IP Library › Granted Patent US 12694162
Granted Patent B2
US 12694162 · App. 19/537,989 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Security of physical account cards

Inventors: Josue N. Del Rio Nava (San Jose, CA); Murthy V. Vedula (Morgan Hill, CA); Gabe B. Gindele (Santa Clara, CA); Christopher W. Dulgarian (Folsom, CA); Khalil Dababneh (Campbell, CA); Philippe M. Wilson (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F21/86G06F21/34
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12694162
App. No.
19/537,989
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to managing the security of physical account cards. In some examples, resources are securely associated with a physical account card. In some examples, resources that are associated with the physical account card are securely accessed or transferred.

Claims (81)

1 . A computer system that is configured to communicate with a display generation component, a short-range communication radio, and a communication interface that is different from the short-range communication radio, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving, via the short-range communication radio, information from an electronic component that is part of a package that includes a physical account card, wherein one or more resources are associated with the physical account card;

while logged into an account of a service, transmitting to an external device, via the communication interface that is different from the short-range communication radio:

a request to associate the one or more resources with the account of the service; and

the information received from the electronic component;

subsequent to transmitting the request to associate the one or more resources associated with the physical account card with the account, receiving a response, wherein the response includes an indication, determined using the information received from the electronic component, of whether the package has been tampered with, and wherein the electronic component determines whether the package has been tampered with based on a status of physical surroundings of the electronic component;

in accordance with a determination that the response indicates that the package has not been tampered with, displaying, via the display generation component, a first indication; and

in accordance with a determination that the response indicates that the package has been tampered with, displaying, via the display generation component, a second indication that is different from the first indication.

2 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the physical account card is a building access card.

3 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the physical account card is a gift card.

4 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component is part of packaging of the package and the electronic component is not part of the physical account card.

5 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the information is part of a response of a challenge-response process.

6 . The computer system of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving a challenge from the external device; and

subsequent to receiving the challenge, transmitting, via the short-range communication radio, the challenge to the electronic component.

7 . The computer system of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

generating a challenge; and

subsequent to generating the challenge, transmitting, via the short-range communication radio, the challenge to the electronic component.

8 . The computer system of claim 7 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

subsequent to generating the challenge, transmitting, via the communication interface, the challenge to the external device.

9 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that the physical account card and/or packaging of the package have been tampered with.

10 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that the electronic component has been removed from the package and/or the physical account card.

11 . The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that a wire loop of the electronic component is broken.

12 . The computer system of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving, via one or more input devices, input selecting the account; and

transmitting, to an external device, an indication of the account as part of the request.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a computer system that is in communication with a display generation component, a short-range communication radio, and a communication interface that is different from the short-range communication radio, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving, via the short-range communication radio, information from an electronic component that is part of a package that includes a physical account card, wherein one or more resources are associated with the physical account card;

while logged into an account of a service, transmitting to an external device, via the communication interface that is different from the short-range communication radio:

a request to associate the one or more resources with the account of the service; and

the information received from the electronic component;

subsequent to transmitting the request to associate the one or more resources associated with the physical account card with the account, receiving a response, wherein the response includes an indication, determined using the information received from the electronic component, of whether the package has been tampered with, and wherein the electronic component determines whether the package has been tampered with based on a status of physical surroundings of the electronic component;

in accordance with a determination that the response indicates that the package has not been tampered with, displaying, via the display generation component, a first indication; and

in accordance with a determination that the response indicates that the package has been tampered with, displaying, via the display generation component, a second indication that is different from the first indication.

14 . A method, comprising:

at a computer system that is in communication with a display generation component, a short-range communication radio, and a communication interface that is different from the short-range communication radio:

receiving, via the short-range communication radio, information from an electronic component that is part of a package that includes a physical account card, wherein one or more resources are associated with the physical account card;

while logged into an account of a service, transmitting to an external device, via the communication interface that is different from the short-range communication radio:

a request to associate the one or more resources with the account of the service; and

the information received from the electronic component;

subsequent to transmitting the request to associate the one or more resources associated with the physical account card with the account, receiving a response, wherein the response includes an indication, determined using the information received from the electronic component, of whether the package has been tampered with, and wherein the electronic component determines whether the package has been tampered with based on a status of physical surroundings of the electronic component;

in accordance with a determination that the response indicates that the package has not been tampered with, displaying, via the display generation component, a first indication; and

in accordance with a determination that the response indicates that the package has been tampered with, displaying, via the display generation component, a second indication that is different from the first indication.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the physical account card is a building access card.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the physical account card is a gift card.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the electronic component is part of packaging of the package and the electronic component is not part of the physical account card.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the information is part of a response of a challenge-response process.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving a challenge from the external device; and

subsequent to receiving the challenge, transmitting, via the short-range communication radio, the challenge to the electronic component.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

generating a challenge; and

subsequent to generating the challenge, transmitting, via the short-range communication radio, the challenge to the electronic component.

21 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

subsequent to generating the challenge, transmitting, via the communication interface, the challenge to the external device.

22 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that the physical account card and/or packaging of the package have been tampered with.

23 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that the electronic component has been removed from the package and/or the physical account card.

24 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that a wire loop of the electronic component is broken.

25 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving, via one or more input devices, input selecting the account; and

transmitting, to an external device, an indication of the account as part of the request.

26 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the physical account card is a building access card.

27 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the physical account card is a gift card.

28 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electronic component is part of packaging of the package and the electronic component is not part of the physical account card.

29 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the information is part of a response of a challenge-response process.

30 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving a challenge from the external device; and

subsequent to receiving the challenge, transmitting, via the short-range communication radio, the challenge to the electronic component.

31 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

generating a challenge; and

subsequent to generating the challenge, transmitting, via the short-range communication radio, the challenge to the electronic component.

32 . The method of claim 31 , further comprising:

subsequent to generating the challenge, transmitting, via the communication interface, the challenge to the external device.

33 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that the physical account card and/or packaging of the package have been tampered with.

34 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that the electronic component has been removed from the package and/or the physical account card.

35 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electronic component determines that the package has been tampered with when the electronic component detects that a wire loop of the electronic component is broken.

36 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, via one or more input devices, input selecting the account; and

transmitting, to an external device, an indication of the account as part of the request.