NFC apparatus capable to perform a contactless tag reading function

A near field communication (NFC) apparatus comprising:

• a device host comprising a host controller and a host interface;
• an NFC antenna configured to communicate with an external radio-frequency (RF) device;
• an NFC controller comprising a first NFC controller interface coupled to the NFC antenna, a second NFC controller interface coupled to the host interface, and a third NFC controller interface;
• and
• a secure element comprising a secure element interface coupled to the third NFC controller interface;
• wherein the NFC apparatus is configured to
• receive, by the first NFC controller interface, encrypted frames of a second encrypted data from the RF device via the NFC antenna, the second encrypted data comprising encrypted parity bits;
• extract the second encrypted data from the received frames by the NFC controller;
• transmit the second encrypted data from the third NFC controller interface to the secure element interface;
• decrypt, by the secure element, the second encrypted data to form a first unencrypted data and a first unencrypted parity bits;
• verify, by the secure element, the first unencrypted parity bits;
• transmit the first unencrypted data from the secure element interface to the third NFC controller interface;
• and
• transmit the first unencrypted data from the second NFC controller interface to the host interface.

A method of communicating with a near field communication (NFC) tag, the method comprising:

• transmitting unencrypted data from a host interface of a device host to a second NFC controller interface of an NFC controller;
• transmitting unencrypted data from a third NFC controller interface to a secure element interface;
• encrypting, using a secure element, the unencrypted data received by the secure element interface from the third NFC controller interface together with parity bits to form a first encrypted data,
• transmitting the first encrypted data from the secure element interface to the third NFC controller interface;
• framing into frames the first encrypted data using the NFC controller;
• and
• transmitting the frames of the first encrypted data from a first NFC controller interface to the NFC tag via an NFC antenna.

A method of communicating with a near field communication (NFC) tag, the method comprising:

• receiving, using a first NFC controller interface of an NFC controller, encrypted frames of a second encrypted data from the NFC tag via an NFC antenna, the second encrypted data comprising encrypted parity bits;
• extracting, using the NFC controller, the second encrypted data from the received frames;
• transmitting the second encrypted data from a third NFC controller interface of the NFC controller to a secure element interface of a secure element;
• decrypting, using the secure element, the second encrypted data to form a first unencrypted data and a first unencrypted parity bits;
• verifying, using the secure element, the first unencrypted parity bits;
• transmitting the first unencrypted data from the secure element interface to the third NFC controller interface;
• and
• transmitting the first unencrypted data from a second NFC controller interface of the NFC controller to a host interface of a host controller.