978-1-4673-2376-5/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE

2012 International Conference on System Engineering and Technology September 11-12, 2012, Bandung, Indonesia

PROTOTYPE OF TRAIN TICKETING APPLICATION USING NEAR FIELD

COMMUNICATION (NFC) TECHNOLOGY ON ANDROID DEVICE

Surya Michrandi Nasution1, Emir Mauludi Husni2, Aciek Ida Wuryandari3 School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Bandung Institute of Technology

Ganesa Street no.10, Bandung, Indonesia 1surya.michrandi@gmail.com

2ehusni@yahoo.com 3aciekidaw@gmail.com

Abstract— Development in technology bring digital world to be border-less. It's proven through a developed technology, when trade and transaction can be done not only using real money but also virtual one. Shopping process using virtual money has even more supported by existed Near Field Communication (NFC) device. This particular device works using radio frequency. In the year of 2011, Google was integrating this device into a Android-based cell phone, which made transactions using virtual money gradually developed. E-Ticket is one of the utmost services in online trading. E-ticket is basically a paper-less electronic document, which commonly used for passenger tickets of a transportation system. One of the aims in using NFC in daily life can be implemented within public transportation application. This particular research offers a application prototype for train ticket purchasing and exterminating that use a Near Field Communication (NFC) integrated cell phone. This train ticketing application integrated with NFC device that had been planted in an Android 2.3.3 Operation System based cell phone. Designed system made for passenger interface and train conductor interface. NFC technology applied within two created applications. Cell phone that is used within this research is Google Nexus S, which has been integrated with NFC device; therefore created application can provide a circumstance where applications for passenger and conductor are able to work as a single entity of train ticketing application. Keywords— Android, e-Ticket, Near Field Communication, NFC, Mobile Computing.

I. INTRODUCTION Within the development of technology, problems in

banking transaction have been solved by integration among customer’s bank accounts to the internet. It can be seen from the existence of iBanking and mBanking as main features of banking services.

The ability to establish transaction anytime and anywhere isn’t only beneficial for Bank’s management, but also several service providers and sellers which also make use of

banking features to cycling an amount of transactions happened. Proven by viral development of online shops that take advantages from payment feature to shop’s bank account.

Technology will never stops expanding. The ability to establish quick transaction can be done almost borderless with the existence of eMoney feature or in which also known as virtual money. Take an example from a private bank in Indonesia, this particular bank has launched a card equipped with a particular device which can be detected using radio signal or commonly known as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) that intended to replace small denomination and boost up the speed of transaction.

This particular development of technology is not only being used by banking sector. This technology is used by Google as a form of special card launched by a bank. Google inc., in 2011, launched Google Wallet feature as the sustitution of credit card which basically works as combination of credit card and a certain equipment that can be detected through radio signal located within a cell phone. Slightly different with RFID equipped card, within the cell phone there is Near Field Communication (NFC) equipped within.

The NFC technology implementation directed for fast transaction such as supertmarket payment or transportation payment. NFC implementation as transportation ticketing will be hugely beneficial for reducing queue line in counter, reducing robery cases as well as illegal tiket trading which happens in this country.

Train is one of commonly used by people. Everyday, train station establish huge number of transactions. Moreover, self-hold ticket has become another particular problem from the passanger side.

By simplifying the ticketing process and transforming ticket physical form to virtual one, then the NFC technology development will not limited only for payment transaction. This paticular technology can also be implemented as one of the way to substitute current ticketing.

This study will be focused in application of NFC technology as transtaction tool for transportation system, specialized in train so that the passangers can easily perform the ticketing payment and storage activity. Moreover, ticket transform can be done through the NFC technology application.

II. BASIC THEORY

A. Mobile Commerce [1] Mobile commerce give beneficial chance for service and

mobile devices. On m-commerce, transaction is made using wireless devices and require data connection to trade information, service and or good. M-commerce transaction can be defined as any economical transaction which done through mobile device that use telecommunication network to establish communication with e-commerce infrastructure.

M-commerce development is supported by mobile device users who significantly improve in number. M-commerce become detrimental to provide service, information and entertainment for travelling people. Through m-commerce service within mobile device, any kind of service can be enjoyed in any place and any time.

B. e-Ticket[2] e-Ticket is one of detrimental service in the field of online

trade. E-ticket is an electric paperless document which commonly used to transportation ticketing. This particuar document usually used to substitutes physical ticket in an airline.

The main aim of e-ticket is reduce operational expenditure and improve the service quality for customer. This strategy has been ran smoothy for airline, so that it is feasible as well to be implemented within other transportation mode such as train, bus, etc.

