RFID Technology

Radio Frequency IDentification

Technology
Jennifer Landis, Michelle Cassinelli, Andrew Jones
May 23, 2006

Overview
RFID Introduction
History of RFID Technology
Current Uses
Potential Uses
Regulation and Standardization
RFID Legislation
Controversy

RFID Introduction
Radio Frequency Identification
Automatic identification method
Stores and retrieves data using RFID tag
Uses radio frequency

History of RFID
Discovery of radar (1935)
First passive and active
RFID systems developed and used during WWII
RFID development - commercial uses
(1950s and 1960s)
Mario Cardullo received 1st U.S. patent for
active RFID tag (1973)

RFID System
Tag (Transponder)
Antenna, Microchip, and Distinct Product Code

Reader (Interrogator)
Antenna, Transceiver, and Decoder

Process
1. Reader detects signal, decodes data on tags chip
2. Data passes to host computer
3. Application software on computer processes data

Types of RFID Tags

Passive Tag
No internal power source, can be very small,
used on low-cost items

Semi-Passive Tag
Small battery, tracking high-value goods

Active Tag
Internal power source, transmitter, tracking
high-value goods

Supply Chain Management

Sears Holding Company
2005, Sears starts tracking appliances;
3,800 stores
Reduces incorrect placements of goods
Reduces need for operators

Gillette Company
Tracks retail store stock with sales
promotions
48% higher sales if product on the shelf
before the promotion. (CPA Advisor)

More Uses for RFID Technology

Ford and Texas
Instruments
Teamed up on a
vehicle
immobilizer
project for all
2005 model
Fords
Reduced auto
theft by as
much as 90%
(Bono)

Robert Bosch Tool

Corporation
Tools are
embedded with
RFID technology
to prevent theft

Using RFID Tags for Tracking

RFIDs are used to track
Books from the Public Library
Airline Baggage
Cattle to help identify a bovines herd
of origin
Family Pets
Car Tires

Tracking People?
Los Angeles County Police Department
has used RFID technology to track
prison inmates
Reasoning: to track anti-social behavior
and prisoner movements (RFID)

California Public School used RFID

chips that were embedded in ID tags to
track students
Reasoning: ensure the safety of the
students and prevent truancy

The Future of RFID Technology

RFIDs are often seen as the replacement
for UPC and barcodes
Potential to revolutionize grocery shopping

Smart Appliances- AKA a bachelors dream

These potential uses wont be around any
time soon due to:
Cost Barriers
Lack of products being embedded with RFID
tags
Changes to operational processes
Standards

 What are some

potential uses for
RFID technology?

Frequencies

Abbr.

Number of Wavelengths
Each Second

Hertz

Hz

One

Kilohertz

KHz

Thousand

Megahertz

MHz

Million

Gigahertz

GHz

Billion

Abbr.

Freq. and Wavelength

Example of uses

< 3 Hz
> 100,000 km
Extremely low
frequency

ELF

330 Hz
100,000 km
10,000 km

Communication with submarines

Super low
frequency

SLF

30300 Hz
10,000 km 1000
km

Communication with submarines

Ultra low
frequency

ULF

3003000 Hz
1000 km 100 km

Communication within mines

Very low
frequency

VLF

330 kHz
100 km 10 km

Submarine communication, avalanche beacons,

wireless heart rate monitors

Low frequency

LF

30300 kHz
10 km 1 km

Medium
frequency

MF

3003000 kHz
1 km 100 m

High frequency

HF

330 MHz
100 m 10 m

Navigation, time signals, AM long wave

broadcasting
AM (Medium-wave) broadcasts
Shortwave broadcasts and amateur radio

Very high
frequency

VHF

30300 MHz
10 m 1 m

FM and television broadcasts

Ultra high
frequency

UHF

3003000 MHz
1 m 100 mm

television broadcasts, mobile phones, wireless

LAN, ground-to-air and air-to-air
communications

Super high
frequency

SHF

330 GHz
100 mm 10 mm

microwave devices, mobile phones (W-CDMA),

WLAN, most modern Radars

Extremely high
frequency

EHF

30300 GHz
10 mm 1 mm

Radio astronomy, high-speed microwave radio

relay

Above 300 GHz

< 1 mm

Night vision

RFID Regulation
No global governing body
Low and High Frequency used globally
UHF does not have a global standard
ISM bands are UHF and have different
frequencies
Power restrictions and Frequency emission
Standards
RFIDs must be certified
End users can be affected if manufactures do not
comply
Regulations designed to reduce interference

RFID Legislation
Problem once goods are purchased
RFIDsec makes tags which transfer
control to consumer
Some tags uses cryptography
State Legislation

RFID Controversy
Privacy advocates call them spy chips
and warn of possible abuse from
stalkers, marketers and the government
US passports
Ubisense makes tags for employees, real
time, precise location
US DoD will use them to track weapons
movements in 2007

RFID Controversy
Wal-Mart requires top suppliers to use
them
RFID tags where shown in March 2006
that software viruses can be inserted into
them
It shouldn't surprise you that a system
that is designed to be manufactured as
cheaply as possible is designed with no
security constraints whatsoever. (Peter
Neumann)

Summary
RFID Introduction
History of RFID Technology
RFID Systems
Current Uses
Potential Uses
Regulation and Standardization
RFID Legislation
Controversy