Secure magnetic stripe reader for handheld computing and method of using same
View Patent ↗A secure magnetic stripe card stripe reader (MSR) module and software system capable of encrypting the magnetic stripe data to CISP standards for use in point of sale (POS) and other applications requiring data security using non secure networks and computing devices. Additionally, when incorporated within an attachment for conventional personal digital assistant (PDA) or cell phone or stationary terminal, provides encrypted data from the magnetic head assembly providing compliance with Federal Information Processing Standards Publication Series FIPS 140 covering security and tampering standards. Moreover, this module and software system includes the capability of providing secure POS transactions to legacy transaction processing systems transparently to the existing infrastructure. Furthermore, this module and software system includes the capability of transparently providing detection of fraudulently copied magnetic stripe cards.
1. A card stripe read head, comprising: a housing; a detector with at least a portion thereof encapsulated within the housing, the detector configured to detect magnetic card data and generate a first signal representing the card data; and an encryption engine encapsulated within the housing and in communicative contact with the detector, the encryption engine configured to encrypt at least a portion of the card data and generate a second signal including the encrypted card data; wherein the second generated signal includes a serial number associated with the read head along with the card data.
2. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the second generated signal includes control data.
3. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the encryption engine encrypts the card data based on a symmetric encryption key.
4. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the encryption engine uses a public key encryption format to negotiate a symmetric private key with which to encrypt the card data.
5. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises a transition detector.
6. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transducer head amplifier; and
wherein the housing further comprises a magnetic transducer head enclosure, the detector further comprises a magnetic transducer head for detecting magnetic transitions on a magnetic stripe and the encryption engine further comprises a microcomputer controller containing programs to decode the data from the magnetic transducer head and outputs the card data in one or more formats whereby the head amplifier and the controller are contained within the magnetic transducer head enclosure.
7. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the second generated signal is formatted to include clear and encrypted data in conventional card track format.
8. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the encryption engine and detector are encapsulated in epoxy.
9. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the data in the signal generated by the encryption engine is in substantially the same format as non-encrypted card data output by a conventional read head.
10. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the second generated signal is output in a format comprising I 2 C, SPI, NRZ, USB, TTL or F2F.
11. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the format of the second generated signal is selectable.
12. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the serial number is stored within the housing.
13. The card stripe read head of claim 1 , wherein the serial number is a serial number of the read head or a serial number of a magnetic stripe reader in which the read head is installed.
14. A card stripe read head, comprising:
a housing;
a serial number associated with the read head and stored within the housing;
a detector with at least a portion thereof encapsulated within the housing, the detector configured to detect magnetic card data and generate a first signal representing the card data; and
an encryption engine encapsulated within the housing and in communicative contact with the detector, the encryption engine configured to encrypt at least a portion of the card data and generate a second signal including the encrypted card data.
15. The card stripe read head of claim 14 , wherein the second generated signal includes control data.
16. The card stripe read head of claim 14 , wherein the encryption engine encrypts the card data based on a symmetric encryption key.
17. The card stripe read head of claim 14 , wherein the encryption engine uses a public key encryption format to negotiate a symmetric private key for encrypting the card data.
18. The card stripe read head of claim 14 , wherein the detector comprises a transducer head transition detector.
19. The card stripe read head of claim 14 , further comprising:
a transducer head amplifier; and
wherein the housing further comprises a magnetic transducer head enclosure, the detector further comprises a magnetic transducer head for detecting magnetic transitions on a magnetic stripe and the encryption engine further comprises a microcomputer controller containing programs to decode the data from the magnetic transducer head and outputs the card data in one or more formats whereby the head amplifier and the controller are contained within the magnetic transducer head enclosure.
20. The card stripe read head of claim 14 , wherein the second generated signal is formatted to include clear and encrypted data in conventional card track format.
21. A method for securing card data, comprising; encapsulating at least a portion of a magnetic transition detector within a magnetic read head housing; and encapsulating an encryption engine within the magnetic read head housing and a serial number associated with the magnetic read head; wherein the detector is configured to detect magnetic card stripe data and generate a first signal representing the card data and the encryption engine is in communicative contact with the detector, the encryption engine configured to encrypt at least a portion of the card data and generate a second signal including the encrypted card data; wherein the encryption engine is configured to convert the encrypted signal into the same format that is encoded on the magnetic card stripe at signal levels compatible with magnetic read head output.
22. The method of securing card data of claim 21 , further including the step of encasing the detector and the encryption engine in epoxy.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the encryption engine encrypts the card data based on a symmetric encryption key.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the encryption engine uses a public key encryption format to negotiate a symmetric private key with which to encrypt the card data.
25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the generated signal is formatted to include clear and encrypted data in conventional card track format.
26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the data in the signal generated by the encryption engine is in substantially the same format as non-encrypted card data output by a conventional read head.
27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the second generated signal is output in a format comprising I 2 C, SPI, NRZ, USB, TTL or F2F.
28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the format of the second generated signal is selectable.
29. The method of claim 21 , wherein the serial number is stored within the housing.
30. A card stripe read apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a detector with at least a portion thereof encapsulated within the housing, the detector configured to detect magnetic card data and generate a first signal representing the card data; and
an encryption engine encapsulated within the housing and in communicative contact with the detector, the encryption engine configured to encrypt at least a portion of the card data and generate a second signal including the encrypted card data:
wherein the second generated signal includes a serial number associated with the read apparatus along with the card data.
31. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the second generated signal includes control data.
32. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the encryption engine encrypts the card data based on a symmetric encryption key.
33. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the encryption engine uses a public key encryption format to negotiate a symmetric private key with which to encrypt the card data.
34. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the second generated signal is formatted to include clear and encrypted data in conventional card track format.
35. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the encryption engine and detector are encapsulated in epoxy.
36. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the data in the signal generated by the encryption engine is in substantially the same format as non-encrypted card data output by a conventional read head.
37. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the second generated signal is output in a format comprising I 2 C, SPI, NRZ, USB, TTL or F2F.
38. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the format of the second generated signal is selectable.
39. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the serial number is stored within the housing.
40. A card stripe apparatus, comprising: an encapsulating substance; a detector with at least a portion thereof encapsulated within the substance, the detector configured to detect magnetic card data and generate a first signal representing the card data; and an encryption engine encapsulated within the substance and in communicative contact with the detector, the encryption engine configured to encrypt at least a portion of the card data and generate a second signal including the encrypted card data; wherein the second generated signal contains a serial number associated with the detector along with the card data.
41. A card stripe read apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a serial number associated with the apparatus and stored within the housing;
a detector with at least a portion thereof encapsulated within the housing, the detector configured to detect magnetic card data and generate a first signal representing “the card data; and
an encryption engine encapsulated within the housing and in communicative contact with the detector, the encryption engine configured to encrypt at least a portion of the card data and generate a second signal including the encrypted card data.
42. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the second generated signal includes control data.
43. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the encryption engine encrypts the card data based on a symmetric encryption key.
44. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the encryption engine uses a public key encryption format to negotiate a symmetric private key for encrypting the card data.
45. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the detector comprises a transducer head transition detector.
46. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , further comprising:
a transducer head amplifier; and
wherein the housing further comprises a magnetic transducer head enclosure, the detector further comprises a magnetic transducer head for detecting magnetic transitions on a magnetic stripe and the encryption engine further comprises a microcomputer controller containing programs to decode the data from the magnetic transducer head and outputs the card data in one or more formats whereby the head amplifier and the controller are contained within the magnetic transducer head enclosure.
47. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the second generated signal is formatted to include clear and encrypted data in conventional card track format.
48. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the data in the signal generated by the encryption engine is in substantially the same format as non-encrypted card data output by a conventional read head.
49. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the second generated signal is output in a format comprising I 2 C, SPI, NRZ, USB, TTL or F2F.
50. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the format of the second generated signal is selectable.
51. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the signal generated by the encryption engine is in a format readable by legacy equipment.
52. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , wherein the detector and the encryption engine are encased in epoxy.
53. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 41 , further comprising an interface configured to allow the read head to accept commands.
54. A card stripe read apparatus comprising:
an encapsulating substance; a serial number associated with the stripe read apparatus and stored within the encapsulating substance;
a detector with at least a portion thereof encapsulated within the substance, the detector configured to detect magnetic card data and generate a first signal representing the card data: and
an encryption engine encapsulated within the substance and in communicative contact with the detector, the encryption engine configured to encrypt at least a portion of the card data and generate a second signal including the encrypted card data.
55. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 54 , wherein the second generated signal includes control data.
56. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 54 , wherein the encryption engine encrypts the card data based on a symmetric encryption key.
57. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 54 , wherein the encryption engine uses a public key encryption format to negotiate a symmetric private key for encrypting the card data.
58. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 54 , wherein the detector comprises a transducer head transition detector.
59. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 54 , further comprising:
a transducer head amplifier; and
wherein the housing further comprises a magnetic transducer head enclosure, the detector further comprises a magnetic transducer head for detecting magnetic transitions on a magnetic stripe and the encryption engine further comprises a microcomputer controller containing programs to decode the data from the magnetic transducer head and outputs the card data in one or more formats whereby the head amplifier and the controller are contained within the magnetic transducer head enclosure.
60. The card stripe read apparatus of claim 54 , wherein the second generated signal is formatted to include clear and encrypted data in conventional card track format.
61. A method for securing card data, comprising: encapsulating at least a portion of a magnetic transition detector within an encapsulating substance; and encapsulating an encryption engine within the encapsulating substance and a serial number associated with the magnetic transition detector; wherein the detector is configured to detect magnetic card stripe data and generate a first signal representing the card data and the encryption engine is in communicative contact with the detector, the encryption engine configured to encrypt at least a portion of the card data and generate a second signal including the encrypted card data; wherein the encryption engine is configured to convert the encrypted signal into the same format that is encoded on the magnetic card stripe at signal levels compatible with magnetic read head output.
62. The method of securing card data of claim 61 , further including the step of encasing the detector and the encryption engine in epoxy.
63. The method of claim 61 , wherein the generated signal is formatted to include clear and encrypted data in conventional card track format.
64. The method of claim 61 , wherein the data in the signal generated by the encryption engine is in substantially the same format as non-encrypted card data output by a conventional read head.
65. The method of claim 61 , wherein the generated signal is generated by the encryption engine in the same format as the card data encoded on the card.
66. The method of claim 61 , wherein the second generated signal is output in a format comprising I 2 C, SPI, NRZ, USB, TTL or F2F.
67. The method of claim 61 , wherein the format of the second generated signal is selectable.