C. Near Field Communication (NFC)[3][4] Near Field Communication is a wireless close-range

connectivity technology which allows data trade between two gadgets. NFC commonly integrated within mobile devices. This will allow the device to establish communication with simcard or other reader devices.

NFC works using 13,56 MHz radio frequency. This technology optimizely works under the the space of 20 cm. Transmittable data is only less than 1Mbit. This technology developed in 2004. NTC got the transfer speed of 424 Kbps.

Fig. 1 NFC Concept [3]

Nevertheless, the main reason to apply this technology is to be implemented within ticketing application, payment application and public transportation application. When a cell phone equipped with NFC deviced,that particular cellphone can be used as ticket of conference or theme park and also a “mini wallet” which can be used in certain time.

Moreover, the cell phone can also be used as payment tool and an automatic machine, toll payment, and some other transactions. NFC application is alsocan be used on a public transportation as a substitute of wallet and as a tool to ticket data writting[5].

Basically NFC has 2 different communications which work on different speed, consist of: 1. Active NFC Mode, in this mode, inisiator and target use

self-establised radio frequency to communicate. 2. Passive NFC Mode, in passive mode, target answer

command made by inisiator to call modulation scheme. Inisiator do the radio frequency creation.

D. Android Development Android Inc. establised at 2003 in Palo Alto, California,

US by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. In 2005, Google Inc. aquisizes Android Inc. Around 2 years after Google aquisized Android, Google with Open Handset Alliance (OHA) published Google Android SDK (Software Development Kit). OHA consists of several big mobile device manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, etc.

Since the Google Android SDK launch, the development of Android OS becomes rapidly faster. Proven at 2009, the features of Android OS experiences 3 significant changes. The development of this OS doesn’t at this stage. In the end of 2011, Android just releases its latest OS, Android 4.0, with the code name of Ice Cream Sandwich.

E. Android and Near Field Communication (NFC)[6][9] The usage of NFC can be done through 3 major ways:

card emulation, reader mode, peer to peer (P2P) mode. The function of NFC introduced by Google into Android

2.3 (API level 9) device. In Android 2.3, the ability of device is limited in only reading the tag. In Android 2.3.3 (API level 10), data writing and trading ability through mode Peer to Peer (P2P) began to be implemented within android devices.

The .nfc android package provides access to NFC function, allows application to read NDEF message (NFC Data Exchange Format) which located at NFC tag. On android.nfc, located several classes which can be used to running NFC function.

TABLE I ANDROID.NFC PACKET CLASS [6]

Class Description NfcManager High Level Manager class used for Android

device. NfcAdapter Represents NFC adapter which located inside

Android device, that allows the user to do NFC-oriented operation.

NdefMessage Represents NDEF-data message in which is the standart formatting for transmission between android device and NFC tag.

NdefRecord Represents a kind of record which wil be sent in a form NdefMessage and describe the type of data that will be sent.

Tag Represent the detected NFC tag.

III. SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

A. System Design Overview The application made to supporting transaction in

transportation is implemented using cell phone with NFC-technology planted within. Basically the users will feel the ease in train ticket purchase.

Passanger can make purchase only by provided train ticket scanning. From that card, the type of train which will be used by passanger can be known. The usage application can be implemented within purchasing proccess based on train’s destination. In the manifestation, supporting application can be made for destroying train ticket which will be done by condecture.

This is the general design of the system.

Fig. 2 Use case diagram for train passanger

1. The passanger does scanning process using NFC-

installed cell phone. The scanning process will be done toward NFC tag filled with data of particualr train with destination according to passanger destination. This tag will be located within a train station.

2. When a passanger scan the tag filled with train data, the passanger will directly make payment transaction using voucher just like phone credit. If the credit’s passanger is less that the expenditure, then the passanger will not be able to do transaction before the credit got a voucher loaded. When the passanger successfully made train purchase, then the electronic ticket will be storage within designated cell phone.

3. Electronic ticket can only be shown to waiting room’s gate guard.

4. When the condecture approach the passanger at the train, the passanger can open his/her electronic ticket and send the data to condecture’s cell phone.

5. When the condecture receive ticket data, the passanger ticket will be destroyed.

These are several advantages of the designed purchase and substitution train ticket system. 1. Spend less time for queuing in train purchase locket. 2. Eliminate the chance of losing. 3. Minimize illegal purchase of tickets. 4. Feedback for train companies which us ethis application,

because the activity logs are stored within from user end and also condecture end.

