Multiple NFC card applications in multiple execution environments

A contactless communication system comprising:

• a near field communication (NFC) controller comprising circuitry for:
• receiving periodic polling sessions, wherein each polling session includes one or more request commands to use a respective one or more of the plurality of communication protocols;
• responding to only one of the request commands using a requested communication protocol and granting access to one type of execution environment assigned to the requested communication protocol to use the NFC controller;
• and
• performing an arbitration in response to each polling session such that a same combination of communication protocol and execution environment is not activated for adjacent polling sessions.

An apparatus, comprising:

• circuitry for receiving periodic polling sessions, wherein each polling session includes one or more request commands to use a respective one or more of a plurality of communication protocols;
• circuitry for granting access, in response to a request command during one of the polling sessions, to one type of a plurality of near field communication execution environments assigned to the requested communication protocol;
• and
• circuitry for performing an arbitration in response to each polling session such that a same combination of communication protocol and execution environment is not activated for adjacent polling sessions.

A method performed by a communications device for granting access to a near field communication execution environment, the method comprising:

• receiving periodic polling sessions, wherein each polling session includes a request command to use a respective communication protocol;
• granting access, in response to a request command during one of the polling sessions, to a near field communication execution environment assigned to the requested communication protocol;
• and
• performing an arbitration in response to each polling session such that a same combination of communication protocol and execution environment is not activated for adjacent polling sessions.