NFC Card Selection via Location and Polling Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
In near field communication (NFC) transactions, selecting the correct emulated card for a specific transaction can be challenging due to the presence of multiple cards on mobile devices, leading to failed transactions and user inconvenience, especially in environments with high density of NFC terminals.
Innovation Solution
The NFC device employs a card selection unit that preselects a subset of emulated cards based on geographical location and polling profiles, using communication units like satellite, wireless local area network, Bluetooth, or cellular units to determine location and select the appropriate card, with the option to override automatically selected cards via user input or a programmable mapping table.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple emulated cards are stored on the NFC device, then the versatility and adaptability of the device is improved, but the complexity of selecting the correct card increases and user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-selecting a subset of emulated cards based on geographical location before the actual transaction occurs. The card selection unit automatically determines which cards are relevant based on the device's current location, eliminating the need for users to manually browse through multiple cards. This preliminary filtering action resolves the contradiction by maintaining versatility (multiple cards available) while improving ease of operation (automatic selection).
Solution Approach 2:
The card selection unit performs self-service by automatically selecting the appropriate emulated card without requiring user intervention. The system uses the geographical location to autonomously determine which card should be used for the transaction, making the selection process transparent and automatic. This self-service mechanism maintains the versatility of having multiple cards while eliminating the operational complexity of manual selection.
2Ease of operation
If automatic card selection is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional selection logic and location determination units
Solution Approach 1:
The card selection unit embodies universality by serving multiple functions: it determines geographical location, filters relevant emulated cards, and performs automatic selection. Rather than adding separate components for each function, the card selection unit integrates these operations into a single multi-functional module. This approach improves ease of operation through automation while minimizing the increase in device complexity by consolidating functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the card selection process into distinct logical steps: location determination, subset filtering, and final selection. The card selection unit is itself a segmented component that handles location-based filtering separately from the actual card selection. This segmentation allows the complex automatic selection logic to be organized into manageable modules, improving ease of operation while keeping device complexity organized and controllable.
3Reliability
If location-based preselection of cards is performed, then transaction reliability is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase due to location determination needs
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by using location-based preselection to identify a subset of relevant cards rather than requiring precise location data to determine the single correct card. This partial approach uses geographical location to filter cards broadly (e.g., by region or area) rather than requiring exact location matching. This improves transaction reliability by ensuring only relevant cards are considered while reducing the measurement precision requirements for location determination.
Data Source
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AI summary
In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a near field communication (NFC) device is provided, comprising: a communication unit configured to be communicatively coupled to an NFC reader; a processing unit configured to use a plurality of emulated cards for executing one or more applications; a profile determination unit configured to determine a polling profile of said NFC reader; and a card selection unit configured to select a specific one of said emulated cards for use by the processing unit in dependence on the polling profile determined by the profile determination unit. In accordance with a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of operating a near field communication (NFC) device is conceived. In accordance with a third aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding computer program is provided.