How Wearable Devices Act as Secure Bridges for Transactions
A system where a wearable device acts as a secure middleman between your phone and a payment terminal or electronic lock to verify your identity and complete transactions.
Original patent title: “Methods, apparatuses and systems for providing user authentication”
A system where a wearable device acts as a secure middleman between your phone and a payment terminal or electronic lock to verify your identity and complete transactions. Granted to OLogN Technologies AG in 2017 with 32 claims and 2 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a wearable device, such as a watch or ring, that acts as an intermediary between a personal communication device (like a smartphone) and a transaction device (like a point-of-sale terminal or a smart lock). The wearable device uses two distinct radios: an ultra short-range transceiver for communicating with the transaction device and a short-range transceiver for communicating with the phone. By receiving user authentication—such as a PIN or biometric data—the wearable device processes and relays encrypted transaction information between the phone and the terminal. This setup ensures that the transaction device never directly communicates with the phone, forcing all sensitive data to pass through the wearable's secure processing layer.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover direct communication between a smartphone and a payment terminal without a wearable intermediary.
- Does not cover systems where the wearable device acts only as a passive display without processing or relaying encrypted transaction data.
- Does not cover authentication methods that do not involve a wearable device as an active bridge between two other devices.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in using the wearable as a secure, active relay that bridges two different wireless protocols (ultra short-range vs. short-range) to isolate the transaction device from the phone, effectively creating a hardware-gated security tunnel.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Smartwatches used for contactless payments at retail terminals
Wearable rings used to unlock smart doors or secure entry points
Two-factor authentication hardware tokens that bridge mobile apps and external systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent addresses the security risks of using smartphones for sensitive transactions by introducing a hardware-based 'man-in-the-middle' that the user controls. By requiring a wearable device to authenticate and process the transaction, it adds a physical layer of security that is harder to spoof than software alone. It is particularly relevant for the evolution of secure payments and physical access control systems.
Filed
March 13, 2014
Granted
July 4, 2017
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major consumer electronics companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google are actively developing wearable-to-terminal communication standards. Additionally, specialized firms in the smart home and secure access control space are building on these types of multi-device authentication architectures.
Market impact
This patent highlights the shift toward multi-device authentication protocols in the internet-of-things (IoT) space. It reflects a broader industry movement to move security logic away from vulnerable mobile operating systems and into dedicated, wearable hardware, influencing how modern NFC and Bluetooth-based payment systems are architected.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a wearable device, such as a watch or ring, that acts as an intermediary between a personal communication device (like a smartphone) and a transaction device (like a point-of-sale terminal or a smart lock). The wearable device uses two distinct radios: an ultra short-range transceiver for communicating with the transaction device and a short-range transceiver for communicating with the phone. By receiving user authentication—such as a PIN or biometric data—the wearable device processes and relays encrypted transaction information between the phone and the terminal. This setup ensures that the transaction device never directly communicates with the phone, forcing all sensitive data to pass through the wearable's secure processing layer.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in using the wearable as a secure, active relay that bridges two different wireless protocols (ultra short-range vs. short-range) to isolate the transaction device from the phone, effectively creating a hardware-gated security tunnel.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover direct communication between a smartphone and a payment terminal without a wearable intermediary.
- Does not cover systems where the wearable device acts only as a passive display without processing or relaying encrypted transaction data.
- Does not cover authentication methods that do not involve a wearable device as an active bridge between two other devices.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
10/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$96K – $307K
Midpoint $192K · 7.7 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
32 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Ignatchenko, S., & Ivanchykhin, D. (2017). How Wearable Devices Act as Secure Bridges for Transactions (U.S. Patent No. 9,699,159). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9699159/microsoft-teams
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US9699159"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
More to explore
More in Consumer Electronics
US 7657849 · 2010 · Apple Inc
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
US 7479949 · 2009 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls
US 4528643 · 1985 · FPDC Inc
How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval
US 7469381 · 2008 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Wearable Devices Act as Secure Bridges for Transactions cover?
A system where a wearable device acts as a secure middleman between your phone and a payment terminal or electronic lock to verify your identity and complete transactions.
Who owns patent US 9699159?
OLogN Technologies AG owns this patent, granted in 2017.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on July 4, 2037, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 9699159 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 2 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent addresses the security risks of using smartphones for sensitive transactions by introducing a hardware-based 'man-in-the-middle' that the user controls. By requiring a wearable device to authenticate and process the transaction, it adds a physical layer of security that is harder to spoof than software alone. It is particularly relevant for the evolution of secure payments and physical access control systems.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover direct communication between a smartphone and a payment terminal without a wearable intermediary.
Patent monitoring