NXP introduces UWB-based mobile payment demos

NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced that its Ultra-Wideband (UWB) solution will be leveraged for a live mobile payment demonstration by NTT DOCOMO and Sony Imaging Products and Solutions Inc.

This demonstration shows secure, convenient hands-free check-out and unique, location-based marketing services. (Image: NXP USA, Inc.)

NXP is currently forming ties with industry leaders in the automotive, IoT, and mobile manufacturing sectors. This move is thanks to NXP’s chipset for mobile devices. It plans to help companies cultivate the Ultra-Wideband ecosystem and extract the accurate real-time localization capabilities offered by the secure UWB portfolio.

“DOCOMO and Sony have long demonstrated their innovative leadership in bringing new forms of payment and value-added services to people,” said Charles Dachs, vice president and general manager of Secure Embedded Transactions at NXP. “We’re excited to work with these leaders to demonstrate sophisticated UWB-based use cases that will blend seamlessly into people’s lives.”

DOCOMO and Sony recently orchestrated smart retail demonstrations to showcase smooth, intuitive connectivity experiences with the help of UWB technology. The demonstration further dwelled into the scope of its influence and benefits experienced by FellCa-based services that work around building access, in-store payments, transportations, and others.

“Our demonstration showcases mobile payment, advertisement and smart key applications to present a framework that helps developers, manufacturers and service providers better serve people,” said Takeshi Higuchi, GM of Communication Device Development Department at DOCOMO. “We’re excited to collaborate with NXP and Sony to explore more convenient and valuable consumer experiences.”

Smart retail demonstrations
The smart retail demonstrations monitor user movement and positioning to show versatile benefits of UWB’s location accuracy, 360-degree positioning, as well as spatial context awareness that can be harnessed for customized marketing and advertising. Also, these demonstrations bring out the unparalleled and complementary ability of UWB to augment and interoperate with pre-existing wireless technologies over the narrowband spectrum including NFC (Near Field Communications) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communications.

“NXP has always shared the same vision with us to provide global tourists and mobile phone owners in Japan an integrated, rapid, secure and contactless experience for payment, ticketing, and other popular use cases,” said Toyoaki Kobayashi, deputy senior GM, FeliCa Business Division at Sony Imaging. “The demonstrated use cases utilizing fine-ranging capabilities can deliver further benefits derived from FeliCa-based services.”