Infineon Technologies AG closed the acquisition of an NFC patent portfolio from France Brevets and Verimatrix. Infineon is now the sole owner of this patent portfolio, which consists of nearly 300 patents in various countries. All patents are related to near field communication (NFC) technologies: either technologies embedded in an integrated circuit (IC) such as Active Load Modulation (ALM) or technologies that enhance NFC usability at the user level. The patent portfolio was previously monetised by France Brevets. It is now fully integrated into Infineon’s patent administration.
“With this acquisition, Infineon further strengthens its IP and technology portfolio, specifically in our leadership markets for security and connectivity for the IoT,” said Thomas Rosteck, President of Infineon’s Connected Secure Systems division. “This expansion of our own patent portfolio highlights the excellent company positioning and its continuous investment in technology spanning several verticals. The acquired patents will not only increase our visibility in connectivity and IoT but is another step towards our IP leadership in device authentication.”
The recently acquired patent portfolio supports easy and fast development in some of the most challenging environments, enabling innovative customer solutions. Potential use cases include IoT as well as secured identities and transactions in wearables such as wristbands, rings, watches and glasses. Patents in the acquired patent portfolio support the implementation in a booming market which ABI Research projects will surpass 15 billion NFC-enabled devices and items/products shipped between 2022-2026.
Manufacturers of NFC devices are very often confronted with specific geometries and materials. Additionally, limiting form factors and security implementation are extending the design cycles. NFC integration in wearables for example often requires small loop antennas and specific constructions. This causes a physical boundary for the antenna size to achieve standard conformance with conventional, passive load modulation. ALM, being one technical aspect covered by the NFC patent portfolio, can help overcoming space restraints.
