An IoT Application Service Using Mobile RFID Technology
SeongSoo PARK
Media R&D Center, SK Telecom
seongoo@sk.com
Abstract
The RFID system consists of a transponder or tag,
interrogator, and a back-end host system. The
mobile RFID service combines the RFID system with
the mobile communication system for the mobile
service so that the user can use the RFID application
service using smart phone. This service requires an
RFID reader that is mounted on a user's smart
phone or is easy to carry, and a device equipped
with an RFID middleware can be linked to the OIS
and the ONS. In this paper, RFID reader that can be
easily used in smartphone environment and
application service that can manage objects and
verify authenticity by using RFID reader are
suggested.
Keywords: Mobile RFID System, IoT Service
1. Introduction
RFID is a wireless communication technology
using an electromagnetic field, and it is one of the
core technologies in IoT application as a technology
to acquire information without any physical contact
to a target device. In order to provide the IOT service,
the location information and the identification
information about the object should be automatically
exchanged through the Internet. RFID is one of
technologies that can effectively transmit information
for identifying and managing objects by utilizing the
electromagnetic characteristics of radio frequency.[1]
RFID technology includes HF RFID technology,
which is led by the NFC Forum and standardization,
and UHF RFID technology, which is standardized by
ISO and EPCglobal.[2] HF RFID technology, called
NFC, is mainly used in financial and medical fields.
UHF RFID is mainly used in logistics management,
location tracking, and authenticity verification.
In general, tags used in RFID technology are
classified as passive, semi-active, and active types.
These tags consist of integrated circuit, chip, antenna
and memory. In the case of active tags, a battery can
be added to generate power from the electromagnetic
induction. Semi-passive tags have an onboard power
source to provide a wider range of recognition
coverage.
Most mobile RFID systems consist of
transponders or tags, readers or interrogators, and
back-end host systems. Many studies have been
carried out to secure the security of the wireless
channel between the reader and the tag. Nevertheless,
the RFID tag uses a hash-based XOR function in
communication to enable simple and cost-effective
security control.[3] This is because most RFID tags
are passive and resource for processing is limited.
The mobile RFID network is constructed by
connecting an existing mobile communication
network and an RFID network. Previously, RFID
network was used to manage the distributed or
moving items, but recently it has focused on
providing various application services to individual
or dedicated users. This is because it is possible to
provide various independent services using a
personal terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet.
Also, in providing mobile RFID service, a mobile
device having an RFID reader function can access
tags and retrieve information, so that security of a
wireless signal channel in an RFID section can’t
guarantee service stability.
Based on the above discussions, this paper
proposes a small RFID reader for mobile RFID
service and an example of application service using it.
This paper is organized as follows. Section 2
gives an overview of mobile RFID technology and
application service. In section 3, we describe the
implementation of a small RFID reader that can be
mounted on mobile. Section 4 describes application
service scenario and results. Section 5 concludes
summary of the results of this paper..
2. Mobile RFID Service Configuration
A. Mobile RFID Network Architecture
The mobile RFID network service is equipped
with an RFID reader function in a terminal capable of
accessing a mobile communication network, and
delivers EPC information acquired from a tag to a
remote server to provide an application service. Fig.
2 shows the overview of mobile RFID network
architecture.[4]
 OIS Server
3. DEVELOPMENT OF RFID READER
6. Request Information
of a Tag to URL
FOR SMART PHONE
1. Request EPC
3. EPC
A. Small RFID Reader
7. Transmit of the Tag
The microSD card is a secondary storage used in
4. Request Information
2. Reply EPC
RFID Tag
8. Information of EPC
Mobile RFID
of URL for EPC android smartphones, and communicates with
Base Station
Reader 5. Reply URL smartphone to store user data through the SD
interface. In this paper, we implemented UHF RFID
ONS Server reader on microSD card that can read the UHF RFID
tag information based on the SD interface.
Fig. 1 Mobile RFID Network Architecture Overview A block diagram of UHF RFID reader on
microSD card is shown in Fig. 2.
The RFID tag stores an EPC composed of head
information (8bit), EPC manager(24bit), object
class(28bit), and serial ID (36bit). These tags carry 2.7V 2.7V

the function of transmitting the stored EPC

information when the signal is recognized. The

Balun
Tx
AMP

reader is embedded in the smart phone and stores and UART

processes the information received from the tag and SD
Controller
RFID Reader
SoC
Coupler

the function of requesting information from the tag.

Antenna PAD
Balun
Rx
In addition, the RFID middleware implemented in
the reader or terminal performs a role of retrieving
information on the EPC read from the tag by
accessing the OIS and the ONS through the Fig. 2 A block diagram of UHF RFID reader on
communication module of the terminal. microSD card

