use-cases.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Web NFC API Use Cases</title>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <script src='https://www.w3.org/Tools/respec/respec-w3c-common'
          class='remove'>
  </script>
  <script class="remove">
    var respecConfig = {
          specStatus:           "CG-DRAFT",
          shortName:            "web-nfc",
          noLegacyStyle:        true,
          publishDate:          "",
          previousPublishDate:  "",
          previousMaturity:     "",
          edDraftURI:           "https://w3c.github.io/web-nfc/",
          crEnd:                "",
          editors: [
            { name: "Kenneth Rohde Christiansen", company: "Intel",
                    companyURL: "http://www.intel.com/" },
            { name: "Zoltan Kis", company: "Intel",
                    companyURL: "http://www.intel.com/" },
          ],
          inlineCSS:    true,
          noIDLIn:      true,
          // extraCSS:     ["../ReSpec.js/css/respec.css"],
          wg:           "Web NFC Community Group",
          wgURI:        "https://www.w3.org/community/web-nfc/",
          wgPublicList: "public-web-nfc",
          otherLinks: [
            {
              key: "Repository",
              data: [{
                    value: "We are on Github.",
                    href: "https://github.com/w3c/web-nfc"
                }, {
                    value: "File a bug.",
                    href: "https://github.com/w3c/web-nfc/issues"
                }, {
                    value: "Commit history.",
                    href: "https://github.com/w3c/web-nfc/commits/gh-pages"
                }
              ]
            },
          ]
    };
  </script>
</head>

<body>

<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
<section id="abstract">
  <p>
    This document provides a collection of use cases and usage scenarios for
    web pages and applications using Near Field Communication (NFC).
    More information about Web NFC can be found
    <a href="http://w3c.github.io/web-nfc/index.html#abstract">here</a>.
  </p>
  <p>
    This specification defines an API to manage selected NFC use cases from Web
    applications and pages, and to enable new use cases based on NFC technology.
  </p>
  <p class="advisement">
    Low-level I/O operations (e.g. ISO-DEP, NFC-A/B, NFC-F) and Host-based Card
    Emulation (HCE) are <b>not</b> supported within the current scope.
  </p>
</section>

<section id="sotd">
  <p>
    This document provides informative background to the
    <a href="http://w3c.github.io/web-nfc/index.html">Web NFC specification</a>.
    Comments on the document should be filed as issues at
    <a href="https://github.com/w3c/web-nfc/issues">
    https://github.com/w3c/web-nfc/issues</a>.
  </p>
</section>

<section> <h2>Terminology</h2>
  <p>
    For NFC terminology see the
    <a href="http://w3c.github.io/web-nfc/index.html#terminology">
    Web NFC specification</a>.
  </p>
</section>

<section class="informative"> <h2>Use Cases</h2>
  <p>
    A few NFC user scenarios have been enumerated
    <a href="http://www.w3.org/2009/dap/wiki/Near_field_communications_%28NFC%29#Use_cases_submitted_to_DAP_mailing_list">
    here</a>. For the Web NFC API in particular, a few examples of intended
    user scenarios follow next. Some of them are <b>not</b> supported in the
    current scope.
  </p>
  <section> <h3>Reading generic information in a museum</h3>
    <p>
      The user touches an NFC capable device to information points of works of
      arts in a museum, obtaining information about the exposed items. Also,
      by touching information points in halls, the user can get suggested
      itineraries, schedule and other information to the personal device for
      later consultation.
    </p>
  </section>
  <section> <h3>Reading information in administration office</h3>
    <p>
      In a population administration office, the user touches in information
      point in order to save a list of documents required for renewing a
      passport, and obtaining a the next queuing number for the clerk.
    </p>
  </section>
  <section> <h3>Updating tag information</h3>
    <p>
      A museum employee touches information points with a special device which
      can write to the museum's NFC tags in order to update (read, then write)
      information on them.
    </p>
  </section>
  <section> <h3>Sending image to another Web NFC capable device</h3>
    <p>
      While a user is actively interacting with web site, e.g.
      https://images.example.com/, and if the user taps the device with
      another device where another user is actively interacting with the
      same web site https://images.example.com/, then they can initiate
      sending an image from one device to the other, using the NFC
      connection or by handover to Bluetooth or WiFi connection.
      The second device may be for instance a TV set to show the picture,
      or a personal computer for image processing.
    </p>
    <p class="note">
      This use case is not supported within the current scope of the
      specification.
    </p>
  </section>
  <section><h3>Handover to Bluetooth</h3>
    <p>
      NFC supports handover protocols to Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity for
      the purpose of larger volume data transfer. The user touches another
      NFC capable device, and as a result configuration data is sent for a
      new Bluetooth or WiFi connection, which is then established between the
      devices.
    </p>
    <p>
     A related use case for gaming has been described
     <a href=":https://webbluetoothcg.github.io/web-bluetooth/use-cases.html">
     here</a>.
     Other use cases may include bulk transfer of contacts cards, photos,
     and other data.
    </p>
    <p class="note">
      This use case is not supported within the current scope of the
      specification.
    </p>
  </section>
  <section><h3>Verifying unusual purchase activities</h3>
    <p>
      NFC can be used to verify unusual purchase activities, by having the user
      touch the the credit card for additional authentication.
    </p>
  </section>
  <section><h3>Scenarios along side payment</h3>
    <p>
      Payment using NFC should be handled at a platform level due to security
      considerations and is thus not within the scope of Web NFC. On the other
      hand it is possible to associate the payment status with
      a web page in order to have secondary actions. For instance,
      the user buys goods in a store, and payment options include contactless
      payment using NFC technology.
    </p>
    <p>
      In general, touching the device to the point of sales terminal receiver
      area will result in a transaction between the secure element from the
      device and the point of sales terminal. With Web NFC, if the
      user navigates to a web site before paying, there may be interaction
      with that site regarding the payment, e.g. the user could get points and
      discounts, or get delivered application or service specific data (e.g.
      tickets, keys, etc) to the device.
    </p>
    <p class="note">
      This use case is not supported within the current scope of the
      specification.
    </p>
  </section>
  <!--
  <section> <h3>Payment to another user</h3>
    <p>
      The user navigates to a web site which manages seller and buyer accounts
      and touches the device to another device of another user. A payment can
      be made between the two users' accounts.
    </p>
  </section>
  <section> <h3>Payment for services</h3>
    <p>
      On an automated point of sales terminal, such as ticketing machines,
      the user navigates to a web site which offers the paid service.
      By touching the receiver area of the point of sales, the payment can be
      done and the ticket can be delivered electronically to the user's
      device.
    </p>
  </section>
  -->
</section>

<section id="acknowledgments"> <h2>Acknowledgments</h2>
  <p>
    The editors would like to express their gratitude to Jonas Sicking and
    Jeffrey Yasskin.
  </p>
</section>

</body>
</html>