IoT Peripheral API Decouples POS Terminal Security from Device Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminals and Self-Service Terminals (SSTs) face difficulties in extending functionality with additional peripheral devices due to tightly coupled relationships with their host systems and underlying drivers, requiring laborious retesting and redevelopment for OS changes or hardware updates, while IoT devices are inflexible and restricted in adding peripherals for security reasons.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a peripheral Application Programming Interface (API) that decouples the application processing environment from the peripheral control environment, allowing for remote management and addition of new peripherals through a separate IoT machine with its own OS and device drivers, enabling secure and flexible extension of terminal functionality without impacting existing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tightly coupled relationship is maintained between the host PC and peripheral devices for security reasons, then security and system stability are improved, but the ability to add or modify peripheral devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent machines: a host machine running the terminal application and a separate IoT machine handling peripheral device management. This segmentation allows the host to maintain security through locked-down OS while the IoT machine provides flexible peripheral access, resolving the contradiction between security and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The IoT machine acts as an intermediary between the host PC and peripheral devices. It receives peripheral commands from the host, processes them independently, and returns results without requiring the host OS to directly interact with device drivers. This intermediary approach maintains security while enabling peripheral flexibility.
2Reliability
If the operating system is locked down for security, then security is improved, but the flexibility to add functionality with additional peripherals deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the locked-down host OS from the peripheral management functions by implementing them on a separate IoT machine. This allows the host to remain securely locked down while the IoT machine provides the necessary flexibility for adding and managing peripherals through its own OS and device drivers.
Solution Approach 2:
The IoT machine serves multiple functions: it manages peripheral device connections, processes peripheral commands, and interfaces with the host system. This multi-functional approach enables a single device to provide both security (by isolating the host OS) and flexibility (through versatile peripheral management capabilities).
3Reliability
If substantial retesting and redevelopment is required for OS changes or hardware updates, then system stability is maintained, but the time and cost for updates deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By separating peripheral management onto an independent IoT machine, updates to the host OS or application software no longer require peripheral device retesting. The IoT machine maintains its own stable environment for peripheral operations, eliminating the need for coordinated retesting across the entire system and significantly reducing update time.
Solution Approach 2:
The IoT machine is pre-configured with its own OS and device drivers independently of the host system. This preliminary setup allows peripheral devices to be pre-tested and validated on the IoT machine before deployment, so that future host OS updates or application changes do not require retesting of peripheral functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An IoT device is provided and includes a peripheral Operating System (OS), a peripheral API, and a remote management application. The IoT device configured to provide extended peripheral support for additional peripherals accessible to a terminal in an isolated environment from the terminal environment and the IoT device exposes the extended peripherals as IoT devices accessible over multiple communication channels and the Internet.