 fits snugly within at least a portion of the cavity 140A, and as a result, the support boundary barrier structure of the frame 130 firmly holds the mobile computing device 105 in place even when the user applies forward or lateral pressure by using the touchscreen interface, button interface, or other interface of the mobile computing device 105, or when the user swipes or inserts a payment card into the payment card reader of the nest 115.

[0050] The side of the mobile computing device 105A having connector 165 may also be called the bottom of the mobile computing device 105A, and the side of the POS terminal device 110 coupled to stand 150 may also be called the bottom of the POS terminal device 110. In this case, the thickness of the left boundary of frame 130A and the thickness of the right boundary of frame 130A both affect the width of cavity 140A, and then affect the height of the mobile computing device 105A that fits within cavity 140A. Similarly, the thickness of the upper boundary of frame 130A and the thickness of the lower boundary of frame 130A both affect the height of cavity 140A, and then may affect the width of the mobile computing device 105A that fits within cavity 140A. Different frames, such as frame 130B in Figure 1B, may include different thicknesses of one or more boundaries on one or more sides of the frame in order to resize the cavity to fit mobile computing devices of different sizes. The boundaries of thicker frames within frame 130 generally correspond to less space within cavity 140, while the boundaries of thinner frames within frame 130 generally correspond to more space within cavity 140.

[0051] Connector 145 can extend from the nest 115 into the cradle 120 and connect to the corresponding connector 165 of the mobile computing device 105A to connect the mobile computing device 105A to the nest 115. In Figure 1A, connector 145 of the POS terminal device 110 is a plug, and connector 165 of the mobile computing device 105A is a port, with the plug fitting into the port to form a connection. In other cases, the opposite is true, in which connector 145 may be a port and connector 165 may be a corresponding plug. In yet other cases, both connector 145 and connector 165 may be wireless connectors such as inductive connectors, near-field communication (NFC) connectors (receivers, transmitters, or transceivers), any other type of wireless connector discussed herein, or some combination thereof.

[0052] In some cases, nest 115 may include a computing device 1900, as illustrated and described with respect to Figure 19, or may include at least some components of computing device 1900, such as one or more processors 1910 or memory components 1920 / 1930 / 1940. The memory component(s) of nest 115 may store one or more symmetric or asymmetric encryption keys that can be used, for example, by the processor(s) of nest 115 to encrypt payment device information read from a payment device by one or more payment device readers of nest 115 before sending the payment device information to the mobile computing device 105 via connector 145. In some cases, the mobile computing device 105 may then send the payment amount along with the encrypted payment device information to one or more payment processing servers, which may be associated with a payment service or a financial entity such as a bank or credit card processing entity. Next, one or more payment processing servers can identify customer-related accounts, such as customer bank or debit accounts, or customer-related credit card accounts, and can transfer funds for the payment amount from customer-related accounts to merchant-related accounts, such as merchant bank or debit accounts. Alternatively, nest 115 may include one or more communication transmitters or transceivers that nest 115 transmits payment device information to one or more payment processing servers for payment processing.

[0053] The mobile computing device 105A may be a computing device 1900, as illustrated and described with respect to Figure 19, or it may include at least some components of the computing device 1900, such as one or more processors 1910 or memory components 1920 / 1930 / 1940. Although the mobile computing device 105A is shown as a tablet device in Figure 1A, it can be any type of computing device 1900 described with respect to Figure 19. In some cases, the mobile computing device 105A may store instructions corresponding to merchant software or POS software. Execution of instructions by one or more processors 1910 of the mobile computing device 105A activates merchant software or POS software, allowing the merchant or customer to identify the items or services they wish to purchase by, for example, using a touchscreen interface and / or a button-based and / or voice-based interface to select an identifier representing the items or services they wish to purchase. The identifier may optionally include text and / or images and / or codes displayed by the display screen 19770 of the mobile computing device 105A. In some cases, the mobile computing device 105A or the POS terminal device 110 may include one or more peripheral connectors or hubs for connecting to one or more peripheral devices such as a barcode scanner or scale. In some cases, a merchant may use a barcode scanner peripheral to scan barcodes on items (or the packaging of items) and / or barcodes on items related to services in order to input identifiers corresponding to items and / or services into the mobile computing device 105A. The mobile computing device 105A may have access to a price database or other data structure that identifies the price corresponding to each of the items or services selected by the customer or merchant for purchase.A database or other data structure may be stored at least partially locally and / or at least partially remotely on the mobile computing device 105A and accessible via the mobile computing device 105A's network connection. The mobile computing device 105A can then table each of the prices, calculate the total, and thus obtain the subtotal payment. The mobile computing device 105A may, in some cases, add additional payments to the subtotal payment to calculate the total payment. These additional payments may include one or more tips, taxes, fees, other additional payment amounts, or several combinations thereof.

[0054] Frame 105A includes a latch 135 which may be used to help secure the mobile computing device 105A to the POS terminal device 110 within the cavity 140A. The latch 135 and some examples of its use are shown in Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E.

[0055] The housing of the POS terminal device 110, including the cradle 120 and nest 115, may be rotatably coupled to a base 150. That is, the base can rotate or pivot around the base, and as a result, the display of the mobile computing device 105A faces different directions depending on the angle of rotation. In some cases, the housing can rotate infinitely more than 360 degrees around the base. In other cases, the rotation of the housing around the base may be limited, for example, from one angle corresponding to a merchant (the merchant's rotational position or direction of rotation) that can be viewed and used by the merchant, to another angle corresponding to a customer (the customer's rotational position or direction of rotation) that can be viewed and used by the customer, and these angles are separated, for example, by 180°. In some cases, the base 150 may include one or more dampers that slow down or lock the movement at certain positions, such as the merchant and customer positions, and thus require additional force to rotate the housing around the base from those positions. The dampers may include, for example, springs, lamps, or magnets.

[0056] The base may also include sensors or mechanisms that can be used to detect the rotational direction or position of the housing around the base and to communicate the detected position / direction to the mobile computing device 105A and / or the POS terminal device 110. Examples of such sensors or mechanisms may include switches, optical sensors, Hall effect sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), or combinations thereof. Alternatively, sensors within the mobile computing device 105A and / or the nest 115 may be used to detect the rotational direction or position of the housing around the base, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), optical sensors, infrared sensors, and / or cameras within the mobile computing device 105A and / or the nest 115. The mobile computing device 105A can use the rotational position / direction information to modify the graphical user interface (GUI) displayed between the merchant GUI and the customer GUI by the mobile computing device 105A, and can modify the input requested through a touch or button interface or payment device reader based on whether the housing is in the merchant position or the customer position.

[0057] In Figures 1A, 1B, and 2, the nest 115 is shown positioned to the right of the cradle 120. This provides a good position for right-handed customers using the POS terminal device 110 to easily move their payment cards or payment devices to the appropriate slot or other reading area of ​​the nest 115. That is, right-handed customers can easily swipe or insert their payment cards into the slot on the right side of the POS terminal device 110, and tap their payment cards or other payment devices into the NFC reading area on the right side of the POS terminal device 110. In some cases, the nest 115 may be positioned to the left instead of the cradle 120, or above or below the cradle 120. In some cases, the POS device 110 may be rotated about axis 1435 in the counterclockwise direction 1430 as illustrated in Figure 14, or in the opposite direction (clockwise), to reorient the nest 115 to one of the other sides of the POS terminal device 110. The mobile computing device 105 may include one or more sensors such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, IMU, camera, or a combination thereof, so that the mobile computing device 105 can determine its orientation and automatically rotate, resize, or otherwise adjust the position of any merchant or customer POS GUI displayed on the mobile computing device 105's display screen, as well as any touchscreen touch interface "soft" buttons corresponding to the GUI.

[0058] A POS terminal device 110 having a frame 130A is also shown in Figure 14, which also shows a mobile computing device 105A using a latch 135, which is fixed to the POS terminal device 110 in a cavity 104A by the frame 130A. In Figure 14, the connector 165 of the mobile computing device 105A is connected to the connector 145.

[0059] A payment device, also called a payment purpose, transaction device, or transaction device, may include a payment card, or transaction card such as a credit card, debit card, gift card, or transit card. A payment device may also include payment devices or transaction devices such as mobile phones, wearable devices, smartphones, tablet devices, laptops, media players, portable game consoles, and other computing devices, as described with respect to Figure 1900. A payment device may store payment device information (which may be called payment purpose information, payment card information, payment device information, payment information, transaction purpose information, transaction card information, transaction device information, or transaction information) which is encoded along a magnetic stripe on the payment device and stored on an integrated circuit (IC) chip such as a Europay / Mastercard / Visa (EMV) chip, or stored on a non-transient computer-readable storage medium electrically coupled to one or more active and / or passive near-field communication (NFC) transceivers of the payment device.

[0060] Figure 1B shows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device that holds and interfaces with a second mobile computing device having a second form factor.

[0061] The POS terminal device 110 in Figure 1B is the same POS terminal device 110 as shown in Figure 1A, but uses a different frame 130B. That is, the frame 130B in Figure 1B has a thicker boundary along all four sides than the frame 130A in Figure 1A. As a result, the cavity 140B in Figure 1B is smaller than the cavity 140A in Figure 1A. The mobile computing device 105B in Figure 1B is also smaller than the mobile computing device 105A in Figure 1A, and therefore the mobile computing device 105B fits into the smaller cavity 140B.

[0062] The mobile computing device 105B in Figure 1B is shown as a smaller tablet device than the mobile computing device 105A in Figure 1A. However, in some cases, the mobile computing device 105B in Figure 1B may be a much smaller device, such as a smartphone or media player device.

[0063] Figure 2 shows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device with interchangeable frames for securing different mobile computing devices having different form factors.

[0064] In particular, the point-of-sale (POS) terminal device 110 includes a housing having a cradle 120 and a nest 115. Both the first frame 130A in Figure 1A, which has a thin boundary, and the second frame 130B in Figure 1B, which has a thick boundary, are shown in Figure 2. The cradle 120 in Figure 2 exposes a surface 205 that is exposed only on the back of the cavity 140A in Figure 1A and the back of the cavity 140B in Figure 1B.

[0065] Surface 205 in Figure 2 includes a number of magnets 210 and 215. The magnets 210 are arranged in an outer rectangular shape (which may be a ring or other shape instead), while the magnets 215 are arranged in an inner rectangular shape (which may be a ring or other shape instead) located inside the outer shape of the magnets 210. The magnets 210 may also be used to secure frames 130A and 130B to surface 205 of the cradle 120. For example, frames 130A and 130B may also have magnets, ferromagnetic (e.g., metallic) surfaces, or both along the sides of frames 130A and 130B that fit to surface 205. Once frames 130A / 130B are already secured to surface 205, the magnets 215 may be used to secure mobile computing devices 105A / 105B within the cavities 140A / 140B. For example, the mobile computing device 105A / 105B may also have a magnet, a ferromagnetic (e.g., metallic) surface, or both, along the side of the mobile computing device 105A / 105B that matches the surface 205 in the cavity 140A / 140B.

[0066] Magnets 210 and / or 215 may also be present in Figures 1A and 1B, although they are not visible in those figures. Magnets 210 and 215 may be subsurface magnets just below surface 205 (and therefore invisible), or they may be visible as shown in Figure 2. Magnets 210 and 215 may be permanent magnets that maintain a permanent magnetic field (e.g., ferromagnetic materials), electromagnets whose magnetic field is turned on or off by turning the flow of electric current on or off, or a combination thereof.

[0067] In some cases, the frames 130A / 130B and / or the mobile computing devices 105A / 105B may be detachably secured to the surface 205 via one or more of the following: latches, hooks, hook-and-loop fasteners, adhesives, elastic (e.g., rubber or silicone) seals, stud and tube coupling systems, screws, male-female coupling systems, or some other coupling systems instead of or in addition to magnets 210 and / or magnets 215.

