Apple granted patent for ‘digital identification credential user interfaces’

Apple has been granted a patent (number 11526591) for “digital identification user interfaces.” It involves computer user interfaces, and more specifically to techniques for enrolling, managing, and using digital credentials, including digital identification credentials.

As electronic devices such as smartphones have become more widely used, their functions have grown beyond phone calls and text messaging. Apple says that providing an efficient method for using and implementing the various functions on these electronic devices can be complex and time-consuming.

For example, some techniques for enrolling, managing, and using digital credentials using electronic devices, however, are generally cumbersome and inefficient. In another example, some existing techniques use a complex and time-consuming user interface, which may include multiple key presses or keystrokes. 

Apple says that existing techniques require more time than necessary, wasting user time and device energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.

Apple wants to provide its various devices with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for enrolling, managing, and using digital credentials. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement or replace other methods for enrolling, managing, and using digital credentials. 

Apple says that such methods and interfaces reduce the cognitive burden on a user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computing devices, such methods and interfaces conserve power and increase the time between battery charges.