Mobile radio frequency identification (RFID) market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth of 196%, from $26.9 billion in 2007 to $701 billion by 2010, according to market research firm RoA Group.
Samsung said that the RFID reader chip can be embedded into devices such as mobile handsets and handheld readers used in retail stores. Its initial application is expected to be in card-type readers that plug into mobile handsets.
The reader is designed for an ultra-high frequency range of 900MHz and includes an analog front end, a base-band modem, a processor, 6.5mm x 6.5mm measurement and a memory chip. The company claims that with the low consumption level of 850mW, the chip is ideal for mobile applications.
RFID chip reader systems allow consumers to pull context-specific information into their mobile devices while on the go. Our mobile RFID single-chip technology is an important step in the evolution of ubiquitous computing environments, said Dr Chilhee Chung, senior vice president, system LSI division at Samsung Electronics.
Samsung’s rival NTT DoCoMo is offering the Toruca service in Japan through which a mobile handset can retrieve information wirelessly from clothing tags and books. In this service, customers can pay for their purchase through a card embedded in their mobile phones and simultaneously receive marketing information and discounts coupons from that shop.
Source: ComputerWire daily updates
