Low power mode for payment transactions

• US 10,198,726 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: de la Cropte de Chanterac, Cyril, Hakim, Joseph, Lew, Leland W., Tran, Hue Duc
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwong, Cho
• Application Number:
  US14/500,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0873 Details of the card reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This application relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for using a computing device to perform payment transactions while the computing device is operating in a low power wallet mode during a low battery state of the computing device. During a low power wallet mode, various subsystems are prevented from receiving current from a battery of the computing device, while a near field communication (NFC) system of the computing device is provided with an operating current for detecting target systems. A target system and the NFC system can communicate during the low power wallet mode of the computing device, thereby allowing a user of the computing device to conduct payment transactions when the computing device is in a low power wallet mode. Such payment transactions can be useful if the user is ever stranded without enough power to fully operate the computing device and needs to pay for transportation.

Claims

1. A method for operating a payment system of a computing device in a low power wallet mode, the method comprising:

determining that a charge of a battery of the computing device is at or below a predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold is set below a minimum battery charge value for executing an operating system of the computing device;

in response to the determining, preventing multiple subsystems of the computing device from receiving power from the battery;

in response to the determining, providing a first power signal from the battery to a field detector of the payment system of the computing device; and

when the field detector indicates that a target system is at a sufficient distance to communicate with the field detector;

causing the payment system to provide an initiation signal to a power management system of the computing device, wherein the power management system causes a second power signal, that is greater than the first power signal, to be supplied to the field detector for conducting a payment transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the field detector indicates that the target system is at the sufficient distance to communicate with the field detector;

causing a user interface to display account data associated with the payment system of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, subsequent to the second power signal being supplied to the field detector, receiving an account selection from a user for conducting the payment transaction at the target system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, subsequent to the second power signal being supplied to the field detector, receiving validation data from a user in order to conduct a secure payment transaction between the payment system and the target system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the validation data comprises fingerprint identification data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the charge of the battery is at or below a payment off mode threshold and below the predetermined threshold;

preventing the first power signal from being provided to the field detector of the payment system; and

reserving a charge of the battery.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the field detector indicates that the target system is at the sufficient distance to communicate with the field detector;

causing a user interface to display a validation prompt for validating the payment transaction; and

limiting an output of a backlight of the user interface to a limited output level that is below a normal output level of the backlight relative to when the charge of the battery is above the predetermined threshold.

8. A method for operating a system that comprises a battery, multiple subsystems, and a near field communication (NFC) device, the method comprising:

determining that a charge level of the battery is at or below a wallet mode threshold;

in response to the determining that the charge level of the battery is at or below the wallet mode threshold, preventing the multiple subsystems from receiving a current from the battery; and

in response to the determining that the charge level of the battery is at or below the wallet mode threshold, providing the NFC device with a field operating current from the battery in order to operate a field detector of the NFC device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

during the providing the NFC device with the field operating current in order to operate the field detector of the NFC device, detecting a target system using the field detector; and

in response to the detecting the target system, displaying a notification interface on a user interface of the system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

while the charge level of the battery is at or below the wallet mode threshold, validating an account using a fingerprint scanner of the system; and

in response to the validating, conducting a payment transaction by the NFC device.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that a charge level of the battery is at or below a wallet off threshold that is less than the wallet mode threshold; and

in response to the determining that the charge level of the battery is at or below the wallet off threshold, operating the NFC device as a passive transaction device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein:

a subsystem of the multiple subsystems comprises a cellular subsystem for conducting telephone calls; and

the method further comprises;

in response to the determining that the charge level of the battery is at or below the wallet mode threshold, preventing the cellular subsystem from conducting telephone calls;

in response to the determining that the charge level of the battery is at or below the wallet mode threshold, detecting a target system by the field detector; and

in response to the detecting the target system, providing payment account data by the NFC device to the detected target system.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

while the charge level of the battery is at or below the wallet mode threshold, activating a touch sensor; and

displaying an NFC device status by the activated touch sensor.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that a charge level of the battery is at or below a wallet off threshold that is less than the wallet mode threshold;

in response to the determining that the charge level of the battery is at or below the wallet off threshold, preventing the NFC device from receiving any current from the battery.

15. A method for operating a cellular device that comprises a battery, a network antenna, and a near field communication (NFC) system, the method comprising:

determining that a charge level of the battery is at or below a low charge threshold;

in response to the determining that the charge level of the battery is at or below the low charge threshold, preventing the network antenna from receiving current from the battery; and

in response to the determining that the charge level of the battery is at or below the low charge threshold, providing the NFC system with a field operating current from the battery for detecting a target system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

during the providing, detecting the target system by the NFC system; and

in response to the detecting, providing the NFC system with a transaction current, which is greater than the field operating current, in order to conduct a payment transaction between the cellular device and the detected target system.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

during the providing, detecting the target system by the NFC system; and

while the charge level of the battery is at or below the low charge threshold, transmitting at least a portion of account data by the NFC system to the detected target system, wherein the account data is related to multiple payment accounts and is stored in a memory of the cellular device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

during the providing, detecting the target system by the NFC system; and

while the charge level of the battery is at or below the low charge threshold, generating fingerprint data by a fingerprint scanner of the cellular device; and

transmitting the generated fingerprint data by the cellular device to the detected target system for validating a payment transaction.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

during the providing, detecting the target system by the NFC system; and

in response to the detecting the target system, displaying a payment prompt related to a payment transaction between the NFC system and the detected target system on a user interface of the cellular device, wherein the payment prompt comprises a list of one or more accounts for a user to choose as a source of funds for the payment transaction.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

during the providing, detecting the target system by the NFC system; and

in response to the detecting, providing the NFC system with a transaction current, which is greater than the field operating current, wherein the providing the transaction current comprises restricting the transaction current to a peak value during a duty cycle of a payment transaction in order to enable the NFC system to conduct multiple payment transactions while the charge of the battery is at or below the low charge threshold.