A new Apple patent released by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows that the company is testing the mobile payment waters.
The patent references “touchless” payments, suggesting either Bluetooth or NFC-empowered payments could be coming to the iPhone 6 line of smartphones later this year.
Apple Insider previewed the patent, which suggests that the company is at least looking into more expansive ways to secure payments.
“A simplification of the process is as follows: A purchase device initiates a transaction with a POS device via a close-proximity wireless protocol like iBeacon or NFC. The phone then sniffs out and connects to the server backend via a second wireless protocol, sending an alias for credit card information alongside a crypto key generated from a shared secret,” Apple Insider reported.
Will the patent bear any fruit? It remains to be seen. As demonstrated by the iBeacon, Apple has demonstrated an interest in Bluetooth to improve the user experience. Whether or not the company leverages contactless payments more significantly in the iPhone 6 will no doubt be revealed as details of the new iPhone are released.
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