NFC payment solutions for battery-free wearables
NFC is rapidly evolving to cover exciting new realms – such as the world’s first NFC payment ring that promises a totally new payment experience and enhanced convenience. A key part of the ring: Infineon contactless security controller. Due to its extraordinary contactless performance, Infineon was selected for this benchmark project. It positions the NFC Ring® invented by McLear Ltd – with Infineon inside – at the forefront of wearable technology innovation.
As the ring does not have a battery, the chip must source the energy it needs from the electromagnetic field and use this energy extremely efficiently. To enable smooth, fast (400 ms) contacless payments, the chip and antenna designs must be perfectly aligned, factoring in the material and ultra-compact form factor of the ring – and thus the antenna – as well as the fact that the ring has no battery (i.e. own source of energy).
Contactless rings with simple memory chips like NFC tags are commonplace on the market. But without a security chip, the rings can’t support payment functions. Security chips require more energy than NFC tags, so the challenge for engineers lies in building a security chip that can delivery sufficient performance to a NFC payment ring.
The NFC payment ring is the world’s smallest smart wearable that support EMVCo-compliant payments. In other words, it is the first ring with a security chip capable of delivering the performance required for secured, contactless payments.
The ring is just one example of why you should turn to Infineon for dedicated security ICs for battery-free wearables. Our products offer low power consumption and built-in adaptability to a small antenna and ring design, perfect when space comes at a premium. Engineered for energy efficiency, the dedicated security ICs continue to perform, even in weak electromagnetic fields. They also offer extraordinary contactless performance, a boon for user convenience.
With the longest track record in contactless payment of any chip provider, at Infineon we proudly hold a number of patents for contactless innovations and remain at the forefront of the technology curve. Now you can harness our expertise and proven selection of high quality products and use them for your projects.