[0068] Furthermore, connector 145 is illustrated as a long, rigid plug extending from nest 115 into cradle 120 above surface 205. In some cases, connector 145 may simply pass through a passage in frame 130 and partially extend into cavity 140 (for example, long enough to plug into connector 165 if it is a port). In other cases, connector 145 in Figure 2 may connect to a flexible or rigid extension cable or extension adapter within frame 130; for example, connector 145 in Figure 1B is actually a connector for an extension cable within frame 130B. In some cases, the extension cable in frame 130 may include circuitry for changing the format of connector 145 to a proprietary plug, such as from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard plug to an Apple Lightning cable plug. In some cases, the connector 145 extending from the nest 115 in Figure 2 can be a flexible cable other than a rigid connector, allowing the connector 145 to extend from either of the best-functioning sides of the frame 130 (e.g., top, left, bottom, right, or diagonal).

[0069] The interchangeable frame 130-compatible POS terminal device 110 provides flexibility for using the POS terminal device 110 with older and newer models of the mobile computing device 105, and also gives merchants considerable advantage by allowing them to continue using the POS terminal device 110 with future models of the mobile computing device 105 that are released only after they already own one. Another advantage is that, since the frame 130 primarily serves to secure the mobile computing device 105 in place and does not store or transmit sensitive data such as encryption keys or unencrypted payment device information, a specific authentication body can authenticate the POS terminal device 110 independently of its various frames 130. Therefore, even if a new frame 130 is developed to support the shape, size, and form factor of future versions of the mobile computing device 105, re-authentication will not be required.

[0070] Figure 3 shows the system architecture including the merchant's point-of-sale (POS) terminal device and mobile computing device.

[0071] The system architecture 300 includes a mobile computing device 105 and a POS terminal device 110. The mobile computing device 105 refers to a mobile computing device 105 of any form factor, such as the large mobile computing device 105A in Figure 1A or the small mobile computing device 105B in Figure 1B.

[0072] The mobile computing device 105 includes a processor 305, which may be any type of processor 1910 described with respect to Figure 19, or any type of processor discussed separately herein. The mobile computing device 105 also includes memory 310, which may be any type of memory 1920 discussed with respect to Figure 19, any type of mass storage device 1930 discussed with respect to Figure 19, any type of portable storage medium 1940 discussed with respect to Figure 19, any type of memory or storage device discussed herein, or any combination thereof.

[0073] The mobile computing device 105 may include a touchscreen display 315, which may be any type of display screen or a display system 1970 discussed in relation to Figure 19 or otherwise discussed herein, and may optionally include a touch-sensitive surface touchscreen interface such as a capacitive touch-sensitive interface or a resistive touch-sensitive interface. The mobile computing device 105 may include a button interface 320 that may include, for example, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, selection buttons aligned with GUI elements displayed on the display 315, any other input device 1960 described in relation to Figure 19, or some combination thereof.

[0074] The mobile computing device 105 may include one or more wireless transceivers 325, which may include one or more 802.11 Wi-Fi transceivers, wireless local area network (WLAN) transceivers, 3G / 4G / LTE / 5G cellular network transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, NFC transceivers, RFID transceivers, any type of wireless transceiver described with respect to the input device 1960 in Figure 19, any type of wireless transceiver described with respect to the output device 1950 in Figure 19, any other type of wireless transceiver described herein, or some combination thereof. The mobile computing device 105 may include one or more batteries 330.

[0075] The mobile computing device 105 may include at least one connector 165 that can connect to the connector 145 of the POS terminal device 110. Similarly, the POS terminal device 110 may include a connector 145 that connects to the connector 165 of the mobile computing device 105. Connectors 145 and 165 may be wiring connectors that form an electrical connection when connected to each other. For example, connector 165 may be a female port, while connector 145 may be a male plug. Alternatively, connector 165 may be a male plug, while connector 145 may be a female port. Alternatively, both connectors 145 and 165 may be female, or both may be male, and may be connected together by a female-to-female or male-to-male adapter or cable, which may optionally be located within the frame 130 and may be called an extender / adapter 335. The extender / adapter 335 of frame 130 may also change the connection type or format, for example, by including an adapter from a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard port or plug (such as USB-C) to another type of port or plug, such as an Apple Lightning port or plug, or vice versa. The extender / adapter 335 of frame 130 may optionally include several components that modify the signals transmitted between connector 145 and connector 165 (in either direction), such as an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), an amplifier, a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, or some combination thereof. The extender / adapter 335 of frame 130 may optionally include several components such as memory and a processor (not shown), which may be used to modify the format of data transmitted between connector 145 and connector 165 (in either direction), for example, by changing the file format and / or adding an additional layer of encryption based on an encryption key stored in the memory of frame 130.

[0076] In some cases, connectors 145 and 165 may be, or include, one or more wireless receivers, transmitters, or transceivers that can connect wirelessly to each other in addition to via electrical contacts. In such cases, connectors 145 and 165 may be, or include, 802.11 Wi-Fi wireless receivers / transmitters, wireless local area network (WLAN) receivers / transmitters / transceivers, Bluetooth receivers / transmitters / transceivers, personal area network (PAN) receivers / transmitters / transceivers, 3G / 4G / LTE / 5G cellular network receivers / transmitters / transceivers, NFC receivers / transmitters / transceivers, RFID receivers / transmitters, any type of wireless receiver / transmitter / transceiver discussed with respect to input device 1960 in Figure 19, any type of wireless receiver / transmitter / transceiver discussed with respect to output device 1950 in Figure 19, any other type of wireless receiver / transmitter / transceiver discussed herein, or some combination thereof. Therefore, data can be wirelessly transmitted between the mobile computing device 105 and the POS terminal device 110 (e.g., Nest 115) via wireless receivers, transmitters, and / or transceivers of connectors 145 and 165. Connectors 145 and 165 may also include wireless charging elements, such as inductive coils, for wirelessly supplying power from the POS terminal device 110 (e.g., Nest 115) to the mobile computing device 105 and / or wirelessly supplying power from the mobile computing device 105 to the POS terminal device 110 (e.g., Nest 115). Thus, power can be wirelessly transmitted between the mobile computing device 105 and the POS terminal device 110 (e.g., Nest 115) via the wireless charging elements of connectors 145 and 165.

[0077] Frame 130 refers to frame 130 in any form factor, such as frame 130A with a thin border as shown in Figure 1A (for housing a large mobile computing device 105A within a large cavity 140A) or frame 130B with a thick border as shown in Figure 1B (for housing a small mobile computing device 105B within a small cavity 140B). As described above, frame 130 may include an extender or adapter 335 for bridging connector 145 to connector 165. In some cases, the extender / adapter 335 may be used to modify which side of the cradle 120 the connector 165 of the mobile computing device 105 passes through to connect to connector 145. For example, Figures 1A, 1B, and 2 all show a right-side connector 145 extending from the right-side boundary of cavity 140 and from nest 115, but the extender / adapter 335 is used so that the connector instead extends from the bottom boundary of cavity 140, from the left-side boundary of cavity 140, from the top boundary of cavity 140, or from a diagonal corner of the cavity.

[0078] The frame 130 may include a latch 135, which may be used to secure the mobile computing device 105 to the POS terminal device 110, particularly within the cavity 140 into which the frame 130 abuts. Examples of the latch 135 are shown and described in at least Figures 1A, 1B, 2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, and 14.

[0079] The POS terminal device 110 may include magnets 210 and 215 as shown in Figure 2. In some cases, the magnets 215 for securing the mobile computing device 105 within the cavity 140 may be alternatively or additionally located on one or more of the boundaries of the frame 130. Alternatively or additionally, the POS terminal device 110 may include other physical coupling mechanisms that couple the frame 130 to the surface 205 of the cradle 120 of the POS terminal device 110, as done by the magnets 210, and / or couple the mobile computing device 105 to the surface 205 of the cradle 120 and / or to the frame 130, as done by the magnets 215.

[0080] The POS terminal device 110 includes a nest 115. The nest 115 may include a secure enclosure 340. The secure enclosure 340 may be used to house components that can read, store, transmit, or manipulate sensitive information such as encryption keys, payment device information, customer identification information, personal identification numbers (PINs) or codes, customer signatures, merchant identification information, or other confidential information.

[0081] The secure enclosure 340 is secure in that it includes a tamper detection circuit 375 that can detect attempts to damage, puncture, alter, allow conductive fluid to flow in / out, or remove any component of the secure enclosure 340 or any component within the secure enclosure 340. The tamper detection circuit 375 includes one or more voltage sensors positioned at various points along the conductive circuit, which should conduct a known voltage when not tampered, but are expected to conduct no current at all (e.g., due to an open circuit) or a different voltage (e.g., due to a short circuit or other undesirable connection) when tampered. If an attempt to tamper is detected based on the detection of one or more voltage changes greater than a predetermined tolerance range of one or more voltages by one or more voltage sensors of the tamper detection circuit 375, the POS terminal device 110 may then be at least partially disabled or deactivated, and the data stored in its memory 350 may optionally be altered, erased, deleted, destroyed, and / or overwritten to prevent a malicious party from gaining access to the confidential information. Examples of secure enclosures 340 and tamper detection circuits 375 are further illustrated and described herein as secure enclosure 705 in Figures 7A and 7B, secure enclosure 805 in Figures 8A and 8B, secure housing 1015 in Figure 10, and secure housing 1895 in Figure 18.

[0082] The secure enclosure 340 of Nest 115 may include a magnetic stripe reader 355 that reads payment device information from the magnetic stripe of a payment device, such as a payment card, in response to the reception of a magnetic stripe passing through the slot of Nest 115. The secure enclosure 340 of Nest 115 may include an IC chip reader 360, such as an EMV chip reader, that reads payment device information from the IC chip of a payment device, such as a payment card, in response to the reception of an IC chip into the slot of Nest 115. The secure enclosure 340 of Nest 115 may include an NFC reader 365 that wirelessly reads payment device information from a radio signal received from the NFC transmitter or NFC transceiver of the payment device. The NFC transmitter or NFC transceiver of the payment device may be an active NFC transmitter / transceiver or a passive NFC transmitter / transceiver.

[0083] The secure enclosure 340 of nest 115 may include one or more processors 345, each of which may be any type of processor 1910 described with respect to Figure 19, or any type of processor described elsewhere herein. The secure enclosure 340 of nest 115 may include one or more memory components 350, each of which may be any type of memory 1920 discussed with respect to Figure 19, any type of mass storage device 1930 discussed with respect to Figure 19, any type of portable storage medium 1940 discussed with respect to Figure 19, any type of memory or storage device discussed elsewhere herein, or some combination thereof. Although the processors 345 and memory 350 are shown inside the secure enclosure 340 of nest 115 in Figure 3, nest 115 may optionally include one or more processors 345 and memory components 350 inside the secure enclosure, or one or more processors 345 and memory components 350 outside the secure enclosure. In such cases, the processor 345 and memory 350 within the secure enclosure 340 can handle tasks related to tamper detection or sensitive information, such as tamper detection, storage of encryption keys, encryption of payment device information, reception of signatures or PIN codes, or biometric data or other sensitive information via interface 370 or sensor 385, or output of sensitive data via audio component 387. The processor 345 and memory 350 outside the secure enclosure 340 can handle tasks that do not involve unencrypted sensitive information, such as receive generation, activation of electromagnets 210 / 215, and management of connections between connector 145 and connector 165.

[0084] In some cases, when the processor 345 is read by one or more readers 355 / 360 / 365, it may execute instructions stored in memory 350 to encrypt the payment device information before it is sent to the mobile communication device 105 and / or the payment processing server. That is, once encrypted, the payment device information may be sent to the payment processing server via the wireless transceiver 380 of nest 115, or the payment device information may be sent to the mobile computing device 105 via connectors 145 and 165, and the mobile computing device 105 may then send the payment device information to the payment processing server via the wireless transceiver 325 of the mobile computing device 105. In some cases, one or more wireless lanceivers 325 or 380 may receive confirmation from the payment processing server when a payment transaction is processed, for example, when funds (in a payment account) are transferred from an account associated with the customer to an account associated with the merchant. If one or more confirmations are received by the wireless transceiver 325, the mobile computing device 105 may notify the POS terminal device 110 that the confirmations have been received, for example, by forwarding the confirmations to the POS terminal device 110.

