Download consideration on rfi application fields

CONSIDERATION ON RFID TECHNOLOGY AND
APPLICATION FIELDS
Georgiana VIZITEU
Gheorghe Asachi Technical University
of Iaşi
Bogdana FLOREAN
Gheorghe Asachi Technical University
of Iaşi
Andrei NIAGU
Gheorghe Asachi Technical University
of Iaşi
REZUMAT. În acest articol se face o trecere în revistă a celor mai folosite domenii de aplicaţii în care este utilizată tehnologia RFID.
RFID.
Datorită avantajelor pe care etichetele RFID le prezintă, tehnologia RFID va înlocui codurile de bare liniare şi bidimensionale.
bidimensionale. Dintre
avantajele etichetelor RFID pot fi enumerate: posibilitatea de a putea citi de la distanţă, fără erori, informaţia stocată în ele, sunt
mai greu de contrafăcut şi posedă o capacitate mai mare de stocare a informaţiei.
Cuvinte cheie:
cheie domenii de aplicaţie, eticheta RFID, tehnologia RFID,
ABSTRACT. In this article makes an overview of the most used application fields where RFID technology is used.
used. Due to the
advantages posed by RFID tags,
tags, RFID technology will replace bar codes and bidimensional
bidimensional linear.
linear. Among the advantages of RFID
tags can be enumerated:
enumerated: the ability to read remotely,
remotely, without error,
error, the information stored in them are harder to counterfeit and
have a greater capacity for storing information.
information.
Keywords:
Keywords application fields, RFID tag, RFID technology,
1. INTRODUCTION
RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) technology
is the most recent and advanced technology of
automatic identification of objects, data collection, and
is ongoing to gain an ever wider acceptance as people
understand and use this method.
RFID techology is an automatic identification
system similar to bar code technology, acting through
proximity, but without direct contact.
As bar code systems require labels attached on
objects and a proper optical reader, RFID reader and
require a "tag" specific sites or cards attached to follow
or even integrated into them.
By comparison, the barcode is scanned by reflection
of a light on the label that contains the code, while
RFID uses a method of low power radio-frequency
field.
This RF field does not require precise positioning of
the object to read, he need not penetrate any metallic
material contact with the reading equipment.
If the most simple applications proximity
identification systems can be compared with barcode,
on the other hand the most sophisticated RFID devices
can interface with external sensors to measure some
specific parameters, or even with GPS systems for
tracking the satellite position of some objects [1].
The RFID systems consist generally of three
components - a reader, a transponder (RF tag) and a
computer or other data processing system, as shown in
Fig. 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Buletinul AGIR nr. 4/2011 ● octombrie-decembrie
221
The reader contains electronic components that send
and receive a signal to and from the proximity tag, a
microprocessor who checks and decodes the received
data and a memory who records data for future
transmission if it' s necessary. The reader has connected
an antenna for possible reception and transmission of
data.
2. RFID TECHNOLOGY IN SUPERMARKETS
In supermarkets who work few employees, or to be
able to know the contents of the refrigerator at home,
last week's shopping list, stands in a wireless
identification technology RFID [3].
This technology has many application fields. On the
commercial field, the RFID technology has a high
chance to replace bar codes in time, because they offer
advantages as: they are more difficult to counterfeit,
provides more information about the product and, if the
tag can be rewritten, there can update information such
as price. A radio frequency identification system
consists of a read / write unit (transceiver) mounted in a
PC and a drive that is labeled (transponder) or tags (Fig.
2).
Fig.1. RFID system.
The antenna can be integrated into the housing
reader or may be separate , located away from other
electronic parts. A proximity tag contains an electronic
chip as the main element, this controlling
communication with the reader. This contains a
memory section for storing the identification codes or
other data communication is restored.
In [2] are presented some advantages of using radio
frequency identification method:
− RFID is ideal for severe environments with dust,
high humidity, oil, etc., that can be found in industrial
processes or warehouses;
− tags and RFID readers do not contain moving
parts and their maintenance is very low;
− radio frequency identification systems use
memories that can be erased and rewritten by a very
large number of times;
− RFID technology is fast, the speed of reading a
tag run from tens of milliseconds.
