ReLoc: Hybrid RSSI-and Phase-based Relative UHF-RFID Tag Localization with COTS Devices

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology successfully integrates radio transmitter and receiver, small size memory space and control circuitry to remotely store and retrieve data via wireless RF transceiver. As low-cost RFID tag can be massively manufactured by semiconductor industry, new applications associated with RFID technology have emerged rapidly such as inventory tracking, book storage and management, and airport baggage handling. Generally an RFID system is composed of many RFID tags (or tagged objects), at least one RFID reader, and one backend application system with database. An RFID tag gains its operation energy from query signals that are radio waves transmitted by RFID reader. Once a tag responds the query with its stored information to RFID reader, usually a unique identity number or string, the RFID system can recognize the tag carrier and perform required business logic operation. As RFID technique is widely used in supply chain management, the corresponding RFID application systems are expected to process and manage large amount of tagged objects at a predefined period of time regularly. Therefore, for large-scaled RFID applications, tag reading throughput is very critical since it will affect the total data processing time. To measure tag reading throughput of a RFID system, two performance criteria are usually adopted: tag reading delay and reader energy consumption [5]. As RFID reader and tag always communicate over a shared wireless channel, it is very easy to have signal collisions during a normal tag identification process when multiple tags exist in reader’s interrogation area. Signal collision results in query or data retransmission and eventually increases communication overhead and time delay of tag identification. Hence, an efficient tag collision arbitration mechanism is very important and critical for RFID systems to achieve effective performance. Existing RFID tag identification schemes can be classified into aloha-based solutions [3, 10, 12-13, 16, 21, 23-24] and tree-based solutions [1, 2, 4, 6-9, 14-15, 17-20, 22]. In aloha-based schemes, a reader estimates the number of tags in its interrogation area and broadcasts the total number of timeslots to each tag. Then each RFID tag randomly selects its own timeslot to transmit its ID without knowing which timeslots have been selected by other tags. By distributing tag responses to distinct timeslots instead of getting all tag responses at the same time, aloha-based schemes effectively reduce the probability of signal collision. However, aloha-based schemes have tag starvation problem in which certain tags may not

In recent years the acceptance of Radio Frequency I dentification (RFID) technology in business environments has been increasing rapidly due to its competitive business value. Adopting a suitable RF IDbased information system has become increasingly important for supermarkets. However, most supermarkets still use conventional barcode-based s ystems to manage their information processes, which are consistently reported as one of the most unenth usiastic aspects of supermarket shopping for both customers and management. We propose an RFID agent-based architecture that adopts intelligent agent technology with an RFID based applications. RFID provides capability to uniquely identify an object wi thin a supermarket area, while agents are able to establ ish a channel of communication which can be used to facilitate communications between a RFID device and supermarket back-end system. The proposed framework includes a design of intelligent mobile s hopping cart equipped with both RFID and agent technologies. As a result of using the proposed RFI D agent based architecture, the customer shopping experience will be improved due to ease of retrievi ng of the detailed information on items and quick checkout by scanning all items at once, thus elimin ating queues. From supermarket management point of view the proposed architecture will reduce the cost of operation e.g., decreasing cost of goods sold w hich comes in the form of labor efficiency in areas of c heckout operation, inventory management and alerting the supermarket management when a certain product is running out of stock and needs to be restocked.

A kind of intensive positioning approach, which is based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, is proposed in this paper. In order to achieve precise positioning in the dense communication cabinet which possesses many jacks, the fingerprint positioning method is applied in this study. At the offline stage, the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) values of a certain RFID label collected by the four RFID antennas in the communication cabinet are used to compose a feature vector, and the feature vectors of all the labels are used to establish the fingerprint database. At the online stage, a matching algorithm is utilized to match the measured RSSI value vector of the jack to be positioned with the database and then perform positioning task. The ideology of matching method is to compare and find the minimal Euclidean distance with those fingerprints in the fingerprint database. The theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the positioning accuracy and reliability can be guaranteed, which ensures the applicability of the proposed approach in the practical applications.

