Vehicle manufacturing giant Ford has filed a patent application for a contactless vehicle access card with an integrated display that would use RFID or NFC to enable users both to unlock and start their vehicle and to also receive updated information about its status, location and other features... More
Visitors to four Florida theme parks operated by entertainment giant Universal could soon be able to gain access to individual rides, events and different areas of each park using their face rather than showing their ticket... More
The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a patent for an “electronic device including palm biometric sensor layer” that would enable users to unlock a device and authenticate other interactions on a smartphone, smartwatch or other wearable by verifying their identity with their palm... More
The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a patent for an “electronic device having sealed button biometric sensing system” that would enable users to unlock a device, authorise transactions and access apps by verifying their identity with their fingerprint on a wearable device such as an Apple Watch... More
Apple has filed a patent application for a “magnetically attachable gaming accessory” that “can provide a physical interface controlling game activities on an electronic device” such as an iPhone or iPad and would use NFC to transmit data to that device... More
Apple has filed a series of patent applications relating to the sharing and use of secure credentials such as tickets, passes, accounts and payments card information that includes proposed methods and systems for provisioning such credentials to second user devices... More
Ireland-based patent-holding company Aire Technology has filed a lawsuit against Apple over alleged infringement of patents relating to NFC and digital wallet technologies with the US District Court for the Western District of Texas... More
Apple has applied for a patent for a user authentication framework that would allow users to store digital identity documents such as their passport, driving licence and national ID card and present them for verification on their NFC-enabled iPhone or other mobile device... More
Apple may incorporate iris scanning functionality in a forthcoming head-mounted display (HMD) mixed-reality headset that will enable users to authenticate their identity when using Apple Pay to make payments via the “mostly virtual reality device”, according to MacRumors... More
General Motors (GM) may be looking to bring the biometric technology integrated into its Cadillac X4 vehicles in China to North America, enabling drivers to access their car using just face recognition... More
Apple has filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a digital identity credential system that would enable users to securely store and present documents such as their passport or driving licence digitally on their electronic and mobile devices... More
Cruise operator Carnival Corporation has been granted a series of patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its Ocean Medallion, a wearable device that combines NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to provide passengers with a wide range of payments, access control and information services... More
Document importation into secure element — USPTO — “The present disclosure describes embodiments in which a person may present identification information through a mobile device instead of presenting a traditional form of identification… In various embodiments, a mobile device includes a short-range communication interface (eg, a near-field communication (NFC) radio) and a secure element configured to store identification information of a user.”
Barclays seeks twin blockchain patents for banking services — Coindesk — “The US Patent and Trademark Office published two applications by the UK’s second-largest bank Thursday, both of which revolve around account security. Perhaps most notably, however, was an application for a patent which outlined a blockchain platform which could facilitate cryptocurrency transfers. The bank also proposed streamlining know-your-customer processes by storing identifying information on a private blockchain.”
Method and system for linkage of blockchain-based assets to fiat currency accounts — USPTO — “The use of traditional payment networks and payment systems technologies in combination with blockchain currencies may provide consumers and merchants the benefits of the decentralized blockchain while still maintaining security of account information and provide a strong defense against fraud and theft.”
Systems and methods for blockchain based proof of payment — USPTO — “The system may be used to unlock a hotel, rental, or shared economy property door using the card (eg that was used for the payment) to look up proof of payment on a blockchain… In another example, the system may be used to provide ticketless access to venues (eg movie theater, sports event, concert, etc) to a customer… In still another example, the system may enable access control to rental vehicles (eg bike, boat, or car) to a customer in response to swiping the card.”
Processing payment transactions using artificial intelligence messaging services — USPTO — “One or more embodiments use natural language processing to analyze messages from the user to the messaging bot, and from the messaging bot to the user, to identify a product and a request to purchase the identified product. Based on the identified product and the request to purchase the product, one or more embodiments initiate a payment transaction on behalf of the user based on a natural language conversation and without redirecting the user away from the communications session.”
Method and system for payment card verification via blockchain — USPTO — “The present disclosure provides a description of systems and methods for the conveyance and receipt of payment credentials to and at a point of sale device through the use of a third party data source. The use of a third party data source enables an individual to transact safely without concern for their payment credentials being skimmed from their payment instrument, or without having to even carry a payment instrument entirely.”
Vein imaging using detection of pulsed radiation — USPTO — “Vein identification systems that are known in the art transmit infrared illumination through the user’s hand, and capture a resulting image in which the veins within the hand appear as dark or bright lines due to variations in the captured infrared intensity… In the disclosed embodiments, an optical transmitter, such as a laser, emits a pulse or sequence of pulses of infrared radiation toward an area containing a body surface of a living subject, such as the skin of the subject’s face.”
Walmart wants to store payment data on a blockchain — Coindesk — “Newly published patent filings from retail giant Walmart hint at a plan to store payments data using blockchain tech. The two applications — published on Thursday by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) — both reference using a blockchain-powered platform to secure the payment data, ensuring that private information can’t be access by unauthorized parties.”