RFID Community in Asia
RFID Tag cum Reader for Apple iPhone 4G?
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
by Adi Tedjasaputra
Apple Inc. recently filed a patent application that may change how the future iPhones let its users interact with the Internet of things. Apple's invention claims the ability to integrate RFID circuitry, in particular RFID antenna within a touch sensor panel. In other words, you can use any device embedded with this kind of touch screen either as RFID reader or tag interchangeably.
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology has been around for several years. When Bluetooth SIG approved Bluetooth version 2.1 + EDR specification last year, it was of no surprise that the specification includes an improvement for inter-device pairing process and a support for NFC technology. Despite the fact that Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is still missing from the latest release of Bluetooth version 3 specification this year, there is no doubt that short-range RFID technology has increasingly been more important than ever.
With its latest RFID patent application, Apple seems to understand the importance of having short-range RFID technology embedded into its future products, which will probably include iPhone 4G. The main benefit of having short-range RFID technology embedded into a mobile device is mainly a better user experience.
Beyond user experience, by emulating the functions of both RFID tag and reader, any device embedded with this kind of touch screen can better facilitate a web of interrelated communication between its users and any object embedded with RFID technology.
The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.
Labels: iphone, nfc, panel, reader, rfid, screen, sensor, tag, touch
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London Underground use Confidex Ironside Tag on Escalators
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tampere, Finland – Confidex today announced that it has shipped more than 10,000 of its Confidex Ironside UHF Gen2 Hard Tag to London Underground in the UK. The tags shipped via Confidex partner CoreRFID Ltd are to be used to improve escalator maintenance.
Although Confidex has shipped Ironside tags to several customers in substantially larger volumes, the London Underground application is of great relevance to other escalator operators around the world. Maintenance and safety of escalators is important for Metro operators such as London Underground and for shopping malls and other public places.
The escalators of the London Underground carry more than three million passengers every day from the street to the platforms and back again. Most commuters and tourists don't give the travelling metal staircases a second thought; a fact that is a testament to the reliability of the system and the care taken over the maintenance of escalators. The steps that make up these escalators are subject to constant wear from the feet of passengers and from the mechanical movement on the escalator track. A failure in an escalator step could cause serious injury. If an escalator step were to fail during rush hours, lives could be put at risk and serious disruption to travelers would result.
To prevent such an event, London Underground, has implemented an inspection / maintenance regime that ensures the structural integrity of every step is checked at least once during the course of every year. With almost 30,000 escalator steps, in almost 200 escalators, needing to be checked this requires significant effort by London Underground’s engineering staff.To address the need for faster, more accurate and more cost-efficient maintenance, London Underground decided to use RFID technology. They selected CoreRFID Ltd, based in Warrington, UK as their solutions provider and Confidex for their tag expertise company. A decision was made early on to use UHF Gen2 (ISO-18000-6C) technology as the only viable technology able to read tags attached on metal from a distance.
CoreRFID developed the "Step Tracking System" as the maintenance management solution. This uses PDA with RFID Reader (Nordic ID's PL3000 ruggedized hand held reader) mounted on a cradle beside the escalator and application software to read and write information on the tag. The choice of the ruggedized and extremely durable Confidex tag was seen as a key to the success of the pilot project.
"It was obvious to us that Confidex had the best solution here. The tags to be used had to last in the very challenging environment of an operating escalator with vibration, temperature variation, grease and dirt as well as magnetic fields all being a factor. In consultation with Confidex we selected the Ironside Tag. We have more than 18 months experience with most of Confidex Hard Tags and Speciality Labels and we were confident about the choice." says Richard Harrison, Technical Sales Director of CoreRFID.
"The tags are installed under the steps, attached with acrylic adhesive provided by Confidex and in spite of the very tough environment and constant movement, not a single Ironside Tag detached from its escalator step over the two months long trial period" continues Richard. "However, in the future all new steps will come from manufacture with tags riveted on them."Operational deployment has now started across the Bakerloo, Central, and Victoria lines and other underground stations where London Underground is responsible for escalator maintenance.
"This has been a very good collaboration between our three organizations. We are very pleased to see a well managed project from idea to trial and pilot moving to a full scale roll out," said Torbjörn Andersson, Confidex Vice President of Sales & Business Development. "There are clear advantages for London Underground in using RFID. Having an automated system that provides essential data without interrupting escalator use is something many other users and operators of escalators can take advantage of. Operators and maintainers looking for improved Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul for their escalators and travelators can look to Confidex and CoreRFID who will publish a case study of the application in the near future."
