Sony's TransferJet technology will be enhanced to include wireless charging capabilities along with its data transfer features.
The TransferJet Consortium (Sony, Canon, Casio Computer, Hitachi, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Toshiba)
is set to showcase new devices that wirelessly charge and transfer data simultaneously at the Computex trade show in Taiwan next week. The devices will integrate TransferJet, wireless charging and NFC (near-field communication) features, mainly used for mobile payments.
TransferJet technology, which was developed by Sony for wireless data transfers, can theoritically transmit data at a maximum rate of 560Mbps over a few centimeters.
Last February, Sony
announced the commercialization of a new low-power LSI for use in the close proximity wireless transfer technology TransferJet.
Toshiba also showacsed a tablet with TransferJet data transmission technology at the Mobile World Congress in February.
Wireless charging has already appeared in a few devices including HP's Palm smartphones. Samsung's new Galaxy S III smartphone will also come with a wireless charging accessory.
The Wireless Power Consortium has also demonstrated new products and prototypes at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show. It's Qi (pronounced "chee") technology wirelessly charges devices placed on a Qi-enabled surface. Qi is backed by a list of over 100 companies.
The Power Matters Alliance is also working on a wireless power specification called Power 2.0 for mobile and stationary devices.
The TransferJet Seminar will be held in Taipei June 7, 2012 at the NanKang Software Park.