(19) TZZ Z__T (11) EP 2 075 771 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: G07F 7/08 (2006.01) G07F 19/00 (2006.01) 01.07.2015 Bulletin 2015/27 (21) Application number: 08169169.3 (22) Date of filing: 14.11.2008 (54) Card reader device Kartenleseanordnung Ensemble de lecture de cartes (84) Designated Contracting States: • Colston, Scott DE ES FR GB HU IT Dundee, Tayside DD4 7HB (GB) (30) Priority: 20.12.2007 US 4358 (74) Representative: MacLeod, Roderick William NCR Limited (43) Date of publication of application: Intellectual Property Section 01.07.2009 Bulletin 2009/27 Discovery Centre 3 Fulton Road (73) Proprietor: NCR Corporation Dundee Tayside, DD2 4SW (GB) Duluth, GA 30096 (US) (56) References cited: (72) Inventors: WO-A-01/84486 US-A- 5 929 413 • Clark, Barrie US-A1- 2005 116 036 US-A1- 2007 108 278 Dundee, Tayside DD2 5PJ (GB) Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 2 075 771 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 2 075 771 B1 2 Description the displacement exceeds a predetermined threshold. This may be obtained indirectly, for example, by ascer- [0001] The present invention relates to a card reader taining if the intensity measured by an optical sensor is device. below a predetermined threshold. [0002] Card reader devices are typically used in self- 5 [0011] The predetermined threshold may be program- service terminals, such as automated teller machines mable or it may be fixed at manufacture of the control (ATMs), to enable a customer to identify himself/herself. circuit. One type of card reader is a motorised card reader/writer [0012] The sensor and the control circuit may be retro- (MCRW) device. fitted to a card reader. Alternatively, the sensor and the [0003] A bank customer can access funds from his/her 10 control circuit may be incorporated into the design of the account using an ATM card that typically has an associ- card reader. ated personal identification number (PIN). Any customer [0013] The control circuit may be coupled to an alarm, who presents a valid ATM card and enters the correct so that the alarm is triggered in the event that the dis- PIN associated with that card has immediate access to placement of the card transport mechanism fulfils the funds in an account controlled by that ATM card. This 15 alarm criterion. makes ATM cards vulnerable to theft and to more sur- [0014] The sensorfor sensingdisplacement ofthe card reptitious attacks, such as card "skimming". Skimming transport mechanism may be an optical sensor compris- refersto illicit readingof amagnetic stripe on a customer’s ing an optical receiver and an associated optical illumi- ATM card. nation source. The optical sensor may measure light in- [0004] With the increase of integrated circuit cards, 20 tensity received from the optical source. The optical sen- skimming may become less common because an inte- sor may include an internal standard or other reference grated circuit cannot be read surreptitiously as easily as for compensating for drift due to external light sources, a magnetic strip. This may increase the occurrence of temperature, humidity, or other factors. Any other con- card capture fraud at an ATM. US patent application venient sensing technology may be used, for example, number US 2007/108278 discloses the use of a miniature 25 capacitive position sensing, inductive position sensing, camera to monitor a card reader. linear variable differential transducer sensing, Hall effect [0005] One method of capturing cards at an ATM is sensing, magnetic sensing, or the like. referred to as the "Algerian V" attack. It is implemented [0015] By virtue of this aspect of the invention, a card by placing a wedge of material between co-operating roll- reader device is provided that detects if its transport ers in the card reader. By wedging the co-operating roll- 30 mechanism, or part thereof, has been deflected. This will ers open, the fraudster can prevent the card reader fro indicate if some material has been added to inhibit the ejecting an inserted card. The customer may attempt to transport mechanism from transporting a card. enter his/her PIN, which the fraudster will observe. When [0016] According to a second aspect of the present the customer leaves the ATM (without his/her card) then invention there is provided a method of operating a card the fraudster can extract the customer’s card, remove 35 reader device to reduce fraud, the method comprising: the wedge, and then use the customer’s card and PIN to sensing displacement of part of a card transport mech- obtain funds from the customer’s account. anism in a direction transverse to a plane of transport of [0006] It is an object of an embodiment of the present an inserted card, ascertaining if the sensed displacement invention to reduce the possibility of this type of illicit card fulfils an alarm criterion; and triggering an alarm signal capture. 