Confidex Ironside is a "Hard Tag" in Impact resistant material. It is among the most durable, on-metal, high temperature resistant Gen2 tags available to date. The tag, which use NXP's G2XM chip featuring 240bit EPC, UID and 512bits of user memory, was an early recipient of SAE’s AS5678 certification.
"The flagship Confidex Ironside Hard Tag is already used in a variety of applications, on metal containers, airline food carts, postal roll cages, power transformers, stillages in automotive manufacturing and on road maintenance equipment to mention a few said Torbjörn Andersson."
A complete Technical Product Specification including installation guide is downloadable from Confidex website: http://www.confidex.fi/ironside0.html
About Confidex
Confidex, headquartered in Tampere, Finland, is a fast growing company with unique expertise in RFID design, manufacturing and system engineering. With offices in Europe, North America and China, Confidex provides high-performing, industry-standard RFID tags for demanding applications. The company’s highly experienced team has enabled Confidex to quickly become the trusted partner for major vendors and end-users in the RFID industry. Confidex's core competencies and experience span HF (high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) antenna design, tag manufacturing, and advanced tag conversion and encapsulation.
For more information, contact:
Torbjörn Andersson
Vice President
Worldwide Sales & Business Development
Tel: +46 768 530130
E-Mail: torbjorn.andersson@confidex.net
About CoreRFID
CoreRFID, based in Warrington, UK is a specialist solution integrator and distributor for RFID applications and technology. CoreRFID develops and implements RFID solutions across healthcare, transport, facilities management, government and high-value manufacturing. The company has delivered applications for asset management, health and safety monitoring, pick and pack manufacturing and plant maintenance. CoreRFID’s principal capabilities are in RFID technology selection, mobile computing platforms and solution design, development and deployment, working in conjunction with major clients and integrating where necessary with existing back office systems. CoreRFID also operates a web shop outlet and distribution facility. For more information, visit www.corerfid.com or www.rfidshop.com
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Labels: confidex, escalators, ironside, london, rfid, tag, underground
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Confidex Introduces On-Metal RFID Tag for IT Asset Tracking
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Tampere, Finland – Confidex today announced the introduction of the company's new Confidex Steelwave Micro™ passive UHF RFID tag. The new RFID tag is a compliment to the industry-leading Confidex Steelwave™ passive UHF RFID tag and enables companies to improve their investment in and inventory management of valuable IT assets.
Several industry analysts have noted that implementing passive UHF RFID technology for asset management delivers exceptional benefits such as reduced property loss, increased security, improved audit controls, more accurate information on the movement and condition of assets, and as a result, significant cost savings.
"RFID tagging of IT equipment can deliver quicker, more detailed and more accurate day-to-day management of some of the most important operational assets within an organization," notes Michael Liard, Research Director, RFID & Contactless at ABI Research (Oyster Bay, NY). "ABI Research has found that there is significant potential for a ramp up of RFID tagging within organizations looking to more effectively manage and track their IT assets – especially where statutory and industry regulations such as Sarbanes Oxley require detailed, accurate and regular auditing of IT assets."
Tracking IT assets such as servers, routers, storage devices, and desktop computers, as well as any portable devices such as removable hard drives and laptops, is becoming increasingly crucial for most companies. Keeping track of multiple high value devices in multiple locations is a complex task that until now has resulted in inaccurate inventory data that invites theft and increased replacement costs. With Confidex Steelwave Micro, companies now have a tested and proven on-metal RFID tag that enables the accurate tracking of all valuable IT assets throughout their lifecycles regardless of where the devices are located.With a small footprint (1.5" x 0.5"/38mm x 13mm), outstanding read range (8.2´ - 9.8´/2.5m - 3.0m), and unique characteristics that enable attachment to metal and non-metal devices, Confidex Steelwave Micro is ideal for tracking all valuable IT assets as well as assets in a variety of other applications.
"We have already been sampling the new Steelwave Micro with selected System Integrators and IT Hardware manufacturers to ensure it meets the performance requirement of most IT asset tagging projects," said Torbjörn Andersson, Vice President of Sales& Marketing at Confidex. "Feedback has been very positive; not only regarding the read performance, but also the superior quality and form factor."
Confidex Steelwave Micro joins the growing family of unique Confidex RFID tags that have been successfully used in a variety of demanding applications such as identification of IT assets, vehicles, rail cars, and reusable transit items, in motion, from arctic to subtropical regions.
