Obstruction detection of a transaction device display screen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026011221-A1
Application number	US-202519328674-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 15, 2025
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Jan 8, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some implementations, a transaction device may include a display screen, at least one photosensitive sensor configured to detect a luminance of a viewing surface of the display screen, and one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to monitor an output of the at least one photosensitive sensor, determine that the output is indicative of an obstruction on the display screen based on the output indicating a change to the luminance of the viewing surface of the display screen, and disable one or more operations of the transaction device based on determining that the output is indicative of the obstruction on the display screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
one or more photosensitive sensors configured to detect a luminance of a viewing surface; and one or more processors configured to:
determine a threat level based on an output of the one or more photosensitive sensors; and
perform one or more actions associated with the device based on the threat level.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the output of the one or more photosensitive sensors indicates a change in the luminance of the viewing surface.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the threat level is associated with obstruction of the viewing surface.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the threat level is determined based on at least one of a pattern of the luminance or a signature detected across the one or more photosensitive sensors.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the threat level is determined based on a pattern of the luminance detected across the one or more photosensitive sensors, and
wherein the pattern is associated with a change to the luminance over a time period.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actions include at least one of:
disabling one or more operations related to the device, terminating the one or more operations related to the device, disabling one or more components of the device, rejecting a transaction associated with the device, or transmitting a message associated with the threat level.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
identify a portion of the viewing surface that remains usable for displaying information based on determining the threat level.

8 . A method, comprising:
detecting, by a device and by using one or more photosensitive sensors, a luminance of a viewing surface; determining, by the device, a threat level based on an output of the one or more photosensitive sensors; and performing, by the device, one or more actions associated with the device based on the threat level.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the output of the one or more photosensitive sensors indicates a change in the luminance of the viewing surface.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the threat level is associated with obstruction of the viewing surface.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the threat level is determined based on at least one of a pattern of the luminance or a signature detected across the one or more photosensitive sensors.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the threat level is determined based on a pattern of the luminance detected across the one or more photosensitive sensors, and
wherein the pattern is associated with a change to the luminance over a time period.

13 . The method of claim 8 , comprising:
disabling one or more operations related to the device, terminating the one or more operations related to the device, disabling one or more components of the device, rejecting a transaction associated with the device, or transmitting a message associated with the threat level.

14 . The method of claim 8 , comprising:
identifying a portion of the viewing surface that remains usable for displaying information based on determining the threat level.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to:
detect a luminance of a viewing surface using one or more photosensitive sensors;
determine a threat level based on an output of the one or more photosensitive sensors; and
perform one or more actions associated with the device based on the threat level.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the output of the one or more photosensitive sensors indicates a change in the luminance of the viewing surface.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the threat level is associated with obstruction of the viewing surface.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the threat level is determined based on at least one of a pattern of the luminance or a signature detected across the one or more photosensitive sensors.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the threat level is determined based on a pattern of the luminance detected across the one or more photosensitive sensors, and
wherein the pattern is associated with a change to the luminance over a time period.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to:
identify a portion of the viewing surface that remains usable for displaying information based on determining the threat level.

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Waldron Michael
• Wurmfeld David Kelly

Classifications

• G09G5/10

  Intensity circuits · CPC title

• G07F9/009

  User recognition or proximity detection · CPC title

• G09G2360/144

  the light being ambient light · CPC title

• G09G2370/04

  Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title