NFC Controller Tag Format Detection via Header Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

In Near Field Communication (NFC) systems, determining the format of an NFC tag requires the device host to read and process the entire tag content, leading to inefficient and complex operations.

Innovation Solution

The NFC controller identifies the tag type and determines if it is in NFC data exchange format (NDEF) based on specific attributes, sending a notification to the device host, which then uses an NDEF radio frequency interface to send read/write commands for data processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the device host reads the entire NFC tag content to determine the format, then the format determination can be performed, but the reading and processing complexity increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformat determination accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the format determination function from the device host and relocates it to the NFC controller. The NFC controller independently identifies whether the tag format is NDEF by examining only the header portion of the tag, then notifies the device host of the result. This extraction eliminates the need for the device host to read and process entire tag content, reducing processing complexity while maintaining accurate format determination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If the device host reads the entire NFC tag content, then the format can be determined, but the time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformat detection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The NFC controller performs preliminary format identification by examining only the header portion of the tag before the device host initiates full data reading. This preliminary action allows the device host to skip reading the entire tag content when the format is already determined, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining accurate format detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If the NFC controller performs NDEF detection, then the device host reading steps are reduced, but the NFC controller functionality complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidNFC controller complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The NFC controller performs self-service by independently detecting the NDEF format of tags without requiring device host intervention. The controller examines tag headers, determines the format, and notifies the device host autonomously. This self-service capability improves processing efficiency by enabling parallel operations while the complexity increase is localized to the NFC controller, which is already designed for such specialized functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2921987B1Label recognition method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2018.04.18 HUAWEI DEVICE CO LTD
  • EP2921987B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2921987B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2921987B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention discloses a tag identification method and apparatus, relates to the field of communications network technologies, which can implement that there are few steps of determining a format of a tag by a device host in an NFC terminal, so that the tag can be quickly processed. In the embodiments of the present invention, a Near Field Communication NFC controller reads a type of a tag; the NFC controller determines whether a format of the tag is an NFC data exchange format NDEF according to the type of the tag; and the NFC controller sends a notification message to a device host when the NFC controller determines that the format of the tag is the NDEF, where the notification message includes that the format of the tag is the NDEF. The solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention are applicable to identifying a tag.