About Confidex
Confidex, headquartered in Tampere, Finland, is a fast growing company with unique expertise in RFID design, manufacturing and system engineering. With offices in Europe, North America and China, Confidex provides high-performing, industry-standard RFID tags for demanding applications. The company’s highly experienced team has enabled Confidex to quickly become the trusted partner for major vendors and end-users in the RFID industry. Confidex's core competencies and experience span HF (high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) antenna design, tag manufacturing, and advanced tag conversion and encapsulation.
For more information, contact:
Torbjörn Andersson
Confidex Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Tel: +46 768 530130
E-Mail: torbjorn.andersson@confidex.net
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Labels: asset, confidex, it, metal, microsoft, passive, rfid, steelwave, tag, tracking, uhf
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Press Release: World's First 64KByte High-Capacity FRAM RFID Tag
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Tokyo, Japan, Jan 9, 2008 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Limited today announced the development of the world's first 64 kilobyte (KB) ultra-high frequency (UHF)-band radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with high-capacity FRAM[1], featuring memory capacity sufficient to store large volumes of aircraft part and maintenance history data, while supporting a number of different radio frequencies to enable traceability worldwide. Fujitsu anticipates that this 64KB UHF-RFID tag will transform global aircraft maintenance operations.
Equipped with 64KB FRAM memory, the world's highest capacity to date, Fujitsu's new RFID tag will enable highly efficient global aircraft maintenance operations by ensuring precise and rapid management of each aircraft part. The tag complies with the EPCglobal[2] Class 1 Generation 2 standard supporting a variety of radio frequencies, which vary by region, and thus provides for global traceability.
Fujitsu's new UHF-RFID tags will deliver high-speed data writing capability and high durability, while also offering state-of-the-art security functions, such as password management for each part of the memory area.
In recent years, the aviation industry has striven to raise the quality and efficiency of aircraft maintenance by improving traceability of parts. In line with this trend, a need has arisen for high-capacity RFID tags which can store not only part identification codes but also product and part maintenance history data.
To satisfy these needs, Fujitsu developed a 64 KB high-capacity RFID tag memory for the aviation industry. Fujitsu's new RFID tag will increase the quality and the efficiency of aircraft maintenance operations by enabling the traceability of various products and maintenance information for parts exchanged between companies and across nations around the world. Overall, customers will realize improved supply chain management through shorter cycle times and lower costs.
Sales of the RFID tag are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 (April - June 2008).
Key Features
1. World's highest-capacity RFID tags
- Featuring 64KB high-capacity FRAM, Fujitsu's RFID tags deliver high-speed data writing capability and high durability. The tags also offer state-of-the-art security functions, such as password management for each part of the memory area.
Compatible with different frequencies used around the world
2. The new RFID tag can be implemented globally as a result of compliance with the -- EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 standard, supporting a variety of frequencies used in different countries. Furthermore, the tag can be mounted on metal surfaces and meets fire retardancy standards by satisfying the testing requirements for SAE AS5678[3] specifications, which are required to be met for high-quality aviation parts.
3. Highly efficient aircraft maintenance
- The high memory and overall capability of Fujitsu's 64KB RFID tag will enable numerous automated data exchange and data management processes by providing a robust, point-of-use information source, resulting in significant cycle-time and cost reduction opportunities for airline maintenance operations and supply chain management.
Key Specifications:
1. Standards:
EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2* / ISO/IEC 18000-6 Type C*
*Class 1 Generation 2:
A transmission standard instituted by EPCglobal, for data transmission between readers/writers and UHF-RFID tags. This is a second-generation standard specification that improves performance of the EPC Class 1 specification.
*ISO/IEC 18000-6 Type C:
An international standard for UHF-RFID tags, defined by ISO and based on EPCglobal's "EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2" standard.
2. Memory size:
65,536Byte (System Memory: 1,280Byte, User Memory*: 64,256Byte)
*User Memory:
Refers to the memory area of the RFID tag in which the user can freely read/write, which some low-cost RFID tags do not feature. The user memory size of conventional RFID tags is usually a few hundred bits.
3. Tag dimensions*:
2 x 1 inch (Width: 50.8mm, Depth: 25.4mm, Height: 6.22mm)
*Fujitsu plans to develop smaller and lighter RFID tags.
4. Weight:
13.6 g
5. Frequency:
860-960 MHz
Notes:
[1] FRAM: Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (also referred to as FeRAM). Memory that uses ferroelectric film as a capacitor for storing data. Featuring advantages of both ROM and RAM devices, FRAM features high-speed access, low power consumption, and high endurance for numerous rewrites.
