With the acquisition of 3db Access AG, a pioneer in secured low power Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology and preferred IP provider for major automotive brands, Infineon further strengthens its connectivity portfolio for secured smart access, precise localization and enhanced sensing.

Over the past years, low power Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology has become increasingly popular in a range of IoT applications, like secured access and authentication, accurate location tracking and indoor navigation, as well as presence detection utilizing UWB radar implementations.

“Together, we will now cover full system solutions with unique features which combine low-power consumption, enhanced physical layer security, feature-rich radio frequency (RF) frontend configurations and localization-optimized hardware architecture. ”

Thomas Rosteck, Division President Connected Secure Systems

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology thereby complements Infineon’s existing short-range wireless technologies including AIROC™ Bluetooth® Low Energy and OPTIGA™ Authenticate NFC solutions, offering a wide range of solutions for all kind of major IoT and automotive applications:

Modern cars are nowadays utilizing keyless access and start systems (PKES) combined with Phone as a Key (PAAK) systems. Intelligent vehicle keys allow various opportunities to increase convenience and ease of use, such as detecting the keys position and open the car just when they are in its proximity, starting the engine without turning the keys or locking the car automatically just by moving away. However, technologies used in the past have been prone to relay attacks posing a security threat for car owners.

Infineon’s UWB powered, secured distance bounding technology enables access systems to reach new levels of precision, while solving existing security problems. Infineon brings innovations to OEMs making this technology ultra-low power and easily deployable and thus driving convenience and secured handling for the car owners.

 Increasing convenience while maintaining security is not only relevant for car access but is also gaining traction in other access domains, such as physical access to homes or commercial buildings and logical access to personal devices such as computing infrastructure.
Infineon’s low-power and secured distance-bounding technology can enable OEM’s to develop these solutions and enable the next level of convenience for their customers.

Keys, earphones or even the accurate position of your friend’s position within a crowded festival environment – UWB’s accuracy in location detection allows new experiences and possibilities.
And even for the interaction and communication between things within the IoT it is essential. Their knowledge about the absolute and/or relative position with the ability to sense and exchange the position acts as an organizing principle for anything connected to the Internet. Activities such as easily streaming your music or videos from your personal entertainment devices will become even more intuitive and convenient. And your connected home can automatically react to your presence enabled by UWB’s sensing capabilities.

These features enabled by Infineon’s Ultra-Wideband technology will enhance products in Health and Lifestyle devices such as consumer tags & wearables but also smart home devices such as smart speakers and smart TVs.

Infineon’s UWB distance bounding single chip technology stands as a preferred choice for implementing and/or complementing the Location of Things by:

• ultra-low power consumption (10 uJ per measurement)
• accurate distance measurement (<10 cm)

With the Industrial IoT (IIoT) shaping the Industry 4.0, smart production and industrial environments mostly maintain complex and highly regulated infrastructures with hundreds of   moving assets. Knowing their exact position in real time, determine the asset’s location and successfully manage them to the right place at the right time is key when reaching industrial automation standards.

To reach those specific demands for real-time locating systems (RTLS), Infineon’s UWB distance bounding single chip technology contains:

• ultra-low power consumption (10 uJ per measurement)
• accurate distance measurement (<10 cm)
• real timeliness (1000 Hz measurement rate)
• reliable and secured 1D/2D/3D indoor localization
• long-lasting ultra-low power tags on assets

This all allows low total cost of ownership (TCO), fulfilling demands for RTLS solutions in terms of reliability, efficiency and performance.