An analysis of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) between a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device and an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) is presented in this paper. In particular, the analysis focuses on the effects of EMI produced by an RFID reader on ICD operation. Thus, a brief overview of both ICD and RFID devices is presented at first. Subsequently, several experimental tests are performed inside an anechoic RF chamber, which ensures an appropriate shielding against external EMI sources. As a result, the comparison among ICD operating thresholds highlights its susceptibility against the RFID device.

Autonomous mobile robot localization based on RSSI measurements using an RFID sensor and neural network BPANN

Certain businesses call for a high level of traceability to track high value products. This case study of City Healthcare,1 New Zealand, focuses on the complex management issues related to the initial decisions to use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology on such a product, instead of a barcode. RFID devices are effectively tiny memory storage devices that can be read and sometimes written to from a distance using radio waves through an appropriate interrogation device. RFID devices have been touted as a replacement for barcodes in supply-chain applications. Issues and challenges investigated here include the ability of RFID to replace barcodes, business benefit from technology investment, technology adoption, and the role of external regulations in the adoption process.

The increasing need for automated surveillance systems in indoor environments such as airports, warehouses, production plants, etc. has stimulated the development of intelligent systems based on mobile sensors. Differently from traditional non-mobile surveillance systems, those based on mobile robots are still in their initial stage of development, and many issues are currently open for investigation (Everett, 2003; DehuaI et al., 2007). The use of robots significantly expands the potential of surveillance systems, which can evolve from the traditional passive role in which the system can only detect events and trigger alarms, to active surveillance in which a robot can be used to interact with the environment, with humans or with other robots for more complex cooperative actions (Burgard et al., 2000; Vig & Adams, 2007). A major challenge in surveillance tasks using mobile robots is that of providing the robot with a suitable knowledge of the environment to both navigate safely and perform inspection tasks. Furthermore, in order to effectively exploit mobility and multifunctionality, it is important to develop integrated control systems, capable of addressing simultaneously a number of problems, such as task planning, dynamic task sequencing, resolution of conflicts for shared resources, event-based feedback control. These issues are part of our current research concerning the development of a multi-sensor Surveillance Mobile Robot (SMR). The SMR consists of a commercial mobile robot (see Fig. 1), which is equipped with various sensors including a laser rangefinder and a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) device, and takes advantage of a hybrid control architecture to implement both high-level functions, like mission execution monitoring, and low-level reactive control. So far, several behaviours and tasks have been implemented and experimented. In this chapter, we focus on environment mapping and exploration using RFID technology. An RFID device typically consists of radio frequency (RF) tags, a reader with one or more antennas, and software to process the tag readings. The reader interrogates the tags, receiving their ID code and other information stored in their memory. Tags can be either passive or active. Passive tags are activated by the electromagnetic field generated by the RFID antenna. Active tags, instead, are powered by an on-board battery (Finkenzeller, 2003). Applications of RFID include inventory management, industry automation, ID badges and 2

