Judging from a patent filing recently discovered by AppleInsider, it looks as though the rumors that the iPhone 5S's fingerprint sensor could support payment options might be true after all. Originally analysts believed that the fingerprint-payment feature was a little too advanced for the upcoming release, but AppleInsider's research shows that Apple had such an idea in mind all the way back in March of 2012.
The patent may also partially confirm another rumor: the design for the fingerprint sensor in the filing looks remarkably like what's on the allegedly leaked boxes for the iPhone 5S that we saw last week. As described in the filing, the design supports "contactless" payment options, or rather a procedure that lets you pay for items by simply holding your device (or wallet) close to a sensor on a register. Contactless payment is apparently a popular choice overseas, but the security risks involved have discouraged widespread adoption over on this side of the pond.
The iPhone 5S could change all that with its rumored fingerprint sensor. Indeed, if the security provided by the fingerprint sensor works well enough, it may even be enough to do away with the usual restriction of 30 or so dollars on current contactless payments. If true, it could also means that tomorrow's reveal will warrant significantly more attention than all the leaks we've seen so far have suggested.
Source: C Technology/9to5 Mac
Here's some of the wording in the actual patent filing: "An electronic device may have electrical components such as sensors. A sensor may have sensor circuitry that gathers sensor data using a conductive structure. The sensor may be a touch sensor that uses the conductive structure to form a capacitive touch sensor electrode or may be a fingerprint sensor that uses the conductive structure with a fingerprint electrode array to handle fingerprint sensor signals. Near field communications circuitry may be included in an electronic device. When operated in a sensor mode, the sensor circuitry may use the conductive structure to gather a fingerprint or other sensor data. When operated in near field communications mode, the near field communications circuitry can use the conductive structure to transmit and receive capacitively coupled or inductively coupled near field communications signals. A fingerprint sensor may have optical structures that communicate with external equipment."
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