[0085] The secure enclosure 340 of Nest 115 may include a touch and / or button interface 370, which may include, for example, a touchscreen, touchpad, keyboard, keypad, mouse, GUI elements displayed on the display 315 and aligned selection buttons, any other input devices 1960 described with respect to Figure 19, or some combination thereof. The touch and / or button interface 370 of Nest 115 may be used to input sensitive information such as a PIN code, customer identification information, merchant identification information, or customer signature. The secure enclosure 340 of Nest 115 may include one or more biometric sensors 385, which may include a fingerprint scanner, iris scanner, face scanner, palm print scanner, microphone with voice recognition, or a combination thereof. The biometric sensors 385 may be used, for example, to authenticate customer identity in place of a signature or PIN, and / or to authenticate merchant identity, for example, to authorize a purchase, discount, or return.

[0086] The secure enclosure 340 of Nest 115 may include one or more wireless transceivers 380, which may include one or more 802.11 Wi-Fi transceivers, wireless local area network (WLAN) transceivers, 3G / 4G / LTE / 5G cellular network transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, NFC transceivers, RFID transceivers, any type of wireless transceiver described with respect to the input device 1960 in Figure 19, any type of wireless transceiver described with respect to the output device 1950 in Figure 19, any other type of wireless transceiver described herein, or some combination thereof. In some cases, one or more wireless transceivers 380 may be used to transmit payment device information to the payment processing server, along with the payment amount, customer identification information enabling the payment processing server to identify an account associated with the customer, and merchant identification information enabling the payment processing server to identify an account associated with the merchant. In some cases, one or more wireless transceivers 380 may then receive confirmation from the payment processing server when a payment transaction is processed, for example, when the funds (of the payment amount) are transferred from the customer's account to the merchant's account.

[0087] Furthermore, the nest 115 may include one or more batteries 390 that can power other components of the POS terminal device 110 and optionally the mobile computing device 105 via connectors 145 and 165. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile computing device 105 may power one or more batteries 390 and / or other components of the POS terminal device 110 via connectors 165 and 145. In some cases, the nest 115 may not have batteries 390, and its components may be powered exclusively by the mobile computing device 105 via connectors 165 and 145. For example, the mobile computing device 105 may power the POS terminal device 110 when the payment device reader is to be activated. In some cases, the nest 115 may use batteries 390 to keep the tamper detection circuit 375 active, while the payment device reader is only activated when the mobile computing device 105 is connected and / or powered via connectors 145 / 165. In some cases, the nest 115 may use batteries 390 to stabilize the power supply to the payment device reader and to prevent problems associated with power outages or brownouts. Although one or more batteries 390 are illustrated outside the secure enclosure 340 within the nest 115 in Figure 3, in some cases at least one of the batteries 390 may be placed inside the secure enclosure 340, for example, as a means of tampering, to prevent a malicious party from disconnecting the tamper detection circuit 375 from the power supply.

[0088] Nest 115 may also include one or more audio components 387, such as a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 2.5mm headphone jack, a USB audio connector, an Apple Lightning audio connector, a Bluetooth® wireless audio connector, another type of wired and / or wireless audio connector, a speaker, or some combination thereof. The audio components 387 may be used to read aloud information via the speaker of the audio component 387, or via headphones wired and / or wirelessly connected to the audio component 387 to a customer or merchant with a disability, such as blindness or other visual impairment. The information read aloud may include, for example, instructions for interacting with the user interface of the POS terminal device 110 for the customer portion or the merchant portion of the transaction. In some cases, some of the information read by the customer via the audio component 387 may be sensitive information such as a payment card number, customer identification information, or a PIN code, so at least some of the circuitry associated with one or more audio components 387 may be located within the secure enclosure 340. An optional accessory device 389 is shown connected to the audio component 387 in Figure 3. As mentioned above, the accessory device 389 may include a pair of headphones.

[0089] The accessory device 389 may, alternatively or additionally, include peripheral devices other than the headphone set, such as a card reader or other type of transactional reader, a barcode scanner, a weighing scale, a cash dispenser, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a printer, or some combination thereof. The accessory device 389 may be connected to the POS terminal device 110 by being connected to the audio component 387, but alternatively or additionally, the accessory device 389 may be connected to the POS terminal device 110 via a peripheral connector 383 separate from the audio component 387, and / or a wireless transceiver 380 separate from the audio component 387. The peripheral connector 383 may include one or more ports, one or more plugs, one or more wired or wireless receivers, one or more wired or wireless transmitters, one or more wired or wireless transceivers, or some combination thereof, such as within a hub. The peripheral connector 383 may include one or more of the output device 1950, the input device 1960, or any wired or wireless connectors of any kind to which the accessory device 389 can be connected, as referred elsewhere herein. For example, the peripheral connector 383 may include one or more USB ports to which an accessory device 389 can be connected via a USB plug or USB cable. Although only one accessory device 389 is shown in Figure 3, multiple accessory devices 389 may be connected to the POS terminal device 110, and in some cases, one or more accessory devices 389 may be connected to the wireless transceiver 380 of the POS terminal device 110, one or more accessory devices 389 may be connected to the audio component 387 of the POS terminal device 110, and / or one or more accessory devices 389 may be connected to the peripheral connector 383 of the POS terminal device 110. The audio component 387, peripheral connector 383, and wireless transceiver 380 are all shown to be located inside the secure enclosure 340, but in some cases one or more of these may be located outside the secure enclosure 340.In fact, in some cases, other components illustrated within the secure enclosure 340 may be located outside the secure enclosure 340, and / or components illustrated as being outside the secure enclosure 340 may be located inside the secure enclosure 340.

[0090] Nest 115 may also include a printer 395, which may be used to print receipts during or after a transaction has been processed. The receipt may identify the price, subtotal, total, any taxes and / or fees and / or tips, any coupons or discounts, or other applicable promotions for each individual item or service purchased by the customer from the merchant. The receipt may be generated by the processor 305 of the mobile computing device 105, the processor 345 of the nest 115 of the POS terminal device 110, or some combination thereof. The receipt may, in some cases, be sent via email, text, and / or electronic messaging services to the customer's account and / or device instead of being sent to the printer 395 for printing.

[0091] Figure 4A shows the latch of the frame of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device as seen from an oblique view.

[0092] The latch 135 shown in Figure 4A includes two circular holes on either side into which a cylindrical pin 430 can be inserted, allowing the latch 135 to move as shown in Figures 4C, 4D, and 4E. The pin may include a ball-spring plunger such as a pogo pin. The pin 430 may also be inserted into the wall of the frame 130 surrounding the latch 135, as shown in Figures 4C, 4D, and 4E, for example, into a pin groove 425 in the wall of the frame 130. Two smaller circular holes are also shown on either side of the latch 135, which can interface with convex steps in the wall of the frame that fit into the holes, allowing the latch to remain in a fixed position such as the locked position in Figure 4C, the unlocked position in Figure 4D, or the receive / remove position in Figure 4E.

[0093] The latch 135 may include a grip 405 configured to hold a portion of the mobile computing device 105. The grip 405 may include two parallel surfaces between which the thickness of the mobile computing device 105 fits (the “top” and “bottom” surfaces in Figure 4A) and a wall surface perpendicular to the two parallel surfaces to which the mobile computing device 105 may abut (the “left” surface in Figure 4A). The latch 135 may be customized for a particular mobile computing device 105 so that the thickness of the grip 405, i.e., the distance between the parallel surfaces of the grip 405, or the length of the perpendicular surface of the grip 405, corresponds to the thickness of the mobile computing device 105, with or without depending on how the mobile computing device 105 is intended to be used by the merchant.

[0094] In some cases, the screw or pin 460 may also be inserted into the latch 136, indicated by the solid arrow in Figure 4A. This screw helps to secure the latch 136 in a specific position, such as the locked position in Figure 4C. The screw / pin 460 may also function along with the pin 1450 in Figure 14, in that the screw / pin 460 may be inserted into a port on the mobile computing device 105 or another recess on the side of the mobile computing device 105 to help secure the mobile computing device 105 in place within the cavity 140.

[0095] Figure 4B shows the latch of the frame of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device as seen from the side.

[0096] From the side view in Figure 4B, the pin 430 appears to be inserted into a circular hole in the latch 135, as shown in Figure 4A, and partially extends from the side of the latch 135. The grip portion 405 is again visible in Figure 4B. A smaller circular hole on the side of the latch 135 can also be seen below the pin 430 in Figure 4B.

[0097] Figure 4C shows the latch on the frame of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device in a locking position that secures the mobile computing device from the side.

[0098] The pin 430 of the latch 135 is inserted into a pin groove 425 in the wall of the frame 130, which abuts the side of the latch 135. The pin groove 425 is wide enough to fit the diameter of the pin 430 (in the vertical direction in Figures 4C, 4D, and 4E), thus allowing the latch 135 to rotate around the pin 430, as seen in the receiving / removing position of the latch 135 in Figure 4E. The pin groove 425 is also longer than the diameter of the pin 430 (in the horizontal direction in Figures 4C, 4D, and 4E), so the pin 430 can slide laterally along the length of the pin groove 425, allowing the entire latch 135 to slide laterally within the latch jacket 420 of the frame 130. The pin 430 of the latch 135 is positioned laterally forward (towards the mobile computing device 105) as much as possible within the pin groove 420 when the latch 135 is in the locked position shown in Figure 4C.

[0099] The latch jacket 420 is a structure that is part of the frame 430 and forms a “base” or “platform” to which the bottom of the latch 135 remains, and the bottom of the latch 135 can slide along it during translational or rotational motion, and in some cases, limits the range of motion that the latch 135 can move. For example, the structure of the latch jacket 420 allows the latch 135 to translate laterally (left and right in Figures 4C, 4D, and 4E) within a defined range of motion as seen in Figures 4C, 4D, and 4E, and allows the latch 135 to rotate within a defined range of rotation and only when the latch 135 is positioned laterally in a predetermined position as seen in Figure 4C. The latch jacket 420 is referred to as part of the frame 430, but in practice it may in some cases be part of the surface 205 of the cradle 120 instead. In some cases the latch jacket 420 may consist of both part of the frame 430 and part of the surface 205.

[0100] The grip 405 of the latch 135 is shown to hold the mobile computing device 105 by the thickness of the mobile computing device 105. Thus, the mobile computing device 105 is secured to the cavity 140 (surface 205) and frame 130 while the latch 135 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 4C. The mobile computing device 105 cannot be easily separated from the cavity 140 (surface 205) and frame 130 while the latch 135 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 4C. In some cases, connectors 165 and 145 are connected to the mobile computing device 105 on a side other than the side gripped and secured by the latch 135. The connection between connectors 145 and 165 can further secure the side of the mobile computing device 105 to the frame 130 (or to connector 145). In some cases, connectors 145 and 165 may be on the same side of the mobile computing device 105 that is gripped and secured by the latch 135, and in some cases, connector 145 may pass through a portion of the latch 135, such as through a rectangular hole at the bottom of the latch 135 as seen in Figure 4A.

[0101] Furthermore, the screw / pin 460 is illustrated in Figure 4C as a skinny rod that is inserted into the latch 135 while the latch 135 is in the locked position and also passes through a port or recess in the mobile computing device 105. The screw / pin 460 can prevent rotation and / or lateral movement of the latch 135 while it is inserted or screwed in. In some cases, the screw / pin 460 can also pass through at least a portion of the latch jacket 420 of the frame 130 and / or cradle 120 when inserted.

[0102] Figure 4D shows the latch on the frame of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device in the unlock-lock position, cradle a mobile computing device from the side.

