by Jack Tay

While RFID (radio frequency identification) technology is no longer a new or emerging technology, its adoption in Asia Pacific is sporadic, with pockets of accelerated adoption in certain economies, and certain industries. Against the backdrop of regulatory requirements and internal audit controls which put more stringent demands on operating enterprises, whereby more accountability and traceability must be accomplished, the RFID technology adoption situation would theoretically imply that RFID systems would become commonplace everywhere in Asia.

Some countries, such as China, South Korea and Japan, have successful and more widespread adoption of RFID than other countries in Asia Pacific. Many RFID adoptions come from established sites which have other forms of supply chain implementations, and therefore, are considered retrofitted RFID adoptions. While RFID implementations from scratch would be considered the easiest from a technological point of view, we must not discount that many sites would require a phased-in approach of RFID, starting perhaps with test sites to ensure compatibility with enterprise and back-end software.

What makes RFID great for the modern supply chain environment?

Unlike traditional barcode systems, RFID readers do not require a visual line of sight. This can be useful for proximity scanning of RFID tags on tagged items, rather than demanding personnel to be positioned visually within the logistics items to check their availability. Therefore, RFID systems can be extremely useful for supply chain environments that use optimized storage planning, where items can be stacked back to back. And because of proximity scanning rather than line of sight requirements, more data collection along the entire supply chain can be set up easily, without dramatic process changes.

With RFID tags, whether passive or especially active tags, more information can be stored on the tags, compared to traditional barcodes. For active RFID tags, data can be updated enroute (read/write capability), which provide even more flexibility for supply chain backend systems and their interaction.

Increasing adoption of RFID

RFID is also more practical than ever before, with clear business cases being demonstrated for asset management and supply chain operations alike. For example, TNT Logistics reduced its truck load verification time 24 percent by using RFID to automatically record goods loaded onto its trailers. Hundreds of other companies around the world are also implementing RFID-based shipping, receiving and inventory visibility applications.

A sub-trend behind RFID adoption for inventory, warehouse and distribution operations is the use of vehicle-mounted and other mobile RFID readers to enhance or replace stationary models. With a mobile infrastructure, companies don’t need to purchase, install and maintain a separate RFID reader for each dock door. Forklift-mounted and handheld readers can cover multiple docks, and be used in warehouse aisles and elsewhere throughout the facility, further reducing the required RFID investment. Plus, they put information directly in the user’s hands, so they can prevent errors, rather than just record them after they occur.

Container tracking and RFID

With the global struggle against terror or theft, it is imperative that any component of the entire supply chain must be secured, and authenticated, so that there is no breakdown in the process.

With RFID tagging, containers, and pallets, can all be adequately tracked and authenticated, along every step of the process from manufacturing to the ultimate client’s location, however remote the location may be. This is not merely a customer requirement (often to comply with internal controls and procedures), but also increasingly a governmental requirement in many locations (especially in the United States and Europe). With adequate tracking through RFID tags, shippers and manufacturers can account to governments and customers, but also build in a "shield" to protect their brands, given that brands these days can break easily due to some lapses in accountability.

The second part of this article will discuss the RFID adoption in automotive manufacturing and a recommended approach to implement RFID.

The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.


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Labels: business, china, japan, mobile, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking

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by Toni Anwar and Chua Teong Kiat

The digital campus project focuses on the design and implementation of RFID system, which will serve as a guideline for upgrading the Universiti of Sains Malaysia network systems in the future. There are five locations taken into consideration in the RFID design and implementation, which are the library, the health unit (clinic), the entrance/guard house, the hostel, the school and lecture halls.

1. Library

The RFID applications for the library include:
a. Entrance access control - The door will only unlock if it detects correct IDs.
b. Visitors Counter - Automatic counter system to count the number of daily library visitors
c. Anti-theft - Alert system to alarm the librarians if there is any book taken from the library without registration and daily books check-in/out system.
d. Book Location Checking System - Using portable reader, we can set the book's ID we are looking for and set the read coverage to find out the books' location.



Currently USM Engineering Campus library has already had a contactless smart card reader at its counter. When a student library card is pointed near the reader, the reader will get the library ID and transfer it to a host PC to access the database and check loaned book status. At the same time, the profile of the student is also updated.

The benefits from RFID implementation are the followings:
1.Enhance library security
2.Replace the guard's work for checking out book status and counting daily visitors
3.Prevent missing books
4.Find lost books inside library

2. Health Unit (Clinic)

The RFID application for health unit at USM is for medicine monitoring and management. The Auto-ID system will update medicine’s data at an interval of time, to make sure their availability, expiry date and location. It can alert the nurse to process an application form and order a new medicine if there is any shortage of medicine or if the medicine is expired. This system will update the medicine data into database automatically and improve the management system of medicine at health unit. We eliminate the patient tracking application because it is an unnecessary application for health unit in our campus.



Currently, USM Engineering Campus Health Unit has already had a contactless smart card reader at its counter. When a student card is pointed near the reader, the reader will get the student's IC number, transfer the information to host PC, access to student database, then check or update student's clinic record.

The benefit from RFID implementation is improved operations and saving time. Accurate and automatic data capture coupled with intelligent control leads to better security of medicine control.

3. Guard House

The RFID applications for the entrance gate at USM include:
a. Entrance access control - The gate will only unlock if it detects a correct tag ID.
b. Asset/Item tracking and tracing – Anti-theft detects whether an asset or item has an authorization to be brought out of campus. If it is not, several actions, such as guard alert, alarm activation and gate/barrier closing can be performed.
c. Vehicle verification – Unique ID for all students', staff' and visitors' vehicle. If there is any unknown vehicle, the guard can do necessary actions. If any vehicle parks at a forbidden area, the guard can record time, date and location of violation and the owner will get a fine.

Currently, USM Engineering Campus has two formal gates, one main gate and one side gate opened for entrance. There are 2 barriers with contactless smart card readers at the main gate, which function from 10:30 pm until 6:30am. Anyone crossing the barriers needs to confirm ID with a reader. The system replaces manual registration for student or staff at USM with auto-ID data recording to the database.

The benefits from RFID implementation are the followings:
1. Enhance campus security
2. Improve operation and management system for guard
3. Anti-theft, reduce criminal
4. Trace unknown vehicle
5. Fine the vehicle rules breaker effectively

4. School, DU (Main Hall) and DK (Lecture Hall)

At school or lab, we can also implement RFID technology to track and trace assets or equipment for a room or lab, to prevent theft or missing equipment, and improve the registration process.

5. Others
For USM hostel, six engineering schools, DU (Main Hall), and DK (Lecture Hall), RFID application like door lock system and auto attendance record system can be implemented using a contactless smart card system. But it is not a cost-effective application that can benefit much from RFID technology. As a result, we eliminate the RFID application on these locations.

In spite of the current excitement, RFID may not be suitable for everyone. There are some hurdles we need to consider seriously before embarking on a real implementation of RFID network system for digital campus, including:

* Price
* Complexity
* Existing solutions
* Advantages
* Applicability

The current state of RFID technology based on a collection of comments and observations is:
* Confusing
* Lacking of expertise
* Still in learning state

Toni Anwar is the Coordinator for Software Systems Engineering Programme at the Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut Institute Technology North Bangkok (KMITNB), Bangkok, Thailand.

