The name "FeliCa" is used generically to refer to the contactless IC card technology developed by Sony. Each credit card-sized card contains an IC chip and antenna, which allow authorization and data reading and writing whenever the card is within range of a reader/writer. These devices offer excellent security and high-speed processing and have been used for applications ranging from Japan's Suica and PASMO public transportation payment systems, to the Edy e-money system, as well as credit cards, reward point cards and ID cards. Uses for this technology continue to expand. For example, FeliCa IC chips are now even used in mobile phone "wallets."
250 Million FeliCa IC Chips Shipped Worldwide
As shown in Figure 1, each FeliCa contactless IC card contains a CPU and operating system (OS) exclusively developed by Sony. This technology supports high-speed data processing. The cards communicate in the 13.56MHz frequency band, which can also supply power. This frequency carries power to the FeliCa card, which contains no battery, while also supporting data communications at 212kbps. Using this technology, a variety of data can be processed between the reader/writer and the FeliCa card in just one-tenth of a second.
In addition to this high-speed read/write capability, FeliCa also provides excellent security and reliability. These characteristics have led to its adoption for use in railway transit pass systems including Suica, ICOCA and TOICA established by Japan Railways (JR) Group. It is also the basis for the PASMO system used by rail and bus commuters in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. FeliCa-based public transportation payment systems have become an indispensable part of Japan's infrastructure, and other operators are planning to adopt the technology as well. Within the JR Group, Kyushu Railway Company and Hokkaido Railway Company will launch their SUGOCA and Kitaca systems in 2009.
Other applications include micro-payment systems, such as Edy operated by bitWallet, Inc., and Seven-Eleven Japan's nanaco system. Ticketing and e-money services can also be accessed using mobile phone "wallets." Interest in the FeliCa technology has rapidly expanded beyond Japan. Octopus Cards in Hong Kong began to use the technology in 1997, and this technology has since been adopted by public transport operators in many parts of the world, including Singapore, China (Shenzhen), India and Thailand. To date Sony has shipped 250 million FeliCa IC chips in Japan and overseas*.
* As of September 30, 2007
The FeliCa Principle
FeliCa technology enables a FeliCa card (IC card) carried by a user to work in tandem with a reader/writer. Data exchanges are carried out using weak electromagnetic waves emitted by the reader/writer.
A FeliCa card is like a tiny computer with its own CPU and OS. However, there is no power supply in the card, which is instead powered by electromagnetic induction. As shown in Figure 2, electricity is generated through the antenna when the card is held over a reader/writer. This activates the CPU inside the card, which then responds to an inquiry from the reader/writer. Data is exchanged by means of changes in resistance inside the FeliCa card, which reflect variations in the strength of the radio waves transmitted by the reader/writer.
The reader/writer initiates data communications by seeking the identity of the FeliCa card. It detects the IC card by means of an identity signal transmitted by the card. To allow the card to be powered through electromagnetic induction, Sony designed the card's wireless system to operate at a frequency of 13.56MHz, which has been approved for use in power transmission. The advantage of electromagnetic induction is that power can be supplied wirelessly. The drawback is that generation capacity varies according to the position and the distance between the coils. However, this characteristic can also be an advantage from a security perspective.
The amount of power generated through electromagnetic induction varies according to the point of contact between the reader/writer and the FeliCa card. For example, contact surface of a reader/writer in an automatic ticket gate in a station is about 15 centimeters long. The FeliCa card receives the highest amount of power when it is near the center. However, if there is a sliding contact between the reader/writer and the FeliCa card, as is likely to occur at a station ticket gate, the CPU could malfunction and corrupt the memory data due to insufficient power if it is activated by a weak starting current emitted around the reader/writer. To prevent this, FeliCa is designed to reset if power is suddenly interrupted, and the CPU is configured to operate at the highest possible efficiency even at the lowest power level.