[0103] The pins 430 of the latch 135 are positioned approximately midway laterally within the pin groove 420 when the latch 135 is in the unlocked position shown in Figure 4D. In the unlocked position, the latch 135 as a whole moves laterally away from the mobile computing device 105 relative to the locked position and no longer grips the mobile computing device 105. Therefore, the mobile computing device 105 is not very firmly secured to the cavity 140 (surface 205) and frame 130 when the latch 135 is in the unlocked position. However, in some cases, inserting the mobile computing device 105 into the cavity 140 when the latch 135 is in the unlocked position may still be difficult because there may not yet be much space to connect the connectors 145 and 165. Similarly, in some cases, removing the mobile computing device 105 from the cavity 140 when the latch 135 is in the unlocked position may still be difficult because there may not yet be much space to disconnect the connectors 145 and 165.

[0104] Figure 4E shows a side view of the latch of the point-of-sale (POS) terminal device frame at the receiving / retrieval position.

[0105] The pin 430 of the latch 135 is positioned laterally as far back (away from the mobile computing device 105) as possible within the pin groove 420 when the latch 135 is in the acceptance / removal position shown in Figure 4E. The latch 135 is also rotated around the pin 430 from approximately 0° to approximately 45° in the acceptance / removal position shown in Figure 4E. The combination of translational motion away from the mobile computing device 105 and rotation away from the surface 205 can help the user insert the mobile computing device 105 into the cavity 140 and / or help the user remove the mobile computing device 105 from the cavity 140.

[0106] In some POS terminal devices 110, the latch 135 may not rotate at all or may rotate without any translational motion. In some POS terminal devices 110, the latch 135 may have a defined range of rotation, larger or smaller than 0°, such as 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80°, 90°, 100°, 110°, 120°, 130°, 140°, 150°, 160°, 170°, 180°, 225°, 270°, 315°, or 360°. The latch 135 may only rotate when it is in or near the receive / remove position due to a barrier near the rear of the jacket 420, and some latch jackets 420 may not have such a barrier and may allow rotation in any lateral position or restrict rotation to lateral positions other than the receive / remove position.

[0107] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device with a removable frame.

[0108] The operation 500 in Figure 5 is performed by the POS terminal device 110. In step 505, the POS terminal device 110 secures the frame 130 to the housing of the POS terminal device 110. The frame 130 may be secured to the surface 205 of the cradle 120 portion of the housing of the POS terminal device 130, for example, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B. The frame 130 may be secured to the housing of the POS terminal device 130 using magnets 210, as illustrated and described with respect to Figure 2. The frame 130 may also be secured to the housing of the POS terminal device 130 using latches, hooks, adhesives, screws, and / or any other mechanisms described with respect to Figures 1A, 1B, and 2. If the magnets 210 include an electromagnet, the POS terminal device 110 can then partially secure the frame 130 to the housing of the POS terminal device 110 by activating the electromagnet of the magnets 210.

[0109] In step 510, the POS terminal device 110 initiates an electrical connection between the mobile computing device 105 and the POS terminal device 110 in response to electrical contact between the connector 165 of the mobile computing device 105 and the connector 145 of the POS terminal device 110. In some cases, connectors 145 and 165 may be USB micro connectors, USB-C connectors, or Apple Lightning connectors. The electrical connection between connectors 145 and 165 can transmit data, power, or both. The electrical connection between connectors 145 and 165 can transmit any combination of data and / or power from the mobile computing device 105 to the POS terminal device 110, from the POS terminal device 110 to the mobile computing device 105, or both.

[0110] In step 515, the POS terminal device 110 secures the mobile computing device 105 to the POS terminal device 110 (optionally the housing of the POS terminal device 110) using at least the frame 130. The POS terminal device 110 can secure the mobile computing device 105 to the POS terminal device 110 via the frame 130, simply based on the boundaries of at least a portion of the frame 130 that fit snugly with the mobile computing device 105 when it is inserted into the cavity 140. The POS terminal device 110 can secure the mobile computing device 105 to the POS terminal device 110 via a latch 135, for example, as shown in Figures 1A, 1B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, and 14. The POS terminal device 110 can secure the mobile computing device 105 to the POS terminal device 110 via one or more magnets 215, as shown in Figure 2. The mobile computing device 105 may be attached to the POS terminal device 130 by means of a latch, hook, adhesive, screw, and / or any other mechanism described with respect to Figures 1A, 1B, and 2, either alternatively or additionally. If the magnet 215 includes an electromagnet, the POS terminal device 110 may partially attach the mobile computing device 105 to the POS terminal device 110 by activating the electromagnet of the magnet 215.

[0111] In step 520, the POS terminal device 110 reads payment device information from the payment device via the reader of the POS terminal device. The reader may be any type of payment device reader described herein, such as a magnetic stripe reader, an IC chip reader, or an NFC reader. The payment device reader may read payment device information from the payment device in response to reception from the payment device in a card slot including a card reader, an NFC reading area within the NFC signal range of an NFC reader, or other reading area.

[0112] In step 525, the POS terminal device 110 transmits payment device information to the mobile computing device 525. In some cases, the processor 345 of the secure enclosure 340 may encrypt the payment device information before the POA terminal device 110 transmits it to the mobile computing device 105. When the mobile computing device 105 receives the encrypted payment device information via connectors 145 and 165, the mobile computing device 105 transmits the encrypted payment device information to the payment processing server for processing the payment.

[0113] The POS terminal device 110 may alternatively be called a POS device, terminal device, merchant device, merchant POS device, or merchant terminal device. The mobile computing device 105 may alternatively be called a mobile device, computing device, portable computing device, user computing device, merchant computing device, portable device, merchant device, or user device.

[0114] Figure 6A shows a curved near-field communication (NFC) antenna.

[0115] Conventional NFC antenna coils are flat, but the curved NFC coil 610 shown in Figure 6A is curved in a convex shape (from an overhead view of the curved antenna coil 610 in the direction shown in Figure 6A) or a concave shape (from a downward view of the curved antenna coil 610 in the direction shown in Figure 6A). This shape of the antenna coil is sometimes called a dome shape or a bowl shape. The curved NFC antenna coil 610 ultimately generates a larger field than a flat NFC antenna coil of the same size. The curved form factor of the curved NFC antenna coil 610 can also be useful when used in a nest 115 of a POS terminal device 110, in that other components can be fitted around its curve as shown in Figure 6B.

[0116] Figure 6B shows a Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna curved along the payment card slot in a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device.

[0117] Figure 6B shows the corner of a nest 115 of the POS terminal device 110. The curved NFC antenna coil 610 is positioned within the nest 115 near the corner. A diagonal payment card slot 620 with a magnetic stripe reader 630 "cuts" into the corner of the nest 115 up to partway up the height of the curved antenna coil 610 "dome". The stop wall of the payment card slot 620 through which the card slides may be just adjacent to a portion of the dome of the curved NFC antenna coil 610 to save space. In some cases, the card slot may collide with or cut into the "base" of the dome (the part with the widest diameter), and if the slot is arbitrarily low relative to the height of the dome, it will not collide with or cut into it because it is high relative to the height of the dome. Thus, the diameter at the base of the dome may be large, allowing the slot 620 to overlap a portion of the curved antenna coil 610, but the field may be larger in corresponding terms. Thus, compared to a conventional NFC antenna coil, space is saved and the field strength is increased.

[0118] On the other hand, the curved NFC antenna coil 610 in Figures 6A and 6B is shown in a full “dome” shape (or a viewpoint-dependent “bowl” shape), while in other cases, the curved NFC antenna coil 610 may have a semi-dome / bowl shape or a quarter-dome / bowl shape.

[0119] Figure 6C shows a second type of curved near-field communication (NFC) antenna along the payment card slot in a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device.

[0120] The second type of curved NFC antenna coil 610 is spread around a relatively flat surface, but curved such that the flat surface represents two curved "steps". The "step" shape of the curved NFC antenna coil 610 is useful because the NFC antenna coil often does not function well when the circuit board interferes with the signal. Therefore, many components (not shown), such as the circuit board, can be placed below the higher "step" of the curved NFC antenna coil 610 in Figure 6C without affecting performance. If it is best from a user experience perspective that components that do not affect performance, such as the card slot 620, be placed as close to the user as possible, the curved NFC antenna coil 610 can be curved downward to its lower "step" that goes below the card slot 620. Other components (not shown), such as the circuit board, may still be present below the lower "step" of the curved NFC antenna coil 610 in Figure 6C.

[0121] Figure 7A shows an exploded view of the secure enclosure that surrounds and connects the circuit board.

[0122] The exploded view in Figure 7A shows a circuit board 710 protected by a secure enclosure 705. The outside of the secure enclosure 705 is shown in Figure 7A. The circuit board 710 may read, store, and / or transmit sensitive information such as encryption keys or payment device information. Both the inside of the circuit board 710 and the inside of the secure enclosure 705 contain conductive elements that conduct current and together form a tamper detection circuit 375. The portion of the tamper detection circuit 375 on the circuit board 710 may be connected to the portion of the tamper detection circuit 375 inside the secure enclosure 705 via one or more connector pieces 715 which may include one or more conductive elements themselves. In some cases, the connector pieces 715 may be “zebra” connectors with alternating conductive and insulating (e.g., elastic) elements.

[0123] Figure 7B shows the inside of the secure enclosure that surrounds and connects the circuit board.

[0124] The internal surface 720 of the secure enclosure 705 includes tamper traces 730 of various voltages that meander along the internal surface 720. Tamper traces are conductive wires that conduct a specific voltage. In particular, solid lines represent tamper traces that conduct a first voltage, while dashed lines represent tamper traces that conduct a second voltage different from the first voltage.

[0125] In some cases, one of the voltages may be grounded. The pattern of the tamper traces 730 forms a complex design, but the connections themselves are easier to understand. In the example in Figure 7B, a dashed line representing a single tamper trace at the first voltage meanders from point 760 to point 775. A solid line representing another single tamper trace at the second voltage meanders from point 765 to point 770. Another dashed line representing another single tamper trace at the first voltage meanders from point 740 to point 755. Another solid line representing another single tamper trace at the second voltage meanders from point 766 to point 770. Points 740, 745, 750, 755, 760, 765, 770, and 775 correspond to the locations of the four connector pieces 715 in Figure 7A. That is, one or more circuits are formed from tamper traces 730 and portions of the circuit board that supply a first voltage and a second voltage to those tamper traces 730 via connector pieces 715. The circuit board 710 includes, for example, one or more voltage sensors at or near its connection to the connector pieces 715. While the secure enclosure 705 is secure and tamper-free, the voltage sensors can detect the first and second voltages, or values ​​based thereon (optionally amplified differences between the first and second voltages or vice versa). If the voltage sensors detect an unexpected value that deviates from the expected voltage value by more than a tolerance (a tolerance that accommodates normal minor environmental noise and fluctuations), the tamper detection circuit 375 of the circuit board 710 then concludes that the secure enclosure 705, the circuit board 710, the connector pieces 715, or some combination thereof has been tampered.

[0126] For example, if a malicious party drills through the secure enclosure 705, destroying one or more tamper traces 730 will change the tamper detection circuit from a closed to an open state, altering the voltage detected by the voltage sensor by, for example, reducing the voltage to ground that is not expected to be grounded. Also, metal from a drill bit will bridge two or more tamper traces 730, forming a short circuit or other unexpected connection, initiating an unexpected current flow that results in an unexpected voltage value detected by the voltage sensor. An attempt to remove the secure enclosure 705 from the circuit board 710 will similarly terminate the connection between the taper traces 730 and the circuit board 710, similarly altering the voltage detected by the voltage sensor. Flooding the secure enclosure 705 with a conductive fluid such as conductive ink will create an unexpected connection that similarly alters the voltage detected by the voltage sensor. Thus, many different forms of tampering are detectable and can be protected from using the secure enclosure 705.

[0127] Although only one secure enclosure 705 is shown in Figure 7A, which covers one side of the circuit board 710, it should be understood that secure enclosures 705 can be used on both sides of the circuit board 710. Similarly, the printed circuit board (PCB) may be manufactured to include an internal layer with tamper traces in a pattern similar to the tamper traces 730 in Figure 7B. In any case, the circuit board 710 protected by the secure enclosure 705 will be protected from all sides.