Teong-Keat Chua is a Design Verification Engineer at Spansion Penang Design Center, Malaysia.



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Labels: card, malaysia, project, reader, rfid, security, tag, technology, tracking

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by Toni Anwar and Chua Teong Kiat

Digital campus is a campus that is fully served by digital infrastructures and other digital facilities, such as computers, servers, databases, etc. Furthermore, administrative processes, room access and other information, such as inventory of equipments and delivery of reports, can all be carried out through digital network infrastructures, computers, fixed and mobile communication facilities.

In a digital campus, digital workflow processes are expected to improve the management and operational efficiency of sub-communities such as library, hostel, clinic, faculties and bank. Apart from that, with the existence of Wi-Fi hotspots in the campus; staff, students and researchers can access the Internet from anywhere and anytime in the campus and use various applications, for example: e-learning, smart classes, digital library, e-merchant and e-banking by smart card with RFID etc.

However, in our project, we only focus on RFID technology and figure out how the technology can give a valuable improvement over the existing system at USM Engineering Campus. A simple example of RFID implementation is that students’ valuable asset like laptop and vehicle can be more easily monitored in the campus. The system can alert the guard house if any monitored asset tries to leave the campus area without permission. Another example is a library that can have an effective inventory control. RFID reader can instantaneously identify the books in the library and update book information at the time of borrowing or returning the books.

The design of several applications in a digital campus, such as library, health unit, guard house, hostel and school will be described in Part 2 of the case study.

Toni Anwar is the Coordinator for Software Systems Engineering Programme at the Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut Institute Technology North Bangkok (KMITNB), Bangkok, Thailand.

Teong-Keat Chua is a Design Verification Engineer at Spansion Penang Design Center, Malaysia.



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by Adi Tedjasaputra

Yesterday was the last day of a 3-month exhibition about scientific discoveries and technological inventions made by the Chinese for the past 7000 years. The exhibition held in Singapore Science Centre covers eleven areas of Chinese invention, i.e. astronomy, compass, gunpowder, printing, mechanics, architecture, weaving, ceramics, paper making, bronze casting and traditional medicine. It was interesting to find RFID technology being used to demonstrate Acupuncture associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Acupuncture is a well-known medical technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Seeing a human body as a delicate balance between two opposing and inseparable forces: Yin and Yang, Qi or Chi (vital energy) is believed to circulate throughout body along meridians influenced by the balance between Yin and Yang. In a healthy body, Chi flows freely through meridians without blockage, stagnation or weakening. Xue (acupuncture points) are the locations where Chi of the Meridians rise close to the surface of body. It is believed that a human body consists of 12 main meridians, 8 secondary meridians and more than 2,000 acupuncture points (See reference 1, 2 and 3 for more information).

One of the exhibition highlights is an Interactive Acupuncture Chart. The main part of the system is a human body model illustrated with meridians and acupuncture points. This model gives visitors an opportunity to learn about different meridians and acupuncture points available throughout human body. Some key acupuncture points are tagged with small black coin-shaped passive RFID tags with a diameter of 14 mm and thickness of 3.2mm.

Another important part of the system is a flashlight-shaped RFID reader connected to a host computer. The 125kHz RFID reader serves as a probe to the human body model. Whenever a visitor points a key acupuncture point that is tagged with an RFID tag, a touch-screen display located nearby the human body model will give a corresponding information.

The system was interactive and easy to use for the visitors of all ages. The visitors explored and played with the system without realising the technology complexity. Some visitors who are interested to find the key acupuncture points related to their illness explored the human body model with the RFID reader easily.

Interestingly, during my exploration with the system, I accidentally discovered one of the RFID tags on the floor nearby the human model. Instead of examining all the key acupuncture points on the human body model to find the origin of the tag, I scanned the RFID tag and read the corresponding information on the touch-screen display. I easily located the exact location of the tag where the tag originated on the human body model. I put back the tag where it belongs and I was satisfied that the system functions as it should be.

Thanks to Cheong Hee Kiat for his generosity and recommendation.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


References

1. Wikipedia. Acupuncture. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.
2. NCCAM (December 2004). Acupuncture. NCCAM. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.
3. ICBS, Inc. Channels or Meridians in Acupunture. ICBS, Inc. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.


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Labels: china, reader, rfid, singapore, tag, technology

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by Adi Tedjasaputra

The most popular technology used to pair mobile phones and headsets is undoubtedly Bluetooth. However, it is also a common knowledge that pairing mobile phones and headsets using Bluetooth can be cumbersome. When Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), a trade association behind Bluetooth, approved Bluetooth version 2.1 + EDR specification a couple of weeks ago, it is of no surprise that the specification includes an improvement for inter-device pairing process and a support for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Among a myriad of wireless technologies, why does the new Bluetooth specification support NFC technology?

The Bluetooth SIG claims on its website that NFC will "take ease of use to the next level". While this assertion may sound like a marketing jargon, NFC does have a potential to exploit two well-known physical interaction styles, i.e. waving and touching/tapping, in various short-range contactless applications. The familiarity with waving and touching is expected to ease the use of NFC-enabled devices and thus improve the overall user experience of NFC-enabled devices.

Beside the improvement in user experience, NFC also has a potential to bridge the change of paradigm in logical bond or connection among physical objects. When the on-going work on NFC's Host Controller Interface (HCI) specification is completed by 2008, the HCI is expected to cover all NFC operational modes, including reader/writer, peer-to-peer and card emulation.

Imagine your NFC-enabled mobile phones that can act both as a credit card and a personal payment terminal. Imagine showing your digital photos and videos from your NFC-enabled camera on your friend's NFC-enabled television only by putting your camera next to the television. Imagine many other logical connection among physical objects that may be possible with NFC technology.

While the logical connection among physical objects is quite attractive, the technology may face some interoperability problems if there is no single technology standardization widely accepted by technology providers and end-users alike. The recent announcement of the NFC tag specification has shown that the NFC Forum has learnt from the RFID industry experience and built its NFC tag specification on the existing standards, such as: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 14443 and Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) X 6319-4/FeliCa.

The fact that NFC technology can ride on the popularity of mature technology such as Bluetooth shows the confidence in the future of NFC technology. However, similar with any other new and emerging technology, NFC will find its challenges along the way. Some of the challenges already identified include unreliable NFC infrastructure and insecure applications. We will see in the next 5 years whether NFC technology can overcome the challenges and find its niche application as Bluetooth did with its pairing feature.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: bluetooth, card, mobile, nfc, payment, reader, rfid, tag, technology

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by Eunice Sari

A new contactless credit card offers a convenience of use and an alternative cashless payment to consumers in Singapore. While the current offering may appeal to a limited segment, there is still a room for improvement in the verification mechanism to leverage the appeal of the contactless credit card to other segments.

