R&D Information
A Voucher Trading Service Platform that Transforms
Mobile Phones and IC Cards into the Ultimate
Wallet—One that is Secure, Reliable, and Convenient

NTT has announced the development of the Voucher Trading Service Platform, an information distribution platform that enables high-speed and secure reservation, purchase, and confirmation of tickets or otherelectronic values or items of value using various types
of user devices, e.g., mobile phones and IC cards.
The Voucher Trading Service Platform can digitize
various assets, including tickets, prepaid cards, pointcards, coupons, and membership cards which can be
freely used in both online and bricks-and-mortar
stores. It securely, reliably, and freely enables thereservation of tickets, the purchasing of tickets, shopping, and the confirmation of railway or amusement
facility tickets. NTT has already developed a systemthat offers high-speed processing through the use ofhighly secure public key encryption*1. Its speed surpasses that of existing contactless IC card systems.
To fully utilize the high performance available, theplatform allows each IC card to hold various kinds ofelectronic values to cover significantly more application areas. In addition, NTT has developed a user
device called the “IC Card Booster.” It enables existing contact-type IC cards, which are widely used infinancial applications, to be used for contactless highspeed processing. Furthermore, by using the infraredcommunications (IrDA) *2 links provided byadvanced mobile phones and PDAs to confirm andsettle vouchers, NTT has further expanded the utility*1 Public key encryption: An encryption method that uses a pair ofkeys for data encryption and decryption. It is also called asymmetric encryption. One key is used as a public key and is distributed widely. The other, a secret key, is restricted so that only theuser knows it. In comparison to using shared key encryption,
which uses the same key for both encryption and decryption, theuse of separate keys makes key management easier and provides ahigher degree of security.
*2 IrDA (Infrared Data Association): The Infrared Data Association
is an industrial standardization organization established in 1993 toset technical specifications for infrared communications. The term
IrDA refers to the infrared communications standards set by thisorganization.

Vol. 1 No. 2 May 2003

of existing user devices. Development of this platform has brought to life an information distribution
platform that supports full-scale voucher trading services. Practical voucher trading businesses can now
be implemented.
Usage scenarios
The voucher trading service platform transforms
the mobile phones and IC cards to which most people
are accustomed into the ultimate wallet, one thatcombines various settlement and ticket examining
functions. Two representative usage scenarios aredescribed below (Fig. 1).
(1) Shopping
When shopping in a store, a customer can now
complete a transaction by using a combination ofelectronic values, such as money, credit points,
and coupons. A customer can use a device otherthan a contactless IC card, such as a mobile phoneor PDA, with which people are more familiar.
Customers hesitate to use traditional IC cards
because they are unable to confirm the balance on
the card before or after presenting it for payment.
By using the display function of a mobile phoneor IC Card Booster, a customer can check the balance and complete a transaction without anxiety.
Moreover, the IC Card Booster greatly extends
the application area of conventional contact-type
IC cards, which are widely used in the financialarea, by making them into contactless-type cards.
(2) Ticket collection
Ticket collection and ticket confirmation at railway stations, concert halls, amusement facilities,etc. can be performed faster than ever. As withshopping, patrons can use their mobile phones,PDAs, or existing contact-type IC cards. A user
can easily confirm the contents of a ticket andthen board a train or enter a facility by simply
flashing the card at the ticket examination
91

R&D Information

Issuers

Transportationcompanies

Retailcompanies

BanksEntertainment
companies
Travel agencies

Service terminals

Accesscontrol

Transportation
passDebit
creditPrepaidloyalty

Digital ticket
AmusementparksInternet
payment

nt
Evcekettient
sem
Amuticket

tioifica
Cert ID

neyMo paid)
e(prt
Poinn
upo
Co

n

User terminals
Transforms mobile phones and IC cards
into the ultimate wallet — one that is highly
secure, reliable, and easy to use.

Fig. 1. Overview of Voucher Trading Service Platform.

machine or gate equipment (wicket).
Technological points(1) Public key encryption support and high-speed
payment processing
Based on the use of public key encryption, adifferent secret key is stored in each card, and theterminal discloses only the public information.
Unlike a shared-key-based system, even if thesecret key is disclosed in some way, the damage
is localized. In addition, this platform completes
payment processing within 60 milliseconds,
faster than ever before for a contactless IC card.
(2) Service control technology widens application
areas
The service control technology developed forthe platform enables an IC card to hold several
types of vouchers. Using this technology, even anIC card with low memory capacity can support anumber of services.
(3) IC Card Booster
The use of contact-type IC cards is spreading tobanks and stores. The IC Card Booster enables
these cards to also be used for contactless payments
via local communications links such as IrDA ones.
The booster’s display can be used to check the92

card’s balance and examine digital ticket information. In effect, an IC card is given a display. Theseadvances should lead to further enhancements inthe convenience of using IC cards.
(4) Utilizing mobile phones and PDAs
Technology based on IrDA, two-dimensional
barcodes, and RFID tags*3 enables mobile phones
and PDAs to be used to pay for prepaid services
and as terminals for confirming digital tickets.
For example, a PDA or mobile phone can be used
to pay for goods or services at a vending machineor to confirm digital tickets off-line at high speed.
Due to the IrDA technology now being incorporated in mobile phones and PDAs, settlement
methods and digital tickets have attracted muchattention. Standardization of IrFM*4 is now progressing, and NTT is actively contributing to theachievement of a global standard.

*3 RFID tag: An RFID (radio frequency identification) tag is an ICtag based on wireless identification technology. An extremely thin
tag comprising a microchip and data transmission antenna, several millimeters square, is embedded into an object. An auto-recognition system reads the information stored in the tag.
*4 IrFM (infrared financial messaging): IrFM defines a model andprotocols for proximity payment as developed by the IrDA. The
first version of IrFM was published in January 2003.

NTT Technical ReviewR&D Information

Future expansion
The voucher trading service platform will change
the trading of physical merchandise into the tradingof “assets” by providing a platform that enables digitized “rights” and “values” to be passed from enterprises to individuals, individuals to individuals, andindividuals to enterprises in a secure, reliable, andcost-effective manner. It will revolutionize existing
supply chains.
NTT Information Sharing Platform Laboratories, incooperation with businesses and academic institutions, is working toward the development of products
targeted at expanding the use of this platform in conjunction with the expansion of voucher trading services.
For further information, please contact
NTT Service Integration Laboratories
Smart Card Service Promotion Project
Smart Card Application Service Development ProjectE-mail: ikeda.minoru@lab.ntt.co.jp

Vol. 1 No. 2 May 2003

93