Bluetooth

One of the wireless communication standards whose use in mobile phones and personal computers is gaining ground. Bluetooth operates with a bandwidth of 2.4 GHz and capable of communicating at a maximum of 3 Mbps within a radius of 10 m to 100 m. The wireless communication system is getting more and more widely used for wireless keyboard and mouse, mobile phone wireless head set (receiver worn on the head) and other uses. It is expected that Bluetooth and NFC would complement each other since both are wireless communication standards used differently and operating over different distances.

FeliCa™

The standard of contactless Smart card developed by Sony with a much higher communication speed compared with ISO/IEC 14443 Type A and Type B. It was proposed but was not approved as Type C standard. FeliCa™ Smart cards are used widely as transportation cards, e-money and as “osaifu keitai” (mobile phone used as wallet) in Japan.

Smart Card

Smart cards are cards that are embedded with memory where a unique ID No. and other information are stored and with circuits and antennas for receiving and sending those information. Credit cards, (bank) cash cards, ETC cards and other cards with reinforced security functions are contact Smart cards. Transportation cards such as Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and e-money cards such as Edy, Nanaco, WAON and other cards are contactless Smart cards. Smart cards are also used for the Basic Resident Register Card and company employee ID cards.

RFID Tag

RFID tags are tags that, like Smart cards, are embedded with memory where a unique ID No. and other information are stored and with circuits and antennas for receiving and sending those information. Advances in making these tags compact and thin have made it possible for information to be embedded in papers. RFID tags are expected to replace the currently popular bar codes for single piece (individual) identification method, and utilization of them has just begun in logistics and retailing areas. Unlike bar codes, RFID tags have made the reading of several IDs at one time possible. It can also even read ID attached to products inside without opening box containers. These capabilities can dramatically improve work efficiency.

IrDA

IrDA is an organization that was established to regulate the standardization of infrared data communication. It is also the name used to refer to the communication standard. It was widely used in notebook computers and mobile phones even before Bluetooth was registered and is still built in on most of these devices up to now. It is classified as close range wireless communication. It has a high directionality since it uses infrared and needs to be oriented to the area where the receiving and transmitting devices are located face to face when communicating to those devices.

ISO/IEC

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a non-profit organization that sets international standards for industries. When a standard is recognized as an international standard, an accreditation number such as ISO 14443 is assigned and is identified as an international standard. Within the industrial world, standards in the fields of electrical and electronics industries are set by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). In areas where both organizations are concerned, standards are set jointly with the ISO, and the accreditation number such as ISO/IEC 14443 is assigned, indicating the acronyms of each organization.

ISO/IEC 14443

ISO/IEC 14443 is an international standard for proximity RFID that communicates at 13.56 MHz wireless. There are two types under this standard: Type A and Type B.

ISO/IEC 14443 Type B

The standard of contactless Smart card developed by Motorola. It is used in the Basic Resident Register Card.

ISO/IEC 15693

This is an international standard for proximity RFID that, like ISO/IEC 14443, is used for wireless communication at 13.56 MHz. Compared with 14443, the distance at which communication is possible is somewhat longer (10 cm or less). It is becoming widely used as RFID tag in replacement of bar code in retailing and other uses.

Mifare®

The contactless Smart card standard develop by Philips that conforms to ISO/IEC 14443 Type A. This is the most widely used Smart card throughout the world, especially in public transportation systems of European states. There are about over a 1.2billion Mifare® cards that had been issued to date (based on NXP report in Mar. 2007). In Japan, this card is used by NTT in its IC telephone cards and is expected to be introduced into cigarette cards (taspo) in 2008.

RFID

RFID(Radio Frequency Identification) is a collective term used to refer to contactless Smart cards and RFID tags or the technology involved in these articles. It is a wireless communication using radio waves and electromagnetic fields that exchanges information such as ID No. that is written in cards and tags.

RFID Reader / Writer

Devices that read information contained in contactless Smart cards and tags and selectively write down information. Data communication is done by establishing communication between antennas that generate radio waves (or electromagnetic field) and the receiving RFID. The reader/writer or antennas placed in the area where Smart card supported transportation cards for automatic checkers are used, or where connection to retailing store cash registers are connected or where e-money fitted with built in connection are placed are RFID reader/writer or the antennas itself.

WiFi

A collective term used to refer to products based on wireless communication standard IEEE 802.11 used widely in local area networks (LAN). Originally, the term referred to the industrial association WiFi Alliance. The term WiFi certified is used to refer only to devices with mutual connectivity certified by the Alliance. At present, it is used in many cases to refer to several IEEE 802.11 standards. WiFi is built in on most of the notebook computers shipped out of Japan in recent years. Although it can operate on ad hoc mode for one-to-one communication, WiFi is generally installed in a base station and used to connect personal computers to form a network. Although regulatory standards to ensure security have been established, beginners find the installation of these security standards difficult such that there are now many vulnerable installations scattered in cities and whose abuse poses a silent danger to society.

※ FeliCa™ is a trademark of Sony Corporation.
※Mifare® is a trademark of NXP Semiconductors.