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AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 4/10

Apple patents system to help devices find each other using digital wallets

Apple has been granted a patent for a 'discovery broker' that helps two devices find and connect to each other in crowded or segmented networks. The system uses digital wallet data or machine-readable images to verify identity and share connection details, allowing a sender device to securely link with a receiver device.

Why it mattersThis could make it easier for Apple devices to automatically find and pair with accessories or other phones in busy places like airports or stores without manual setup.

In the filing’s own words

A discovery broker may facilitate discovering and connecting devices, such as a sender device and receiver device, in a dense environment and/or a network with segmentation. The sender and receiver devices may be connected via the discovery broker based on a machine-readable image including connectivity information, digital wallet data including the connectivity information, or a domain name system.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. One or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media, comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry of a discovery broker device, cause the processing circuitry to: register a receiver device in response to exchanging, with the receiver device, first connectivity information associated with the receiver device and second connectivity information associated with the discovery broker device; receive a first request to communicatively couple with a sender device using digital wallet data comprising the second connectivity information associated with the discovery broker device; communicatively couple with the sender device based on the first request comprising the second connectivity information associated with the discovery broker device; receive a second request from the sender device to communicatively couple with the receiver device; and cause transmission of the first connectivity information associated with the receiver device to the sender device in response to receiving the second request and authenticating the sender device based on the second request.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Brokered service discovery and connection management
Patent number
US12732810B2
Application number
18805105
Filed
Aug 14, 2024
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Inventors
5
Claims
20

Classified under

H04W 12/06 Electricity & electronicsH04W 12/77 Electricity & electronicsH04W 48/08 Electricity & electronicsG06F 3/14 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.