[0128] Any attempt to tamper the secure enclosure 705 in order to access its components can be detected. If a tampering attempt is detected, preventative measures can be taken, such as deleting or overwriting sensitive information, including encryption keys and / or transaction information read for transaction purposes. As a result, the components within the secure enclosure 705 can securely store, transmit, or manipulate sensitive information. Additional security measures, such as those shown in Figures 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, 9E, 10, 12A, 12B, 13A, and 13B, may help further enhance tamper detection.

[0129] Figure 8A shows a tamper detection system in which a flexible member with a conductive trace is securely wrapped around a secure component.

[0130] In particular, Figure 8A shows a circuit board 810 having a secure component 820 extending over a portion of the circuit board 810. The secure component 820 may be a secure enclosure or a different secure component such as a memory element. A flexible member 830, which may be a ribbon cable or another flexible circuit such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC), may include tamper traces therein, and optionally, adjacent tamper traces within the flexible member 830 may have AC voltages or, if not, have different voltages from each other. The flexible member 830 is tightly wrapped around the secure component 820 and connected back to the circuit board with two board connectors 840. The circuit board 810 may check the voltage coming from the board connector 840 to determine whether the flexible member 830 is broken, or whether any of the tamper traces of the flexible member 830 are unexpectedly connected to each other, forming a short circuit or other unexpected connection that results in an unexpected voltage in the voltage sensor, if the flexible member 830 is removed at least partially from either of the board connectors 840.

[0131] Figure 8B shows a tamper detection system in which a flexible member with a conductive trace is securely wrapped around the secure enclosure.

[0132] The flexible member 830 is used in Figure 8B as well as Figure 8A, but in this case the secure component 820 is the secure enclosure 850. Because the secure enclosure is used, the board connector 840 is located inside the secure enclosure 850, making it even more difficult to tamper the flexible member 830 or its connection. The flexible member 830 in Figure 8A or Figure 8B, in particular, if the connector piece 715 is tightly wrapped over the area of ​​the secure enclosure 850 that connects the circuit board 810 to the tamper trace of the secure enclosure 850, then a potential attacker no longer has unimpeded access to the secure enclosure 850 and therefore has more obstacles to overcome without detection if they still wish to attempt to tamper the device. In some cases, the flexible member 830 having a tamper trace that tightly wraps around the secure component 820 or enclosure 850, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, may be called a tamper belt 830. In some cases, the tamper detection circuit 375 may contain only a limited number of tamper lines, and therefore the features of the tamper detection function (e.g., tamper belt 830, trace 730 of secure enclosure 705, flexible member 905) must be daisy-chained together in series. In such cases, it is beneficial if both upstream lines that are alive on the same tamper detection feature are not linked to two downstream elements that are also alive on a shared element. For example, if the left connector piece 715 is removed, this may cause two tamper warnings on the lines "enclosure L+" and "enclosure L-". If the right connector piece 715 is removed, this may cause two tamper warnings on the lines "enclosure R+" and "enclosure R-". If the tamper belt 830 is removed from the connector, this may cause two tamper warnings on the lines "belt+" and "belt-".If the enclosure and belt wires must both be daisy-chained, then if enclosure L+ and belt+ are daisy-chained, and both the "belt+" / "enclosure L+" wire and the "belt-" / "enclosure L-" wire detect a tampering attempt, then we don't know if the tampering belt 830 has been removed or if the left connector 715 has been removed. However, instead, if both the "belt+" / "enclosure L+" wire and the "belt-" / "enclosure R-" wire detect a tampering attempt, for example, in a daisy-chain of belt+ with enclosure L+ and belt+ with enclosure R-, then we know that the tampering attempt was detected on tampering belt 830.

[0133] Figure 9A shows a flexible member used in a tamper detection system that detects tampering with a screw.

[0134] The flexible member 905 may be connected to a circuit board at one end (not shown), and an attempt can be made to pass current through one or more conductive traces within the flexible member 905, and one or more voltage sensors can be used to monitor the voltage along the traces of the flexible member 95.

[0135] The flexible member 905 may include a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 910 that can form the upper surface of the flexible member 905. The flexible member 905 may include an opening 913 (which may be called an opening) through which the shank 940 of a screw 935 can pass. On the upper surface of the flexible member 905, the FPC 910 may include a first exposed conductive region 920 and a second exposed conductive region 925. The first exposed conductive region 920 may be the endpoint of a first conductive trace that extends along the length of the flexible member 905 but is not exposed anywhere other than the first exposed conductive region 925. Similarly, the second exposed conductive region 925 may be the endpoint of a second conductive trace that extends along the length of the flexible member 905 but is not exposed anywhere other than the second exposed conductive region 925. If the first exposed conductive region 920 and the second exposed conductive region 925 are bridged, these two traces are connected, and the circuit is closed while the first exposed conductive region 920 and the second exposed conductive region 925 remain exposed; otherwise, it is open.

[0136] Beneath the FPC 910, the flexible member 905 may optionally include a reinforcing member 915 to protect the portion of the flexible member 905 that contacts the shank 940 of the screw 935 from damage by the screw 935. Beneath the FPC 910 and the reinforcing member 915, the flexible member 905 may include an adhesive 930, such as a pressure-sensing adhesive (PSA).

[0137] Figure 9B shows a conductive gasket used in the screw, recessed housing, and tamper detection system for detecting tampering on the screw.

[0138] The screw 935, housing 960, and conductive gasket 970 in Figure 9B are used together with the flexible member 905 in Figure 9A to form another type of tamper detection circuit 375 that ensures the screw 935 remains screwed into the solid housing 960. The screw 935 includes a screw head 945 and a screw shank 940. The screw shank 940 may include threads 950.

[0139] The solid housing 960 may be part of the housing of the POS terminal device 110 and may include one or more solid materials such as wood, plastic, metal, or some combination thereof. The solid housing 960 may include a recess 965 having an opening 967. At least a portion of the shank 940 of the screw 935 can be fitted into at least a portion of the recess 965 through the opening 967 of the solid housing 960. The recess 965 may include a bus 955 into which the threads 950 of the screw 935 are screwed or can be screwed. A conductive gasket 970, as shown in Figure 9B, is a gasket made of a conductive material such as metal and has an opening (which may be called an opening) through which the shank 940 of the screw 935 is able to pass. The opening may be in the center of the conductive gasket 970. The conductive gasket 970 may also include a layer of adhesive 975, such as pressure-sensing adhesive (PSA), on one side, as further shown in Figures 9C, 9D, and 9E. In some cases, the conductive gasket 970 may be a bolt or washer, or may include one. In some cases, the conductive gasket 970 may be metal.

[0140] Figure 9C shows an exploded side view of a tamper detection system that uses screws to detect tampering.

[0141] The shank 940 of the screw 935 is partially inserted into the recess 965 in Figure 9C. The shank 940 of the screw 935 also passes through the opening in the conductive gasket 970 and the opening in the flexible member 905. The flexible member 905 is positioned adjacent to the head 945 of the screw 935, with the adhesive 930 of the flexible member 905 facing the head 945, and the two exposed conductive regions 920 / 925 facing away from the head 945 toward the conductive gasket 970 and the solid housing 960. The conductive gasket 970 is positioned between the flexible member 905 and the solid housing 960, with the adhesive 975 of the conductive gasket 970 facing the solid housing 960, while the conductive side of the conductive gasket 970 (the side without adhesive 975) faces the flexible member 905.

[0142] Figure 9D shows a side view of the tamper detection system in Figure 9C in a secure state.

[0143] The system in Figure 9D is the same as the system in Figure 9C, except that the screw 935 is screwed into the recess 965 as far as possible, thus compressing the flexible member 905 and the conductive gasket 970 between the head 945 of the screw 930 and the solid housing 960. In this secure, tamper-free state, the conductive side of the conductive gasket 970 is in contact with the two exposed conductive regions 920 and 925 of the flexible member 905, thus closing the circuit formed using the traces of the flexible member 905. The circuit board to which the flexible member is connected can determine that the circuit is closed via one or more voltage sensors.

[0144] The adhesive 975 adheres or bonds the conductive gasket 970 to at least a portion of the solid housing 960 (e.g., around or adjacent to the opening 967), while the adhesive 930 of the flexible member 905 adheres or bonds the flexible member 905 to the head 945 of the screw 935. Therefore, if a malicious party attempts to remove the screw 935 from the recess 965 in the housing 960, the conductive gasket 970 remains bonded to the solid housing, while the flexible member 905 remains bonded to the head 945 of the screw 935. Thus, the conductive gasket 970 no longer comes into contact with the two exposed conductive areas 920 and 925 of the flexible member 905, and the circuit moves from closed to open. The circuit board to which the flexible member 905 is connected can determine via one or more voltage sensors that the circuit is now open and that the POS terminal device 110 has been tampered with. The flexible member 905 can, in some cases, be connected to a circuit board via a board connector in a secure enclosure, such as the board connector 840 shown in Figure 8B.

[0145] Figure 9E shows a side view of the tamper detection system of Figure 9D with a second solid housing element.

[0146] The tamper detection system in Figure 9E also includes a second solid housing element 980 between the conductive gasket 970 and the head 945 of the screw 935. The second secure housing element 980 may include one or more solids such as wood, plastic, metal, or some combination thereof. The second secure housing element 980 may include the same one or more solids as those included in the secure housing 960, and / or one or more solids different from those included in the solid housing 960. The second solid housing element 980 may include an opening through which the shank 940 of the screw 935 can pass.

[0147] When screwed into recess 965, screw 935 thus functions to secure the solid housing 960 to the second solid housing element 980. The adhesive 930 of the conductive gasket 970 may bond to the second solid housing element 980 in Figure 9E instead of the head 945 of screw 935, as shown in Figure 9D. An additional layer of adhesive 985, which may be a pressure-sensing adhesive (PSA), may also be used to bond the second solid housing element to the head 945 of screw 935.

[0148] Alternatively, another arrangement of the system in Figure 9E places a second solid housing element 980 between the solid housing 960 and the conductive gasket 970. In this case, the adhesive 975 can bond the top of the conductive gasket 970 to the second solid housing 980 instead of bonding the top of the conductive gasket 970 to the solid housing 980 as shown in Figures 9D and 9E, and the adhesive 985 may be placed between the second solid housing element 980 and the solid housing 960 to bond the second solid housing element 980 to the solid housing 960.

[0149] In some cases, the screws 930 in Figures 9B-9E may be replaced by nails, rivets, pegs, dowels, posts, or other types of fasteners. In some cases, one or more bolts, washers, gaskets, or combinations thereof may be added between the elements shown in Figures 9C-9E.

[0150] Figures 9C-9E show that the conductive gasket 970 is above the flexible member 905, i.e., the conductive gasket 970 is closer to the solid housing 960 while the flexible member 905 is closer to the head 945 of the screw 935, although these positions may be reversed. Thus, in an alternative embodiment, the conductive gasket 970 may be attached or bonded to the head 945 of the screw 935, while the flexible member 905 is attached or bonded to at least a portion of the solid housing 960, with two exposed conductive regions 920 and 925 facing the conductive gasket 970.

[0151] In some cases, the conductive gasket 970 may be omitted entirely. Instead, the flexible member 905 may be attached or bonded to at least a portion of the solid housing 960, with two exposed conductive regions 920 and 925 facing toward the head 945 of the screw 935. The head 945 of the screw 935 may be conductive (e.g., metal) and can close the circuit when the screw 936 is screwed into the recess 965 by forming an electrical connection that bridges the first exposed conductive region 920 and the second exposed conductive region 935. Alternatively, the flexible member 905 may be attached to or bonded to at least a portion of the head 945 of the screw 935, with the two exposed conductive regions 920 and 925 facing the solid housing 960, and the solid housing 960 may include conductive (e.g., metallic) regions around or adjacent to the opening 967, such that these conductive regions of the solid housing 960 close the circuit when the screw 935 is screwed into the recess 965 by forming an electrical connection that bridges the first exposed conductive region 920 and the second exposed conductive region 935. The conductive regions of the solid housing 960 may include threaded inserts and, optionally, may be conductive through the bus 955 and / or the shank 940 of the screw 935. Alternatively, in a situation where the exposed conductive regions 920 and 925 face the second solid housing element 980, the second solid housing element 980 may include conductive (e.g., metallic) regions around or adjacent to its opening, such that these conductive regions of the second solid housing element 980 close a circuit when the screw 935 is screwed into the recess 965, by forming an electrical connection that bridges the first exposed conductive region 920 and the second exposed conductive region 935.

