Credit Cards

In Apple's patent FIGS. 5A and 5B we see a series of figures collectively illustrate screen images that may be displayed on an iPhone when information representing a credit card account is entered and stored into the iPhone by a user. The stored credit card information may then be used as a payment account in conjunction with the transaction application described above.

As shown in FIG. 5A below, a user may initiate the transaction application by selecting the icon 34 displayed on their iPhone's home screen.

Add or Remove Account Buttons: As noted above, the account information screen 120 may include additional graphical elements representing the functions of adding additional accounts to or removing existing accounts from the device 10, as represented by the graphical buttons 130 and 132, respectively. Thus, to add a new account to the device 10, the user may select the graphical button 130. Further, if the user desires to remove a previously stored account displayed on one or more of the listings 122, 124, 126, or 128, the user may do so by selecting the graphical button 132.

Types of Accounts: As illustrated by the screen 120, the presently stored accounts may be organized and displayed in accordance with certain categories. For instance, the account information screen 120 may display a first listing 122 of presently stored credit card accounts, a second listing 124 of presently stored banking accounts, a third listing 126 of presently stored non-cash accounts, as well as additional listings 128 of other accounts, which may include charge cards or loyalty cards associated with a specific vendor or retailer.

Apple's patent FIG. 26B shown below depicts a technique for processing the image acquired in FIG. 26A for the extraction of payment information. Apple's patent FIG. 26C shows a plurality of screens that may be displayed on a payee device illustrating a method for editing information obtained by the image processing step depicted in FIG. 26B.

Apple's patent FIG. 26D shows a plurality of screens that may be displayed on a payee device illustrating a method for selecting a crediting account and completing the transaction initiated in FIG. 22A.

To review Apple's extensive Credit Card detailing, see part one under patent points #134 to # 160 and part two under points #298 to #308 under patent application 20100082471.

Smart or Debit Cards

While the above embodiments have been described with regard to the processing of transactions between two electronic devices, such as the payee device 10 and the payor device 92, additional implementations of the presently described techniques may further include transactions in which the payee device 10 receives payment information from sources other than a portable or non-portable electronic device of the type generally represented by the payor device 92.

For instance, referring now to Apple's patent FIG. 20 we see a schematic diagram of a transaction 860 in which a payment is made by way of a smart card (illustrated here by reference # 862) to a payee device 10/iPhone is illustrated. The smart card may be similar may be similar to a conventional credit card, but may further include a storage apparatus, such as a secured storage chip 864. The storage chip may be configured to store information pertaining to a credit card account or a banking account (e.g., if the smart card 862 is a debit card) represented by the information printed on the smart card. For example, the storage chip may include the account number corresponding to the smart card, the name of the account holder, as well as an expiration date associated with the smart card account, as well as any other relevant information pertaining to the payor's smart card account.

In Apple's patent FIG. 22B shown below, we see an illustration of the establishment of an NFC connection between the payee device 10 and the smart card 862 by way of the tap operation 386 depicted in FIG. 20 above.

To review Apple's extensive Smart Card detailing, see patent points #270 to # 286 under patent application 20100082471.

Check Handling

Shown below is a series of Apple patent figures from FIG. 27A through to FIG. 27G which represent a plurality of screenshots that may be displayed on the payee's iPhone covering a method for acquiring an image of a check. FIG. 27C depicts a technique for processing the image acquired in FIG. 27B for the extraction of payment information and patent FIG. 27D shows a plurality of screens that may be displayed on a payee device illustrating a method for selecting a crediting account and completing the transaction initiated in FIG. 27A.

 
To review Apple's extensive check handling detailing, see patent points patent points #310 to #322 under patent application 20100082471.

Group Invoice: Splitting a Restaurant Bill

Apple's decision to include Split-billing in with the Transaction application sure makes a lot of sense. I think that everyone who has ever been a social teen understands the importance of being able to go to a pizzeria or Chinese restaurant and splitting the bill at the end of the evening with your buds. And Apple didn't miss a beat on this feature. In fact, Apple is toying with two methods of split-billing. One way is set up by the customer and the other is set up by the restaurant.

Below is a series of graphics covering the back and front-ends of Apple's new iPhone system and application code named "Transaction."

 
Apple's patent FIG. 31 illustrated below is a schematic representation of a system adapted to carry out a transaction including multiple payors. FIG. 31 is an alternate implementation of a system configured to conduct the group transaction as referred to in patent FIG. 28 above. Here, the illustrated transaction 1560 may differ from the transaction in FIG. 28 above in that the vendor device 1176 may act as the initiating device for the presently illustrated transaction.

Once all the invoice items have been properly apportioned on the vendor device, partial invoices may be communicated to each of the payors participating in the transaction 1560.

To review Apple's extensive Group Invoice detailing, see patent points #323 to # 375 under patent application 20100082471.

Apple credits Gloria Lin, Amir Mikhak, Taido Nakajima, Sean Mayo and Michael Rosenblatt as the inventors of patent applications 20100078471, 20100078472 and 20100082481. All three were originally filed in Q3 2008. Back to part one.

Part three of this mini-series covering additional patents and aspects of "Transaction" will be posted later this month.

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Extra: Check out Apple's Other NFC Patents: Tech: NFC

Update Note: August 2010 - Apple Hires NFC Expert