Hsuan-hua Chang - Everyday NFC: Near Field Communication Explained

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a contactless technology using Radio Frequency, eliminating the need for physical contact. When NFC is integrated into wireless devices, it serves as another option for wireless connectivity; other similar technologies are WIFI and Bluetooth.

With NFC, mobile devices can easily connect within four centimeters of each other to retrieve and exchange data (Figure 1). It operates at 13.56 MHz and transfers data at up to 424 Kbit/second.

Figure 1: Two NFC-enabled phones exchange data

At the same time, NFC is not just a connectivity technology; it is also an enabling technology. For example, NFC can enable mobile payment and secure access to buildings or public transportation.

NFC can also initiate many automated processes with NFC tags (Figure 2).

Figure 2: An NFC-enabled phone reads data from an NFC tag

The following are two examples of NFC in action:

1. ORCA Cards

Have you ever ridden a bus in Seattle? In the greater Seattle area, the ORCA card system was launched in 2009 to consolidate payment options for the different branches of mass transit. Riders who carry an ORCA card can get on a King County Metro or Sound Transit bus, Light Rail train or even a ferry without needing cash for the fare. When the ORCA card is swiped across a card reader, the fare is deducted from the cards account value (Figure 3), called an e-purse (King County, n.d.).

Figure 3: An ORCA reader reads an ORCA card

Technical summary:

• The ORCA card is a smart card with NFC technology.
• A microchip named MIFARE DESfire is embedded inside the ORCA card (Raschke, 2011).
• Information is stored in the microchip, which has a secured microcontroller and internal memory.
• An antenna is embedded in the ORCA card to enable tracking of the card and data transmission.
• When an ORCA card is placed within 4 cm of the card reader, the card reader transfers energy to the microchip in the ORCA card.

• Wireless communication is established between the ORCA card and the card reader.
• The data transfer is completed.
• The ORCA payment process is completed.

1. Assa Abloys Digital Key Service

When a guest checks in at Hotel Porta Fira Santos in France, the service provider (Assa Abloy) is able to transfer room key information to a SIM card in any NFC-enabled phone (Figure 4).

The guest can then access the hotel room by tapping their mobile phone to the lock of the room. This example was demonstrated at the GSMA Mobile World Congress (ABLOY, 2013).

Figure 4: An NFC phone unlocks a door

Technical summary:

• A guest checks in at the hotel.
• The hotel room number is sent to a back-end platform (Assa Abloy) with the guests information.
• The platform transfers the hotel room number and key over the air to a smart card residing in the quests mobile phone.
• When the mobile phone is placed within 4 cm of the lock,