System, method, apparatus and computer program product for interfacing a multi-card radio frequency (rf) device with a mobile communications device

Abstract

An interface for a mobile communication device is provided, including at least one memory unit configured to store read/write data associated with transaction accounts, at least one user interface software application, and at least one contactless communication protocol application. A radio frequency identifier unit having an antenna communicates with a radio frequency identifier reader through a contactless transaction account communications channel distinct from a mobile communications channel of the mobile communication device. An input/output interface unit communicates with a corresponding input/output interface unit of the mobile communication device and provide access to and control of the at least one memory unit and the radio frequency identifier unit by a processor of the mobile communication device.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A wireless interface card, comprising:
 a device interface configured to couple the wireless interface card to a mobile device such that the wireless interface card is removable from the mobile device;   a radio frequency identifier (RFID) interface configured to communicate with an RFID reader; and   wherein the wireless interface card is configured to:
 establish a token key with the mobile device such that functionality of the wireless interface card becomes disabled responsive to the wireless interface card being removed from the mobile device; 
 receive, via the device interface from the mobile device, an indication that a user has requested payment for a transaction associated with a transaction account; and 
 in response to an authentication of the user, communicate, via the RFID interface, payment information for the transaction to a point of sale (POS) device. 
   
     
     
         17 . The wireless interface card of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 memory configured to store transaction account data associated with the transaction account, wherein the stored transaction account data is included in the communicated payment information.   
     
     
         18 . The wireless interface card of  claim 17 , wherein the transaction account data includes transaction account data associated with a plurality of transaction instruments; and
 wherein the indication identifies a particular one of the plurality of transaction instruments to be used for the transaction and selected by the user.   
     
     
         19 . The wireless interface card of  claim 17 , wherein the memory is configured to store biometric data collected from the user and used to perform the authentication. 
     
     
         20 . The wireless interface card of  claim 17 , wherein the memory is configured to store a personal identification number (PIN) used to perform the authentication. 
     
     
         21 . The wireless interface card of  claim 16 , wherein the wireless interface card is a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. 
     
     
         22 . The wireless interface card of  claim 16 , wherein the wireless interface card is a secure digital (SD) card. 
     
     
         23 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored therein that are executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 establishing a token key with a wireless interface card inserted into the computing device, wherein the wireless interface card includes via a radio frequency identifier (RFID) circuit, and wherein the token key is established such that functionality of the wireless interface card becomes disabled responsive to the wireless interface card being removed from the computing device;   receiving a request from a user to initiate a transaction associated with a transaction account of the user;   in response to the request:
 facilitating an authentication of the user; and 
 sending a request for the wireless interface card to communicate payment information for the transaction via the RFID circuit to a point of sale (POS) device. 
   
     
     
         24 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the facilitating includes:
 collecting biometric information from the user; and   sending the biometric information to the wireless interface card, wherein the wireless interface card is configured to perform the authentication.   
     
     
         25 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 prompting the user to select one of a plurality of transaction instruments of the user to conduct the transaction; and   identifying, in the sent request, a selected one of the plurality of transaction instruments to cause the wireless interface card to communicate payment information associated with the selected transaction instrument.   
     
     
         26 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a receipt from the POS device via the wireless interface card; and   presenting the receipt to the user on a display of the computing device.   
     
     
         27 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a questionnaire from the POS device via the wireless interface card; and   presenting the questionnaire to the user on a display of the computing device.   
     
     
         28 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the wireless interface card is a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. 
     
     
         29 . The computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 read content from an original SIM card of the user; and   store content from the user's original SIM card into the wireless interface card.   
     
     
         30 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the wireless interface card is a memory card configured to insert into the computing device. 
     
     
         31 . A method, comprising:
 a wireless interface card establishing a security key with a mobile device into which the wireless interface card has been inserted, wherein the security key is usable to disable functionality of the wireless interface card responsive to the wireless interface card being removed from the mobile device;   the wireless interface card receiving, from the mobile device, a request to initiate payment to a merchant for a transaction;   in response to the request, the wireless interface card authenticating a user of the mobile device; and   based on the authenticating, the wireless interface card communicating transaction account information of the user via a radio frequency identifier (RFID) circuit in the wireless interface card to an RFID reader of a point of sale (POS) device.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 prior to receiving the request, the wireless interface card storing the transaction account information in a memory of the wireless interface card.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the authenticating includes comparing biometric information collected by the mobile device with biometric information stored in the wireless interface card. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 the wireless interface card receiving, via the RFID circuit, an advertisement from the POS device; and   the wireless interface card sending the advertisement to the mobile device to cause display of the advertisement.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the wireless interface card is a secure digital (SD) card or a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.