[2] EPCglobal: EPCglobal is a non-profit organization established by GS1 (formerly known as EAN International), which promotes the international standardization of barcodes, and GS1 US(TM) (formerly the Uniform Code Council, Inc.).
[3] SAE AS5678: Issued by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in December 2006, SAE AS5678 is a standard defining environmental specifications and test methods for passive RFID tags used in aviation applications. SAE has categorized and defined environmental specifications for RFID tag use, for the three environmental categories of "Standard," "Robust" and "Harsh."
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Equipped with 64KB FRAM memory, the world's highest capacity to date, Fujitsu's new RFID tag will enable highly efficient global aircraft maintenance operations by ensuring precise and rapid management of each aircraft part. The tag complies with the EPCglobal[2] Class 1 Generation 2 standard supporting a variety of radio frequencies, which vary by region, and thus provides for global traceability.Fujitsu's new UHF-RFID tags will deliver high-speed data writing capability and high durability, while also offering state-of-the-art security functions, such as password management for each part of the memory area.
In recent years, the aviation industry has striven to raise the quality and efficiency of aircraft maintenance by improving traceability of parts. In line with this trend, a need has arisen for high-capacity RFID tags which can store not only part identification codes but also product and part maintenance history data.
To satisfy these needs, Fujitsu developed a 64 KB high-capacity RFID tag memory for the aviation industry. Fujitsu's new RFID tag will increase the quality and the efficiency of aircraft maintenance operations by enabling the traceability of various products and maintenance information for parts exchanged between companies and across nations around the world. Overall, customers will realize improved supply chain management through shorter cycle times and lower costs.
Sales of the RFID tag are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 (April - June 2008).
Key Features
1. World's highest-capacity RFID tags
- Featuring 64KB high-capacity FRAM, Fujitsu's RFID tags deliver high-speed data writing capability and high durability. The tags also offer state-of-the-art security functions, such as password management for each part of the memory area.
Compatible with different frequencies used around the world
2. The new RFID tag can be implemented globally as a result of compliance with the -- EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 standard, supporting a variety of frequencies used in different countries. Furthermore, the tag can be mounted on metal surfaces and meets fire retardancy standards by satisfying the testing requirements for SAE AS5678[3] specifications, which are required to be met for high-quality aviation parts.
3. Highly efficient aircraft maintenance
- The high memory and overall capability of Fujitsu's 64KB RFID tag will enable numerous automated data exchange and data management processes by providing a robust, point-of-use information source, resulting in significant cycle-time and cost reduction opportunities for airline maintenance operations and supply chain management.
Key Specifications:
1. Standards:
EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2* / ISO/IEC 18000-6 Type C*
*Class 1 Generation 2:
A transmission standard instituted by EPCglobal, for data transmission between readers/writers and UHF-RFID tags. This is a second-generation standard specification that improves performance of the EPC Class 1 specification.
*ISO/IEC 18000-6 Type C:
An international standard for UHF-RFID tags, defined by ISO and based on EPCglobal's "EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2" standard.
2. Memory size:
65,536Byte (System Memory: 1,280Byte, User Memory*: 64,256Byte)
*User Memory:
Refers to the memory area of the RFID tag in which the user can freely read/write, which some low-cost RFID tags do not feature. The user memory size of conventional RFID tags is usually a few hundred bits.
3. Tag dimensions*:
2 x 1 inch (Width: 50.8mm, Depth: 25.4mm, Height: 6.22mm)
*Fujitsu plans to develop smaller and lighter RFID tags.
4. Weight:
13.6 g
5. Frequency:
860-960 MHz
Notes:
[1] FRAM: Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (also referred to as FeRAM). Memory that uses ferroelectric film as a capacitor for storing data. Featuring advantages of both ROM and RAM devices, FRAM features high-speed access, low power consumption, and high endurance for numerous rewrites.
[2] EPCglobal: EPCglobal is a non-profit organization established by GS1 (formerly known as EAN International), which promotes the international standardization of barcodes, and GS1 US(TM) (formerly the Uniform Code Council, Inc.).
[3] SAE AS5678: Issued by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in December 2006, SAE AS5678 is a standard defining environmental specifications and test methods for passive RFID tags used in aviation applications. SAE has categorized and defined environmental specifications for RFID tag use, for the three environmental categories of "Standard," "Robust" and "Harsh."
