Apple patent filing hints at NFC, digital wallet technologies

Sometimes it’s the patent filings that really tell you what’s coming down the road.

Per BusinessInsider, a newly public patent application from Apple describes a detailed backend architecture for a mobile wallet designed to hold digital credit, debit cards and coupons issued by a range of merchants and financial institutions.

The filing describes the system as capable of powering mobile transactions conducted via QR codes, the cloud, and contactless NFC (near field communication). It’s also explicitly engineered to handle large bursts of traffic, “such as can occur on a so-called ‘launch day’ of a client device.”

The patent application describes an “omni-wallet,” which allows other parties to securely send data to Apple device owners, using sophisticated encryption and secure hardware to prevent fraudsters from intercepting or duplicating sensitive information such as digital credit cards.

The system would also allow coupon and store-card issuers to track redemption and transactions without launching their own payment apps. This would be of benefit to retailers hungry for better consumer data.

The latest application, which follows another Apple patent document depicting a Passbook-like digital wallet, comes just weeks ahead of the recently confirmed September 9th media event for Apple’s upcoming products.

Apple has a significant natural advantage in payments: its huge number of customer accounts, many of them with a credit card on file.

The patent also mentions “virtualized currencies,” a possible reference to digital currency such as Bitcoin.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.