A recently published patent application has hinted that Apple may be working on ways to securely hold, authenticate, and wirelessly share a user’s identification materials.
Although Apple has said the end of paper ID materials won’t happen quickly, there’s no question it’s coming.
The patent application, entitled “Controlled Identity Credentials Release,” focuses on a secure way of making this happen.
“Physical identity credentials, such as driver’s licenses, passports, etc., may be migrating to digital form, such as digital identity credentials stored on electronic devices,” says Apple. “As the credentials themselves change, so too will the manner in which a user provides his identity credential to a third party, such as a government official, a commercial entity, and the like.”
“For example, the user may wirelessly transmit their digital identity credential from their device to a wireless terminal device of a third party,” continues the patent application. So, for instance, it concerns how a law enforcement device might talk to your iPhone to properly request ID.
The document, which highlights “controlled methods of releasing, or providing, the user’s digital identity credential,” suggests multiple ways of presenting our ID on request, including only showing it on our screen. “[For example,] the user’s identity credential is displayed on the user’s device while the user’s device remains in the locked state,” suggests Apple. “In this manner, the user can provide their device to a third party (e.g., a TSA personnel and/or security checkpoint personnel), without comprising the security/privacy of the user’s data stored on the device.”
Identity credentials could be displayed as needed or transmitted wirelessly to a terminal device via NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Aware, or other protocols.
The document also theorizes ways to automatically transmit ID data in situations where the user is incapacitated.
Apple also offered the example of a first responder, such as a police officer, firefighter, etc, who might need to see an ID and could possess a device that would automatically request your credentials.
“[Upon] verifying that the first responder is authorized to receive the identity credential, [the device] may automatically transmit the user’s identity credential to the device of the first responder.”
The patent application goes into detail about the use of secure enclaves, and how such identity request verification could be handled, it is also concerned with what information does or does not need to be provided. Such secure enclaves are currently seen in iPhones and other iOS devices.
This new patent application is credited to seven inventors. That includes Rupamay Saha, and Christopher Sharp, both of whom are previously named on a related application about providing verified user ID.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and the Patently Apple