Wearable NFC Control via Wireless Tunnel Offloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable devices with near-field communication (NFC) functions face storage capacity limitations, preventing them from running a full NFC protocol stack and storing NFC firmware, which hinders their ability to perform advanced NFC operations.
Innovation Solution
The NFC protocol stack is divided, allowing only specific protocol stacks like card emulation, peer-to-peer, or read/write modes to be stored in the wearable device, while the electronic terminal runs the NFC core or full protocol stack, enabling wireless control of the NFC controller through a tunnel for operations such as card emulation, firmware upgrades, and over-the-air card issuing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a full NFC protocol stack is stored in the wearable device, then advanced NFC operations can be performed, but the storage capacity requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The NFC protocol stack is divided into two parts: the NFC core stack running on the electronic terminal and the NFC controller interface (NCI) stack running on the wearable device. This segmentation allows the wearable device to perform NFC functions without storing the complete protocol stack, thereby reducing storage requirements while maintaining operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic terminal acts as an intermediary by running the NFC core stack and communicating with the wearable device's NFC controller through standardized interfaces. This mediator approach enables advanced NFC operations on the wearable device without requiring it to store the full protocol stack locally.
2Device complexity
If the NFC controller is controlled through wireless connection, then device complexity is reduced, but data transmission reliability may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms through the wireless communication channel between the electronic terminal and wearable device, allowing for error detection, retransmission, and protocol-level reliability assurance. This maintains data transmission reliability despite the wireless connection removing physical cable constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable device having an NFC function and an NFC control system are provided. The wearable device comprises: a communication module establishing a wireless connection with an electronic terminal, and performing a transmission of data with the electronic terminal through a predefined tunnel via the established wireless connection; a processor transmitting the data received by the communication module through the predefined tunnel to an NFC controller; and the NFC controller performing a corresponding operation based on the data. The wearable device with NFC function and the NFC control system according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention make it possible to transmit data between the NFC controller of the wearable device and the electronic terminal in a wireless manner.