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Labels: aviation, fram, fujitsu, rfid, tag
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RFID in Supply Chain Environment (Part 2)
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
by Jack Tay
There is little question that RFID is fast becoming a critical component in the new world of supply chain management, especially in fast growing Asian economies. This is especially so for Asian companies that do import and export business with large Western nations such as the United States and greater Europe. However, even as RFID is necessary, it is important to determine carefully just what needs to be done, and who can help make RFID a success within the company.
When the crucial steps of an RFID implementation project have been carefully integrated, the reliability of system performance can be guaranteed. A dynamic "feedback loop" approach is essential to any ability to provide such guarantees. RFID-services vendors with the requisite experience and expertise to take this approach will have no difficulty offering a performance guarantee with the systems they implement.
Automotive manufacturing and RFID
Increasingly, Asia Pacific is fast becoming the new automotive region, given that manufacturing and labor costs are far lower than the United States and Europe. For example, region-specific models of Chevrolet are manufactured in South Korea (such as the Optra), while Volkswagen and Skoda now has shared manufacturing in China, catering specifically to the mainland Chinese market with the popular VW Passat and Skoda Octavia (and now Superb) models. Even mainstream Japanese car manufacturers are relocating some of their manufacturing of region-specific models (such as Altis and Corolla) to lower-cost locations such as Thailand.
Some manufacturers have used RFID to keep track of the most critical (and sometimes most expensive) item of a car, the engine block. RFID tagging can help reduce misplaced engines (which must be scrapped due to the sensitivity of such products). It is possible that RFID tagging can become important in keeping track of major parts within a car, including the drivetrain assembly, in the near future.
Recommended approach to implementing RFID
Before implementing RFID, it is important to conduct a feasibility analysis of the supply chain environment. Setting out to do a conceptual model, with the right definitions, you should then analyze the process within your entire supply chain (all the way to your ultimate customer and include all stakeholders).
After creating a budget with an invitation to your vendor for demonstrations and any small scale tests, you need to conduct an analysis of your sites, and then have some of your personnels to gauge the usability of the RFID system.
You should attempt to launch your RFID installation in phases, with a test or pilot site, running for perhaps a reasonable length of time, to iron out any kinks in the system. Once you are assured that it will work enterprise-wide, then roll out the system to the entire site. It is also important to re-visit every step of this process of implementation, to ensure that you can improve or tweak the system as necessary.
Outsourcing to a partner
In an ideal scenario, or at least a very small implementation, it may be possible to roll out your RFID system entirely by your in-house team. However, there may be a wisdom to outsource the implementation to a professional services partner, to reduce possible problems during implementation, and also to create accountability and reduce your own exposure to risk. Why is it so?
Researchers have advised that unless you happen to be a data integration specialist, it is entirely possible that your information architecture will break, or affect the corporate ROI.
RF is also an esoteric science whereby specialized skills may be needed to diagnose the RF environment for a site, and to install readers and testing tag performance.
And since RFID expertise is usually not in-house, it may require an outside professional to ensure a solid hardware configuration that will provide better reliability and performance. Nothing beats real world deployment experience, and so for good professional services partners, they would bring to the table real experience that can solve deployment problems, even for pilot runs. Of course, it is important to ensure that your potential partner does indeed have such real world experience, and not simply a portfolio of clients who were "sold" the RFID hardware and other third-party software.
The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.
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Labels: business, china, project, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking
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RFID in Supply Chain Environment (Part 1)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
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.
RFID in Supply Chain Environment (Part 2)
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Labels: business, china, japan, mobile, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking
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HDB Introduces RFID Season Parking Ticket
Thursday, November 01, 2007
by Lay Peng TAY
Housing & Development Board (HDB) Singapore is continually finding ways to leverage on technology to improve its services for customers. Recently, we have introduced Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to replace the current paper Season Parking Ticket (SPT).
Following a successful pilot, HDB called 2 tenders in 2006 to implement RFID to replace the paper SPT at all our car parks. The successful tenderers have distributed RFID tags to SPT holders since March 2007. They will complete the distribution by February 2008.
The HDB RFID tag has a Unique Identification (UID) number tied to the vehicle’s registration number. Like the existing paper SPT, the tag is displayed on the windscreen for cars or near the road tax disc for motor-cycles.Once the season parking charges are paid by the motorists, the updated information is downloaded to our Electronic Handheld Terminal (EHT). This information will be encrypted in the EHT and not stored in the RFID tag. Our parking enforcement staff will then use the EHT to scan the tag and retrieve the UID which is matched against the information of the vehicle such as its registration number and validity of season parking.