B. Expenditure Analysis The designing of applications which wil be know as

TraiNFC and Trainductor needs several supporting tools which are hardware, software, and brainware. a. Hardware

For support the application manufacturing, a computer needed for operating Android emulator. Computer used should have specification : IBM ThinkPad R61, with

Intel Core2Duo T7100, 1,8 GHz, RAM 2 GB, HDD 80 GB, Operation System Windows 7. However, cell phone simulation demand device with following spesification : Google Nexus S i9020 & Google Nexus S i9023, with processor 1 GHz Cortex-A8, screen resolution 480 x 800 pixels, internal memory 512 MB RAM, NFC Adapter NXP PN554, Android OS 2.3.3, GSM/3G/WLAN support, and file capacity 1,36 MB for TraiNFC and 436 KB for Trainductor application.

b. Software The model system design, program manufacturing and simulation demand several devices such as : JDK v1.6.0, Android SDK, IDE Eclipse Indigo 3.7, Android Development Tools, SQLite Database Manager, Microsoft Visio 2007, and StarUML.

c. Brainware User of TraiNFC and Trainductor application demand several criterias : user familiars with Android-operated applications, used to Android-operated applications, and user can perform NFC-integrated cell phone.

C. User Analysis TraiNFC and Trainductor applications have several

features, which can be accessed by user. With the existence of main features for TraiNFC application, user can : purchase train ticket at the same time and or book the ticket for several days ahead, reload the account for any train purchasing activity, monitor purchased train ticket, and select desired seat for each passenger.

Moreover, for supporting application, Trainductor several main features, such as : manage departured train schedule, scan train ticketing, and monitor train ticketing archieve which has been scanned by condecture.

D. System Design The system designed will use Unified Model Language

(UML) method. UML as in application manufacturing is consisting of use case diagram, class diagram, sequence diagram, activity diagram, and deployment diagram.

Fig. 3 Use case diagram for train passenger

Fig. 4 Use case diagram for train passenger

The system which will be created will use a system database support. Therefore the design of database application will be implemented as written below. a. SQLite

In this database, account information and passanger’s ticket list will be storaged. The local database system design is consist of a database filled with more than one table in which consist of “listticket” and “saldo”. b. MySQL

This database willbe used to store passanger data for supporting TraiNFC and Trainductor applications. This database system work online, by storing data which willbe used in ticket purchase activity as well as other things related within a internet-connected server.

This database system contains train’s information such as where the train ome from and the destination, ticket price, and time of departure. Voucher codes will be stored within this database.

Besides those two data, ticket purchase data will also be stored as well as scanning time to give condecture easeness in when a ticket should be destroyed.

E. Interface Implementation Interface application for TraiNFC will be done Android

2.3.3. The result of application implementation will be shown according to the design which has been explain in a chapter before. In the picture below, interface design can be viewed in the end of train passanger.

Fig. 5 Interface scheme of TraiNFC

Interface implementation for Trainductor application can be done simpler in TraiNFC Application. This application created for condecture due to the purpose of destroying passanger’s ticket. The cell phone used to implementing this application is Android 2.3.3.

Fig. 6 Trainductor Interface Structure

Data storage within this application uses 2 kinds of database. The first one is SQLite, which in the implementation used for data storage of some important imformation that can only be known by user. The second one is MySQL which used for data storage of information that can be know by train party.

a. Internal Database (SQLite) This internal database can be implemented within

passanger’s cellphone and can only be accessed through TraiNFC application. The location of the internal database is within “/data/data/com.basic1.nfc/databases/nfctransoi”. b. External Database (MySQL)

External database implementation is done to store train data, voucher code, and ticket list which has been purchased by train pasenger. This database will be located in server. The information given in this database is general and confidential.

F. Test

In this application, several test one to secure the application to run effective and eficient.This analysis process contain several stages that need to be done, which are : application testing for passanger and condecture and process duration for each activity within application.

Application testing for train passanger uses data test which based on classes used. Complete plan can be seen at table below.

TABLE II TRAIN PASSANGER APPLICATION TEST PLAN

Test Class Test Point Test Specification

readingtag Ticket card scan Black Box

Display “List Ticket” Menu Black Box Display “Akun Anda” Menu Black Box

beliTiket

Select depart date Black Box Select depart time Black Box

Choose amount of passanger Black Box Display payment mode Black Box

seatMap Display seat list Black Box

accountsetting Diplay Remaining Account Black Box Display Top Up Voucher

menu Black Box

TopVoucher Write Voucher Code Black Box listTicket Display ticket List Black Box

ViewTicket Display Ticket details Black Box Display Push Tag Menu Black Box

pushtag Send ticket data Black Box Application test for train condecture application uses test

data based on class used. The complete scheme can be seen in table below.

