Smartphone instead of car key
Most people now always keep their smartphones close to hand. In Mercedes‑Benz vehicles they will soon be able to use it as a vehicle key, opening up a wealth of individual possibilities.
The smartphone merely has to be held near the door handle to unlock the vehicle. This convenient and safe feature is based on NFC (Near Field Communication) technology.
NFC is an international transmission standard for contactless data exchange via radio over short distances of a few centimetres.
Previously this technology was above all used for data exchange between electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. To this end, the devices have to be held closely together.
No specific login procedure is required to connect the devices. The necessary physical closeness of the devices prevents pairing errors and ensures the connection is secure.
NFC technology is also increasing in importance in other areas of daily life, solutions for cashless payment of small amounts at supermarkets (micropayments) being one example.
Mercedes-Benz uses an NFC interface near the handle in the driver’s door. If the driver’s smartphone is NFC-compatible and equipped with a Secure SIM, it can be used as a drive authorisation system.