The hardware of UHF RFID reader on microSD

B. Previous Studies
card consists of three parts of the SD controller, UHF
RFID technology has got the technical features
RFID SoC and RF components. The SD controller
that enable the radio identification for the individual
controls the file input and output operations through
objects, and provides possibilities and opportunities
the SD interface. In particular, SD controller receives
in various application such as product tracking, smart
RCP message from smartphone to operate RFID
banking, asset management, sports games, logistics,
reader, and transmits it to RFID reader SoC. Also,
security, and health care[5]. In addition, RF
SD controller stores RFID tag information obtained
integrated IC(RFICs) development, the effort of
by RFID reader SoC, and transmits smartphone
performance enhancement through new antenna
application
design, mass production and cost reduction achieved
by the electronics printing of the RFID has
accelerated the industrial utilization of RFID B. RFID Reader API for Smart Phone
technology[6]. Also, to expand application service Smartphone application obtains RFID tag
area, a variety study such as collision avoidance in a information from RFID reader on microSD card
multiple tag environment[7], the improved tag using file input and output functions. RFID interface
recognition, and interworking with IoT or file stores the tag information read by the RFID
WSN(wireless sensor network) are progressed.[8] reader SoC, and delivers them exactly when there is
In order to expand the RFID application in request the tag information from the smartphone
various fields, as well as to make use of a sensor application. The SD interface functions to
network, a technique for easy connection with a communicate with the RFID reader on microSD card
smartphone is needed. Smartphone with RFID in smartphone application are shown in Table I.
technology can be a bridge to obtain information Table I. SD Inerace Functions
about the offline object from data network. The Function Description
individual object information stored in the RFID tags open( ) Obtain access right for RFID interface file
helps to application services that establish a smart close( ) Release access right for RFID interface file
object environment, a smartphone is a useful control( )
Control RFID SoC and set data transmission
platform for the communications between objects rate
read( ) Read tag information form RFID interface file
and users.[9]
write( ) Transmit RCP message to RFID reader SoC

When a user runs an application for the RFID

service in the smartphone, the application attempts to
access RFID interface files using open(). If the RFID
interface file does not exist, SD controller makes the
RFID interface file in the specified location, and
allows access. When an RFID interface file is
normally open, application waits for a read command
to get RFID tag information. When the RFID tag
read request is made by the user, the application is to
supply power to the RFID reader SoC and the
amplifier in the SoC SD card, and activates the RFID
reader function. The application is sent to the SD
controller using write() including the RCP (Reader
Control Protocol, ISO29173-1) command for reading
the RFID tag. Also, SD controller sends RCP
message to RFID reader SoC to obtain RFID tag
information. When the tag information is obtained by
the RFID reader operation, the RFID reader SoC is
stored in the tag information through SD controller to
the RFID interface file.
The smartphone application periodically reads
RFID interface file to obtain RFID tag information
using read(), and SD controller removes the read tag
information from the RFID interface file to prevent
data redundancy. After reading all of the RFID tag
information, application is cutting off the power
supply to the RFID reader SoC and amplifier in the
microSD card using control(). In addition, the
smartphone application is using the close() to return
the permissions of an RFID interface file.
4. A Development of Mobile RFID
Applications
A. Application Scenario
In the mobile RFID service, the user must be able
to acquire the RFID tag information at an arbitrary
place by using his / her RFID terminal and obtain
desired result through connection with the mobile
communication network. To this end, additional
service information mapped with tag information
should be stored in the service server. Fig. 3 shows
the configuration and procedure of the system for the
history management and authentication service of the
objects using the RFID technology.
The RF tag is attached to the object used for the
service, including the EPC code. EPC information is
stored in the application service server in conjunction
with the logistics management system at the
production stage of the object.
A user who wants to use mobile RFID service
executes an application program in a smartphone
equipped with an RFID reader. When the application
runs, the RFID reader is activated and acquires EPC
information from the tag. The EPC information
obtained from the tag is transmitted to the mobile
communication network through the application of
the terminal and transmitted to the application
service server. The application service server
transmits the history information of the object to the
user terminal based on the EPC. The user terminal
displays the information on the screen and
additionally starts a procedure to check whether the
object is authentic.
Mobile Network
Object Mobile Terminal
(with RFID Reader)
Application Server
EPC Request
EPC Response
Query Info(EPC)
Query Response(EPC, Object Info, Passwd)
Read Info(EPC, Passwd)
Response(Result)
Fig. 3 The Mobile RFID Service Process
An authenticity check on an object utilizes a
password stored in a specific area within the tag. The
mobile application transmits the password
information received from the server together with
the EPC information through the RFID reader to the
tag. The tag compares the stored EPC information
with the password information and responds to the
RFID reader. The mobile application displays the
result of the response sent from the tag so that the
user can check it.
B. Verification of Mobile RFID Service
RFID reader for the mobile RFID service is
implemented according to a microSD standard
specification to be mounted on smartphone. When
mounted to an actual smartphone, the link loss of RF
transmission signal is approximately due to
smartphone case and the other element. The loss
parameters were reflected in the performance test
process for designing a RFID reader. As shown in
Fig. 4, it is confirmed that stable tag recognition is
possible at 3 centimetres distance.
Fig. 4 Tagging Disttance Test
Fig. 5 shows the result of confirming the
operation according to the scenario of Mobile RFID
service.

Fig. 5 Molbile RFID Servic Scenario Test
In this service scenario, the EPC information and
the password in the RFID tag are managed by the
application service server in the same manner, and
the security of the RFID service can be improved by
one by one. However, for more stable and static
services, security for smartphone applications should
be considered separately.
5. Conclusions
In order to activate IoT service, spread of RFID
technology is very important factor. In particular, it is
important to provide mobile RFID service that
enables RFID service to be used anytime and
anywhere by smart phones that are rapidly spreading.
This is because it can demonstrate that the service
can be used in a wide range of fields by combining
mobile communication technology with the existing
RFID service which is operated in a closed manner.
In this paper, we describe an implementation of a
small RFID reader and an example of a mobile RFID
service using it to improve the usability of RFID
technology in IoT applications. The small RFID
reader is implemented as a microSD type for
smartphone, and an external flexible antenna is used
to improve recognition distance. In addition,
middleware for RFID service is implemented in
smartphone, so that it can be linked with remote
application service server.
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Acknowledgement
This work was supported by ‘The Cross-Ministry
Giga KOREA Project’ grant funded by the Korea
government (MSIT)(GK17S0300, A Substantiation
of Immersive Media and Application Service base on
5G)

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