The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a newly granted patent for Apple Inc. today that relates to their future iWallet in respect to shopping and shopping lists. Apple's published patents relating to their future iWallet began to roll out in 2010. At this year's World Wide Developer Conference, Scott Forstall, Apple's Senior VP of iPhone Software, revealed Passbook which was basically a sneak peek at an iWallet component. Apple's recent acquisition of AuthenTec falls into line with their iWallet project, as Apple had published an earlier patent covering a future iPhone with fingerprint scanning capabilities. Apple had previously acquired another fingerprint scanning patent back in 2010 which further strengthens this project. At this very moment nobody knows when Apple will officially launch their full iWallet application, but logic strongly suggests that it could be in the 2013/2014 timeline.
Apple Wins their First iWallet-Shopping App Patent
Apple has received their first Granted Patent relating to methods for conducting shopping-related transactions with a handheld electronic device. In some embodiments a mobile electronic device may be used to identify a product and obtain pricing information relevant to retailers of the product within a specified geographical location. In another embodiment, a mobile electronic device may be used to acquire pricing information for a shopping list of products. Embodiments may also include a variety of features that make the shopping experience quick and efficient while allowing the consumer to hunt for a better bargain. Furthermore, several embodiments also allow the product manufacturers and/or retailers to distribute relevant product information to targeted consumers who are known to be, or who may be, interested in buying a particular product.
