Executing transactions using mobile-device covers

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for updating mobile devices with additional elements. In some implementations, a cover for a mobile device includes side surfaces, a rear surface, a physical interface, and a circuit. The side surfaces and the rear surface are configured to be adjacent at least a portion one or more side surfaces of the mobile phone. The side surfaces and the rear surface form an opening that receives at least a portion of the mobile device. A first portion of at least one of the surfaces includes a connector for connecting to a port of the mobile phone. The physical interface includes in at least one of the surfaces that receives a memory device external to the mobile device. The circuit connects the physical interface to the connector.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cover for a mobile device, comprising:
 side surfaces configured to be adjacent at least a portion one or more side surfaces of a mobile device;   a rear surface configured to be adjacent at least a portion of a rear surface of the mobile device and connected to the side surfaces, the side surfaces and the rear surface form an opening that receives at least a portion of the mobile device;   a connector configured to connect to a port of the mobile device;   a circuit that connects the connector to a communication module; and   the communication module configured to execute transactions with contactless devices and communicate with the mobile device through the circuit and the connector.   
     
     
         2 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the contactless devices comprises point of sale devices. 
     
     
         3 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module transmits and receives Radio Frequency (RF) signals. 
     
     
         4 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the execute transactions are based, at least in part, on secured credentials. 
     
     
         5 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further configured to execute an application using secured credentials. 
     
     
         6 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the side surfaces and the rear surface are formed of hard plastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module is integrated into at least one of the side surfaces or the reader surface. 
     
     
         8 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further configured to convert between native signals and signals native to the mobile device. 
     
     
         9 . The cover of  claim 6 , wherein the communication module is configured to convert between a SecureDigital (SD) signal and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) signal. 
     
     
         10 . The cover of  claim 1 , the circuit further comprising a fingerprint scanner that provides a scanned fingerprint to an application that verifies an identity of a user. 
     
     
         11 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit is integrated into at least one of the side surfaces or the rear surface. 
     
     
         12 . The cover of  claim 1 , the side surfaces and the rear surface form a shape substantially similar to the mobile device. 
     
     
         13 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the port of the mobile device comprises at least one of a SecureDigital (SD) interface, a miniSD interface, a microSD interface, a MMC interface, a miniMMC, a microMMC, a firewire or an iDock interface, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. 
     
     
         14 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module comprises:
 a physical interface that connects to the port of a mobile host device, wherein the mobile host device includes a Graphical User Interface (GUI);   a transceiver module that wirelessly receives Radio Frequency (RF) signals from and transmits RF signals to an access terminal;   secure memory that stores user credentials, wherein the user credentials are used execute transactions with contactless devices and are associated with a financial institution;   a user-interface module that presents and receives information through the GUI of the mobile host device; and   a transaction module that wirelessly transmits to the contactless devices responses to requested transactions including the user credentials.   
     
     
         15 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the transaction module executes the transaction independent of the mobile host device. 
     
     
         16 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the memory stores a plurality of security frameworks for a plurality of user credentials, the transaction module executes requested transactions using a security framework from the plurality of security frameworks corresponding to selected user credentials. 
     
     
         17 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the transaction module executes transactions in response to at least a user selecting a graphical element presented through the GUI of the mobile device. 
     
     
         18 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the user-interface module presents information associated with the requested transactions through the GUI of the mobile device. 
     
     
         19 . The cover of  claim 18 , wherein the presented information is based, at least in part, on at least one of real-time content during the transaction, locally-stored offline content, or online content associated with the financial institution. 
     
     
         20 . The cover of  claim 18 , wherein the user-interface module further presents a request for user identification including at least one of a Personal Identification Number (PIN), user ID and password, or biometric signature through the GUI of the mobile host device, the transaction module further verifies the submitted user identification with user identification locally stored in the secure memory prior to executing the requested transactions. 
     
     
         21 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the transaction module selectively switches an RF antenna between an activate state and an inactivate state in response to at least an event. 
     
     
         22 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the comprise at least one of contactless signals, proximity signals, Near Field Communication (NFC) signals, Bluetooth signals, Ultra-wideband (UWB) signals, or Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) signals. 
     
     
         23 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the communication module further comprises a protocol translation module that translates signals between wireless protocols compatible with the retail terminal and an internal transaction application. 
     
     
         24 . The cover of  claim 14 , further comprising a cryptographic module that decrypts received signals prior to processing by the transaction module and encrypts at least part of the transaction responses prior to wireless transmission. 
     
     
         25 . The cover of  claim 14 , further comprising an authentication module that authenticates at least one of a network of the mobile device, the mobile device, or a user. 
     
     
         26 . The cover of  claim 14 , further comprising a bootstrap module that executes one or more authentication processes in response to at least insertion in the port of the mobile device. 
     
     
         27 . The cover of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more authentication processes authenticates at least one of a network, a mobile device, or a user. 
     
     
         28 . The cover of  claim 14 , further comprising an activation module that activates access to the user credentials by transmitting to an associated financial institution a request to activate the user account. 
     
     
         29 . The cover of  claim 28 , wherein access to the user credentials is activated based, at least in part, on a user manually entering an activation code using the GUI of the mobile host device. 
     
     
         30 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the user of the mobile host device manages a plurality of selectable user credentials including the user credentials using the GUI. 
     
     
         31 . The cover of  claim 30 , the communication module further configured to receive requests to update the plurality of selectable user credentials through a wireless connection with a cellular core network or a wired connection with a broadband network. 
     
     
         32 . The cover of  claim 31 , the communication module further configured to at least add new sets of user credentials or delete existing user credentials based, at least in part, on the update requests. 
     
     
         33 . The cover of  claim 30 , wherein the plurality of selectable user credentials include a default user credentials, the communication module further configured to switch to the default user credentials in response to at least completing a requested transaction using a different one of the plurality of selectable user credentials. 
     
     
         34 . The cover of  claim 30 , wherein the plurality of selectable user credentials include a default user credentials, the security module further configured to switch to a default user credentials in response to at least expiration of a period of time to complete a transaction using non-default user credentials. 
     
     
         35 . The cover of  claim 30 , wherein the plurality of selectable credentials are each loaded into the secure memory from a different institution. 
     
     
         36 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein the cover substantially maintains attributes of the mobile host device. 
     
     
         37 . The cover of  claim 36 , wherein the attributes include at least one of dimensions, accessibility to peripherals, charging, battery life, signal strength, access to the GUI, connectivity to wireless networks, or interface capability with clients. 
     
     
         38 . The cover of  claim 36 , wherein the substantially maintained attributes do not void certification by regulatory authorities or a warranty of the mobile host device. 
     
     
         39 . A cover, comprising:
 four sides configured to be adjacent four sides of a mobile phone, the four sides including a bottom side configured to be adjacent a bottom side of the mobile device;   a rear side configured to be adjacent a rear side of the mobile phone and connected to the four sides, the four sides and the rear side form an opening that receives the mobile device;   a connector integrated in the bottom side and configured to insert into a port of the mobile device;   a circuit integrated in at least one of the four side surfaces or the rear surface and configured to connect the connector to a transaction circuit; and   the transaction circuit configured to wirelessly communicate Near Field Communication (NFC) signals with Point-Of-Sale (POS) devices, store user credentials used to execute transactions with the POS devices and assigned by a financial institution, present displays through a GUI of the mobile device, and wirelessly transmit to the POS devices responses to requested transactions including the user credentials.