RFID systems use radio frequency transmission to
identify, categorize, locate people, animals and objects.
RFID technology can be applied in many fields,
such as: medicine for identifying patients,
supermarkets, the reign of robotics, libraries, etc. Next
I'll talk about some applications fields of RFID
technology.
Fig. 2. Radio frequency identification system.
Transceiver consists of a specialized microprocessor
that controls dates flow, a circuit modulator /
demodulator with the purpose of transforming the
information signal frequency and an antenna that
transmits radio waves.
Tag consists of a bobbin to serve as an antenna and
an integrated circuit whose principal element is a
memory. This keeps the following information: tag's
own
identification
number,
manufacturer's
identification number, product identification number.
Memory can be of two types: read only (Read Only) or
rewritable RW (Read-Write) [4].
In operation, the read / write unit radiate radio
frequency energy which propagates at a certain distance
from the antenna, thus covering a certain area. If a tag
(tag) is in area covered by the read / write unit, it is
activated its integrated circuit, so there is a dialogue
between the read / write unit and tag, the latter sending
the information in memory.
An important feature of intelligent electronic tags is
the absence of own sources of energy. Instead, tag gets
its electricity for operating from radio waves produced
by the interrogation unit. In this case serves as a tag
antenna inductor which is intended to produce
electricity [5].
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
222
Buletinul AGIR nr. 4/2011 ● octombrie-decembrie
3. RFID TECHNOLOGY IN LIBRARIES
Radio frequency identification systems used in
libraries, for:
− identifying documents;
− theft control;
− inventory;
− sorting and transport of books and audio-visual
materials.
Advantages of these systems would be:
− increasing the speed of work (speed reading of
RFID tags is the order of milliseconds);
− remove bugs;
− creating new services for users,
− reducing the cost to routine work;
− increase user satisfaction with the services
provided by library;
− increase document security [6].
The first step in the delivery of services has been
attaching RFID tags each document from group who
entered the testing phase.
This was done at the librarian's workstations by
reading the barcode of each document and a connection
is established to corresponding description from RFID
tag integrated library software.
Fig. 3 presents the labeling station:
Fig. 3. Station Labelling.
Librarian allows sorting station according to their
position on open access shelves.
Antenna located under the basket allows the
simultaneous reading of existing documents and thus it
is not necessary to return the documents to each user,
but putting them in the basket, they are simply scan past
global available for loan.
In the case of inventories can use a portable antenna
attached to a pocket computer simply by positioning
and passing through the shelf will carry the read of all
RFID tags attached to documents [6].
Another feature created by useing of this technology
is the security assurance of collections. At the loan
documents through the test system the anti-theft feature
contained in the RFID tag is disabled.
The anti-theft gates can detect those attached tags to
documents that have not gone on loan to the station,
thus making protection of the collection.
4. RFID TECHNOLOGY IN ROBOTICS
Nowadays, robotics has a very vigorous pace of
development occurring almost daily with new solutions
that simplify people's work. Robot localization is a
major problem in mobile robotics. Finding the location
of each robot is important for the route planning,
motion control and robot navigation [7].
At moboli robots are found the following situations:
− the robot must be able to detect changes in
physical condition of the things and to avoid obstacles;
− the robot must identify its location in the
environment;
− the robot must be able to complete tasks for
which it was programmed.
All these situations can be done with the RFID
technology and sensors. Sensors play a vital role in
bridging the gap between physical and virtual world
and allow objects to react to changes made in their
physical environment. The sensors collect dates about
the environment, generating information and increasing
the understanding of context [8].
RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification)
allows the identification of a person or object using
radio transmission. RFID technology can be used for
real-time tracking of objects, to obtain important
information about their location and condition [8].
An RFID system consists of the following
components: an RFID tag (transponder or RFID tag), an
RFID reader and a software module for processing.
A relatively simple method of implementing a
tracking system based on mobile robots using RFID
technology consists in using of a smart floors [9].