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, with its multiple advantages, such as low power consumption, non-line-of-sight, non-contact, has been playing an important role in large-scale storage systems, underground parking systems, exhibition halls, supermarkets, construction sites and other scenarios. Many of those scenarios also require indoor positioning technologies, for example, warehouse goods positioning, item positioning in production assembly lines, worker positioning in construction sites. However, related researches about indoor positioning using RFID system has been having trouble in improving positioning accuracy, especially when tracking a randomly moving target. In this paper, we propose PTrack, a track prediction algorithm for tracking moving targets in indoor positioning systems which is based on RFID technology and the correspondences between the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) changes and the moving status of the target. Results show that the proposed algorithm effectively improves the positioning accuracy and achieves 1.7 m localization error in indoor environments, which makes a promising technology to support future pervasive RFID-based tracking applications.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a globally accepted technology, which has a great success in the area of supply chain management and particularly inventory management. Businesses benefit from this cost efficient opportunity to scan and track inventories. The tracking of items with RFID devices is applied in a variety of areas, such as retailing, healthcare and traffic management. Traffic congestions in metropolitan areas have developed to a major problem in many countries all over the world. They have a negative impact on the economy, the environment and the overall quality of life. The purpose of this article is to discover the use of RFID technology to manage traffic congestions and to reduce the negative impact on the economy. RFID devices would give the opportunity to control the traffic in real-time and to gather valuable information about the development and the sources of congestions. Bottlenecks could be detected early and infrastructure could be aligned accordingly. Further research is suggested to achieve a well-discovered solution, developed globally by experts.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has been considered the “next revolution in supply chain management” (Srivastava, 2004, p. 60). Current research and development related to RFID focuses on the manufacturing and retail sectors with the aim of improving supply chain efficiency. After the manufacturing and retail sectors, health care is considered to be the next sector for RFID (Ericson, 2004). RFID technology’s potential to improve asset management in the health sector is considerable, especially with respect to asset management optimization. In fact, health expenses have increased substantially in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in recent years. In Canada, the public health budget amounted to $91.4 billion (CAD) for the year 2005–2006 compared to $79.9 billion in 2003–2004 (CIHI, 2005). Moreover, the health care industry has been the focus of intense public policy attention. In order to curb this upward trend, the public heath sector in Canada is subject to strict budget constraints. Among the different alternatives for reducing expenditures, the improvement of asset management within the different health institutions appears to be worthwhile. RFID technology seems to be a viable alternative to help hospitals effectively manage and locate medical equipment and other assets, track files, capture charges, detect and deter counterfeit products, and maintain and manage materials. In other words, health care organizations would benefit particularly from RFID applications. The main objective of this study is to investigate the potential for RFID technology within one specific supply chain in the health care sector.B ased on a field study conducted in a large nonprofit hospital, this article tests some scenarios for integrating RFID technology in the context of two warehousing activities. We will first introduce the context of the health care sector and the current applications of RFID technology in that sector. The next section presents the methodological approach that was used in the study. The research findings and their implications are then discussed. Finally, some closing remarks are made.

Even invented and applied initially during the World War II, RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) technologies [1] have attracted much attention recently. Precisely speaking, RFID technologies have been applied very widely in some proprietary or closed systems, for example, animal control [2], portal control (access badges), etc. in last decades. The main advantages of RFID application are, storing item data in an electronic way even for further update, data access by electromagnetic wave in a wireless manner, and allowing quick multiple accesses to RFID tags. Based on the diverse applications, different spectrum bands are allocated, for example, LF (125 134.2 kHz and 140 148.5 kHz) for animal control, HF (13.56MHz) for electronic ticket, and UHF (868 MHz-928 MHz) for logistics, etc. Most of the frequencies are located in the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) bands [1]. However, RFID was emphasized again mainly because of the need of supply chain [3]. By proposing a standard for the format of electronic data used for goods items, of which EPC (Electronic Product Code) [4] is an example, the products can be registered at once when they are shipped out from the factories in one country, and be released when they are checked out at the counter of a supermarket in the other country in the world. These products might have been transferred through Customs of many countries and carried by different traffic means. When being through these check points, the related data stored in the tags are updated. This is called “product tracking” and is to be carried out in an “Internet of Thing (IOT)” [5]. This Chapter is to have a review on the technology theme – how to provide low-cost RFID Tags, when RFID technology is to be applied into the logistics area where the RFID tags are supposed to be not re-usable and to be as “zero-cost” as possible. Generally speaking, there are three major parts composing a RFID Tag’s total cost, namely, antenna, chip and assembly for them. The cost of antenna, in addition to the design phase, is mainly dependent on the manufacturing process. Therefore, manufacturing process should be focused if antenna’s cost, then the tag, is concerned. This is the theme of this Chapter. Not like the other antenna applications, for example, wireless LAN or mobile phone, in which antennas need to be compliant to the end products’ appearance by following the market trend. In the tag antenna industry, on the contrary, it does not need to design or modify the tag antenna often. The tag antenna just needs to electrically match the chip used in the beginning of design. It is not necessary for tag providers to prepare a wide product spectrum in the market. Again, not like the mobile phone industry, RFID tag’s players just

