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US 8,132,721 B2Granted
Device for checking the regularity of the operation of automatic payment terminals
AssigneeGilbarco Inc.
InventorGiovanni Carapelli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is described a device for the control and surveillance to check the regularity of the operation of automatic payment terminals, specifically automatic terminals employing payment card readers of the contact-type.
Claims18
A device for checking the regularity of the operation of automatic payment terminals comprising:
- a distance detector module associated to a payment card reader of an automatic payment terminal, said distance detector module measuring a distance existing between a position of the distance detector module and at least one further element related to said automatic payment terminal or to the payment card engaged in said card reader or to both, wherein said distance detector module includes a control module configured to communicate with an external control unit so as to check conformity of the measured distance.
An automatic payment terminal comprising:
- a display;
- an alphanumerical keypad;
- a payment card reader provided with a slot for introduction of a payment card;
- and
- a secure controller comprising a device for checking the regularity of the operation of automatic payment terminals, wherein the device includes a distance detector module associated with the payment card reader, wherein the distance detector module is configured to measure a first distance between a payment card inserted into the slot and the distance detector module and a second distance between an element of the automatic payment terminal and the distance detector module, wherein the distance detector module includes a control module configured to establish quantities representative of the first and second distances.
2 more elements
A method for checking the regularity of the operation of an automatic payment terminal comprising a housing including a payment card reader configured to receive a payment card and a distance detector associated with the payment card reader, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining a first distance between the distance detector and a portion of the housing opposite the distance detector with respect to the payment card reader;
- measuring a second distance by the distance detector in the direction of the payment card reader;
- comparing the first and second distances;
- and
- determining the presence of an obstacle proximate the payment card reader based on the comparison of the first and second distances.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.