There is no middleware used for this system. The RFID tag brings more convenience for SPT holders as they would no longer need to replace the paper SPT each time they renew their season parking. For those who renew electronically such as GIRO, internet and AXS or SAM self-service kiosks, they do not need to wait for the SPT to be sent to them. The feedback from the motorists on RFID is positive.
Our parking enforcement staffs are also happy with the system as it increases their productivity when carrying out enforcement action especially at night. There is no change to the mode of renewal with the implementation of the RFID, i.e. motorists can continue to renew their season parking through Giro, internet, self service kiosks or at our Branch Offices.
The writer is the Estates Officer of Housing Administration Department, Housing & Development Board (HDB) Singapore.
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Labels: hdb, rfid, singapore, spt, tag, technology
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Frontline-Ngee Ann Enterprise Visibility Centre
Monday, October 22, 2007
by Eunice Sari
About a month ago, a new RFID Enterprise Visibility Centre was opened in Singapore. This joint initiative between Frontline Technologies Corporation Ltd and Ngee Ann Polytechnic aims to introduce active RFID technology in Singapore.
Different from other RFID centres in Singapore, this privately-funded centre only focuses on research and development projects that can add values and leverage the active RFID solutions provided by Frontline using Real-Time Location System (RTLS) platform from Aeroscout, an American-based company providing enterprise visibility solutions.
Ng Chee Keong, the Sales Manager of Frontline, further said that this initiative intends to provide a mini environment for industries to try out and prove their RFID vision and concept before spending million of dollars on RFID deployment in a real environment. He also mentioned that with a significantly lower cost compared to a normal R&D organisation, an enterprise can build a prototype or demo, try it out in its actual environment and see whether the solution is suitable and workable for their organisation. Built with an investment of more than US$200,000, the centre was still largely a work-in-progress when RFID Asia recently visited the centre. Two workstations, a couple of active RFID tags, an access point, a location receiver and an exciter were the equipments available in the centre. In addition, there were several posters of RFID projects that were previously carried out by the students of Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
The collaboration between Frontline and Ngee Ann Polytechnic has actually started a year back, including several Singapore Government projects in human tagging using active RFID technology. Within a framework of three to six month RFID projects, Ngee Ann Polytechnic's students and lecturers can gain some experience in several realistic industrial projects, while Frontline can readily tap the expertise of the academics.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, aeroscout, frontline, mobile, rfid, singapore, tag, technology
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Case Study: RFID Applications for Digital Campus (Part 2)
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
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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RFID in China: 7000 Years of Innovation
Monday, August 27, 2007
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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How to Choose RFID Tag
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
by Adi Tedjasaputra
The variety of RFID tags available in the market often confuses the end-users in deploying RFID systems. Many end-users go from one RFID vendor to another and compare RFID tags based on specifications and prices. For the last couple of years alone, more than 90% of the RFID end-users contacting RFID Asia basically asked the same thing: Tell us about RFID products! When you are in the process of choosing the right RFID tags, the following excerpt from "RFID Asia Guidelines for Choosing RFID Tags" may be valuable for you.
While RFID Asia does not sell or manufacture RFID products, we do provide RFID professional services through Consulting, Research, Business Representation and Advertising. We help companies make the best investment decisions on RFID technology and products. We also plan to open a new RFID kiosk that will become one-stop RFID store to help companies across various industry verticals, government agencies, research organisations and universities in Asia Pacific to learn, select, try out and buy a range of RFID products and services from various RFID vendors. The kiosk will link up RFID vendors and consumers alike to conduct trading and training on RFID products and services.
