Available Technologies

Introduction

Mobile devices have become a technology much relied upon for many computational tasks on a daily basis. The most recent use for these devices has been information sharing, contactless payment, and device pairing. These utilities are made possible by a near field communication device, or an NFC. Although these tasks are fast and efficient, there is a possibility that private information can be eavesdropped by a third party a few meters from the devices that are transferring data. Because this information is sensitive and can sometimes lead to identity theft or wrongful use of payment information, the security of this data transfer is of utmost importance.

Description of Technology

This technology is a passive, secure, near field communication system that protects data transfer between two mobile devices by physically shielding data from eavesdropping third-party devices. A transmission power controller identifies and produces the correct amount of energy required to transmit data over a distance of 10 cm or less, depending on the needs of the target device.

Key Benefits

• Automatically adjusts the energy level required to power the device for data transfer within a range of about 10 cm or less
• Passive - Does not have to be physically wired to the NFC device. Only operates when the device is powered-up
• Flexible Location - The device can be applied to a phone battery, the back panel of a phone device, or can be installed into a protective outer case

Applications

• Contactless Payment
• Device Pairing
• Identity/Access Tokens or Keycards

Patent Status

US Patent Pending

Inventors

Guoliang Xing, Ruogu Zhou

Tech ID

TEC2013-0125