[0152] The flexible member 905 is represented by a circular opening 913 having a first exposed conductive area 920 and a second exposed conductive area 925 adjacent to the opening 913, however the opening 913 may have a different shape, and in some cases the flexible member 905 does not need to have an opening 913 at all. For example, the flexible member 905 may have two "prongs" arranged to have an opening between them, such as a "U" shape or a "V" shape, through which the shank 940 of the screw passes, and the prongs themselves are pressed against the conductive gasket 970 and / or solid housing 960 and / or second solid housing element 980 by the head 945 of the screw 935 when the screw 935 is screwed into the recess 965. Alternatively, the flexible member 905 without the opening 913 may simply have a portion positioned adjacent to one or more sides of the shank 940 of the screw 945, so that when the screw 935 is screwed into the recess 965, the head 945 of the screw 935 compresses the portion of the flexible member 905 adjacent to the shank 940 against the conductive gasket 970 and / or the solid housing 960 and / or the second solid housing element 980. Similarly, the conductive gasket 970 and / or the second solid housing element 980 do not have to have a circular opening as shown in the illustration and described herein, but may have an opening of another shape, or instead have a protruding "U" or "V" shape, or have no opening at all, and instead simply have a portion adjacent to the shank 940 of the screw 935 such that when the screw 935 is screwed into the recess 965, the head 945 of the screw 935 constricts a portion of the other elements (e.g., the flexible member 905, the solid housing 960, the conductive gasket 970, and / or the second solid housing element 980).

[0153] Figure 10 shows a tamper detection system in which one or more flexible members having conductive traces bridge two circuit boards.

[0154] A first circuit board 1005 and a second circuit board 1010 are shown in Figure 10. The second circuit board 1010 includes a secure enclosure 1015. The first circuit board 1005 and the second circuit board 1010 are connected to each other via a first flexible member 1020 and a second flexible member 1025. Both the first flexible member 1020 and the second flexible member 1025 include tamper traces of different voltages. A tamper detection circuit 375 in the secure enclosure 1015 monitors one or more voltages to each tamper trace of the first flexible member 1020 and the second flexible member 1025 to identify a tamper by detecting an unexpected voltage. The first board is closely connected to the secure enclosure 1015 and cannot leave the secure enclosure 1015 undetectably, so that a potential attacker no longer has unimpeded access to the secure enclosure 1015.

[0155] The two flexible members 1020 and 1025 are illustrated as being fairly long and having a fair amount of slack, but please understand that this is for illustrative purposes only to facilitate interpretation of the diagram. In some embodiments, the first flexible member 1020 and the second flexible member 1025 are very short, for example, short enough that the first circuit board and the secure enclosure must be in contact with each other or within millimeters, in order for the two flexible members 1020 and 1025 to remain connected to both substrates 1005 and 1010. Thus, the first circuit board 1005 and the two (or more) flexible members 1020 and 1025 prevent access to the secure enclosure 1015, and a potential attacker will not have space to insert any drill or other tool on or around the secure enclosure 1015, further increasing security and tamper detection possibilities. In some cases, one or more flexible members 1020 and 1025 bridging different circuit boards, as shown in Figure 10, may be used in combination with one or more flexible members 830 on one or more circuit boards having a secure enclosure and / or other secure components, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, thus providing additional protection for the secure enclosure or other secure components.

[0156] Although only two flexible members 1020 and 1025 are illustrated, more may be used. In particular, Figure 10 shows a first flexible member 1020 on the "bottom" side of the secure enclosure 1015 and a second flexible member 1025 on the "right" side of the secure enclosure 1015. In some cases, a third flexible member may be connected on the "left" side of the secure enclosure 1015, and / or a fourth flexible member may be connected on the "top" side of the secure enclosure 1015.

[0157] Some of the flexible members, such as the first flexible member 1020, may include data traces for transmitting data and / or power traces for transmitting power, as well as tamper traces. In such cases, having the tamper trace near the center of the flexible member, for example, the highlighted central trace 1030 and / or nearby traces, provides the additional advantage of making it particularly difficult for a malicious party to manipulate the tamper trace as opposed to the power or data traces. Maintaining the tamper trace centrally within the flexible member also allows nearby power and data traces to act as tamper traces by modifying the voltage of the tamper trace in a manner detectable by the voltage sensors in the secure enclosure 1015.

[0158] Figure 11A shows a chip card reader device with reading circuits on both sides of the slot.

[0159] The payment card 1105 in Figure 11A includes an IC chip 1110 and is inserted into a slot 1115. The slot includes a first chip card reader 1120 on one side of the slot 1115 and a second chip card reader on the other side of the slot 1115. Therefore, regardless of the direction in which the card 1105 is inserted into the slot 1115 (whether the chip is facing one direction or the other), the payment device data is read from the IC chip 1110 of the card 1105.

[0160] In some cases, one or both of the chip card readers in Figure 11A may be circuitry along a flexible member that wraps around the slot 1115, such as the flexible member 830 in Figures 8A and 8B. Such a flexible member may include a tamper trace as well as a data trace (for transmitting payment device data) and a power trace (for supplying power to the reader). Thus, the system in Figure 11A can offer the advantage of being convenient and easy to use for customers who can insert cards in either direction, as well as additional security and tamper detection.

[0161] Figure 11B is a circuit diagram of a chip card reader device equipped with reader circuits on both sides of the slot.

[0162] The first chip card reader 1120 and the second chip card reader 1125 include many of the same elements: the voltages of the common collector (VCC), programming power supply (VPP) and ground, rest lines, clock lines and input / output (I / O) lines, the Optionally Reserved for Future Use (RFU) line and a card detection mechanism to detect the presence of card 1105 of IC chip 1110 early when card 1105 enters slot 1115 in order to begin preparing the reader components to be read before the IC chip reaches reader 1120 or 1225. The card detection mechanism may function, for example, by card 1105 flipping a mechanical switch or instantaneous button, or by conductive material of the IC chip closing an open circuit in slot 1115 (for example, two conductive prongs from the open circuit may protrude into slot 1115 across the position where the IC chip is expected to pass). In some cases, the card detection mechanism may be omitted from one or both of the IC chip readers in Figures 11A and 11B.

[0163] Figure 12A shows a tamper detection system with a housing and circuit board in a secure configuration.

[0164] The tamper detection system in Figure 12A is designed to detect separation between objects and is labeled here as a housing 1205 and a circuit board 1210. The circuit board 1210 includes a substrate conductive element 1225, which in practice, together with the circuit on the circuit board 1210, may include two exposed conductive areas that form an open circuit, similar to the two exposed conductive areas 920 and 925 of the flexible member 905 in Figure 9A. The housing 1205 is coupled, for example, via a thread or code or chain 1240 to a housing conductive element 1220 that closes the circuit. This is a secure, tamper-free state. The circuit board 1210 may include one or more voltage sensors that can determine that the circuit is closed based on one or more detected voltages, thereby determining that the system (housing 1205 and circuit board 1210) is tamper-free. In some cases, the thread / code / chain 1240 is conductive and part of the circuit, and as a result, cutting the thread / code / chain 1240 opens the circuit, generating a voltage change detectable via one or more voltage sensors, which is ultimately detected as an attempt at tampering. In some cases, the thread / code / chain 1240 may instead be a rigid post or rib similar to the pressing rib 1315 in Figures 13A and 13B, with the housing conductive element 1220 attached to the tip of the post / rib.

[0165] Figure 12B shows the tamper detection system of Figure 12A in an insecure tampered state where the housing is separated from the circuit board.

[0166] The housing 1205 is lifted away from the circuit board 1210 in Figure 12B, relative to the secure state in Figure 12A. By lifting the housing 1205, the board conductive element 1220 is also lifted away from the board conductive element 1225 and pulled by the thread / code / chain 1240, opening the circuit. The circuit board 1210 may include one or more voltage sensors that can determine that the circuit is open based on one or more detected voltages, thereby determining that the system (housing 1205 and circuit board 1210) has been tampered.

[0167] Figure 13A shows a tamper detection system in a secure state with the tamper dome compressed.

[0168] The housing 1305 in Figure 13A includes a pressing rib 1315 that presses against a compressible or decompressible tamper dome 1330. The tamper dome 1330 is made of a conductive material and is compressed in Figure 13A, thereby contacting a central plurality of substrate conductive elements 1320, connecting it to two other substrate conductive elements 1320, and completing the circuit. This is a safe, tamper-free state. The circuit board 1310 may include one or more voltage sensors that can determine that the circuit is closed based on one or more detected voltages, thereby determining that the system (housing 1305 and circuit board 1310) is tamper-free.

[0169] Figure 13B shows the tamper detection system from Figure 13A in an unsecured tampered state where the tamper dome is not compressed.

[0170] The housing 1305 is lifted and separated from the circuit board 1310 in Figure 13B, relative to the secure state in Figure 13A. When the housing 1305 is lifted, the pressing rib 1315 stops pressing the tamper dome 1330, thus stretching and lifting the tamper dome 1330 away from the central substrate conductive element 1220 and opening the circuit. The circuit board 1310 may include one or more voltage sensors that can determine that the circuit is open based on one or more detected voltages, thereby determining that the system (housing 1305 and circuit board 1310) has been tampered.

[0171] In some cases, tamper dome systems like those in Figures 13A and 13B may be used in combination with the conductive element systems in Figures 12A and 12B within the same device, such as a POS terminal device 110.

[0172] Figure 14 shows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal that rotates around a base along various axes.

[0173] In particular, the POS terminal device 110 includes a frame 130A fixed to the surface 205 and a mobile computing device 105A fixed within the cavity 140 using a latch 135 of the frame 130A.

[0174] The POS terminal device 110 can rotate around several axes around its base 150. The POS terminal device 110 can rotate around the vertical Y-axis 1415, for example, by performing a counterclockwise rotation 1410 as shown in the illustration, or a counterclockwise rotation around the Y-axis 1415. The rotation 1410 around the Y-axis 1415 can be used to rotate the POS terminal device 110 between facing the merchant (merchant position) and facing the customer (customer position).

[0175] The POS terminal device 110 may rotate around the horizontal X-axis 1425, for example, by performing an upward rotation 1420 as shown in the figure, or an opposite downward rotation around the X-axis 1425. The rotation 1420 around the X-axis 1425 may be used to tilt the cradle 120 and nest 115 up and down to adjust for users of different heights.

[0176] The POS terminal device 110 may rotate around the Z-axis 1435 extending from the plane of paper in Figure 14, for example, by performing a counterclockwise rotation 1430 as shown in the figure, or a counterclockwise rotation around the Z-axis 1435. The rotation 1430 around the Z-axis 1435 may be used to rotate the POS terminal device 110 so that the nest 115 is not above the cradle 120, or to the left of the cradle 120, or below the cradle 120, or to the right of the cradle 120.

[0177] Rotation around all three axes, and even additional diagonal axes between these three axes, can be used in combination in some cases.

[0178] As also shown in Figure 14, pin 1450 enters a port or other opening on the mobile computing device 105A through an opening in the frame 130. If the mobile computing device 105 includes an audio jack or other port not used by the POS terminal device 110, pin 1450 or a screw may be inserted to help secure the mobile computing device 105 in place within the POS terminal device 110.

[0179] The headphone jack 1480 and USB port 1485 are also shown in nest 115 of Figure 14. The headphone jack 1480 may be an example of the audio component 387 and / or peripheral connector 383 of Figure 3. Similarly, the USB port 1485 may be an example of the peripheral connector 383 and / or audio component 387 of Figure 3.

