Overview (Contactless Communication (JSR 257))

Packages
javax.microedition.contactless	Provides functionality common to all contactless targets.
javax.microedition.contactless.ndef	Provides functionality to exchange NDEF formatted data with other contactless targets.
javax.microedition.contactless.rf	Provides interfaces for physical RF targets.
javax.microedition.contactless.sc	Provides interfaces for communication with external smart cards.
javax.microedition.contactless.visual	Provides means to read information stored on visual tags (bar codes) and to generate visual tag images.

Revision history
Version	Published	Description
1.0	2006-10-02	Final version

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Preface

This specification was produced by the JSR 257 Expert Group in the Java Community Process (JCP). For more information, visit the JSR 257 web page at http://www.jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=257.

Contributors

The Expert Group consisted of representatives from the following companies and individuals:

BenQ Corporation
Cingular Wireless
Esmertec AG
FeliCa Networks, Inc
Gemplus Corporation
LG Electronics Inc.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Micacchi, Gino
Motorola
NEC Corporation
Nokia Corporation
Orange France SA
Philips Electronics UK Ltd
Samsung Electronics Corporation
Semacode Corporation

Comments

Your comments about this specification are welcome. Please send them by electronic mail to the following address:

<[email protected]>

Document conventions

The key words MUST, must not, required, shall, shall not, should, should not, recommended, may and optional in this specification are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 (see "Related documentation").

Monospaced type is used to denote literal text, such as class names and code samples.

Unicode characters are expressed in the U+NNNN notation, where NNNN denotes a 16-bit code point.

Contactless Communication API

Introduction

This specification defines the Contactless Communication API, a Java ME optional package containing an application programming interface that allows applications to access information on contactless targets, such as RFID tags and bar codes.

Contactless communication in this specification is based on the Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology. Exceptions to this are visual tags (bar codes) that use camera technology. RFID technology can be used to communicate with RFID tags and external smart cards. RFID is widely used, for example, in item identification and article surveillance. Each RFID target has a unique identification number that can be used to identify the tagged object. RFID readers are used to read the data from the target and to write data to them. The communication distance is usually less than 10 centimeters. The RFID readers use the 13.56 MHz radio frequency in the communication.

Connecting to a web page by scanning an RFID or a visual tag (bar code) in the corner of a movie poster or calling to a friend by touching a RFID tag that contains the phone number are some of the use cases the Contactless Communication API enables. This API provides a mechanism to discover contactless targets and communicate with them.

NFC Forum specifies a data packaging format (NDEF) to exchange information between an NFC device and another NFC device or with a RFID tag. This API takes advantage of this data formatting by providing a connection to any physical target that supports the NDEF data formatting defined in the NFC Forum. Using this NDEF data format, the application developer can exchange NDEF formatted data with a target without knowing its physical type.

This API allows communication with external smart cards by providing a discovery mechanism for them. The actual communication with the ISO14443 compliant smart cards is done using APDU commands. A device, that contains RFID hardware, can emulate a contactless smart card to an external reader device. This feature is called card emulation mode. For example, with transportation tickets the device contains bus tickets and the external reader in the bus reads one ticket from the device. For these situations the API provides a notification to the application that the secure elements in the device have been accessed through the RFID hardware.

Goals

The goal of the Contactless Communication API is to provide access to the information stored on various contactless targets. The design of the API must make it easy and flexible to add new contactless targets to this framework. The API must also provide information about the contactless targets supported by the implementation.

Structure of the API

The classes and interfaces in this specification are divided into five packages. The functionalities related to different targets are separated into their own packages. This division makes it easier to manage the mandatory and optional parts of the API. The packages are listed below:

javax.microedition.contactless provides target discovery and classes common to all targets
javax.microedition.contactless.ndef contains classes and interfaces needed to communicate with tags that have NDEF formatted data
javax.microedition.contactless.rf allows communication with RFID tags that do not have NDEF formatted data
javax.microedition.contactless.sc enables communication with external smart cards
javax.microedition.contactless.visual allows reading and generating visual tags

Mandatory and optional parts

The API implementation must include all classes and interfaces defined in this specification, but some of the functionalities may be left unimplemented. The API implementation selects the physical target types it supports. This selection determines the list of packages whose functionalities must be fully implemented. If the functionality in an optional package is implemented, the corresponding target must be supported. If a target is not supported an exception must be thrown if the application tries to use any of the methods in corresponding package. This means that if, for example, visual tag target is not supported and the application calls SymbologyManager.getReadSymbologies() method, an exception is thrown. All targets that can be potentially accessed through this API are defined in the TargetType class. The list of target types supported by the API implementation can be obtained using method DiscoveryManager.getSupportedTargetTypes().

Mandatory part:

package javax.microedition.contactless

Optionally mandatory parts:

Package javax.microedition.contactless.ndef, if NDEF_TAG target is supported
Package javax.microedition.contactless.rf, if RFID_TAG target is supported
Package javax.microedition.contactless.sc, if ISO14443_CARD target is supported
Package javax.microedition.contactless.visual, if VISUAL_TAG target is supported

System requirements

The minimum platform required by this API is the Connected, Limited Device Configuration (CLDC), version 1.1. The API can also be used with Connected Device Configuration (CDC), version 1.0, and any subsequent platform versions that are supersets of the minimum platform.

Version information

Applications can determine the version of the Contactless Communication API present in the device, if any, by querying the value of the system property microedition.contactless.version. For this version of the API the value returned must be the string "1.0". If the value returned is null, the Contactless Communication API must not be present.

Terms and abbreviations

AID: Application IDentifier that identifies smart card applications uniquely. Defined in the ISO 7816-5 specification.
APDU: Application Protocol Data Unit is the protocol used to communicate with smart cards. Defined in the ISO 7816-4 specification.
BNF: Backus-Naur Form
Card emulation mode: A mode where the device is acting as a contactless smart card in the communication with the external reader.
GCF: Generic Connection Framework
Interrogation field: Area surrounding the device, where RF field is active
MIME: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension
NDEF: NFC Data Exchange Format
NDEF record: Data that is formatted according to NFC Forum data format specification (NDEF). One record consists of the record type, record identifier and of the actual data of the record. Defined in the NFC Data Exchange Format specification.
NDEF message: An NDEF message contains one or more NDEF records. Defined in the NFC Data Exchange Format specification.
NFC: Near Field Communication
NFC Forum formatting / NDEF formatting: Target device or tag supports the handling of data formatted according to NFC Forum data packaging specification (NDEF)
RF: Radio Frequency
RFID: Radio Frequency IDentification
RFID tag / tag: An RFID tag is a microchip combined with an antenna in a compact package. The packaging is structured to allow the RFID tag to be attached to an object. The tag contains a unique serial number, but may have other information.
RTD: Record Type Description. Defined in NFC Record Type Definition Specification.
Secure element: Tamper resistant device such as a SIM card. A secure element can not only store data securely but also use it in secure-sensitive operations like for example in cryptographic computations.
SIM: Subscriber Identity Module
Target: Any device that supports some form of contactless communication.
URI: Uniform Resource Identifier
URL: Uniform Resource Locator

JSR 257

Contactless Communication API.

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION LICENSE