near field communication

NFC

The tap technology

Contents

• NFC : Intro.• Little history and the present. • Big future?• NFC with Google.• Android Beam, Android wallet.• API’s.

NFC : Near Field Communication

• Short range wireless technology (<4 cm)• Slower than Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (106 kbit/s

to 848 kbit/s)• Can use passive targets (stickers, tags, cards)• Peer to peer communication (two mobiles)• Less setup friction (no pairing , no discovery)

How it works?

• An Initiator , a target.• Initiator generates an RF

field (Radio frequency) around the target.

• Target can be passive or powered.

• Magnetic induction• 13.56 MHz

Modes

• Passive: powered initiator, passive target. • Active: (Peer to peer) :Both initiator and the

target are powered.

Phone reads NFC tag

Reads

Phone writes NFC tag

Writes

Phone reads phone

Reads

Phone reads/writes phone

Reads/writes

The tags:

• Contain small data (96 - 4,096 bytes)

• Typically readable, can be writable too.• Can be encoded.• Four types of tags, different in:

– Speeds,– configurability, – memory, – security, – data retention and – write endurance

When a phone is loaded with NFC

It can:– Work as virtual credit cards for payments.– Can work as keycard or ID card.– Can read unpowered NFC tags.

What can we do with NFC powered phones?

• Just tap to:• Share a file• Share contacts

• Pay the bills• Start a game

• Pair bluetooth• Start wi-fi

• Get a bus/air ticket• Use as coupons• Use as a tour guide

• use as room key

The recent past…

• Co-invented by NXP Semiconductors and Sony in 2002.• Nokia is oldest mobile player since 2004.• “NFC forum” founded by Nokia with Sony and Phillips to

promote sharing, pairing, and transactions between NFC devices.– 130 countries.– 140 companies.– Samsung, Nokia, Huawei, HTC, Motorola, RIM, LG, Sony Ericsson,– AT&T, Sprint.– Google, Microsoft, Intel, Qualcomm.– PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, American Express.

What’s happening today…

Let’s checkout timeline.

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So how’s the future?

• Up to 700 million NFC-enabled mobile phones will be sold by 2013 : Jupiter research

• Japan: FeliCa, a type of NFC tag being used as primary mode for payment.

• Corporations adopting NFC to reduce infrastructure cost and for flexibility.

• Based on existing contactless infrastructure.

Now NFC with Google Android…

• Started support in 2.3(Gingerbread)• Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, Galaxy S2, LG optimus net• Payments and banking apps• Social apps• Multiplayer games

Google Wallet

Google Wallet

• Mobile payment system.• Allows to store credit cards, loyalty cards, gift cards and more.• Tap to pay with Citi® MasterCard® or the Google Prepaid Card.• Get benefit from sales promotions and coupons.• Secure. Fast. Convenient.

Android Beam

• Application for easy sharing between NFC enabled Android devices.

• Introduced in Android 4.0 (Ice-cream Sandwich).• They say it “incredibly simple”.• For developers to integrate into their applications.• Share videos, music, contacts, applications, game scores….

API’s

android.nfc

android.nfc

• NfcManager• NfcAdapter• NdefMessage• NdefRecord

NfcManager

• High level manager class• Used to get NfcAdapter instance

NfcManager manager = getSystemService(Context.NFC_SERVICE);

NfcAdapter

• Represents the Device’s NFC adapter.• To disable or enable ‘tag dispatch’ system.• To open an appropriate “Activity” to handle a discovered tag.

disableForegroundDispatch(Activity activity)

enableForegroundDispatch(Activity activity, PendingIntent intent, IntentFilter[] filters, String[][] techLists)

disableForegroundNdefPush(Activity activity)

Tag dispatch system

• To chose most appropriate activity to automatically handle the situation when a ‘tag’ is discovered.

• Without user intervention.• Two types:

– Foreground: by the present Activity– Background: by the intent messages

NdefMessage, NdefRecord

• Ndefmessage:– Represents NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) data message.– Standard format by NFC forum.– Contains one or more NdefRecord’s.

• NdefRecord:– Container for actual data (URI etc).– Contains type info, ID and payload data.

Questions?