Obfuscation of information obtained by a card reader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10810386-B2
Application number	US-201916675329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2019
Priority date	Jan 16, 2019
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

An example method may include transmitting a noise signal through a reader connection of a magnetic reader element. The control component and the magnetic reader element may be associated with a card reader device of a transaction device, and the magnetic reader element may be configured to read a magnetic strip of a transaction card. The method may include receiving, from the magnetic reader element, a reader connection signal from the reader connection. The reader connection signal may include the noise signal. The method may include extracting, from the reader connection signal, a card information signal associated with the transaction card from the magnetic strip. The card information signal may be extracted based on the noise signal. The method may include performing an action associated with the card information signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
transmitting, from a control component, a standby signal through a reader connection between the control component and a transaction card reader element;
transmitting, from the control component and after transmitting the standby signal, a noise signal through the reader connection,
wherein the reader connection comprises an electrical connection;
wherein the noise signal is different from the standby signal;
wherein the control component and the transaction card reader element are associated with a card reader device, and
wherein the transaction card reader element is configured to read a transaction card;

receiving, by the control component and from the transaction card reader element, a reader connection signal through the reader connection,
wherein the reader connection signal includes the noise signal;

extracting, by the control component and from the reader connection signal, a card information signal associated with the transaction card,
wherein the card information signal is extracted based on the noise signal; and

performing, by the control component, an action associated with the card information signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transaction card reader element comprises a chip reader element capable of reading information from an integrated circuit (IC) chip of the transaction card.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that the transaction card has interacted with the transaction card reader element; and
wherein transmitting the noise signal comprises:
transmitting the noise signal based on detecting that the transaction card has interacted with the transaction card reader element.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting another noise signal through the reader connection while transmitting the standby signal; and
wherein the other noise signal is different from the noise signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the noise signal; and
wherein extracting the card information signal comprises:
extracting the card information signal using the stored noise signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting the card information signal comprises:
extracting the card information signal using a signal processing technique that includes one or more of:
signature analysis,
sliding window analysis, or
variance analysis.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating the noise signal using a randomization technique.

8. A device, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
transmit, from a control component, a standby signal through a reader connection between the control component and a transaction card reader element;
transmit, from the control component and after transmitting the standby signal, a noise signal through the reader connection,
wherein the one or more processors, when the reader connection, are configured to an electrical connection;
wherein the noise signal is different from the standby signal;
wherein the control component and the transaction card reader element are associated with a card reader device, and
wherein the transaction card reader element is configured to read a transaction card;

receive, from the transaction card reader element, a reader connection signal through the reader connection,
wherein the reader connection signal includes the noise signal;

extract, from the reader connection signal, a card information signal associated with the transaction card,
wherein the card information signal is extracted based on the noise signal; and

perform an action associated with the card information signal.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the transaction card reader element comprises a chip reader element capable of reading information from an integrated circuit (IC) chip of the transaction card.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
detect that the transaction card has interacted with the transaction card reader element; and
wherein the one or more processors, when transmitting the noise signal, are configured to:
transmit the noise signal based on detecting that the transaction card has interacted with the transaction card reader element.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
transmit another noise signal through the reader connection while transmitting the standby signal; and
wherein the other noise signal is different from the noise signal.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
store the noise signal; and
wherein the one or more processors, when extracting the card information signal, are configured to:
extract the card information signal using the stored noise signal.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, when extracting the card information signal, are configured to:
extract the card information signal using a signal processing technique that includes one or more of:
signature analysis,
slide window analysis, or
variance analysis.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
generate the noise signal using a randomization technique.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
transmit, from a control component, a standby signal through a reader connection between the control component and a transaction card reader element;
transmit, from the control component and after transmitting the standby signal, a noise signal through the reader connection,
wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to the reader connection, cause the one or more processors to an electrical connection;
wherein the noise signal is different from the standby signal;
wherein the control component and the transaction card reader element are associated with a card reader device, and
wherein the transaction card reader element is configured to read a transaction card;

receive, from the transaction card reader element, a reader connection signal through the reader connection,
wherein the reader connection signal includes the noise signal;

extract, from the reader connection signal, a card information signal associated with the transaction card,
wherein the card information signal is extracted based on the noise signal; and

perform an action associated with the card information signal.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the transaction card reader element comprises a chip reader element capable of reading information from an integrated circuit (IC) chip of the transaction card.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
detect that the transaction card has interacted with the transaction card reader element; and
wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to transmit the noise signal, cause the one or more processors to:
transmit the noise signal based on detecting that the transaction card has interacted with the transaction card reader element.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Post Richard
• Mckinnon Nathaniel

Classifications

• G07F19/2055

  Anti-skimming aspects at ATMs · CPC title

• G06K7/087 Primary

  flux-sensitive, e.g. magnetic, detectors (G06K7/10336 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G07F7/082

  Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card · CPC title

• G06Q20/341

  Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip · CPC title

• G06K7/084 Primary

  sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state · CPC title