Anti-skimming card reader
AssigneeWayne Fueling Systems LLC
InventorMats Ohlsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for reading both chip and magnetic stripe cards, and in particular for preventing use of a magnetic stripe when a chip is present, in various settings such as fuel dispensers, ATMs, and retail settings. For example, a card reading device is provided that includes a housing and at least one card slot. A smart card reader and a magnetic stripe card reader are disposed within the housing. In one embodiment, a gate is configured to prevent insertion of a card into a rear portion of the card slot when a chip is detected to prevent the magnetic stripe card reader from reading a magnetic stripe. In another embodiment, a first card slot has a first depth that prevents insertion of a magnetic stripe but allows reading of a chip, and a second slot has a depth that allows insertion of a magnetic stripe.
Claims10
A card reading device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a first card slot formed in the housing and extending in a first orientation, the housing having a magnetic stripe card reader disposed therein and configured to read a magnetic stripe on a card inserted into the first card slot;
- and
- a second card slot formed in the housing and extending in a second orientation different than the first orientation such that the second card slot intersects with the first card slot at a non-zero angle, the housing having a smart card reader disposed therein and configured to read a chip on a card inserted into the second card slot.
A method of using a card reading device, comprising:
- inserting a card into a first card slot formed in a housing and extending in a first orientation, the first card slot being configured to prevent a magnetic stripe on the card from being read, and the housing having a smart card reader that detects the presence of a chip on the card when the card is inserted therein;
- and
- inserting the card, if no chip is detected by the smart card reader, into a second card slot formed in the housing and extending in a second orientation that intersects the first orientation of the first card slot, the second card slot being configured to allow the magnetic stripe on the card to be read by a magnetic stripe reader therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.