Traceability method for an electronic payment terminal in the event of a theft thereof, and corresponding computer program

1. A traceability method, comprising the following steps:

detection of a lack of contact of a first electronic payment terminal with a base and/or a second electronic payment terminal associated with said first electronic payment terminal, in the event of a theft thereof, for a predetermined time span, generating a passage of said first electronic payment terminal into a stolen state; and

in said stolen state, storage, in a secure memory area of the first electronic payment terminal, of a series of successive tracking data each associated with time stamp information, so as to enable reconstruction of a route followed by said first electronic payment terminal.

2. The traceability method of claim 1 , wherein said tracking data comprise identification data for a radio communication network base station with which said first electronic payment terminal is connected at a given moment.

3. The traceability method of claim 1 , wherein, in said stolen state, the method comprises a step of storing, in a secure memory area of the first electronic payment terminal, at least one piece of information relating to at least one last transaction conducted by said first electronic payment terminal prior to or during its passage into the stolen state.

4. The traceability method of claim 1 , wherein, in said stolen state, the method comprises a step of storing, in a secure memory area of the first electronic payment terminal, at least one piece of information relating to a time stamp of the theft.

5. The traceability method of claim 1 , wherein, in said stolen state, the method comprises a step of storing, in a secure memory area of the first electronic payment terminal, at least one piece of information relating to a nature of the theft.

6. The traceability method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of said pieces of information relating to the nature of the theft belongs to the group comprising:

an identification of a merchant;

an address for the merchant;

a telephone number for a person to be contacted;

a serial number for a master base of origin of the first electronic payment terminal;

an identification information for a manufacturer or for a manager of said first electronic payment terminal.

7. The traceability method of claim 1 , wherein, in said stolen state, the method comprises a step of storing, in a secure memory area of the first electronic payment terminal, at least one piece of information relating to an action carried out on said first electronic payment terminal at least one later moment after said detection.

8. The traceability method of claim 1 , wherein, in said stolen state, the method comprises a periodic transmission step, transmitting at least one of the stored pieces of information to a controlling third party.

9. The traceability method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises a step of delivering said representative data to a third party, comprising a sub-step for verifying authorisation thereof.

10. A computer program product recorded on a machine-readable medium and executable by a processor, wherein the product contains program code instructions for implementing a traceability method comprising the following steps:

detection of a lack of contact of a first electronic payment terminal with a base and/or a second electronic payment terminal associated with said first electronic payment terminal, in the event of a theft thereof, for a predetermined time span, generating a passage of said first electronic payment terminal into a stolen state;

in said stolen state, storage, in a secure memory area of the first electronic payment terminal, of a series of successive tracking data each associated with time stamp information, so as to enable reconstruction of a route followed by said first electronic payment terminal.

11. A payment terminal comprising:

means of detecting a lack of contact with a base and/or another payment terminal associated with said payment terminal, for a predetermined time span, generating passage of said payment terminal into a stolen state; and

in said stolen state, a means of storing, in a secure memory area of the payment terminal, of a series of successive tracking data each associated with time stamp information, so as to enable reconstruction of a route followed by said payment terminal.

12. The payment terminal of claim 11 , wherein the terminal comprises a periodic transmission means, transmitting at least one of the stored pieces of information to a controlling third party.

13. A base of a fleet of payment terminals, wherein the base includes means for detecting presence of a payment terminal as claimed in claim 12 and foreign to its fleet and means for transmitting data associated with the base's own location to said foreign terminal.

14. The base of claim 13 , wherein the base comprises means for receiving said information transmitted by said foreign terminal, and means for transmitting to a third party said information transmitted by said foreign terminal.