“near field communication” (NFC)
I was returning from giving a talk to the East London Inventors Club when I picked up a copy of the freebie The Wharf newspaper in a Docklands railway carriage. There was an article about a trial “wave and pay” scheme at Canary Wharf using debit cards.
This is just one example of publicity for the concept of what the experts call “near field communication” (NFC), as in this example cashless paying through a card which is merely in proximity to the till. But there is much more potentially to the concept than simply making payments.
Applications divide into passive and active modes.
Passive Communication Mode means that the “initiator device” provides a carrier field and the “target device” answers by modulating the existing field. In this mode, the target device may draw its operating power from the initiator-provided electromagnetic field. This technology is possible by using say debit cards, though they might be limited to financial transactions such as pre paid travel or purchasing goods.
The Active Communication Mode means that both initiator and the target device communicate by generating their own field. In this mode, both devices typically need to have a power supply. This is much more flexible, and brings out the advantage of using mobile phones as one of the “devices”. They are objects that most people carry, which are personally assigned to that person (and are therefore accountable), and which have battery power. This would extend further the existing tendency to make mobile phones a much more versatile tool. They are becoming personal electronic devices which carry out a variety of roles.
A second advantage that mobile phones have over say smart cards is they possess keyboards and display screens. PIN numbers could continue to be used, but on the phone’s keyboard rather than in a dedicated console, and as an extra security measure. The screen would be used to receive or to confirm information during the transaction.
Much of the research into the concept is being aimed at using mobile phones to carry out a number of applications. These would include using them to open cars, doors or turnstiles, as electronic money, as tickets, and as travel cards. Data that could be read by phones could even be on medicines and food packaging.
This has become so important that the GSM Association has been set up to foster cooperation among mobile phone companies, which has the web site www.gsmworld.com/index.shtml . Without cooperation in setting standards and protocols the different partners in a transaction may not be able to communicate. There is also the NFC Forum at www.nfc-forum.org/home . Similar cooperation was needed in the case of fax machines and mobile phones themselves. An International Standard, ISO 18092, is relevant.
Choosing a Patent of the Month from the many patent applications was difficult so I have chosen WO 2006/077526 by Philips because, to be frank, it has a fun illustration. The title is “Ordering content by mobile phone to be played on consumer devices”.
The idea behind the invention is that the mobile phone is used to authorise the purchase of copyrighted content such as music or films. In return the user is authorised to use the content on DVD recorders or personal computers, for example. I found it simply by asking for “near field communication(s)” on Esp@acenet®, among nearly 100 others.
I looked at this patent specification’s search report (at the back), and it mentioned as X documents (potential killers of novelty) two web pages from news gathering sites and another PCT specification. The invention may not be new, but at least I found its drawings amusing.
Incidentally, the article in The Wharf concluded by saying that some clubbers in America have had chips imbedded in their body so that they don’t have to carry anything with them when they go out. Sounds sensible, just so long as they don’t find a cabbie who demands cash or cards…