40 in the event that the alarm criterion is fulfilled. [0007] According to a first aspect of the present inven- [0017] According to a third aspect of the present inven- tion there is provided a card reader device comprising: tion there is provided a self-service terminal including a a card entrance for receiving a card; a card enclosure in card reader device according to the first aspect of the registration with the card entrance and defining an area invention. in which the card is read; a card transport mechanism 45 [0018] These and other aspects of the invention will be for drawing a card along a path and into the card enclo- apparent from the following specific description, given by sure and for ejecting the card from the card enclosure; a way of example, with reference to the accompanying sensor for sensing displacement of part of the card trans- drawings, in which: port mechanism in a direction transverse to the path of the card, and a control circuit for ascertaining if the dis- 50 Fig 1 is a front view of a motorized card reader device placement of the card transport mechanism fulfils an according to one embodiment of the present inven- alarm criterion. tion; [0008] The card transport mechanism may comprise one or more co-operating rollers, stretchable endless Fig 2 is a simplified side view of the device of Fig 1; belts, skid plates, or a combination of these. 55 [0009] The card reader device may be a motorized Fig 3 is a rear view of a conventional magnetic stripe card reader device. card for use with the device of Figs 1 and 2; [0010] The alarm criterion may be based on whether 2 3 EP 2 075 771 B1 4 Fig 4 is a simplified block diagram of a part (a sensor spond correctly to an inserted object (such as an ATM arrangement) of the device of Fig 1; and card 12) then the shutter 26 is opened. [0029] The housing 20 also includes a shutter detect Figs 5A to 5C are block diagrams of part of the sensor sensor 40 for detecting whether the shutter 26 is open arrangement measuring another part (an idler roller) 5 or closed. during the operation of the device of Figs 1 and 2, [0030] Referring specifically to Fig 2, the housing 20 together with graphs illustrating the measurements. includes a conventional linear transport mechanism 42 for transporting the ATM card 12 along a transport path [0019] Reference is first made to Fig 1, which is a front 43 when the ATM card 12 is at least partially within the view of a motorized card reader device 10 (hereinafter 10 housing 20. "card reader") according to one embodiment of the [0031] The linear transport mechanism 42 comprises present invention, and also to Fig 2, which is a simplified three pairs of co-operating rollers 46,48,50. For each pair side view of the card reader 10. Reference is also made of rollers, the lower roller 46a,48a,50a is rotated by a to Fig 3 which is a rear view of a conventional magnetic stretchable endless belt (not shown) driven by a motor stripe ATM card 12 for use with the card reader 10. 15 (not shown); whereas, the upper roller 46b,48b,50b is an [0020] The ATM card 12 comprises a leading (narrow) idler roller. The three idler rollers 46b,48b,50b are mount- edge 14 opposite a trailing (narrow) edge 16, and a mag- ed on a common plate 51 resiliently biased towards the netic stripe 18 extending from the leading edge 14 to the transport path 43 by a spring (not shown) to ensure that trailing edge 16 parallel to long edges 19. the idler rollers 46b,48b,50b maintain the ATM card 12 [0021] The card reader 10 comprises a card enclosure 20 in contact with the lower rollers 46a,48a,50a. The three 20 (in the form of a housing) coupled to a card entrance idler rollers 46b,48b,50b rise and fall in unison because 22 (in the form of a throat portion). they are coupled by the common plate 51. Thus, if any [0022] The card reader 10 is a modified version of a unauthorized material is located between any of the pairs motorized card reader available from Sankyo Seiki of co-operating rollers 46,48,50, (which is what typically (Trade Mark) at 1-17-2, Shinbashi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 25 occurs in an "Algerian V" attack) then the common plate 1058633, Japan.