Last Thursday, United Overseas Bank (UOB) of Singapore launched the first contactless Visa Wave Credit Card in Singapore. Following the trial success in Malaysia and Taiwan during the first quarter of 2007, the launch of UOB One Card in Singapore is not surprising. Susan Williams, the Director of Stakeholder Communications Visa International Asia Pacific, shared with RFID Asia that as the end of March 2007, there are a total of 8.1 million Visa Wave cards issued by the banks in Malaysia, while in Taiwan the number is more staggering: 23.9 million cards, with more than 2,970 merchant locations that accept Visa Wave cards

Similar to the other contactless credit cards like Master Card PayPass and AmEx Express Pay, the UOB One Card only allows a small value of transaction without card holder's signature in about 300 island-wide retail outlets. UOB One Card holders can wave their cards on a reader terminal to pay for a purchase and expect the EMV-based payment system, a payment system built for chip-based transaction, to process a transaction and print a receipt within 4-6 seconds, without any card handover. Based on the study commissioned by Visa, this process is much faster than a signature-based card payment that takes an average of 25 seconds or a cash transaction that takes an average of 14 seconds.

The convenience of such contactless payment is not without a catch. Compared to non-contactless credit cards that require signature authorization or pin numbers from authorized card holders for each transaction, contactless credit card, such as UOB One Card, imposes no verification for any transaction up to $100. There is virtually no verification system in place to make sure that a person making contactless credit card payment is actually the authorized card owner. It will be easier for an unauthorized person who can get access to such contactless credit card to misuse the card. The owner of such contactless credit card can risk $100 multiplied by the number of transactions before the card reported as missing, stolen or misused in such scenario.

During the CommunicAsia 2007 in Singapore, we interviewed a few visitors about Visa Wave. The ages of the interview participants were all above 40. All of the interviewed participants said that they were excited to know about the coming of a new contactless payment technology, but they were still reluctant to use a contactless payment system. The feeling of uncertainty was the main reason of their hesitance, for example: they were still unsure whether they would be double-charged or triple-charged for waving a card several times.

The feeling of uncertainty for the consumers in Singapore is not without a grounded reason. In 1999, the consumers in Singapore saw a total of 400,000 Singapore dollars wrongly debited from their bank accounts through a crash in the country's cashless point-of-sale system. This experience has affected the adoption of any new cashless system in Singapore.

Targeting young professionals (23-34 years old), the launch of UOB One Card is a significant step for Singapore towards a cashless society, a vision backed by the Singapore Government since 1999. Compared to the current cashless payment system using magnetic strip cards, the UOB One cards will introduce a relatively new interaction style in cashless payment for the consumers in Singapore. Consumers and merchants alike using the contactless credit card system may expect a significant portion of learning and teething problems in the upcoming days and months ahead. In addition, UOB One Card may not also be as popular as its predecessors in Taiwan and Malaysia because the credit card will only be appealing to a small segment in the Singapore's aging society.

The writer is an ICT Consultant and Researcher with various affiliations to academic and industry organizations. Her current research interest includes ICT4D, m-Learning, e-Learning, Web 2.0, healthcare, wireless and mobile technology.


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Labels: 2.0, card, malaysia, mobile, payment, reader, rfid, singapore, technology, trial

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by Adi Tedjasaputra

The steadily growing demand for RFID solutions in the Asia Pacific region is inevitable, particularly in the supply chain markets. However, a threat is looming that the current growth will not be sustainable. A fair cost-sharing mechanism, rational motives and justified returns from RFID technology investments are the key ingredients to achieve long-term and sustainable RFID technology adoption.

With the number of contactless smart card unit shipments in the Asia Pacific region at approximately 230 million cards and the Asia Pacific RFID supply chain market that earned $170.3 million in 2006 (Frost & Sullivan 7 Jun 2007, RFID versus Contactless Smart Card and Frost & Sullivan 30 Jun 2007, Asia Pacific RFID Supply Chain Markets), it is hard to ignore the steady growing demand for RFID solutions in the region.

Heating up the emerging markets, METRO Group – the world's fourth largest retailer located in Germany has launched an initiative called Advanced Logistics Asia program since last year. The aim of the program is simply to improve the flow of goods along the supply chain between China (Hong Kong) and Germany with the use of RFID technology.

Speaking to FoodProductionDaily.com, Christian Maas - a METRO Group spokesperson, recently gave a comment on the pressure on its suppliers for adopting RFID and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology: "Suppliers doing without the innovative technology (RFID and EDI – ed.) will bear the higher process costs resulting from a lower efficiency. Suppliers participating in the RFID roll-out will benefit from a preferred treatment."

The remark implies that METRO Group believes in 3 things:

1. The technology used by METRO Group, including RFID, is innovative.


2. RFID will help suppliers achieving lower process costs as a result of higher process efficiency.


3. A preferred treatment is an incentive for suppliers to participate in the RFID roll-out.

Whether these beliefs are based on facts or assumptions, all suppliers to METRO Group will have to eventually go along with RFID deployment plan. First, the suppliers will have to participate in EDI framework integrating NVE (Shipping Unit Number). This participation requires suppliers to provide NVEs for complete pallets and each individual package. After the EDI System integration, the next step will be the use of RFID tags at the pallet level. Suppliers will have to attach RFID tags to all pallets before delivery.

Faced with the requirement for RFID technology compliance, suppliers should ask the following question: Is there any rational motive that can justify the adoption of RFID technology further into internal business processes? The answer to the question is crucial for any supplier to take a strategic decision whether to implement RFID technology only for the sake of compliance or integrate the RFID technology further into internal business processes.

The answer from the 26 METRO Group's industry partners from Asia (not 30 suppliers or partners as published previously in various media) participating in "Tag it easy" pilot project has already been decided: compliance.

As a part of the Advanced Logistics Asia program, the "Tag it easy" pilot project was launched in late May 2007. The project aims to enable consumer good industry partners in Hong Kong to apply RFID labels on the shipments to Unna, Germany.

Basically, there are only 3 things that the Asian suppliers participating in the project need to perform:

1. Use Metro Link portal to order pre-printed RFID labels for packages exported to Unna, Germany.


2. Manually attached the RFID labels to the export packages.


3. Manually read the data on the RFID labels affixed to the outgoing goods using a handheld reader.

The recent press release from METRO Group reported that 40 companies have adapted their processes to use RFID technology. From the press release, it is unclear whether the 40 companies include the 26 suppliers from Asia or not. However, based on the facts that the Asian suppliers solely perform peripheral activities with regard to RFID implementation, and not further adoption into internal business processes, it is fair to assume that the press release excludes the 26 suppliers from Asia.

Judging from the manual labour-intensive processes that are still heavily involved in the project, it will be difficult for suppliers to justify that RFID is an innovative technology that can help them to achieve lower process costs and higher process efficiency. The suppliers involved in the project may get a preferred treatment from the METRO Group and detailed proof of good delivery, nevertheless, it is still questionable whether the preferred treatment and detailed proof of good delivery can actually justify the additional operational costs and process waste.

On the other hand, METRO Group can benefit tremendously from data quality improvement, process efficiency improvements along the supply chain, and real-time asset visibility & control, while the third-party RFID vendor - Checkpoint Systems, Inc. can profit from the use of their Check-Net® products and services.