If you are one of the end-users planning to embark on RFID system deployment, the following guidelines may ease the process of choosing RFID tag:
1. Define Your Goal and Requirements Clearly
Without a properly defined goal, you will be easily distracted by many tempting offers and marketing gimmicks. If you need RFID tags for pilot, define your pilot project goal clearly. Your pilot project goal may solve the attendance problem at your office, secure a certain area of your warehouse, or only to know how a wireless automatic identification technology works. After you clearly define your goal, the next thing to remember is to keep your requirements simple. For example, when your application only requires read-only (RO) RFID tags, do not be tempted to choose Read-and-Write (R/W) RFID tags only because they have more “features”, unless you already know that you will need them later.2. Source Carefully
There are thousands of RFID vendors in the market. Some are good, some are bad. Some are reliable, some are not. It is good if you can get a vendor referral from a source you can trust. If you cannot get any referral and unfamiliar with a vendor, ask relevant questions to the vendor upfront. Make sure details such as pricing, delivery, payment, dead tags, return policy, tag life time, etc. are not left out. The more you know in advance, less surprises you will experience.3. Standard is The King
As an evolving technology, the change of RFID standards is inevitable. As standards evolve, RFID tags and related hardware could become perishable. Upgrade option is always the best solution. Look for vendors who offer tag upgrade for reusable RFID tags. The good news is that almost everyone in the RFID community agrees that the harmonization of global RFID protocol and spectrum allocation is as important as regional harmonization. When you deploy an RFID system, make sure that your system conforms to the regional regulation and interoperable with other systems that interact with your RFID system. Whatever standard you use, make sure it is ISO-compliant.4. Price is Not Everything
The lure of low RFID tag price often results in a disappointment at the end. Many will find out sooner or later that 5-cent RFID tags do not exist in the market. If your RFID application is based on the 5-cent price assumption, it is better to postpone your project indefinitely or find another business case that can justify your RFID application on different price level.5. Try and Evaluate
Before your RFID tags arrive, you need to prepare a try-out system in place to evaluate your RFID tag performance. It is the best if you can set up a test environment in the actual site where the RFID tags will be used. Depending on the sophistication of your application, budget and time, you can simply set up a simple read and write test or set up a sophisticated test environment using a real-time spectrum analyzer.The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.
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Labels: business, payment, project, rfid, tag, technology
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Bluetooth + NFC = Future?
Monday, August 13, 2007
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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Case Study: Malaysian Smart Shelf
Monday, July 23, 2007
by Rohisyam Abdul Rahman
Smart Shelf is a device that can pinpoint the exact location of books in a library. The device, communicating in High Frequency (HF) band, can detect whether a book placed in different tier levels is being misplaced, missing or rented. The device was launched on 9th February 2007 at MMU in Cyberjaya. The Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato' Mustapa Mohamed was present to officiate the event, which was attended by librarians from all over Malaysia.
Telekom Research & Development Sdn. Bhd. (TMR&D) has developed a Smart Shelf harnessing the RFID technology working on HF band (13.56 MHz). The Smart Shelf exploits the short-range RFID technology that can automatically identify books within a distance of 30 cm relative to the shelf.
The innovation began in 2005 when we received feedbacks from the patrons of the Multimedia University (MMU) library who faced a difficulty in physically locating catalogued books. The difficulty has prompted the idea to begin with our research on Smart Shelf.
The Smart Shelf research was conducted to facilitate library search and enable multiple book tracking in real time. The RFID tag technology with 128-byte storage capacity has made this goal possible.
At first, we tested the RFID technology working in UHF band to track books on a shelf. We found out that we could not control the signal spectrum to automatically identify books in a pre-defined area. Furthermore, we also found a number of invalid identification.After we tested the RFID technology working in HF band, we got more accurate results and we only had to tune the strength of signals using a vector network analyzer for achieving a specific working distance from a shelf.
We also learnt that several frequency bands may not be suitable for RFID systems. Any vacant space in the frequency spectrum for wireless systems is limited. In addition, the available license-free or Industrial-Scientific-Medical (ISM) frequency bands vary substantially from country to country in terms of regulations. In our case, the frequency range of 13.553 – 13.567 MHz suits our application that requires a small amount of data reading at low speed over a short distance.
Our Smart Shelf was launched on 9th February 2007 at MMU in Cyberjaya. The Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato' Mustapa Mohamed was present to officiate the event, which was attended by librarians from all over Malaysia.The writer is Researcher/Project Leader at Telekom Research & Development Sdn. Bhd., a company that provides customized solutions through leading edge designs, fabrication and state-of-art technologies.
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Labels: hf, malaysia, project, rfid, tag, technology, tracking
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Sustainable Growth of RFID Supply Chain Markets
Saturday, July 14, 2007
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:
- The technology used by METRO Group, including RFID, is innovative.
- RFID will help suppliers achieving lower process costs as a result of higher process efficiency.
- A preferred treatment is an incentive for suppliers to participate in the RFID roll-out.
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:
- Use Metro Link portal to order pre-printed RFID labels for packages exported to Unna, Germany.
- Manually attached the RFID labels to the export packages.
- Manually read the data on the RFID labels affixed to the outgoing goods using a handheld reader.
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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RFID Agnosticism: More Sophisticated RFID Industry
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
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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Labels: epcglobal, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology
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Guidelines for Securing RFID Systems
Friday, April 27, 2007
Like any information technology (IT), radio frequency identification (RFID) presents security and privacy risks that must be carefully mitigated through management, operational, and technical controls in order to realize the numerous benefits the technology has to offer.
