Liquid impervious smart card reader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11748580-B2
Application number	US-202217875735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2022
Priority date	Jan 5, 2021
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Some embodiments include a smart card reader system that includes a card reader cavity that is impervious to liquid. The card reader cavity includes a secure card reader (SCR) holder bonded to a printed circuit board (PCB), to provide a liquid barrier between the SCR holder and the PCB. The PCB includes an SCR spring contact connector. The card reader cavity can receive a smart card including an integrated circuit (IC), where the IC is coupled to the SCR spring contact connector. A processor coupled to the SCR spring contact connector, can receive an input regarding a transaction using data of the smart card, and execute the transaction. In some embodiments a roller system seals the card reader cavity when the smart card reader system is not in use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart card reader system comprising:
a card reader cavity, comprising:
a roller in a home position that seals the card reader cavity,
wherein the card reader cavity is configured to receive a smart card, wherein the smart card being inserted into the card reader cavity moves the roller from the home position according to a retraction direction based on a retraction angle, θ;
a secure card reader (SCR) holder bonded to a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the SCR holder comprises a single molded structure comprising a card reader cavity floor and a card reader cavity wall, wherein a first material of the card reader cavity floor comprises a hydrophobic material, and wherein a second material of the card reader cavity wall comprises a hydrophilic material;
wherein the PCB comprises an SCR spring contact connector;
wherein the smart card comprises an integrated circuit (IC), the smart card is positioned where the IC is coupled to the SCR spring contact connector; and
a processor coupled to the SCR spring contact connector, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive an input regarding a transaction using data of the smart card; and
based on the input, execute the transaction.

2. The smart card reader system of claim 1 , wherein the roller comprises a conformable material supported by a rod, wherein the conformable material and the rod rotate as a single unit according to the conformable material making contact with the smart card.

3. The smart card reader system of claim 2 , wherein the rod comprises a metal or a plastic, and wherein the conformable material comprises rubber, foam, silicon, or an elastomer.

4. The smart card reader system of claim 1 , wherein the card reader cavity comprises a side structure and bottom structure, wherein the roller in the home position makes contact with both the side structure and the bottom structure to prevent a liquid from entering the card reader cavity.

5. The smart card reader system of claim 1 , further comprising:
parallel guide plates with parallel guide slots, wherein a motion of a rod in the retraction direction is constrained by the parallel guide slots.

6. The smart card reader system of claim 5 , wherein each end of the rod protrudes through a parallel guide slot of the parallel guide slots, and wherein each end of the rod includes a rod end cap whose diameter is larger than a width of a guide slot.

7. The smart card reader system of claim 5 , wherein the parallel guide slots are straight, the retraction angle, θ comprises an angle between the retraction direction and a direction of an insertion of the smart card.

8. The smart card reader system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a seal-force spring anchored to a housing structure of the smart card reader system, wherein a spring lever arm of the seal-force spring presses against the rod to apply a sealing force, F, in a direction opposite the retraction direction.

9. The smart card reader system of claim 8 , wherein a horizontal component of the sealing force, F, equals F·cos θ and a vertical component of the sealing force, F, equals F·sin θ, wherein θ is the retraction angle.

10. The smart card reader system of claim 1 , wherein values of the retraction angle, θ, are greater than or equal to 40° and less than or equal to 50°.

11. A smart card reader system comprising:
a card reader cavity, comprising:
a secure card reader (SCR) holder bonded to a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein a bond provides a liquid barrier between the SCR holder and the PCB, wherein the SCR holder comprises a single molded structure comprising a card reader cavity floor and a card reader cavity wall, wherein a first material of the card reader cavity floor comprises a hydrophobic material, and wherein a second material of the card reader cavity wall comprises a hydrophilic material, wherein the PCB comprises an SCR spring contact connector, wherein the card reader cavity is configured to receive a smart card coupled to the SCR spring contact connector; and

a processor coupled to the SCR spring contact connector, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive an input regarding a transaction using data of the smart card; and
based on the input, execute the transaction.

12. The smart card reader system of claim 11 , wherein the card reader cavity comprises a liquid impervious seal that separates the card reader cavity from an interior of the smart card reader system.

13. The smart card reader system of claim 12 , wherein the liquid impervious seal comprises an elastomer gasket.

14. The smart card reader system of claim 11 , wherein the single molded structure comprises a plastic.

15. The smart card reader system of claim 14 , wherein the plastic comprises acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

16. The smart card reader system of claim 11 , wherein interior surfaces of the card reader cavity comprise a liquid-impervious conformal coating, wherein the interior surfaces of the card reader cavity comprise the card reader cavity floor, the card reader cavity wall, and the PCB.

17. The smart card reader system of claim 11 , wherein the card reader cavity further comprises:
a roller in a home position that seals an opening of the card reader cavity,
wherein the smart card being inserted into the card reader cavity moves the roller from the home position according to a displacement vector based on a retraction angle, θ,
wherein the retraction angle, θ comprises an angle between a direction of the displacement vector and a direction of an insertion of the smart card.

18. The smart card reader system of claim 17 , wherein the roller comprises a conformable material supported by a rod, wherein the conformable material and the rod rotate as a single unit according to the conformable material making contact with the smart card.

19. The smart card reader system of claim 18 , wherein the rod comprises a metal or a plastic, and wherein the conformable material comprises rubber, foam, silicon, or an elastomer.

20. The smart card reader system of claim 17 , wherein values of the retraction angle, θ, are greater than or equal to 40° and less than or equal to 50°.

Assignees

• Elo Touch Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Haller Jeffrey

Classifications

• G06K7/0078 Primary

  reinforced housing for protection against damage, be it due malevolent action, such as drilling and other ways of forced entry, or by accident, such as shock due to dropping · CPC title

• G06K7/0026

  the galvanic contacts of the connector adapted for landing on the contacts of the card upon card insertion · CPC title

• G06K7/0065

  comprising keyboard or display, e.g. a pocket calculator sized casing suitable for off-line checking the remaining money on a smart banking card · CPC title

• G06K7/0073

  having multiple insertion slots, the respective slots suited for the same or different card form factors · CPC title

• G06K13/0868 Primary

  using an arrangement for keeping the feeding or insertion slot of the card station clean of dirt, or to avoid feeding of foreign or unwanted objects into the slot · CPC title