Card reader terminal with external contactless antenna
A secure arrangement for performing secure contactless payments includes an external contactless card reader comprising a short-distance communication antenna. The secure arrangement comprises a card reader terminal comprising a secure controller configured for performing financial transactions, wherein the secure controller is located in a secure area within the card reader terminal, an external contactless card reader comprising a short-distance communication antenna configured for converting an electromagnetic signal comprising card data, received from a contactless payment card, into an analogue signal and a feed line configured for transferring the analogue signal between the external contactless card reader and the card reader terminal. The secure area in the card reader terminal comprises an A/D converter for digitizing the analogue signal to a digital signal that can be processed by the secure controller, within the secure area.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
an external contactless card reader that includes a first short-distance communication antenna configured to convert an electromagnetic signal that includes card data, received from a contactless payment card, into an analog signal, wherein the external contactless card reader is not configured to digitize the analog signal; and
a card reader terminal that is connected to the external contactless card reader using a feed line, wherein the card reader terminal includes:
a secure area within the card reader terminal;
a short-distance receiver circuit located in the secure area within the card reader terminal, wherein the short-distance receiver circuit includes an A/D converter and the A/D converter is configured to convert the analog signal, received via the feed line from the external contactless card reader, to a digital signal;
a secure controller located in the secure area within the card reader terminal, wherein the secure controller is configured to perform a financial transaction based on the card data included in the digital signal;
a first antenna matching circuit positioned between the first short-distance communication antenna and the A/D converter;
a second short-distance communication antenna, wherein the first and second short-distance communication antennas are connected via separate paths to the short-distance receiver circuit; and
a switch arrangement configured to select one of the first or second short-distance communication antennas for connection to the short-distance receiver circuit.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna matching circuit is configured to match frequency characteristics of the first short-distance communication antenna with at least one of:
frequency characteristics of the feed line configured to transfer the analog signal from the external contactless card reader to the card reader terminal; or
frequency characteristics of the feed line in combination with frequency characteristics of a connection point of the feed line in the card reader terminal.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the card reader terminal includes a second antenna matching circuit positioned between the second short-distance communication antenna and the A/D converter, wherein the second antenna matching circuit is configured to match frequency characteristics of the second short-distance communication antenna with frequency characteristics of a connection point in the card reader terminal.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the feed line is a twin-lead cable or a coaxial cable.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the feed line is between 30 cm and 200 cm long.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second short-distance communication antenna is a Near-Field Communication antenna.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second short-distance communication antenna has a communication range of up to 10 cm.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secure area is tamper proof.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the secure area is surrounded by a tamper mesh that includes electrically conductive traces.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the financial transaction comprises a contactless payment.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the card reader terminal further includes at least one antenna matching circuit for matching frequency characteristics of the second short-distance communication antenna with frequency characteristics of a connection point in the card reader terminal.
12. A method, comprising:
receiving, via a first short-distance communication antenna in an external contactless card reader, an electromagnetic signal that includes card data from a contactless payment card;
converting, by the first short-distance communication antenna, the electromagnetic signal into an analog signal;
transferring the analog signal from the external contactless card reader to a card reader terminal without digitizing the analog signal at any point between the first short-distance communication antenna and the card reader terminal, wherein the card reader terminal is connected to the external contactless card reader via a feed line, and wherein the card reader terminal includes:
a secure controller, located in a secure area within the card reader terminal, configured to perform financial transactions;
a short-distance receiver circuit, located in the secure area within the card reader terminal, wherein the short-distance receiver circuit includes an A/D converter configured to convert the analog signal to a digital signal that can be processed by the secure controller;
a second short-distance communication antenna, wherein the first and second short-distance communication antennas are connected via separate paths to the short-distance receiver circuit; and
a switch arrangement configured to select one of the first or second short-distance communication antennas for connection to the short-distance receiver circuit; and
matching, by a first antenna matching circuit positioned between the first short-distance communication antenna and the A/D converter, one or more frequency characteristics of the first short-distance communication antenna with frequency characteristics of the feed line.