DeviceFidelity, leaders in plug and play mobile payment and contactless technologies has announced that it’s been granted a patent for Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile device accessories. They announced:The patent describes a framework for mobile devices to be enabled with NFC and Secure Element functionality through an accessory that connects to the device’s expansion port. The design allows for all NFC applications and use cases to be accessible on the mobile device such as mobile wallet, mobile POS, tag reading and peer 2 peer transactions. This flexible approach allows for the use of an embedded or a removable Secure Element. The form factor of the mobile device NFC accessory can be a dongle, a partial cover, or a protective case similar to DeviceFidelity’s In2Pay iCaisse. The user can access all features of the mobile device, including syncing and charging, with the accessory connected.
This patent pretty much covers all forms of cases that provide NFC technology – meaning we probably won’t see similar accessories from other manufacturers in the future. If NFC catches on like intended, it looks like DeviceFidelity is going to be rolling in dough.