The StoLPaN project intends to develop a JAVA based mobile HOST application that provides a transparent environment for various NFC based applications. It neutralizes specifics of the handset design and is taking care of resource management, provides access to communication channels and also facilitates all the necessary security features.

Figure 1 Concept of the J2ME host application

The overall functionality and features of the HOST environment will be identified by testing various use cases, interactions and business applications.

The project also establishes the back-office architecture and necessary communication protocols that ensure the secure, remote management of the various NFC applications hosted in the mobile handset.

On application level the project has two main targets in the mobile domain>

• development of mobile purse including its support infrastructure
• porting of existing contactless applications to the StoLPaN specification and operation of these in the Host.

The e-purse itself will be based on existing card protocols – it will be freely changeable -to be able to make advantage of existing infrastructure, but in functionality it will go way beyond the present applications. The new architecture will allow over the air recharge of the mobile purse directly from the user’s account, real time. For recharging the purse the secure solution developed by the earlier IST project SEMOPS, will be used. The actual micro payment function would be offline therefore instantaneous transactions can be realized with the purse.

In practice a dynamic mobile wallet will be realized where the e-purse shall never be empty, as it can always be replenished real time from the user’s, or even from someone else’s account.

Figure 2 Mobile NFC purse operation

Further goals of the project are to realize chip-to-chip payment, to host multiple card profiles in the handset and to also implement a virtual POS in the phone for receiving card payments. The same technology will be used for implementing and managing ticketing applications in the handset.

The project work will result in a prototype of the mobile NFC host, storing an e-purse profile, ticketing and card applications, manipulated by a user interface from the screen of the handset that will be able to receive monetary value over the air, and use its content in proximity transactions through the NFC interface.

The project will also demonstrate the back-end environment and secure communication link that issues and manages remotely the e-money, the tickets and card profiles in the NFC application.