The situation confirms the results of our previous study on RFID adoption in Supply Chain Logistics and Retail Logistics, in which a fair cost-sharing mechanism between retailer (METRO Group) and consumer good suppliers is essential for a sustainable RFID adoption to take place. In addition, it is also necessary for consumer good suppliers to be able to justify their investments in RFID technology with rational motives and justified returns. A specific business case for each unique consumer goods supplier and a customised solution to RFID system integration challenges are no longer nice-to-have. It has already become a fundamental requirement for a sustainable RFID adoption and sustainable growth of RFID supply chain markets.


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Labels: business, card, china, project, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology

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by Adi Tedjasaputra

From the recent comments and statements, it seems like technology agnostic is the latest trend in the RFID industry. The RFID industry has become more sophisticated and provided more values from RFID technology.


Read the following comments and statements:

"... truly frequency agnostic company" (UK)

"... frequency agnostic – write tags at HF and UHF frequencies" (USA)

"... tag agnostic (Gen 1 & Gen 2)" (USA)

"... reader agnostic ..." (USA)

"... technology and frequency agnostic. Our main objective is to ensure that we have common data structures and command sets to make it easier and less costly to implement." (President of EPCglobal)

"... frequency agnostic, advocating that the optimal tag should be used for various applications" (UK)

"... will develop new RFID solutions with a frequency agnostic approach, as wireless frequency ranges are assessed and recommended based on the exact needs of the individual application." (Netherlands)

The use of the word "agnostic" itself is a kind of stretch from the original meaning that comes from the Greek words of "a" (not) and "gnostos" (known), which literally means unknown. A person who believes in neither God's existence nor God's non-existence can be called an agnostic. If you have no commitment in an opinion, you can also be called an agnostic.

The earliest account of the word "agnostic" in use within the RFID industry dates back to May 2006, when EPCglobal started to look into HF RFID technology and formed HF Air Interface Working Group.

"EPCglobal is happy to begin work on extending the very successful EPCglobal Gen 2 standard to support the healthcare industry" said Chris Adcock, president of EPCglobal. "EPCglobal is technology and frequency agnostic. Our main objective is to ensure that we have common data structures and command sets to make it easier and less costly to implement."

The statement came out after a reality check of UHF technology performance on item-level tagging in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The result is clear: HF technology performs better than UHF technology for item-level tagging in the pharmaceutical supply chain. This harsh reality has forced EPCglobal, who has been very aggressive in promoting UHF technology, to embrace HF technology rather than ignoring the global pharmaceutical industry worth of US$492 billion, in which the United States has become the major market for drugs, accounting for almost half of all global drug sales (*).

So now, EPCglobal is officially technology and frequency agnostic.

In the real world, each application usually has its own unique needs. RFID systems designed for Access Control applications may not easily be adapted for Supply Chain Logistics applications. RFID systems working for Supply Chain Logistics may not give an optimal performance for Retail Logistics applications. Even for the same area of applications, as demonstrated in the pharmaceutical supply chain, the unique environment, different standards and regulations have made RFID applications more complicated. This reality has created an awareness in the RFID industry that one size does not fit all.

On the other hand, some RFID vendors that always follow the latest fads are a little bit carried away. They have stretched the use of the word "agnostic" even further. The stretch ranges from support for dual frequency equipments to anything under the sun that operates on frequency, i.e. tag agnostic, reader agnostic, etc. At one extreme, some RFID vendors are racing to produce RFID products that support multi-spectral RFID applications. At another extreme, some vendors who are cautious with multi-spectral RFID products only recommend specific frequency solutions based on the assessment of each individual RFID application and call their approach frequency agnostic.

While both extremes propose different values to different markets, these agnostic phenomena have shown an important trend, i.e. The RFID industry has become more sophisticated and provided more values from RFID technology.

Yet, a question remains: Has the RFID market become more mature during the course of time?

(*) Industrial Surveys, Global Pharmaceuticals, reportSURE, December 2004).


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Mitsukoshi, Ltd., Shiseido Company, Ltd, and Fujitsu Limited today announced that as part of a project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, the companies will jointly implement a "futuristic department store" field trial in Japan from January 26 to February 12 to test the expanded use of RFID tags in department stores. For the first time in Japan, RFID tags will be used in a field trial for cosmetics. The field trial is part of a METI-sponsored project commissioned to the Japan Department Stores Association, known as the 2007 Field Trial for Improving Distribution and Logistics Efficiency through the Use of Electronic Tags.

RFID tags have been used in the past at department stores in Japan for inventory control of women's shoes and apparel, but this test is the first time such tags will be affixed to cosmetics.

The field trial will be held at Shiseido counters on the first floor of the Ginza (Tokyo) flagship store, and Sakae (Nagoya) branch of Mitsukoshi department store, a major department store in Japan. RFID tags will be affixed to Shiseido's Clé de Peau Beauté products (a prestige brand), product testers and some samples. A multi-sample display trial will enable customers to view detailed product information on a touch-screen terminal by waving a tagged product over a RFID tag reader. Other trials will be conducted for such aspects as customer consultation, product assortment, and distribution, with the purpose to evaluate the efficiency in using RFID tags in supply chain management of cosmetics, the impact on increasing purchase intent when the customers themselves handle products with RFID tags, and effect on purchasing related products.

Overview of the field trial

Trial Period:
Mitsukoshi Ginza (Tokyo) flagship store: January 26 to February 11, 2007
Mitsukoshi Sakae (Nagoya) branch: January 30 to February 12, 2007

Sites:
Shiseido and Clé de Peau Beauté counters on the first floor of Mitsukoshi department store's Ginza (Tokyo) flagship store, and the Shiseido counter of the Sakae (Nagoya) branch.

Field trial details

The following five aspects will be tested as part of the "futuristic department store" trial of the Field Trial for Improving Distribution and Logistics Efficiency through the Use of Electronic Tags, sponsored by METI.

1. Multi-sample display (skincare products)

Seven types of product testers for skincare (lotions, serums, etc.) will be affixed with RFID tags. Customers can wave the tagged products over an electronic tag reader to view detailed product information on a touch-screen terminal. (Site: Shiseido counter)

2. Tester demand forecasting system (makeup products)

Tester stands (receptacles for holding the tester containers) for makeup products (lipsticks, mascaras, etc.) will be embedded with RFID tag readers, so that the number of times that customers sample each tagged makeup tester (49 items) can be counted. This will make it possible to accumulate informative marketing data, such as by ranking which products customers showed most interest in. (Site: Shiseido counter)

3. e-Counseling

Cosmetics counter sales staff will have tablet PCs to view a customer's counseling and purchasing history. The tablet PCs will be equipped with tag readers, which can be used to register product purchases (10 items) and sample distributions (7 types of samples) for a customer by waving the products over the tablet PC, thereby updating the customer's history. 50 customers will be included in this trial. (Site: Clé de Peau Beauté counter)

4. Source tagging/SCM system

Shiseido will affix RFID tags to products (10 items) at its stock center, to be used for packing-list checking and in-store inventory. (Sites: Shiseido Stock Center in Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo, and Clé de Peau Beauté)

5. RFID tags @ home

As it is anticipated that in the future in some instances some customers may wish to take home products with RFID tags attached to view detailed product information at their leisure while at home, home uses for RFID tags will also be tested. In the test, virtual home environments equipped with PCs and tag readers will be set up in the stores and 50 customers will gather product information from tagged samples. (Site: In-store virtual home environment)

The following two supportive trials will also be held during the field trial period:

A. Cosmetic information

"Cosmetic Information" terminals with touch-screen displays and RFID tag readers will be installed. Customers will be able to view word-of-mouth information about the products (31 products at the Ginza store, 41 products at the Sakae store) from other customers, by waving tagged testers over the tag readers.

