Electronic security key for enabling electronic coin acceptors and the like
AssigneeIDX, Inc.
InventorScott Juds
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic security key is particularly adapted to exchange electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor circuit of a coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming. The electronic security key includes an electronic security key circuit defined by subcircuits including (1) circuitry for exchanging electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor, (2) encryption generating circuitry for generating encrypted password data at a sufficient value to generate authentication data from at least a portion of the electronic data transmitted to the electronic security key circuit, and (3) circuitry for transmitting the generated authentication data to an electronic coin acceptor circuit to thereby enable the electronic coin acceptor circuit for coin programming thereof.
Claims31
An electronic security key particularly adapted to exchange electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming comprising an electronic security key circuit, said electronic security key circuit including means for exchanging electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor;
- encryption means for producing encrypted password data from at least a portion of the electronic data transmitted to the electronic security key circuit;
- and means for transmitting the generated encrypted password data to thereby effect an enabled state of the electronic coin acceptor for coin programming thereof.
An electronic security key particularly adapted to exchange electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming comprising an electronic security key circuit having data port means for exchanging electronic data with a coin acceptor circuit, said electronic security key circuit including analysis circuit means for analyzing random number data received via the data port means from the acceptor circuit, and means for transmitting a modification of at least a portion of the random number data back to the coin acceptor circuit for enabling the coin acceptor dependent upon the correctness of the modified data portion.
An electronic security key particularly adapted to exchange electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming comprising an electronic security key circuit, said electronic security key circuit including port means for receiving data from a computer, means for validating the received data, and port means for transmitting the validated data to an electronic coin acceptor to thereby effect an enabled state of the electronic coin acceptor for coin programming thereof.
An electronic security key particularly adapted for exchanging electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming comprising:
- an electronic security key circuit for exchanging electronic data with a coin acceptor circuit,
- said electronic security key circuit including reception circuit means for receiving from an electronic coin acceptor information data signals involving at least one of (a) a random generated password seed data signal and (b) an electronic coin acceptor identification data signal representative of a specific electronic coin acceptor, and
- said electronic security key circuit further including circuit means for transmitting to an electronic coin acceptor at least one of (a) an encrypted password data signal generated at least in part from the random generated password seed data signal to enable a specific electronic coin acceptor for coin programming, (b) a person identification data signal representative of a specific authorized person, (c) an electronic security key identification data signal representative of a specific electronic security key, and (d) a date and time identification data signal representative of a specific authorized date and time.
An electronic security key particularly adapted for exchanging electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming comprising:
- an electronic security key circuit,
- said electronic security key circuit including circuit means for transmitting to an electronic coin acceptor a password data signal to enable a specific electronic coin acceptor for coin programming, and
- said electronic security key circuit including further circuit means for transmitting to an electronic coin acceptor at substantially short and repeating intervals enabling state signals for maintaining the electronic coin acceptor in an enabled state for coin programming.
An electronic security key particularly adapted for exchanging electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming comprising:
- an electronic security key circuit for exchanging electronic data with a coin acceptor circuit,
- said electronic security key circuit including circuit means for receiving identification data signals representative of a specific person authorized to enable a coin acceptor for coin programming, and
- said electronic security key circuit including further circuit means (a) responsive to received identification data signals for transmitting authorized identification data signals to the electronic coin acceptor to enable the electronic coin acceptor for coin programming, and (b) responsive to at least one of (b′) received unauthorized identification data signals and (b″) absence of authorized identification data signals for preventing the transmission of signals to the electronic coin acceptor to prevent enabling the electronic coin acceptor for coin programing.
An electronic security key particularly adapted for exchanging electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming comprising:
- an electronic security key circuit,
- said electronic security key circuit including reception circuit means for receiving from an electronic coin acceptor identification data signals representative of the specific electronic coin acceptor, and
- said electronic security key circuit further including memory means for storing identification data representative of a multiplicity of specific electronic coin acceptor to permit subsequent identification of at least some electronic coin acceptors to which the electronic security key circuit was connected.
An electronic security key particularly adapted for exchanging electronic data with an electronic coin acceptor to enable the coin acceptor for coin programming comprising:
- an electronic security key circuit, and
- said electronic security key circuit further including circuit means for receiving other electronic data signals from a software utility of a personal computer including identification data signals representative of a specific authorized person whose authorization had earlier been validated by a security circuit system of the software utility.
A method of enabling an electronic coin acceptor for coin programming utilizing an electronic security key comprising the steps of:
- providing an electronic coin acceptor with an electronic coin acceptor circuit including a communication circuit,
- providing an electronic security key with an electronic security key circuit including a communication circuit,
- effecting transmission and reception to and between the electronic coin acceptor and the electronic security key communication circuits,
- transmitting data signals including a substantially random number from the coin acceptor circuit to the electronic security key circuit,
- utilizing an encryption algorithm of the electronic security key on data inclusive of the substantially random number to create a password data signal,
- transmitting the created password data signal from the electronic security key circuit to the electronic coin acceptor circuit, and
- validating the received password data signal by the electronic coin acceptor circuit to thereby enable coin programming only if the password data signal is acceptable.
A method of enabling an electronic coin acceptor for coin programming with an electronic security key comprising the steps of:
- providing an electronic coin acceptor with an electronic coin acceptor circuit including a communication circuit,
- providing an electronic security key with an electronic security key circuit including a communication circuit,
- establishing data transmission to and between the electronic coin acceptor and the electronic security key communication circuits to enable an exchange of electronic data signals,
- transmitting password data signals from the electronic security key circuit to the electronic coin acceptor circuit,
- validating a received password data signal by the electronic coin acceptor circuit and enabling coin programming only if the password data signal is satisfactory,
- transmitting from the electronic security key circuit to the electronic coin acceptor circuit for storage therein at least one of (a) identification data signals representative of the specific electronic security key, (b) identification data signals representative of a specific authorized person, and (c) identification data signals representative of an authorization date and time, and
- transmitting identification data representative of a specific coin acceptor to a specific security key for storage therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.