[0180] In some cases, the base 150 of the POS terminal device 110 may be detached from the housing of the POS terminal device 110 (e.g., cradle 120 and nest 115) and carried as a portable device, or reattached to a different base 150. In such cases, the base 150 may be attached to the rest of the POS terminal device 110 via one or more screws and / or pins which may be used in the same way as screws / pins 460 and / or pins 1450. Various styles of bases 150 may be provided, such as a short base that is a suitable height for use by a user while the POS terminal device 110 is on a table or countertop, an intermediate base that is a suitable height for use by a user while the POS terminal device 110 is standing on the floor and the user is seated, and a tall base 150 that is a suitable height for use by a user while the POS terminal device 110 is standing on the floor and the user is standing. In some cases, some bases may enable or disable rotation of the housing of the POS terminal device 110 around the base 150 around one or more axes 1415, 1425, and / or 1435. In some cases, the base 150 may be wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted instead of a stand, and may still allow rotation of the housing around the base around one or more of the axes 1415, 1425, and / or 1435. In some cases, cables (of any kind described with respect to the input devices 1950 and / or output devices 1960 in Figure 19) including one or more power and / or data cables may pass through the base 150. Such cables may use liquid-proof seals illustrated and described with respect to Figures 16A and / or 16B. Such cables may be connected to the nest 115, for example, to energize the components of the nest 115 and / or to charge the battery of the nest 115. Such cables may be led alternately or additionally to the mobile computing device 105, for example, to energize the components of the mobile computing device 105 and / or to charge the battery of the mobile computing device 105. Such cables may be connected to one or more hinges, bearings, or joints.Such cables may, in some cases, be plugged into ports within hinges, bearings, or joints, and the power and / or data of the cable are transported through the hinges, bearings, or joints via alternative power and / or data carriers such as ribbon cables, FPCs, inductive power, NFC, RFID, wireless transceivers, or other structures.

[0181] Figure 15A shows a base that allows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device to rotate, using a magnetic damper.

[0182] A base 150 is shown. The base 150 includes a rotating leg 1505 and a skeleton 1525. Rotation 1410 around the Y-axis 1415 may be performed via the rotation of the leg 1505 around the skeleton 1525. The skeleton 1525 includes two skeleton magnets 1510 and 1515. The leg 1505 includes one leg magnet 1520, which may be attracted to either of the two skeleton magnets 1510 and 1515 depending on the rotational position of the leg around the skeleton 1525. For example, the leg magnet 1520 may be attracted to the skeleton magnet 1510 when the POS terminal device 110 is rotated in or near the customer position, and the leg magnet 1520 may be attracted to the skeleton magnet 1515 when the POS terminal device 110 is rotated in or near the merchant position. This attractive force pulls the feet 1505 back to their positions, thus adding a damping effect to the user attempting to rotate the device when it is already in the customer or merchant position. Therefore, the POS terminal device 110 requires the user to apply slightly greater force to rotate the POS terminal device 110 away from the customer or merchant position than the user would have to apply to rotate the POS terminal device 110 when it is in a different position.

[0183] Figure 15B shows a base that allows a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device to rotate, using a spring-based damper.

[0184] For example, using a spring 1530 together with a cam follower 1540, a small bearing 1545, a large bearing 1535, and a cam profile plate, a damping effect similar to that shown in Figure 15A can be achieved. Due to the spring 1530, the POS terminal device 110 requires the user to apply a slightly greater force to rotate the POS terminal device 110 away from the customer position or merchant position than the user must apply to rotate the POS terminal device 110 when the POS terminal device 110 is in a different position.

[0185] Figure 16A shows a radial liquid ingress prevention seal.

[0186] The plug 1620 of cable 1610 is indicated to be received or withdrawn by port 1625 of housing 1605. The jacket 1615 of cable 1610 terminates at plug 1620. The socket 1607 of housing 1605 accommodates port 1625. The jacket 1615 of cable 1610 includes a radial seal 1630 formed of an elastic material such as silicone or rubber, which surrounds the walls of the jacket 1615. The radial seal 1630 provides a tight mating into socket 1607 and prevents liquid (e.g., water) from entering port 1625 or plug 1620 once plug 1620 is received by port 1625. The radial seal 1630 is indicated with raised “bumps” to enhance the seal, providing a tighter seal in certain areas.

[0187] Alternatively or additionally, the socket 1607 may include a radial seal on the inner wall of the socket 1607 to provide or enhance a seal, i.e., prevention of water ingress.

[0188] Figure 16B shows the boot liquid ingress prevention seal.

[0189] The housing 1605, socket 1607, port 1625, plug 1620, and cable 1610 are identical in all respects in Figure 16B to those in Figure 16A, except that the jacket 1615 of cable 1610 includes a boot seal 1635 in addition to the radial seal 1630. The boot seal 1635 surrounds not only the wall of the jacket 1615 but also the surface of the jacket 1615 around the plug 1620. In some cases, the use of the boot seal 1635 in Figure 16B provides a more enhanced seal, i.e., prevention of liquid ingress, than the use of the radial seal 1630 as in Figure 16A.

[0190] Alternatively or additionally, the socket 1607 may include a boot seal on the inner wall of the socket 1607 and on the inner surface of the socket 1607 surrounding the port 1625 to provide or enhance a seal, i.e., prevention of water ingress.

[0191] In some cases, the POS terminal device 110 may include radial seals 1630 or boot seals 1635 to enhance liquid ingress protection, i.e., to enhance water resistance or liquid resistance or proofing, as discussed herein. In some cases, for example, the POS terminal device 110 may include one or more radial seals 1630 and / or boot seals 1635 on the base 150 of the POS terminal device 110.

[0192] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a tamper detection system that detects tampering using a fastener.

[0193] Step 1710 of operation 1700 includes identifying that a tamper detection circuit is closed. The tamper detection circuit includes a first exposed conductive region 920 and a second exposed conductive region 925 of a flexible member 905. The flexible member 905 includes an opening through which a portion of a fastener (e.g., the shank 940 of a screw 935) passes, while a recess 965 receives a portion of the fastener. The first exposed conductive region 920 is electrically connected to the second exposed conductive region 925, and the tamper detection circuit is closed while the recess 965 receives a portion of the fastener.

[0194] Step 1720 of operation 1700 includes detecting a tamper attempt by identifying that a tamper detection circuit is open. The detected tamper attempt may be a tamper attempt by the flexible member 905, a fastener (e.g., a screw 935), a solid housing 960 including a recess 965, a conductive gasket 970 electrically connecting a first exposed conductive area 920 to a second exposed conductive area 925, adhesive 975 on the conductive gasket 970, adhesive 930 on the flexible member 905, a circuit board or other tamper detection circuit to which the flexible member 905 is connected (e.g., optionally including one or more voltage sensors), or some combination thereof.

[0195] Operation 1700 in Figure 17 may represent the use of a tamper detection system, such as those shown in Figures 9C-9E or described in relation to Figures 9A-9E. The fasteners referred to in operation in Figure 17 may refer to screws 935 or any other fasteners described in relation to Figures 9A-9E.

[0196] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a tamper detection system that detects tampering using flexible members connected to two connectors.

[0197] Step 1810 of operation 1800 includes identifying that the tamper detection circuit is closed. The tamper detection circuit includes at least one of a plurality of conductive traces of a flexible member. Each of the plurality of conductive traces extends between the front end and the rear end of the flexible member. The tamper detection circuit is closed while the front end of the flexible member is connected to the first connector and the rear end of the flexible member is connected to the second connector.

[0198] Step 1820 of operation 1800 includes detecting a tampering attempt by identifying that a tamper detection circuit is open. The detected tampering attempt may be a tampering attempt by a flexible member, a first connector, a second connector, a first circuit board (or other circuit element) including the first connector, a second circuit board (or other circuit element) including the second connector, a tamper detection circuit coupled to either the first or second connector (e.g., located on either the first or second circuit board and optionally including one or more voltage sensors), or any combination thereof.

[0199] Operation 1800 in Figure 18 can represent the use of a tamper detection system, such as the system illustrated and described in relation to Figure 10. The flexible member discussed in relation to operation 1800 in Figure 18 may refer to the first flexible member 1020, the second flexible member 1025, or both.

[0200] Figure 19 shows an exemplary computing system 1900 that may be used to implement some aspects of the present technology. For example, any of the computing devices, computing systems, network devices, network systems, servers, and / or circuit configurations described herein may include at least one computing system 1900 or at least one component of the computer system 1900 identified in Figure 19. The computing system 1900 in Figure 19 includes one or more processors 1910 and memory 1920. Each of the processors 1910 may refer to one or more processors, controllers, microcontrollers, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), arithmetic logic units (ALUs), accelerated processing units (APUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination thereof. Each of the processors 1910 may include one or more cores, which may be integrated on a single chip or spread across multiple chips connected or coupled together. Memory 1920 partially stores instructions and data for execution by processor 1910. Memory 1920 can store executable code during operation. The system 1900 in Figure 19 further includes mass storage device 1930, portable storage medium drive 1940, output device 1950, user input device 1960, graphics display 1970, and peripheral device 1980.

[0201] The components shown in Figure 19 are shown as being connected via a single bus 1990. However, the components may be connected via one or more data transport means. For example, the processor 1910 and memory 1920 may be connected via a local microprocessor bus, and the mass storage device 1930, peripheral devices 1980, portable storage media 1940, and display system 1970 may be connected via one or more input / output (I / O) buses.

[0202] The mass storage device 1930, which may be implemented as a magnetic disk drive or optical disk drive, is a non-volatile storage device for storing data and instructions for use by the processor 1910. The mass storage device 1930 can store system software for the purpose of loading the software into memory 1920, in order to implement several aspects of the technology under consideration.

[0203] The portable storage device 1940 operates in conjunction with a portable non-volatile storage medium, such as a floppy disk, compact disk, or digital video disk, to input and output data and code to and from the computer system 1900 shown in Figure 19. System software for implementing an embodiment of the subject technology can be stored on such a portable medium and input to the computer system 1900 via the portable storage device 1940.

[0204] The memory 1920, mass storage device 1930, or portable storage device 1940 may, in some cases, store confidential information such as transaction information, health information, or cryptographic keys, and may, in some cases, encrypt or decrypt such information with the help of the processor 1910. The memory 1920, mass storage device 1930, or portable storage device 1940 may, in some cases, store instructions, executable code, or other data for execution or processing by the processor 1910, at least in part.

[0205] The output device 1950 may include, for example, a communication circuit for outputting data via wired or wireless means, a display circuit for displaying data via a display screen, an audio circuit for outputting audio via headphones or speakers, a printer circuit for printing data via a printer, or a combination thereof. The display screen may be any type of display described with respect to the display system 1970. The printer may be inkjet, laserjet, thermal, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the output device circuit 1950 can transmit audio jacks / plugs, microphone jacks / plugs, Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports / plugs, Apple® Lightning® ports / plugs, Ethernet ports / plugs, fiber optic ports / plugs, proprietary wired ports / plugs, Bluetooth® wireless signal transmission, Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) wireless signal transmission, IBEACON® wireless signal transmission, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wireless signal transmission, Short-Speed ​​Remote Control (DSRC) wireless signal transmission, 802.11 Wi-Fi wireless signal transmission, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) signal transmission, WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), Infrared (IR) wireless signal transmission, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) signal transmission, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) signal transmission, and 3G / 4G / 5G / LTE. The output device 1950 enables the transmission of data via cellular network data radio signal transmission, ad hoc network signal transmission, radio signal transmission, microwave signal transmission, infrared signal transmission, visible light signal transmission, ultraviolet signal transmission, radio signal transmission along the electromagnetic spectrum, or some combination thereof. The output device 1950 may include any other components necessary or available for implementing the types of communication listed above, such as any ports, plugs, antennas, wired or wireless transmitters, wired or wireless transceivers, or cellular subscriber identification module (SIM) cards.