*As the purpose of this trial is to create the impression of an “electronic concierge” that offers information on the entire cosmetics floor, for this test only, RFID tags will be affixed on products from other companies besides Shiseido's Clé de Peau Beauté line.(Site: Near the entrance of the cosmetics floor)

B. Virtual Real-Time Makeup System

A kiosk with a camera, display, and RFID tag reader will be installed that will enable customers to view on the display how particular products would look on their face ("virtual real-time makeup") by waving tagged cosmetic products such as lipsticks or eyeshadows (19 items) over the tag reader. (Site: Shiseido counter)

*Mitsukoshi's Sakae store will participate in the aforementioned trials "1", "5", and “A“only.

Anticipated effect of the field trial:

• Provide more detailed product information to customers and enhance customer service to increase customer satisfaction, and promote sales and purchase of related products
• Improve efficiency of inventory control and increase productivity by using retail space effectively
• Reinforce product line through deeper analysis of products
• Raise consumer awareness of RFID tags

Corporations participating in or supporting the field trial:

Mitsukoshi, Ltd.:
Overall coordinator of field trial.

Shiseido Company, Ltd.:
Provides Clé de Peau Beauté products, testers, samples and trial sites for aforementioned trials "1" through "5". Also provides the Virtual Real-Time Makeup System in aforementioned trial "B".

Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Shikoku Systems Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., and PFU Limited:
Developed the system and provides devices for the aforementioned aspects "1" through "5", provides "Cosmetic Information" touch-screen terminals, and conducts overall hypothesis testing for the field trial.

Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.:
Provides RFID tags for the entire field trial.

Central Engineering Co., Ltd.:
Provides RFID tag readers for aforementioned trial "2", Tester Demand Forecasting System.

i style Inc.:
Provides "Cosmetic Information" content in aforementioned supportive trial "A".


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Labels: japan, project, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology, trial

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by Adi Tedjasaputra

Water and metal objects are the most known factors that can decrease the performance of air interface Ultra High Frequency (UHF) communication between RFID passive tags and readers. Depending on RFID applications, several options to alleviate the material effect include the use of active tags, additional tag spacer or insert material, and specific tag or antenna design.

Two other factors that can also influence the performance of UHF RFID applications, yet less known, are mobility and tagging position. These two factors can be very significant in several applications, such as RFID vehicle and conveyor belt tracking systems.

Mobility is a critical factor for RFID tagged objects or readers that are moving or mobile. Depending on the configuration of a particular RFID system and environment, a significant change in mobility path (direction) and also speed (velocity) within a specified time can influence the successful identification rate of RFID tags.

Tagging position, on the other hand, is related to the position where RFID tags are embedded, attached or injected (in the case of animal or human tagging). In many cases, optimum power from RFID reader is not required to operate passive tags.

However, in cases where the Effective Radiated Power (ERP) level and distance between reader and tags are fixed, such as in manufacturing setting, it is important to know the location in a tagged object where a passive tag can operate optimally. Such location is defined as R-Spot or Resonance Spot.

R-Spot is a location in a tagged object where a passive tag can operate optimally within specified Effective Radiated Power (ERP) level and certain distance from a reader.

During RFID tagging, R-Spots are usually the reference tagging locations where the identification of tags will result in optimum performance.

In some cases, such as pallet and case tagging with different contents and materials, R-Spots are likely to be variably diverse. Such cases may introduce the difficulty in automation, because a fixed tagging location on all tagged objects may become a requirement to achieve an efficient automation. This situation introduces the importance of L-Spot or Live Spot, which is the location in a tagged object where a passive tag can still obtain power from a reader to operate within specified ERP level and certain distance from a reader.

L-Spot is the location in a tagged object where a passive tag can still obtain power from a reader to operate within specified ERP level and certain distance from a reader.

L-Spot includes R-Spots as well, but L-Spot does not always guarantee that the tagging position will result in optimum performance.

The opposite of L-Spot is D-Spot or Dead Spot, where tags can still receive power from a reader, but the obtained power is insufficient to operate tags within specified ERP level and certain distance from a reader, resulting in identification failures.

D-Spot is the location in a tagged object where passive tags can still obtain the power from a reader, but the obtained power is insufficient to operate tags within specified ERP level and certain distance from a reader.

There are still many areas in RFID tagging that are yet to be explored. This introduction to RFID tagging has shown that there is still room for improvement, while the art and science of RFID tagging advances along with the increasing adoption of RFID technology in diverse applications.


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Labels: antenna, d-spot, erp, l-spot, mobile, r-spot, reader, rfid, tag, technology, tracking

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MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR
No.: 03-08-2006
SUBJECT: USE AND OPERATION OF RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) WITHIN THE 13.553-13.567 MHz, 918–920 MHz, and 2446–2454 MHz BANDS

Whereas, pursuant to EO 546 series of 1979, Act 3846, RA 7925 and to Rule 600 of Memorandum Circular 8-9-95 (Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 7925), the radio spectrum allocation and assignment shall be subject to review in the interest of public service and in order to keep pace with the development in the wireless technology with the view of insuring a wider access to the limited radio spectrum and the use of cost effective technology;

Whereas, the Commission had received several interest from stakeholders, local and international, regarding the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID);

Whereas, the use of RFID is gaining popularity and the widespread adoption of RFID systems on a regional level will reduce the cost implementation for such systems through economies of scale;

Wherefore, the National Telecommunications Commission, hereby issues the following rules and regulations:

1. DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.1 RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Systems) are intended to carry data in suitable transponders, generally known as tags, and to retrieve data, by hand- or machine-readable means, at a suitable time and place to satisfy particular application needs. Data within a tag may provide identification of an item, goods in transit, a location, the identity of persons and/or their belongings, a vehicle or assets, an animal or other types of information.

RFID (radio Frequency Identity) systems employ tiny chips and wireless antennas that can be embedded into products and used for unique identification purposes. It is a contact- less solution that works with proximity readers and RFID tags.

1.2 Proximity readers – a device which transmits an interrogating/querying signal to an RFID tag and receives unique information from the tag. Readers
have two high level versions- those that store data and those that simply store a reference key for look-up on a host system. Readers maybe classified into:
a) low power with erp not exceeding 500 milliwatts, and
b) high power with erp not exceeding 2 watts (or 4 watts eirp).

