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 here.
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.
This document provides informative background to the Web NFC specification. Comments on the document should be filed as issues at https://github.com/w3c/nfc/issues.
For NFC terminology see the Web NFC specification.
A few NFC user scenarios have been enumerated here. For the Web NFC API in particular, a few examples of intended user scenarios follow next.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A related use case for gaming has been described here. Other use cases may include bulk transfer of contacts cards, photos, and other data.
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.
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.
The editors would like to express their gratitude to Jonas Sicking and Jeffrey Yasskin.