According to [10], the basic idea of this concept is to
distribute and integrate RFID tags into the floor and
using these tags for various purposes.
The RFID tags integrated into an intelligent
substrate or smart floor [10], can have multiple
purposes:
− can store location-specific information;
− can be used to estimate the position of a robot;
can store information about the robot's direction, speed
limits, temporarily or permanently restricted areas.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Buletinul AGIR nr. 4/2011 ● octombrie-decembrie
223
5. RFID TECHNOLOGY TO IDENTIFY
PATIENTS
Checking patient (from hospitals) is done via the
RFID transponders attached to the bracelets from hand.
Dates about the patients are placed at points of
verification, any prior information about the patient can
be retrieved at HIS (Hospital Information Systems).
Dates are transferred from this to The RFID
transponders from the bracelets. Electronic patient
registration EPR (Electronic Patient Record) is made
and stored to a central server, in this time the patient is
identified easily and without error. All this information
can be read to the RFID transponders or can be easily
found at EPR by identifying to patient with the a reader
[11].
6. CONCLUSIONS
Whatever how many positive benefits the RFID
technology brings, it must overcome some negative
aspects, such as ethics nonstop monitoring of people
entering into their privacy, and risk distribution.
Technical problems are related to compatibility and
integration with existing systems. The RFID systems
are considered by some to be dangerous for the
application fields, specifying the security issues,
privacy issues. The main disadvantaged from the point
of consumers is the need to have minimum knowledge
about computers and their use and, not least, the
vendor's inability to influence customer behavior.
REFERENCE
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
Fig. 4. Using the RFID bracelets to identify patients.
Bracelets which have embedded RFID tags are used
by many hospitals and medical centers as an alternative
to identify patients with bar codes. The initiative to
catch the RFID bracelets at hand of newborn children
has proved highly effective in preventing attempts to
kidnap them from the medical units. One such program
at a maternity identification is achieved by allocating
RFID bracelets for both child and mother to achieve as
an quickly and easily identification if this should be
done. Disposal of RFID bracelets of patients during
their hospitalization, especially in large medical centers,
can help reduce the risk of confusing medications
(amnesic patients or unconscious) or patient wandering
and preventing accidents related to incorrect
administration of treatments medicines [12].
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
http://www.rollsoft.ro/RFID1.pdf (totul despre RFID).
http://www.electronica-azi.ro/articol/564
Dhir A., „Wireless Home Networks—DECT, Bluetooth,
HomeRF, and Wireless LANs, Xilinx”, 2001 WP135
Ames R., Perspective in Radio Frequency Identification, Van
Nostrand Reinhold, 1990.
Finkenzeller K., John Wiley &Sons, RFID Handbook, 1999.
http://www.bcu-iasi.ro/biblos/biblos19/4b%20%20tendinte.pdf
Byoung-Suk Choi, Joon-Woo Lee, Ju-Jang Lee, “An
Improved Localization System with RFID Technology for a
Mobile Robot”, Industrial Electronics, IECON 2000, 34th
Annual Conference of IEEE, 2008, 3409 – 3413.
ITU Internet Reports 2005: The Internet of Things.
Executive
Summary,
November
2005,
www.itu.int/internetofthings.
Robert J. Orr, Gregory D. Abowd, „The Smart Floor: A
Mechanism for Natural User Identification and Tracking’’,
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/fce/pubs/floor-short.pdf.
Erwin Prassler, Thomas Kämpke, Boris Kluge, Matthias
Strobel, “Services Robots Navigating on Smart Floors”,
Lecture Notes in Control and Information Sciences, 2008,
Volume 370/2008, 133- 144, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-767299_11.
Bacheldor, Beth. „Harmon Hospital Implements RFID to
Track Assets”, RFID Journal, 2000, (December 22).
Bacheldor, Beth, New Heart Hospital Plans Major RFID
Operation, RFID Journal, 2006 (October 10).
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
224
Buletinul AGIR nr. 4/2011 ● octombrie-decembrie