Tamper detection using ITO touch screen traces
AssigneeSquare, Inc.
InventorsSean Hafemann, Cory Douthat
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the technology provide an electronic device having a touch display and a method of detecting any possible tampering with the electronic device using the same ITO traces of a conductive grid of the touch display that are used to drive the touch display for displaying information and/or sensing touch inputs.
Claims8
A method of detecting a tampering event at a device having a touch screen, the touch screen including a conductive grid of Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) traces that are configured to have their electrical properties altered when the touch screen receives a touch input and their conductive properties altered due to the tampering event, and a touch controller configured to detect the altered electrical and conductive properties, the method comprising:
- electrically scanning, by the touch controller, the ITO traces of the touch screen to detect the altered electrical properties of the ITO traces to detect the touch input;
- electrically scanning, by the touch controller, the ITO traces of the touch screen to detect the altered conductive properties of the ITO traces;
- in response to detecting that the conductive properties of at least one of the ITO traces of the touch screen has been altered, determining that the tampering event comprising a physical manipulation of the touch screen occurred;
- and
- disabling operation of the device upon determining that the tampering event occurred, whereby the touch screen is not able to be used as a point of entry to introduce a security vulnerability into the device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.