Chip-based card security
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorWeston Lee Hecker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chip-based card is provided with on-card security. The card in a non-activated state is fully resistant to any power received from a card reader, such that a chip in the card is unable to be powered on by the card reader when the card is inserted to the card reader for a transaction. A plurality of pressure contact points are provided on the card. When a correct number of correct pressure points are pinched by a card holder before insertion of the card into the card reader, a custom amount of resistance is removed such that a custom amount of voltage is capable of being received from the card reader for powering up the chip. In an embodiment, the customized voltage drives firmware execution on a processor of the chip to produce customized output for the transaction.
Claims17
A method, comprising:
- selectively removing an amount of resistance applied to a power pin location of a chip-based card;
- restricting a voltage amount provided to power a chip of the chip-based card based on the amount of resistance removed from the power pin location;
- and
- providing, by the chip, the customized output as a transaction token to the terminal through a card reader that the chip-based card is inserted into for payment of the transaction.
A chip-based card, comprising:
- a chip;
- a plurality of pressure points on a front surface of the chip-based card configured to be pinched;
- at least one power wire located under at least one of the pressure points on a first end and connected to a power pin of the chip on a second end;
- a plurality of ground wires, each ground wire located under a unique one of pressure points at a first end and each ground wire connected to a ground pin of the chip on a second end;
- and
- at least one resistor attached to the first end of the at least one power wire;
- wherein the at least one resistor is configure to detach from the second end of the at least one power wire when the corresponding pressure point is pinched to achieve a custom voltage at the power pin when the chip-based card is inserted into a card reader with the chip powered on at the custom voltage.
A chip-based card, comprising:
- a chip configured to generate a unique code based on an amount of voltage supplied to the chip by a card reader;
- a power pin location configured to obtain a card-reader supplied voltage from the card reader and provide the amount of voltage to the chip;
- and
- a plurality of pressure points on a front surface of the card that when pinched are configured to remove a custom-amount of resistance applied at the power pin location;
- wherein a ground fault condition is forced from the power pin location when the chip-based card is inserted into the card reader with an incorrect pressure point pressed before the chip-based card was inserted into the card reader.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.