Getting in line at anApple store a day or more in advance of a new product release has become the norm in the seven years since the company released the iPhone.
Still, with Passbook waiting in the wings, the patent can't help but fuel speculation that Apple is getting more serious about an iPhone with near-field wireless in the future.
Apple's challenge is that getting people to buy an iPod, a new type of device, is easier than getting them to switch loyalties in an existing product category.