Apple currently sells an iPhone MagSafe wallet designed with both style and function in mind that's a perfect way to keep your ID and credit cards close at hand. Now Apple wants to take the wallet to a new level by introducing the "smart wallet" system for iPhone that could notify the user if their credit card is absent from their iPhone wallet for too long and remind the user when it was removed from the wallet and more.

Smart Wallet Accessory

Apple's patent application sets forth techniques for managing (e.g., tracking or detecting the presence or absence of) physical cards (e.g., identification cards, credit cards, etc.) stored in a physical wallet.

In particular, the embodiments set forth both (1) a smart wallet configured to manage the physical cards stored therein, and (2) a smart card configured to be inserted into a traditional wallet and to manage the physical cards stored therein.

One embodiment sets forth a method implemented by a smart wallet for managing physical cards stored therein. According to some embodiments, the method includes the steps of (1) detecting a change to one or more physical cards stored in the smart wallet, (2) gathering, using at least one communications component of the smart wallet, information associated with one or more physical cards stored in the smart wallet, (3) storing, into a memory of the smart wallet, a log event that includes the information and a current timestamp, (4) determining that the smart wallet is communicably coupled with a wireless device, (5) transmitting, to the wireless device, at least one log event, and (6) deleting the at least one log event from the memory.

Another embodiment sets forth a method implemented by a wireless device for managing physical cards stored in a smart wallet. According to some embodiments, the method includes the steps of (1) receiving at least one log event from the smart wallet, where the at least one log event indicates one or more physical cards that were stored in the smart wallet at a time the smart wallet recorded the at least one log event, (2) supplementing the at least one log event with location information based on a current location of the wireless device to establish a supplemented at least one log event, and (3) storing the supplemented at least one log event into a memory accessible to the wireless device.

Yet another embodiment includes a method implemented by a smart card for managing physical cards stored in a traditional wallet. According to some embodiments, the method includes the steps of (1) detecting a trigger condition, (2) gathering, using at least one communications component of the smart card, information associated with one or more physical cards stored in the traditional wallet in which the smart card is also stored, (3) storing, into a memory of the smart card, a log event that includes the information and a current timestamp, (4) determining that the smart card is communicably coupled with a wireless device, (5) transmitting, to the wireless device, at least one log event stored in the memory, and (6) deleting the at least one log event from the memory.

In Apple's patent FIG. 1B below we see a conceptual diagram #150 of the smart wallet #102 and physical cards #122.  As shown in FIG. 1B, the smart wallet can take the form of a flat (or folded) wallet that is attachable to the back of an iPhone.  As shown in FIG. 1B, a cross-sectional cutaway  #152 provides an internal view of a specific portion of the smart wallet.

Additionally, the internal view exposes a spring clip #154, which can be employed to exert a force against physical cards that are inserted into the smart wallet. Under this approach, the spring clip can help prevent the physical cards from simply falling out of the smart wallet under common scenarios, e.g., when only a single card is stored in the smart wallet when the smart wallet is placed into an upside-down orientation, and so on.

Moreover, the spring clip can be connected to one or more of the sensors #110 such as a strain gauge that detects changes to the spring clip  (e.g., its position, its exerted force, etc.).

The subset of the components of the smart wallet can include a charging coil, an NFC component (configured to interface with wireless devices 130), one or more sensors, a power supply, the magnetic couplings, the speaker #114, an NFC component (configured to poll physical cards).

In Apple's patent FIG. 2E above we see step #212 which involves the iPhone determining that a threshold amount of time has lapsed and that physical card is still missing from the smart wallet. Reaching this conclusion first involves the iPhone performing an update #213 to its event log #131 in response to receiving a periodic update (not illustrated in FIG. 2E) from the smart wallet about the physical cards stored therein. In turn, the iPhone identifies, based on the information stored in the wireless device event log, that the physical card has been missing from the smart wallet since at least 8:02 AM. Subsequently, the iPhone compares the current time to the last time the physical card was detected by the smart wallet in order to determine whether the threshold amount of time (e.g., five minutes) has lapsed. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2E, the current time is 8:08 AM, which means that (1) approximately six minutes has passed since the physical card 122-1 was last detected, and (2) the threshold amount of time has lapsed.

Accordingly, the iPhone can be configured to display a user interface that provides information about the circumstances of detecting that the physical card #122 is missing from the smart wallet (e.g., a name of the physical card, a time, a location, etc.).

Additionally, and as shown in FIG. 2E, the iPhone can present useful options to the user for selection. For example, the iPhone can identify one or more phone numbers, if any, associated with the last known location of the physical card, and present an option to call the one or more phone numbers with a single tap.

In another example, the iPhone can enable the user to suspend (or, alternatively, cancel) the physical card to prevent any potential fraud from transpiring. This could involve, for example, connecting the user with the provider of the physical card so that the appropriate measures could be taken.

In another example, the suspension could be automated such that a selection of the option causes the iPhone to interface with the provider of the physical card and request a change to the status of the physical card.  

In yet another example, the iPhone can obtain directions to the last known location in order to provide information about the most optimal way to return to the last known location to improve the odds of recovering the physical card.