1.3 RFID tag – a microchip attached to an antenna that picks up signals from and sends signals to a reader. A tag contains a unique number, but may have other information, such as customers’ account number.
RFID tags maybe classified as:
a) active tag - used for long distance purposes such as in toll highways, parking areas, gas stations. This tag uses small batteries which enable it to send signals at a longer distance, and
b) passive tags - used very near or in close proximity to a reader and does not use any internal battery.

2. OPERATING PARAMETERS

2.1 The use and operation of RFIDs shall be allowed in the following frequency bands:
13.553 - 13.567 MHz
918 – 920 MHz
2446 – 2454 MHz

2.2 The maximum effective radiated power for readers is a) low power: 500 milliwatts, and b) high power: 2 watts (or 4watts eirp).

3. TYPE APPROVAL/ACCEPTANCE, REGISTRATION AND LICENSING

3.1 Only type approved/accepted RFID proximity readers shall be allowed for use in the country.

3.2 RFID proximity readers shall be subject to one time registration prior to use and shall bear NTC registration number issued by the Commission for proper identification. The Commission shall device a standard numbering scheme for the registration of RFID proximity readers.

3.3 Only duly accredited radio dealers/manufacturers shall buy, sell and carry on stocks RFID proximity readers that are legally imported, type-approved/accepted and registered with the Commission. However, any individual/entity intending to use, purchase, import RFID proximity readers may be allowed provided that the equipment are type-approved/accepted and shall be registered with the Commission.

3.4 Duly accredited radio dealers/manufacturers shall register with the Commission all imported RFID proximity readers not later than Five (5) days upon release from the Bureau of Customs.

3.5 A report of registered RFID proximity readers shall be submitted by the Regional Offices to the RRLD along with monthly regional licensing report.

4. FEES AND CHARGES

4.1 Proximity readers shall be covered by a certificate of registration to be issued upon one-time payment of the following fees:
a. low power readers, PHP 100.00
b. high power readers, PHP 300.00

4.2 Imported RFID tags shall be covered by Permit to Import to be issued upon payment of Permit fee of PHP 100.00 per 1,000 units.

5. TRANSITORY PROVISION

5.1 RFID proximity readers purchased and/or operated prior to the effectivity of this circular shall be registered after type approval/acceptance within Ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this circular.

6. ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS:

6.1 Violations of any provisions of this circular shall be dealt with in accordance with law.

6.2 The following fines shall be imposed:

6.2.1. Sale of unregistered RFID proximity reader, PHP 5,000.00 per unit or with forfeiture of equipment

6.2.2. Selling of RFID tags not covered by Permit Fee, PHP 2,500.00 for the first offense, PHP 5,000.00 for the second offense, PHP 7,500.00 for the third offense, and so on.

6.2.3. Illegal acquisition of RFID reader, PHP 5,000.00 per unit and/or with forfeiture of equipment

6.2.4. Sale of illegally acquired RFID reader, PHP 5,000.00 per unit or with forfeiture of the equipment.

6.2.5. Non-registration of imported RFID readers within Five (5) days from released from the Bureau of Customs, PHP 1,000.00 per unit.

6.2.6. Selling of RFID proximity readers by non-NTC accredited radio dealers/manufacturers, PHP 5,000.00 per reader, PHP 1,000.00 per 1,000 tags.

6.2.7. Operating RFID proximity reader without valid registration, PHP 5,000.00 per reader

7. The use and operation of RFIDs shall be on an unprotected and non-interference basis i.e. operators cannot claim protection against interference and are not permitted to cause harmful interference to other radio services to which the bands are also allocated. It shall not constrain the operation of other radio services to which the band is also allocated.

This Circular shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation and three (3) copies furnished the UP Law Center.

Quezon City, Philippines, August 14, 2006.

The original document release can be downloaded from: http://www.ntc.gov.ph/whatsnew/RFID%20memo.pdf


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Labels: antenna, payment, reader, rfid, tag, technology

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by Adi Tedjasaputra

Going to school may seem to be routine and ordinary for most children. However, a growing number of children (and parents) around the world may not feel the same.

Let's meet Sanami-chan, a 4-year old student from Ayase city, Kanagawa prefecture in the greater Tokyo area, Japan. Her mother, Megumi-san, a 33-year old house wife, usually takes Sanami-chan to her school, Ryounan preschool, located several kilometers from their home.

Since February 2006, Sanami-chan and her mates in the school started to wear some active 300 MHz UHF RFID tags attached to their rucksacks. When Sanami-chan and Megumi-san pass through the preschool's front gate in the morning, the RFID reader installed in the gate will read the identification number stored in Sanami-chan's RFID tag. The reader will then instantly transmit the ID to the school's attendance information system, which then records Sanami-chan's arrival and changes the colour of Sanami-chan's name displayed on a PC monitor from red to green.

Sanami-chan and Megumi-san (fictitious personas) could describe how the children and parents in Japan have taken part in a growing number of RFID projects that involve children.

Children Safety

Several amusement parks, such as Legoland in Billund, Denmark, Dollywood Splash Country in Tennessee, USA and Wannado City, Florida, USA, have started adopting RFID technology mainly for the purpose of tracking and pinpointing children location in the amusement parks. A child safety seat system has been developed to alert drivers if a seat buckle disengages. Children clothes could be embedded with RFID tags with a purpose of triggering an alarm and some alerts when a child wearing such clothes crosses some predetermined boundaries. Various school attendance systems are implemented in various places in Japan and some other countries across Asia.

Despite the tremendous growth of RFID technology applications for ensuring children safety, there is also some opposition regarding the use of the technology on children. The ones who oppose the use of the technology for children safety often argue that the technology application could breach children's right to privacy and dignity, like the opinion expressed by EPIC, Electronic Frontier Foundation and ACLU-Northern California to the Brittan School Board regarding mandatory RFID badge programme for tracking children’s movements in and around the school located in Sutter, California, USA.

Nevertheless, in a different location quite far away, Tanabe city, Wakayama prefecture, Japan, Kinki Bureau of Telecommunications released a report of an RFID experiment on children that draws a different picture through a survey on parents whose children took part in the experiment: 83% of the parents said that the experimental RFID system increased their peace of mind and most of them were willing to pay a monthly fee for this kind of service.

Beyond Safety

Children safety is not the only reason for using RFID technology in the children world. RFID technology has also found its way into the world of children education and entertainment as well.

Embedding RFID into toys for language learning, interactive toy kitchen that can detect and respond to toy food placed on its plate and hybrid gaming system are only a few from many other innovative ideas that have become popular.

If you think that children have already had enough exposure to RFID technology in the world, think again!
There is already a specific lesson designed for children that they can share opinions about the technologies used to identify them and monitor their activities, and then develop plans for new uses of RFID-enabled technologies to share with their classmates, and write essays persuading readers to use their proposed technologies.

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Labels: japan, privacy, reader, rfid, tag, technology, tracking

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Some doctors at Stanford University School of Medicine conducted an RFID trial on eight patients undergoing surgery in the Stanford University Medical Center.

