A new multi-functional card with a display, sounder and input keys, and related communication equipment, including a microwave base station and a contactless surface reader/writer, have been developed to perform the functions of positioning, paging, returning a message and identity certification. We confirmed that a prototype subsystem was capable of providing a simple and automatic call forwarding service. The multi-functional card as an ID card and a personal data terminal, and its subsystem can provide new personal services for a multimedia office.

A wireless tag system has been designed and developed for maintaining and managing outdoor communication facilities. This system employs an infrared (IR) beam and an electromagnetic wave with a radio frequency (RF), and is constructed using IR-RF tags, an IR commander, and an RF receiver. The IR command radiation with strong directivity enables a maintenance operator to recognize a target facility, and the RF response without directivity enables a management system to obtain data from within a large circular area. Solar and secondary batteries are also adopted as the power module in the tag to allow easy maintenance at long intervals. IR signal communication is possible up to a distance of 9 m, and RF signal communication is possible within a circle with a radius of 9 m.