Audio Jack NFC Payment Attachment for Universal Device Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Near Field Communications (NFC) devices for contactless payments are restrictive, requiring specific hardware and intermediaries, limiting functionality and excluding many devices from digital wallet solutions, and existing proximity attachments lack payment capabilities and bank security.
Innovation Solution
A contactless payment system using an attachment that plugs into a mobile device's audio jack or connects via low-energy wireless, enabling NFC transactions without the need for specific hardware, allowing multiple account provisioning, secure data storage, and offline use, with features like token-based payments and enhanced security protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current digital wallet solutions are implemented, then contactless payment functionality is provided, but device compatibility is limited and hardware requirements increase complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an audio jack as an intermediary communication channel between the mobile device and the attachment. This mediator enables NFC-like contactless payment functionality through existing audio jacks found in most mobile devices, bypassing the need for specialized NFC hardware while maintaining payment reliability through the audio communication pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment is designed to work with the universal audio jack standard found in most mobile devices, making the contactless payment solution universally compatible. The same attachment can interface with different mobile device models through the standardized audio jack, eliminating device-specific hardware requirements and expanding versatility.
2Reliability
If specific hardware is pre-manufactured into mobile devices, then digital wallet functionality is enabled, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The audio jack serves as a mediator that enables digital wallet functionality without requiring specialized NFC hardware to be pre-manufactured into mobile devices. The attachment provides the necessary payment capabilities through the existing audio jack infrastructure, eliminating the need for expensive specialized hardware integration during device manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment replicates the functionality of specialized NFC payment hardware using the existing audio jack infrastructure. Instead of manufacturing dedicated NFC components into every mobile device, the attachment copies the essential payment functionality through a software and audio-based implementation that leverages existing device components.
3Reliability
If traditional payment intermediaries are used, then transaction security is maintained, but transaction cost and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential payment authentication functionality from the complex traditional intermediary system and concentrates it in the attachment device. The attachment stores payment credentials and handles authentication locally, removing the need for complex multi-party intermediary processing while maintaining security through direct device-to-device NFC communication.
Data Source
AI summary
A secure fob that enables a user to pay for an item or items without needing to present a mobile device. A secure fob may include a proximity capability to ensure that a mobile device is within a particular range, thereby eliminating the risk of fraudulent charges on a stolen fob. In such an embodiment, a fob may be disabled if the fob is not paired with the mobile device by virtue of being disconnected and/or physically separated from the mobile device. The secure fob also may include enhanced features to authorize transactions and locate the mobile device and/or the secure fob.