Patent ID: 8621235
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: G06F,G08B,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A secure PIN entry device comprising: a PIN entry assembly operative to receive a PIN from a user, said PIN entry assembly including a first plurality of key pads and a second plurality of bug sensing floods, electrically insulated from and adjacent to said first plurality of key pads; and security check circuitry operative to check at least part of said PIN entry device for the presence of an unauthorized PIN eavesdropping element thereat and to provide an output indicating whether a predetermined security check has been successfully completed, said security check functionality comprising bug detection circuitry for checking said at least part of said PIN entry device for the presence of an unauthorized PIN eavesdropping element thereat, said bug detection circuitry including: an electric field generator for simultaneously generating an electromagnetic field at least some of said first plurality of key pads and said second plurality of bug sensing floods; and mutual capacitance sensing circuitry operative to sense mutual capacitance between some of said first plurality of key pads and said second plurality of bug sensing floods and others of said first plurality of key pads and said second plurality of bug sensing floods resulting from said electromagnetic field thereat, said mutual capacitance sensing circuitry being operative in a key entry detection mode using autotuning functionality and in a security scan mode not using autotuning functionality.