Using a handheld RFID reader to detect surgical gauze sponges, they have successfully detected 28 RFID-tagged sponges put in eight patients within one minute.

Despite of the result, they also acknowledge that the possibility of human error and retained sponges remains because the RFID scanning can be performed incorrectly.

Their work is published in The Archives of Surgery vol. 141 no. 7, July 2006.


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Labels: reader, rfid, technology, trial

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Edited News Release.

Ontario ’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, yesterday released privacy Guidelines for the growing field of radio frequency identification (RFID).

These Guidelines flow from her earlier work in 2003 when the Commissioner first identified the potential privacy concerns raised by RFID technology. Following a history of ground-breaking work on building privacy into the design of emerging technologies, these Guidelines are a natural progression of this pragmatic approach.

“I have always found it beneficial to assist those working on emerging technologies, and to be proactive whenever possible – to develop effective guidelines and codes before any problems arise,” said Commissioner Cavoukian. “These made-in-Canada Guidelines provide guidance and solutions regarding item-level consumer RFID applications and uses.”

EPCglobal Canada, an industry association that sets standards for electronic product codes, has been collaborating with the IPC in the development of these Guidelines, and will be seeking Board approval by its member companies to signify the association’s endorsement of the Guidelines.

“ This technology offers exciting benefits to consumers and businesses alike. As the trusted source for driving adoption of EPC/RFID technology for increased visibility within the supply chain, privacy is as important as anything else we are doing,” said Art Smith, President and CEO, EPCglobal Canada. “We promote an environment that encourages ongoing innovation while respecting privacy issues.”

RFID tags contain microchips and tiny radio antennas that can be attached to products. They transmit a unique identifying number to an electronic reader, which in turn links to a computer database where information about the item is stored. RFID tags may be read from a distance quickly and easily, making them valuable for managing inventory but pose potential risks to privacy if linked to personal identifiers. RFID tags are the next generation technology from barcodes.

Although RFID technology deployed in the supply chain management process poses little threat to privacy, item-level use of RFID tags in the retail sector, when linked to personally identifiable information, can facilitate the tracking and surveillance of individuals. The goal of these Guidelines is to alleviate concerns about the potential threat to privacy posed by this technology and to enhance openness and transparency about item-level use of RFID systems by retailers.

The Guidelines address key privacy issues regarding the use of RFID technology at an item-level in the retail sector, said Commissioner Cavoukian.

The Guidelines are based on three overarching principles, including:

* Focus on RFID information systems, not technologies: The problem does not lie with RFID technologies themselves, but rather, the way in which they are deployed that can have privacy implications. The Guidelines should be applied to RFID information systems as a whole, rather than to any single technology component or function;

* Build in privacy and security from the outset – at the design stage: Just as privacy concerns must be identified in a broad and systemic manner, so, too, must the technological solutions be addressed systemically. A thorough privacy impact assessment is critical. Users of RFID technologies and information systems should address the privacy and security issues early in the design stages, with a particular emphasis on data minimization. This means that wherever possible, efforts should be made to minimize the identifiability, observability and linkability of RFID data; and

* Maximize individual participation and consent : Use of RFID information systems should be as open and transparent as possible, and afford individuals with as much opportunity as possible to participate and make informed decisions.

A companion piece to the Guidelines – Practical Tips for Implementing RFID Privacy Guidelines, is also being released by the Commissioner to help organizations put the Guidelines into practice.


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Labels: antenna, business, epcglobal, privacy, reader, rfid, scm, security, tag, technology, tracking

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Enterprise Mobility specialists Blackbay today announced that shipping of their Handheld Bluetooth enabled RFID Reader has commenced. The product has applications in numerous market sectors requiring asset management functions. The product is distributed in the United Kingdom by Barcode Warehouse Ltd and in Australia and New Zealand by Vantex Technology Distribution Ltd.

The U1000 RFID Reader is 135 gm, water resistant (IP64) and is designed to work constantly for a full 12 hour work shift between battery charges. The reader operates at 13.56 MHz and can read or write to tags based on ISO18000-3-mode 1, ISO15693, ISO14443, ICODE™, Mifare™ and Tag-it™ protocols with a read range of around 10cm (~ 4”). In addition the U1000 can operate in a data logging (Audit or Stocktaking) mode storing up to 1000 tag reads without the need of a handheld PDA.

The product incorporates a USB interface for firmware upgrades and battery charging. When powered via USB it can be configured as an “always on” wall or desk mount reader with plug and play integration to desktop workstations.

The U1000 is the only commercially available reader supplied with Blackbay’s Blu-Glu software for handheld devices operating on Microsoft Windows® for PocketPC™ or Windows Mobile™ (.NET) platforms that provides integration to a number of different Bluetooth protocol stack implementations provided by various vendors.

Source: Blackbay RFID Press Release
Contributor: Kate Kinraid


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Labels: blackbay, bluetooth, mobile, reader, tag, technology

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The PDF version of this article is downloadable at:
http://rfid-asia.info/rfid_antenna_design_innovation.pdf

Adi Tedjasaputra
RFID Asia Founder


RFID system design has never been about plug-and-play. As a matter of fact, according to the recent survey conducted by Larstan Business Reports, “deployment” and “complexity” were the specific reasons cited by the respondents with a total of 13.2% compared to the “cost” at 16.6% (3).

Reader Antenna Design is a component that contributes to the complexity because reader antennae may vary greatly in size and dimension, depending on their particular applications requirements. As the conduit for data communication between chip-based RFID tag and reader, the design and placement of antennae are crucial in determining the coverage zone, range and data communication reliability.

Basically, the data transmission between tag and reader antennae is based on inductive coupling, in which the reader antenna generates a magnetic field that couples with the antenna on the tag.

During the generation of a magnetic field, there is a chance that the propagated electromagnetic waves arrive at a tag in different phases due to different paths taken by the waves. Attenuation resulted from the combined waves at the tag is known as the multipath interference problem. The increasing distance between reader and tag will increase the probability of multipath interference occurrence in a non-controlled environment, which often happens in Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band applications.


Verification and Evaluation

The recent press release from OMRON Corporation claims that its embedded antenna technology can reduce multipath interference by using the reader to control the antenna propagation directivity, and thus improving the RFID tag reading performance (1).

The wishful thinking of gaining improvement in tag-reader data communication reliability for various RFID applications through this technology should be balanced with some thorough and objective verification and evaluation. Otherwise, the vision of improvement will only become another hype that impedes the acceleration of RFID technology innovation and adoption.


References

(1) OMRON Corporation (2006). OMRON Develops World's First Antenna Technology That Boosts UHF RFID Tag Read Performance. OMRON Corporation, Tokyo, Japan.

(2) OMRON Corporation (2006). ScanAntenna Whitepaper. OMRON Corporation, Tokyo, Japan.

(3) Persinos, J. (2006). RFID: The Future is Now!. Larstan Business Reports, Potomac, MD, USA.

(4) Tedjasaputra, A. and Sari E. (2006). RFID Solutions for Business. TRANSLATE-EASY, Jakarta, Indonesia.