[0206] The input device 1960 may include circuitry that provides part of the user interface. The input device 1960 may include an alphanumeric keypad, such as a keyboard, for inputting alphanumeric characters and other information, or a pointing device, such as a mouse, trackball, stylus, or cursor directional keys. The input device 1960 may include a touch-sensing surface, either integrated with the display, such as a touchscreen, or separate from the display, such as a trackpad. The touch-sensing surface may optionally be capable of detecting local variable pressure or force. In some cases, the input device circuit may include audio jacks, microphone jacks, Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports / plugs, Apple® Lightning® ports / plugs, fiber optic ports / plugs, proprietary wired wireless ports / plugs, wired local area network (LAN) ports / plugs, Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) wireless signal transmission, IBEACON® wireless signal transmission, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wireless signal transmission, Near Field Communication (NFC) wireless signal transmission, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) wireless signal transmission, 802.11 Wi-Fi wireless signal transmission, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Visible Light Communication (VLC), Global Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Infrared (IR) wireless signal transmission, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) signal transmission, and Integrated Services Digital It enables the reception of data via ISDN (Network Signal Transduction), 3G / 4G / 5LTE cellular data network wireless signal transmission, Personal Area Network (PAN) signal transmission, Wide Area Network (WAN) signal transmission, Ad Hoc network signal transmission, radio wave signal transmission, microwave signal transmission, infrared signal transmission, visible light signal transmission, ultraviolet signal transmission, wireless signal transmission along the electromagnetic spectrum, or a combination of these.The input device 1960 may include any other components necessary or available for implementing the types of communication listed above, such as any ports, plugs, antennas, wired or wireless receivers, wired or wireless transceivers, or cellular SIM cards.

[0207] The input device 1960 may also include a receiver or transceiver used for positioning the computing system 1900. These may include either wired or wireless signal receivers or transceivers. For example, the position of the computing system 1900 is determined based on the signal strength of signals received by the computing system 1900 from three cellular network towers, a process known as cellular triangulation. Fewer than three cellular network towers may be used, or even one may be used, but the position determined from such data will not be as accurate as that by triangulation (e.g., somewhere within a specific circle of one tower, somewhere along a line, or within a relatively small area of ​​two towers). Three or more cellular network towers may be used to further improve the accuracy of the position. Similar positioning operations may also be performed using proximity beacons that use short-range radio signals such as BLUETOOTH® radio signals, BLUETOOTH® Low Energy (BLE) radio signals, IBEACON® radio signals, Personal Area Network (PAN) signals, microwave signals, radio signals, or other signals described above. Similar positioning operations may be performed using a wired or wireless local area network in which the location of one or more network devices communicating with the computing system 1900 is known, such as routers, modems, switches, hubs, bridges, gateways, or repeaters. These may also include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers or transceivers used to determine the position of the computing system 1900 based on the reception of one or more signals from one or more satellites associated with one or more GNSS systems. GNSS systems include, but are not limited to, the US-based Global Positioning System (GPS), the Russia-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), the China-based Beidou Navigation System (BDS), and the Europe-based Galileo GNSS. The input device 1960 may include receivers or transceivers corresponding to one or more of these GNSS systems.

[0208] The display system 1970 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an electronic ink or "electronic paper" display, a projector-based display, a holographic display, or another suitable display device. The display system 1970 receives text and graphic information and processes the information for output to a display device. The display system 1970 may include a plurality of touchscreen input functions, such as capacitive touch detection, resistive touch detection, surface acoustic wave touch detection, or infrared touch detection. Such touchscreen input functions may or may not enable variable pressure or force detection.

[0209] Peripheral devices 1980 may include any type of computer support device to add additional functionality to a computer system. For example, peripheral devices 1980 may include one or more additional input devices of any type discussed with respect to output devices 1950 or input devices 1960, one or more additional display systems of any type discussed with respect to display systems 1970, one or more additional display devices of any type discussed with respect to memory 1920 or mass storage devices 1940, modems, routers, antennas, wired or wireless transceivers, printers, barcode scanners, quick response ("QR") code scanners, magnetic stripe card readers, smart card readers or EUROPAY®-M This may include integrated circuit chip (ICC) card readers such as ASTERCARD®-VISA (EMV) chip readers, near-field communication (NFC) readers, document / image scanners, visible light cameras, thermal / infrared cameras, ultraviolet-sensitive cameras, night vision cameras, light sensors, optical transistors, optical resistors, thermometers, thermistors, batteries, power supplies, proximity sensors, laser rangefinders, sonar transceivers, radar transceivers, lidar transceivers, network devices, motors, actuators, pumps, conveyor belts, robotic arms, rotors, drills, chemical analyzers, or some combination thereof.

[0210] The components included in the computer system 1900 in Figure 19 may include those commonly found in computer systems, which are suitable for use in some aspects of the technology in question and can represent a broad category of such computer components well known in the art. However, the computer system 1900 in Figure 19 may be customized and specialized using dedicated hardware configurations, dedicated arrangements of hardware configurations, and / or dedicated software to perform the various operations described herein for the purposes described herein. Thus, the computer system 1900 in Figure 19 may be a personal computer, a handheld computing device, a telephone ("smartphone" or other), a mobile computing device, a workstation, a server (on a server rack or other), a minicomputer, a mainframe computer, a tablet computing device, a wearable device (such as a watch, a ring, a pair of glasses, or another type of jewelry or clothing or accessory), a video game console (portable or other), an e-book reader, a media player device (portable or other), a vehicle-based computer, another type of computing device, or some combination thereof. The computer system 1900 may, in some cases, be a virtual computer system run by another computer system. Computers can also include different bus configurations, networking platforms, multiprocessor platforms, and so on.Various operating systems may be used, including variations of Unix®, Linux®, FreeBSD®, pfSense®, Windows®, Apple® Macintosh OS® ("MacOS®"), Palm OS®, Google®, Android®, Google® Chrome OS®, Chromium® OS®, OPENSTEP®, XNU®, Darwin®, Apple® iOS®, Apple® vOS®, Apple® tOS®, Apple® watchOS®, Apple® audioOS®, Amazon® Fire OS®, Amazon® Kindle OS®, any of these, other suitable operating systems, or combinations thereof. Computer System 1900 may also use the Basic Input / Output System or the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) as the layer on which the operating system runs.

[0211] In some cases, computer system 1900 may be part of a multicomputer system, each using multiple computer systems 1900 for one or more specific tasks or purposes. For example, a multicomputer system may include multiple computer systems 1900 that are communicably connected via at least one of a personal area network (PAN), local area network (LAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), municipal area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. A multicomputer system may further include multiple computer systems 1900 from different networks (also called “distributed” systems) that are communicably connected to one another via the Internet.

[0212] Some aspects of the subject technology may be implemented in applications that may be operable using various devices. “Non-temporary computer-readable storage medium” means any medium or media that is involved in providing instructions to a central processing unit (CPU) for execution and may be used in memory 1920, mass storage 1930, portable storage medium 1940, or some combination thereof. Such mediums may include, but are not limited to, non-volatile and volatile media such as optical or magnetic disks and dynamic memory, respectively, and may take many forms. Some forms of non-transient computer-readable media include, for example, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, magnetic stripes / stripes, other magnetic storage media, flash memory, memory stick memory, any other solid-state memory, optical discs (CD-ROMs), rewritable compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), Blu-ray discs (BDDs), holographic optical discs, other optical media, Secure Digital (SD) cards, microSecure Digital (microSD) cards, Memory Stick® cards, Memory Stick® chips, EMV chips, subscriber identification modules (S This includes SIM cards, mini / micro / nano / pico SIM cards, other integrated circuit (IC) chips / cards, random access memory (RAM), static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash EPROM, cache memory (L1 / L2 / L3 / L4 / L5 / L#), resistive random access memory (RRAM / ReRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), spin-transfer torque RAM (STT-RAM), other memory chips or cartridges, or combinations thereof.

[0213] Various forms of transmission media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor 1910 for execution. The bus 1990 carries data to the system RAM or another memory 1920, from which the processor 1910 retrieves and executes instructions. Instructions received by the system RAM or another memory 1920 may optionally be stored in a fixed disk (mass storage device 1930 / portable storage medium 1940) either before or after execution by the processor 1910. Similarly, various forms of storage devices may be implemented, as well as the network interfaces and network topologies required for their implementation.

[0214] While the various flowcharts provided and described above may illustrate a specific sequence of operations performed by some embodiments of the technology in question, it should be understood that such sequences are illustrative. Alternative embodiments may perform operations in a different sequence, combine certain operations, overlap certain operations, or perform some combination thereof. Unless otherwise disclosed, it should be understood that any process illustrated in any flowchart herein, or otherwise shown, or described herein, may be performed by a machine, mechanism, and / or computing system 1900, and may be performed automatically (e.g., in response to one or more triggers / conditions described herein), autonomously, semi-autonomously (e.g., based on received instructions), or a combination thereof. Furthermore, any operation described herein as occurring in response to one or more specific triggers / conditions should be understood as occurring optionally and automatically in response to one or more specific triggers / conditions.

[0215] The detailed description of the above technology is presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the exact form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible from the perspective of the above description. The embodiments described have been selected to best illustrate the principles of the technology and its practical applications, and to enable those skilled in the art to utilize the technology in various embodiments and with various modifications suitable for specific intended uses. The scope of the technology is intended to be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A housing having slots between a plurality of surfaces of the housing, wherein the plurality of surfaces of the housing include a first surface of the housing and a second surface of the housing, A plurality of reader interfaces, including a first reader interface adjacent to the first surface of the housing and a second reader interface adjacent to the second surface of the housing, wherein one of the plurality of reader interfaces adjacent to one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing reads information from the storage medium of the card while the card is housed in a slot and the storage medium faces one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing. A flexible member encloses at least a portion of the slot, wherein the flexible member includes at least one of the plurality of reader interfaces. Device.

2. The plurality of reader interfaces include a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) chip readers, and the storage medium of the card includes the IC chip of the card. The apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The plurality of reader interfaces include a plurality of magnetic stripe readers, and the storage medium of the card includes the magnetic stripe of the card. The apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes at least one detector that detects whether the storage medium is present in the slot and facing one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing while the card is housed in the slot. The apparatus according to claim 1.

5. One of the plurality of reader interfaces is prepared for reading in response to the detection by at least one detector that the storage medium is present in the slot and facing one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing. The apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The at least one detector includes at least one conductive prong protruding from one of the plurality of surfaces into the slot, The apparatus according to claim 4.

7. The at least one detector includes at least one mechanical interface protruding from one of the plurality of surfaces into the slot, The apparatus according to claim 4.

8. One of the plurality of reader interfaces is the first reader interface, and one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing is the first surface of the housing. The apparatus according to claim 1.

9. One of the plurality of reader interfaces is the second reader interface, and one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing is the second surface of the housing. The apparatus according to claim 1.

10. At least one tamper trace along the flexible member, The system further includes a tamper detection circuit that monitors the electrical characteristics of at least one tamper trace in order to identify changes in electrical characteristics indicating an attempt to tamper the flexible member. The apparatus according to claim 1.

11. The device further includes a point-of-sale (POS) circuit that uses the information read from the storage medium of the card in order to initiate a transaction. The apparatus according to claim 1.

12. To accommodate a card in a slot between multiple surfaces of a device housing, wherein the multiple surfaces of the housing include a first surface of the housing and a second surface of the housing, Reading information from the storage medium of the card using one of the plurality of reader interfaces of the device, wherein the plurality of reader interfaces include a first reader interface adjacent to the first surface of the housing and a second reader interface adjacent to the second surface of the housing, and the one of the plurality of reader interfaces adjacent to one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing reads information from the storage medium of the card while the card is housed in the slot and the storage medium faces one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing, wherein a flexible member of the device wraps around at least a portion of the slot, and the flexible member includes at least one of the plurality of reader interfaces. method.

13. The plurality of reader interfaces include a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) chip readers, and the storage medium of the card includes the IC chip of the card. The method according to claim 12.

14. The plurality of reader interfaces include a plurality of magnetic stripe readers, and the storage medium of the card includes the magnetic stripe of the card. The method according to claim 12.

15. The device further includes using at least one detector to detect that the storage medium is present in the slot and facing one of the plurality of surfaces of the housing while the card is housed in the slot. The method according to claim 12.

16. The further includes initiating a transaction using the information read from the storage medium of the card, The method according to claim 12.

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