Modern identification procedures such as radio frequency identification (RFID) are able to provide transparency in applications including supply chain, logistics and equipment management. The benefits of visibility and fast identification provided by RFID technology especially in supply chain management (SCM) reduce the risk of counterfeiting (Gao et al., 2004). There are two mainly ways in which RFID technology supports a visible and fast identification processes: 1) RFID allows for new, automated and secure ways to efficiently authenticate physical items; and 2) As many companies invest in networked RFID technology for varying supply chain applications, the item-level data can be gathered in any case (Lehtonen et al., 2006). Despite these benefits, RFID technology is still not widely implemented. The main reasons are, firstly, the difficult are, firstly, the difficult technical aspects of implementation resulting in high setup costs, secondly, growing security and privacy concerns. Our focus in this paper is to discuss the second reason for the low take-up of RFID technology, that is, security and privacy concerns. We argue that without applying maximum security and privacy, trustworthiness between supply chain partners will be minimal. As a result, the effectiveness and collaboration of traditional supply chain environment with RFID technology cannot be achieved. Given that humans cannot read the RFID tags on items and the tags themselves maintain no history of past readings, the challenge of security and privacy in this technology is related to the nature of RFID tags and their functionality (Juels, 2005). A retailer inventory that is labeled with unprotected tags may be monitored and read by unauthorised readers. The inventory data holds significant financial value for commercial organisations and their competitors. Once data has been accessed by unauthorised users, it can be cloned on empty tags, giving rise to the counterfeiting issue. Counterfeiting in the form of cloned or fraudulent RFID tags is the consequence of a lack of security measures and trustworthiness among the supply chain partners when RFID technology is used to automate their business transactions. Privacy violations stem from the fact that when goods are tagged, the manufacturers, retailers and consumers will be able to track the goods beyond point-of-sale (POS) because they have associated data. Even if the tags only contain product codes rather than unique serial numbers, a consumer’s taste in brands “constellation” can betray their identity.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. RFID stands for Radiofrequency Identification. The acronym refers to small electronic devices that consist of a small chip and an antenna. RFID technology, initially explored in the 1980s, became more accessible and widely implemented by the early 2000s.Libraries Libraries have long served as essential institutions for knowledge preservation and dissemination, traditionally relying on physical resources like books and journals. RFID systems consist of tags, readers, and integrated software. The integration of RFID technology represents a significant advancement in library services, enhancing efficiency and user experience. A notable development in this area is RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, which has significantly enhanced library management and user experience. RFID technology utilizes radio waves to identify and track objects, such as library materials, automatically. The advent of digital technology has revolutionized libraries, transforming them into dynamic hubs of information and community engagement. RFID technology provides several benefits, including improved user experience, operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and optimized resource utilization. The evolution of library technology began with mechanical cataloguing systems, progressing to automated systems and Integrated Library Systems (ILS). In a library setting, RFID technology improves inventory control, self-checkout systems, and security. While challenges exist, the benefits of RFID technology in improving library operations and services are substantial. RFID technology in libraries offers significant enhancements across various operational aspects. The adoption of RFID in libraries has led to benefits such as faster inventory checks, reduced checkout times, and enhanced security against theft. This technological evolution encompasses digital cataloguing systems, online databases, e-books, and automated circulation systems, among other advancements. Self-checkout systems improve user convenience by allowing patrons to borrow materials independently. RFID also enhances security through anti-theft measures and enables real-time data collection for operational insights and personalized services.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is used to identify RFID-tagged objects automatically. An RFID system generally consists of three components: an RFID tag, an RFID reader, and a backend system. An RFID tag is a small device for identification, which is attached to or embedded in an object. It has an unique identifier and may optionally hold additional product information for the object. An RFID reader is a device used to interrogate RFID tags. It can be fixed or portable. It passes communication messages between an RFID tag and a backend system. A backend system stores and manages the online data which are associates with RFID tags. Since the communication between an RFID tag and an RFID reader occurs without optical line of sight, RFID tags can be read much longer and much faster than other automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) technologies such as Bar-codes and smartcards. Thanks to these advantages, RFID technology has various applications.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in library management system and services in Bangladesh. This study followed survey and interview methods of data collection through a structured questionnaire. The population of study was all nine libraries in Bangladesh where RFID technology has been installed. The study reveals that all nine libraries are using RFID technology, namely, anti-theft detection Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) gate, staff-work station and RFID tag. In addition to these, some of them are using kiosk, converter, level printer, book drop station, digital library assistance (DLA) and RFID smart card for entrance. The significance numbers of library users employ the RFID system and services and it is increasing gradually, but some of the RFID machines like level printer, book drop station and DLA are under-utilized because of lack of trained staff, patron’s doubt on new technology and less demand on using them in house-keeping library operation.