NFC Communicator Decoupled From Secure Element Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing NFC communication systems lack interoperability and flexibility, as they often rely on specific secure elements and encryption methods, limiting their ability to perform transactions across different devices and platforms without compromising security.
Innovation Solution
A device with an NFC communicator and a secure element that communicates secure data without revealing encryption methods, allowing transactions to be conducted across various NFC communicators and platforms, ensuring interoperability and backwards compatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If NFC communicators use specific secure elements and encryption methods, then security is maintained, but interoperability and flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent parts: the NFC communicator (handling communication protocols) and the secure element (handling encryption and security). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the secure element maintains strong security with specific encryption methods while the NFC communicator provides flexible interoperability through standard protocols, resolving the contradiction between security and interoperability
Solution Approach 2:
The NFC communicator acts as an intermediary between the secure element and external NFC systems. It translates and transmits data without needing to understand or implement the encryption methods used by the secure element, allowing the secure element to maintain its security while enabling broad interoperability through the communicator's standard compliance
2Reliability
If NFC communicators are made secure and trusted devices, then security is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The security functionality is extracted from the NFC communicator and placed into a separate secure element. This allows the NFC communicator to remain a simple, low-cost device that only handles communication, while the secure element independently provides trusted security functions, eliminating the need for the communicator itself to be a secure or trusted device
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables seamless transactions by decoupling the NFC communicator from the secure element's encryption methods, ensuring consistent user experience and flexibility across different NFC systems without compromising security.
Implementation Method 1
Near field RF communicators communicate through the modulation of the magnetic field (H field) generated by a radio frequency antenna. Near field RF communication thus requires an antenna of one near field RF communicator to be present within the alternating magnetic field (H field) generated by the antenna of another near field RF communicator by transmission of an RF signal
Data Source
AI summary
A communications device configured to couple with a near field RF communicator, in near field range, to enable communication of data by modulation of a magnetic field. The communications device also including a secure element, having a plurality of memory areas with differing levels of access, configured to provide secure data storage for transaction data, wherein the levels of access are differentiated by a degree to which the plurality of memory areas are programmable, writable and modifiable. Further, the communications device includes a controller configured to read the transaction data from the at least one secure element, and to cause a modulator to modulate the RF signal in accordance with transaction data read from the secure element so as to communicate the read transaction data to the near field RF communicator as proof of the transaction to enable an action related to the transaction to be carried out.