Device for entry on a touch-sensitive surface and corresponding method

1. A method for entering data on a touchpad of a terminal, the method for entering comprising:

laying down, on a touch-sensitive screen of said terminal, a device for entering data comprising:

an appreciably parallelepiped-shaped plate, said appreciably parallelepiped-shaped plate comprising:

an upper face, at least one part of which comprises a keypad-forming matrix of entry zones;

at least one electrically charged contact zone, called a detection zone, connected to a conductive element, which is located at least in part on the periphery of the upper face of said device; and

a lower face, said lower face comprising, for each key of said keypad on the upper face, at least three contact zones electrically connected to a corresponding key of said keypad on the upper face, said at least three contact zones forming, on the lower face, a unique geometrical shape specifically associated with said key;

detecting, by the terminal, the laying down of said device for entering data; and

entering, by a user, data on the upper face of said device for entering data.

2. The method for entering data according to claim 1 , further comprising, subsequently to the detecting, the terminal switching over into a mode of entry suited to said device for entering data.

3. A system for entering data, the system comprising:

a terminal provided with a touch-sensitive screen; and

a device for entering data configured to be laid down on the touch-sensitive screen of the terminal, the device comprising:

an appreciably parallelepiped-shaped plate, said appreciably parallelepiped-shaped plate comprising:

an upper face, at least one part of which comprises a keypad-forming matrix of entry zones;

at least one electrically charged contact zone, called a detection zone, connected to a conductive element, which is located at least in part on the periphery of the upper face of said device; and

a lower face, said lower face comprising, for each key of said keypad on the upper face, at least three contact zones electrically connected to a corresponding key of said keypad on the upper face, said at least three contact zones forming, on the lower face, a unique geometrical shape specifically associated with said key.

4. A device for entering data to be laid down on a touchpad of a terminal, the device for entering data comprising:

an appreciably parallelepiped-shaped plate, said appreciably parallelepiped-shaped plate comprising:

an upper face, at least one part of which comprises a keypad-forming matrix of entry zones, each entry zone forming a key of the keypad;

at least one electrically charged contact zone, called a detection zone, connected to a conductive element, which is located at least in part on a periphery of the upper face of said device; and

a lower face, said lower face comprising, for each key of said keypad on the upper face, at least three contact zones electrically connected to a corresponding key of said keypad on the upper face, said at least three contact zones forming, on the lower face, a unique geometrical shape specifically associated with said key.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the device is constituted by transparent plastic.

6. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the appreciably parallelepiped-shaped plate has a thickness ranging from one to three millimeters, within which, zones of lesser thickness are made at the position of the keys of said keypad.

7. The device according to claim 4 , wherein an electrical link between a key of the upper surface and a contact zone of the lower surface is provided by a conductive ink.

8. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the keypad is a keypad for entering a confidential code on a payment terminal.