I Near Field Communication Technology
Overview
NFC opens up countless new opportunities for consumer lifestyles by integrating contactless readers, contactless cards and Peer-to-Peer functionality into a single chip. It is an open interface platform for fast, proactive setup of wireless networks and a virtual connector that serves existing cellular networks, Bluetooth and wireless 802.11 devices. NFC is compatible with Sony's FeliCaTM cards as well as the widely established contactless smart card architecture, which is based on ISO 14443 A and uses Philips' MIFARE? technology. To drive the development and adoption of NFC, Philips, Sony and Nokia created the NFC Forum, a not-for-profit industry association that promotes the implementation and standardization of NFC technology and ensures synergy between devices and services. Today, the NFC Forum has more than 70 members worldwide, including: MasterCard International, Panasonic Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Motorola, NEC Corporation, Renesas Technology Corporation, Samsung, Texas Instruments Manufacturing Company and Visa International. Editor's Note: The earliest commercial launch of NFC worldwide: * Mainz Transport (RMV), Germany On April 19, 2006, Philips, Nokia, Vodafone and Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund, the operator of the public transport network in Frankfurt-Main, Germany, announced that, after a successful 10-month field trial, the near field device is now available to the public. Following a successful 10-month field trial, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology will soon be commercially available. Currently, the Nokia 3220 cell phone has integrated NFC technology, which can be used as an e-ticket and as a discount loyalty card at local retail stores and tourist attractions. Approximately 95.000 residents of the city of Hanau can now enjoy the convenience of NFC-enabled mobile ticketing for public transportation with a simple swipe of a compatible cell phone.
Technological Advantages
Like RFID, NFC information is transmitted by means of electromagnetic inductive coupling in the radio frequency portion of the spectrum, but there are significant differences between the two. First of all, NFC is a wireless connection technology that provides easy, safe and rapid communication, and its transmission range is smaller than RFID, which can reach several meters, or even dozens of meters, but due to the unique signal attenuation technology adopted by NFC, NFC has the characteristics of close distance, high bandwidth and low energy consumption relative to RFID. Secondly, NFC is compatible with existing contactless smart card technology and has become an official standard supported by more and more major manufacturers. Again, NFC is a proximity connectivity protocol that provides easy, secure, fast and automatic communication between various devices. Compared to other connectivity methods in the wireless world, NFC is a private communication method in close proximity. Finally, RFID is more often used in production, logistics, tracking, and asset management, while NFC plays a great role within the fields of access control, public transportation, and cell phone payment. At the same time, NFC is also superior to infrared and Bluetooth transmission methods. As a consumer-oriented transaction mechanism, NFC is faster, more reliable and much simpler than infrared. Compared with Bluetooth, NFC is oriented towards short-range transactions and is suitable for exchanging important data such as financial information or sensitive personal information; Bluetooth can make up for the shortcomings of NFC's insufficient communication distance and is suitable for longer-distance data communication. Therefore, NFC and Bluetooth are complementary to each other, *** with the existence. In fact, the fast and lightweight NFC protocol can be used to guide the Bluetooth pairing process between two devices, promoting the use of Bluetooth. NFC cell phones have a built-in NFC chip, which forms part of the RFID module, and can be used as an RFID passive tag - used to pay fees; or as an RFID reader - used for data exchange and collection. NFC technology supports a variety of applications, including mobile payments and transactions, peer-to-peer communications, and information access on the move. Through NFC cell phones, people can be anywhere, at any time, through any device, and they want to get the entertainment services and transactions linked together, so as to complete the payment, access to poster information, etc. NFC devices can be used as a contactless smart card, smart card reader terminals, as well as device-to-device data transmission links, and its applications can be divided into the following four basic types: for payment and ticketing, for e-ticketing, for electronic tickets, and for data exchange and collection. ticketing, for e-ticketing, for smart media, and for exchanging and transmitting data.
Development Prospects
NFC has the characteristics of low cost, convenience, ease of use and more intuitive, which makes it more potential in some areas - NFC through a chip, an antenna and some software combination, can realize a variety of devices within a few centimeters range of the communication, and the cost of only 2 to 3 euros. ~ 3 euros. According to ABIResearch about NFC has the latest research, NFC market may be originated in the mobile handheld devices. ABI estimates that, after 2005, the market will be the use of NFC chip smart phones and enhanced handheld devices. By 2009, such handheld devices will account for more than half of the market. Research firm Strategy Analytics predicts that by 2011 global mobile phone-based contactless payments will exceed $36 billion. If NFC technology can be popularized, it will largely change the way people use many electronic devices, and even change the way to use credit cards, keys and cash. NFC, as an emerging technology, roughly summarizes the drawbacks of Bluetooth technology's poor ability to work together. However, its goal is not to completely replace other wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but rather to play a complementary role in different occasions and different fields. Because NFC has a low data transfer rate of 212Kbps, it is not suitable for applications such as audio and video streaming that require higher bandwidth. What needs to be closely watched is that the Chinese government is developing its own RFID standards, and whether Philips' NFC technology is fully compatible and recognized by the Chinese government is quite important to consumers. China's National Standardization Administration has set up a national standards working group responsible for drafting and developing China's national standards on RFID, which will allegedly enable China to obtain relevant independent intellectual property rights, but also the development of RFID into the standardization of standardization, normative track. The entire certification process is likely to require Philips and other companies to disclose some of the key technologies, which may become a stumbling block for the promotion and application of NFC in China.
NFC test locations around the world
* USA, Philips Arena Since December 2005, Visa and Philips have been working together on major NFC tests at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, USA - where fans can easily shop at concessions and clothing stores. Additionally, by placing their NFC-enabled phones in front of posters embedded with NFC tags, they can download movie content such as phone ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers and newspaper clippings of favorite stars and artists. Additional partners include Nokia, Cingular, Visa, Atlanta Spirit, Chase, and ViVOTech. Caen, France In October 2005, in Caen, Normandy, France, Philips partnered with France Télécom, Orange, Samsung, the LaSer retail group, and Vinci Park to conduct the main multi-application NFC test. NFC testing. During the six-month test, 200 Caen residents will use Samsung D500 phones embedded with Philips' NFC chip to make payments at selected retail outlets, park facilities and download information about famous tourist attractions, movie promos and bus schedules. * Taiwan, Taiwan Proximity Mobile Telephone Service Since July 2005, Philips has been working with the Proximity Mobile Transaction Service Alliance (PMTSA) in Taiwan to demonstrate a BenQ handset that can utilize NFC for secure payments. This is a milestone in the process of promoting NFC cell phones into Taiwan's public transportation network. 2007 NFC in mainland China can be called "application start" year, from August, built-in NFC chip Nokia 6131i in several cities, including Beijing, Xiamen, Guangzhou, on sale. The phone is preloaded with a transportation card that can be used in municipal transportation systems. Using the phone, users can buy tickets and shop at certain malls simply by opening a prepaid account. The Chinese market has huge potential, and the commercialization of NFC in China is certainly exciting news. Currently, millions of people in China are using contactless municipal transportation "One Card" in public ****transportation, of which 13 million have been sold in Beijing, 6 million in Guangzhou and 1.1 million in Xiamen. Nokia and the above three public transportation sector applications, in the true sense of the commercialization of NFC opened the prologue.