TABLE III TRAIN CONDECTURE APPLICATION TEST PLAN

Test Plan Pest point Test Spesification

InputSchedule Choose train data Black Box Choose departure hour Black Box

KondekturActivity Scan Passanger ticket Black Box Display list of scanned

passanger ticket Black Box

ReadTicket Display Passanger data ticket Black Box ListPindai Display list of scanned ticket Black Box

Beta testing is a objective test which in the test being done directly as field test by show the application to user and run the application according to system work scheme which has been made in a chapter before, attached with questionnaire for feedback from user end. From questionnaire result, statistic act will be done to conclude the application’s masurement.

Fig. 7 Application function diagram

Based on percentage of beta test, we can conclude that 53% correspondent confess that this application easily used, running well, and easily understood.

Fig. 8 Application function diagram

Based on percentage of beta test, we can conclude that 56% correspondent confess that this application have attractive display.

Fig. 9 Application Feasibility diagram

Based on percentage of beta test, we can conclude that 56% correspondent confess that TraiNFC has fast time respond.

Fig. 10 Application Feasibility Diagram

Based on persentage of beta test, we can conclude that 100% correspondent confess that TraiNFC application can become an option in train ticket purchase.

Time process testing defined as the length of time needed to run the application, and how long is the average proper running time. The process time taken from Dalvik Debug Monitoring Server (DDMS).

As what shown in table below, longest process time happened in “beliTicket” which happened because before entering this stage, tag NFCreading process should be done followed by data checking at the Internet server.

TABLE IV AVERAGE ACTIVITY PROCESS TIME FOR TRAINFC

Activity Time(ms) Activity Time(ms) readingtag 323,6 TopVoucher 236,97 beliTiket 3422,367 listTicket 366,3 seatMap 328,7 ViewTicket 171,0667

accountsetting 240,6 pushtag 252,2 Activity process time test for “beliTiket” above was done

using modem which connected with internet that has low network traffic or commonly know as burdenless network, so that the access can be used completely for “beliTiket” running process. Process time testing can also be done under 2 different conditions, which in burdenless network activity or celular network access

TABLE V AVERAGE ACTIVITY PROCESS TIME “BELITIKET” IN TRAINFC

Activity “beliTiket”

Burdenless Network

Burdened Network

Celular Network (3G)

Time(ms) 3422,367 8999,8 7371,033 Slightly different with TraiNFC application, this

application has faster average process time. The process which need longest time is in “InputJadwal” activity. This is because the page need lots of connection with server, so that this activity content highy depended with server respond speed.

TABLE VI AVERAGE ACTIVITY TIME PROCESS IN TRAINDUCTOR

Activity Time(ms) Activity Time(ms) InputJadwal 2416,3 ReadTicket 161,833 KondekturActivity 226,9 ListPindai 236,267

G. Result Analysis Analysis of test result from the application and used

hardware run smoothly due to application functionality. The interaction between passanger and train condecture has descibe payment and substitute processes of train ticket.

Based on beta test which has beed done to to get user’s feedback, the application made has work correctly due it its functionality, attractive application, fast responded TraiNFC application, and user’s confession on the possibility of this application to be one of method in ticket purhasing.

The test for activity average process time for each application created can work optimizely. This is because of

the process needed to run the application is les than 1 second, except for “beliTiket” activity which takes longer time around 3 seconds.

The “beliTiket” average process time needed become 162,97% longer in burdened internet network compared in burdenless internet network. The “beliTiket” average process time needed in celular network become 115,378% longer than within burdenless internet network.

In general TraiNFC and Trainductor applications can run properly based on design made before. Eventhough this application is stillin the level of prototype and has not been implemented in reality, but the work process has been implemented in real condition.

IV. CONCLUSIONS Based on test that has been done in previous chapter, we

can conclude several point as what written below. 1. Application created is a prototype which can be

implemented in train company, and still has wide chance of development based on the needs.

2. NFC technology can be used to simplify train ticket purchase process and electronic ticket distribution, especially cell phone electronic ticket.

3. Based on beta testing, created application has work properly, proven by 53% of correspondents confession said that the application has run smoothly, moreover 56% correspondents confess that this application has attractive display. Respond time needed for TrainNFC is relatively faster, proven by 56% correspondents confession and 100% correspondents confess that TraiNFC can ecomeone of the way in train ticket purchasing.

4. Average process time needed for each activity existed within application, need less than 1 minute. Only “beliTiket” activity needs longer time which is around 3 minutes. It’s because data should be

requested to database server and it needs longer time based on the respond speed fromthe server itself.

5. Process time needed to run “beliTiket” activity became 162,97% longer when there is traffic in internet access compared to burdenless internet access. Nevertheless process time using celular network (3G) takes 115,378% longer compared to burdenless internet access.

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