System and method for the optical detection of intrusion, and corresponding electronic device, program and recording medium

1. An electronic device comprising:

at least one security module, a keypad, an insertion slot for a card and at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device; and

a system for detecting intrusion in the electronic device, wherein the system comprises:

at least one optical sensor connected to the at least one security module of the electronic device, said at least one optical sensor and said security module being configured to detect a variation in light intensity measured by said at least one optical sensor as compared with a reference light intensity associated with the at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device, said at least one pre-determined light source carrying out back-lighting of the keypad and/or of the insertion slot for the card of said electronic device, and said variation in light intensity representing a risk of intrusion into said electronic device,

and wherein said electronic device comprises a transmitter, which transmits at least one random on/off signal or a random variation signal for at least said pre-determined light source, the variation in light intensity being measured by said at least one optical sensor and said security module by taking account of the at least one random on/off signal transmitted.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one optical sensor belongs to the group consisting of:

a photo-resistor;

a photodiode;

a CCD sensor.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one pre-determined light source corresponds to a light-emitting diode.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one optical sensor is implanted in said electronic device at a location chosen on the basis of at least one criterion belonging to the group consisting of:

a contribution of at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device;

a gradient of luminance around said location;

a contribution from a light source external to said electronic device.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising an infrared filter or ultraviolet filter applied to at least one part of a surface to be secured of said electronic device.

6. A method for detecting an intrusion into an electronic device, said electronic device including at least one security module, a keypad and an insertion slot for a card, wherein the method comprises:

optically detecting an intrusion when at least one absolute value of a difference between:

a light intensity measured by at least one optical sensor connected to the at least one security module of the electronic device and

a reference light intensity associated with at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device

exceeds a pre-determined threshold,

wherein said optically detecting comprises a detection, by said at least one optical sensor and said security module, of a variation in light intensity measured by said at least one optical sensor as compared with said reference light intensity associated with the at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device, said at least one pre-determined light source carrying out back-lighting of the keypad and/or of the insertion slot for the card of said electronic device, and said variation in light intensity representing a risk of intrusion into said electronic device; and

transmitting at least one random on/off signal or a random variation for at least one of the at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device, wherein said optically detecting takes account of said at least one random on/off signal transmitted.

7. The method for detecting an intrusion according to claim 6 , wherein said optically detecting also takes account of a result of an additional measurement of temperature and/or light intensity coming from another sensor.

8. The method for detecting an intrusion according to claim 6 , further comprising generating an alarm when an intrusion is detected during said detection, said alarm being of a type belonging to the group consisting of:

passage of said electronic device into “infringement” mode;

display of an alarm message on said electronic device;

a combination of the above types of alarms.

9. The method for detecting an intrusion according to claim 6 , further comprising memorizing at least one value of light intensity measured by the at least one optical sensor.

10. The method for detecting an intrusion according to claim 6 , further comprising comparing at least one value of light intensity measured by the at least one optical sensor with at least one preliminarily memorized value of light intensity.

11. The method for detecting an intrusion according to claim 6 , wherein the method is activated by an event belonging to the group consisting of:

activation of measurements of security of said electronic device;

each action of turning said electronic device off;

each restarting of said electronic device;

periodic events;

before a secured transaction;

a combination of at least two of the above events.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for implementing a method for detecting an intrusion into an electronic device when the instructions are executed by a processor, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one security module, a keypad and an insertion slot for a card, and wherein the method comprises:

optically detecting an intrusion when at least one absolute value of a difference between:

a light intensity measured by at least one optical sensor connected to the at least one security module of the electronic device and

a reference light intensity associated with at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device exceeds a pre-determined threshold;

wherein said optically detecting comprises a detection, by said at least one optical sensor and said security module, of a variation in light intensity measured by said at least one optical sensor as compared with said reference light intensity associated with the at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device, said at least one pre-determined light source carrying out back-lighting of the keypad and/or of the insertion slot for the card of said electronic device, and said variation in light intensity representing a risk of intrusion into said electronic device; and

transmitting at least one random on/off signal or a random variation for at least one of the at least one pre-determined light source inside said electronic device, wherein said detection takes account of said at least one random on/off signal transmitted.