New specifications establish rules for interacting between NFC devices
The NFC Forum released two new specifications that lay out how NFC-enabled devices request actions and how data will be transferred between the handsets.
The Generic Control Record Type Definition specification provides a way to request a specific action, such as starting an application or setting a mode on an NFC-enabled device from another NFC device, tag or card through NFC communication.
The Connection Handover specification defines the structure and sequence of interactions that enable two NFC-enabled devices to establish a connection using other wireless communication technologies, such as WiFi or Bluetooth. Connection Handover makes it possible to deploy applications that offer the best of both worlds by combining the simple, one touch setup of NFC with the high-speed communication of Bluetooth or WiFi.
With this capability, for example, users of Bluetooth mobile phones can transfer large data files to one another simply by touching their phones together. The specification also enables developers to choose the protocol, for example WiFi or Bluetooth, for the information to be exchanged. If matching wireless capabilities are revealed during the negotiation process between two NFC-enabled devices the connection can switch to the selected carrier.
With the Connection Handover specification other communication standards bodies, such as the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and WiFi Alliance, can define information required for the connection setup. In fact, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group has already incorporated NFC as part of its Bluetooth 2.1.specification for the simple pairing of two Bluetooth devices.
The Connection Handover specification also covers static handover, in which the connection information is stored on a simple NFC Forum Tag that can be read by NFC-enabled devices. Static mode is used in applications in which the negotiation mechanism or on-demand carrier activation is not required. In both negotiated and static handover, communication is established between the devices using the NFC touch paradigm.
Christophe Duverne, chairman of the NFC Forum commented, “Connection Handover and Generic Control Record Type Definition provide essential specifications to any developer creating NFC applications.”
The Connection Handover specification is a candidate for final release pending feedback from NFC Forum members and other standards organizations. Once the feedback has been evaluated and integrated, the Connection Handover specification will be officially approved and released by the NFC Forum.
The Generic Control Record Type Definition specification and the Connection Handover candidate specification are available to the public for download at no charge at the NFC Forum Web site, http://www.nfc-forum.org/specs/. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/contactlessnews-4.gif)
