Audio Jack NFC Attachment for Contactless Payment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Near Field Communications (NFC) devices for contactless payments are restrictive and require specific hardware, limiting their functionality and excluding many existing devices from using digital wallet solutions, as they need to channel transactions through a defined group of stakeholders, increasing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A contactless payment attachment that plugs into a mobile device's audio jack or other data-transmitting ports, enabling NFC transactions without the need for specific pre-manufactured hardware, allowing for offline or online use and bypassing traditional payment stakeholders, using an NFC antenna and secure element for secure data storage and transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current digital wallet solutions are implemented, then contactless payment functionality is provided, but hardware requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the digital wallet functionality into separate components: the mobile device handles user interface and communication, while a separate NFC attachment contains the secure element and NFC antenna. This segmentation allows existing mobile devices to gain contactless payment capability without internal hardware modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The NFC attachment acts as an intermediary component that bridges the mobile device and the payment network. It contains the secure element and NFC antenna, serving as a mediator that enables contactless transactions without requiring the mobile device itself to have these specialized components.
2Reliability
If pre-manufactured hardware with specific NFC components is required, then secure contactless transactions are enabled, but device availability and user accessibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The NFC attachment is designed to work with multiple types of mobile devices through universal connection interfaces (such as audio jacks or USB ports). This universal design allows the same attachment to enable contactless payment functionality across different device platforms and manufacturers, greatly expanding compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The NFC attachment is designed as an affordable, externally-purchasable component rather than expensive pre-integrated hardware. Users can buy the attachment separately and attach it to their existing devices, making the technology accessible to a broader audience without requiring expensive device replacements.
3Reliability
If transactions channel through multiple stakeholders, then payment security is maintained, but transaction cost and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the secure element from the complex stakeholder ecosystem and places it directly in the user's possession within the NFC attachment. This gives users direct control over their payment credentials, reducing the need for intermediaries while maintaining security through the tamper-resistant secure element.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure element in the NFC attachment enables users to self-manage their payment credentials without requiring complex stakeholder coordination. Users can load, store, and use their payment information directly through the attachment, simplifying the transaction process while maintaining security.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables cost-effective and user-friendly contactless payments on a wide range of devices, reducing hardware requirements and transaction complexity, while providing secure and versatile payment solutions, including support for multiple accounts and token-based transactions.
Implementation Method 1
Near Field Communications, or NFC, allows for wireless communication between two devices in close proximity to each other
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method in accordance with exemplary embodiments may include an attachment with a near field communication antenna, a secure element, a plug capable of connecting the attachment to an audio jack on a mobile device. Further, a system and method in accordance with exemplary embodiments may include receiving a payment initiation instruction from a customer, using a near field communication antenna, sending payment information to a point of sale device, using one or more computer processors, encoding data related to the payment as audio data, and transmitting the data related to the payment through an audio jack.