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Labels: antenna, business, indonesia, japan, reader, rfid, tag, technology

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Smart Labels, identification labels with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags embedded, have become an emerging commodity that grows in demand along with the existing barcode labels. Different applications of smart labels in several vertical industries, such as retail and manufacturing, have started to complement the limitations of barcode labels that require a line of sight in an automatic identification process.

Ranging from textile and apparel labelling for garment tracking to case-level tracking throughout supply chain, smart labels being used in different applications can also vary. In the current market, there are passive, semi passive and active labels; passive labels rely on power from radio wave transmission of an RFID reader, semi-passive labels use battery only for running micro (or nano) electronic circuitry while still relying on the power from radio wave transmission of an RFID reader for communication and active labels operate entirely on battery.

A new type of smart label that potentially emerges in the near future is intelligent label that could include some additional data beside identification data and integrate micro and nanosensors, sensors in the scale of micrometer and nanometer, in its packaging. The current state of nanotechnology, nanopackaging and existing integrated circuit (IC) technologies has made the commercial availability of these labels closer to reality than science fiction.

Imagine cooking microwavable foods with a single no-brainy start button. Forget about the trouble of setting timer and some other microwave settings. Simply put a microwavable food tagged with an intelligent label that contains several sensors for detecting temperature, humidity and moisture level into a microwave oven equipped with an RFID reader. With a single press of start button, the oven could then read the cooking instructions embedded in the intelligent label and start cooking. During the cooking process, the oven could dynamically adjust the room temperature, humidity and moisture level based on the reading from the sensors for the best cooking result.

Even though, a demonstration of this kind of intelligent label and microwave oven during the exhibition of the Labelexpo Asia 2005 is unlikely, it is worth-noted that the third day of the seminar in the event will present several basic issues in smart labels and RFID.

Labels: circuit, label, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking

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After RFID tag manufacturers such as Alien Technologies and Avery Dennison recently announced their reduced price for tags and inlays in the psychological level of less than 20 cents and less than 10 cents for purchases of high quantity volumes of one million or more units,
UPM Rafsec today announced their UHF Gen 1 and Gen 2 inlays (OneTennaTM short dipole) at the similar pricing level of sub-10 cents with much lower purchase quantity level of 50,000 units.

At almost the same time, RFID Reader vendors, such as Applied Wireless Identifications (AWID) today announced its low price Gen2 reader, MPR-3014 for $1,000, according to RFID Update.

What does this “extreme” RFID hardware price trend mean?

In some rising economy regions that are tolerant of high prices, such as Scandinavia, these price changes are less significant than the South Asia region, for example. Nonetheless, lower RFID hardware price could leverage the total value of an RFID implementation in any region, assuming some other factors remain relatively the same.

In a simplified economic theory, price relates to supply and demand, i.e. an increase in demand could lead to a higher price and an increase in supply could lead to a lower price. A plausible explanation to the lower price could be a situation of over supply, where RFID hardware vendors have over predicted their sales volume due to hypes and adoption delay.

Another factor that could influence price is disruption. Technological disruption, such as a breakthrough in inlay manufacturing process, for instance, could lead to lower price. It is less probable that a breakthrough has happened. It is more probable to assume that vendors are outsourcing to Asia due to the fact that Asian countries are well known for their low-cost manufacturing capabilities.

In the current situation, there is a third factor that could influence the price, i.e. market positioning. The fierce competition in the RFID hardware market has forced several companies to cease operation or merge. The introduction of Gen2 specifications by EPCglobal has provided an edge for the existing and new RFID vendors to position their products in the market. By announcing their products as low-cost Gen2 compliance products first, they hope to gain a market share for some companies that have delayed RFID adoption due to high costs and lack of standardisation.

Quo Vadis?

There is no simple explanation for the current RFID hardware price trend.

Even though, it is still too early to conclude the beginning of RFID Hardware Price War, these announcements do spark some questions: Will this trend continue? How low can they go?

Only time will tell.

Labels: epcglobal, hardware, inlay, price, reader, rfid, tag, technology

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STMicroelectronics has introduced a UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) contactless memory chip, compliant with the latest Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) specifications.

The new XRAG2 builds on its predecessor (XRA00)for Very Long Range RFID systems and operates at a range of UHF frequencies from 860 to 960MHz. This frequency agility ensures the same tag can be applied and read at any place in the world, regardless of the geographically varying wireless regulations.

The XRAG2 features an anti-collision mechanism that allows the reader to detect and correctly identify all tags in its operating range. Designed for the noisy and unpredictable radio conditions typical of RFID applications, ST devices use a tag-unique selection based on a 16-bit random handle.

The Generation 2 specifications also optimize system performance in different reader environments. At facilities with more than 10 readers, XRAG2 chips are capable of operating in the dense-reading mode, which minimizes interference by allowing readers to transmit within a different sub-band from the one within which the tags respond.

The XRAG2’s security mechanisms include password-protection against tampering and the KILL command that supports disabling tags in the field so their data can never again be accessed. The ability to permanently deactivate a tag is vital in satisfying consumer privacy concerns. For example, the KILL command could be executed when the tagged item is purchased by a consumer, thereby disabling future tracking.

The XRAG2 is a 432-bit memory offering two possible configurations, thus allowing the tag to store dedicated industrial codes: three memory banks (64 bits TID, 304 bits for EPC code and 64 bits reserved), or four memory banks (128 bits user, 64 bits TID, 176 bits for EPC code and 64 bits reserved).

Developed using a highly reliable and mature CMOS technology with embedded EEPROM, the XRAG2 is well-suited to high-volume, cost-driven markets. Its non-volatile memory technology features 40-year data retention and more than 10,000 Write/Erase cycles to support the requirements of long-life applications.

Engineering samples of the XRAG2 are now with key partners, with full sample availability within the next few weeks and volume production expected by December 2005. The device is priced at $0.07 in 100,000 unit quantities. The product can be ordered in thin un-sawn wafers, or in bumped and sawn wafers.

Labels: 2.0, chip, epcglobal, privacy, reader, rfid, security, stmicro, tag, technology, tracking

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Governments within ICAO have decided for security and easy border passage to introduce a RFID chip within passports. Integrated Engineering announced the introduction of its anti-eavesdropping chip reader for preventing the possibility of eavesdropping on privacy sensitive information contained on a passport. The company proved to have a mature anti-eavesdropping device on the last e-passport inter operability tests in Tsukaba, Japan.

Labels: japan, passport, privacy, reader, rfid, security, technology

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SAMSys and Tagistics have announced an arrangement whereby SAMSys will provide its MP9320 UHF reader as a part of the Tagistics RFID Central solution. SAMSys will be a marketing partner for the Tagistics' solution.

RFID Central consolidates Chinese manufacturing sites and retailer distribution centres into one "snap shot" for global visibility of goods movement between Asia, Europe and America.

Labels: reader, rfid, supply, technology

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NEC Tokin Corp has started marketing its wireless (RFID) tag reader/writer devices, the ICM-3002 series. The devices use the 13.56MHz band for communications and support the international standard ISO/IEC15693. A package including a reader/writer module, its controller API, an antenna and an interface module, is priced at 35,000 yen.

La