When practitioners adhere to sound security engineering principles, RFID technology can help a wide range of organizations and individuals realize substantial productivity gains and efficiencies. These organizations and individuals include hospitals and patients, retailers and customers, and manufacturers and distributors throughout the supply chain.
RFID is a form of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) technology that uses electric or magnetic fields at radio frequencies to transmit information. An RFID system can be used to identify many types of objects, such as manufactured goods, animals, and people. Each object that needs to be identified has a small object known as an RFID tag affixed to it or embedded within it.
The tag has a unique identifier and may optionally hold additional information about the object. Devices known as RFID readers wirelessly communicate with the tags to identify the item connected to each tag and possibly read or update additional information stored on the tag. This communication can occur without optical line of sight and over greater distances than other AIDC technologies. RFID technologies support a wide range of applications—everything from asset management and tracking to access control and automated payment.
Every RFID system includes a radio frequency (RF) subsystem, which is composed of tags and readers. In many RFID systems, the RF subsystem is supported by an enterprise subsystem that is composed of middleware, analytic systems, and networking services. RFID systems that share information across organizational boundaries, such as supply chain applications, also have an inter-enterprise subsystem.
Each RFID system has different components and customizations so that it can support a particular business process for an organization; as a result, the security risks for RFID systems and the controls available to address them are highly varied. The enterprise and inter-enterprise subsystems involve common IT components such as servers, databases, and networks and therefore can benefit from typical IT security controls for those components.
Source: Karygiannis, T., Eydt, B., et al. (2007). Guidelines for Securing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Systems. Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST Special Publication 800-98.
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When practitioners adhere to sound security engineering principles, RFID technology can help a wide range of organizations and individuals realize substantial productivity gains and efficiencies. These organizations and individuals include hospitals and patients, retailers and customers, and manufacturers and distributors throughout the supply chain.
RFID is a form of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) technology that uses electric or magnetic fields at radio frequencies to transmit information. An RFID system can be used to identify many types of objects, such as manufactured goods, animals, and people. Each object that needs to be identified has a small object known as an RFID tag affixed to it or embedded within it.
The tag has a unique identifier and may optionally hold additional information about the object. Devices known as RFID readers wirelessly communicate with the tags to identify the item connected to each tag and possibly read or update additional information stored on the tag. This communication can occur without optical line of sight and over greater distances than other AIDC technologies. RFID technologies support a wide range of applications—everything from asset management and tracking to access control and automated payment.
Every RFID system includes a radio frequency (RF) subsystem, which is composed of tags and readers. In many RFID systems, the RF subsystem is supported by an enterprise subsystem that is composed of middleware, analytic systems, and networking services. RFID systems that share information across organizational boundaries, such as supply chain applications, also have an inter-enterprise subsystem.
Each RFID system has different components and customizations so that it can support a particular business process for an organization; as a result, the security risks for RFID systems and the controls available to address them are highly varied. The enterprise and inter-enterprise subsystems involve common IT components such as servers, databases, and networks and therefore can benefit from typical IT security controls for those components.
Source: Karygiannis, T., Eydt, B., et al. (2007). Guidelines for Securing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Systems. Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST Special Publication 800-98.
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Labels: business, payment, privacy, rfid, scm, security, tag, technology, tracking
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Press Release: Confidex Ironside Gen2 RFID tag completed certification testing in Aerospace Industry
Monday, March 26, 2007
Edited Press Release.
Nokia, Finland - March 26, 2007 – Confidex, a company with expertise in RFID design, manufacturing and engineering, and the Sun Microsystems APT/RFID Test Lab in Longmont, Colorado, today announced that the Confidex Ironside passive UHR RFID Tag has passed the testing requirements for the Aerospace Standard AS5678 specification.
This patent pending tag solution by Confidex, currently in use supporting a number of industrial on-metal applications around the globe, is now available for use in the Aerospace industry.
"The Confidex Ironside Tags have passed all the tests for environmental extremes such as temperature, shock, vibration, pressure, altitude and others as outlined in the AS5678 specification." Said Brian McGrane, Business Development Manager for the Sun Microsystems APT/RFID test lab.
"We are pleased to work with Confidex as they deliver unique tagging solutions that have proven to survive the rigorous aerospace testing requirements we put them through in our lab." "The RFID market has several products offered for on-metal use. With Ironside we want to put a benchmark to the market for an industrial tag that is truly designed for heavy industrial use. The compact IP 68 housing combined with uncompromised read distance of 15 feet helps to find a higher return on RFID investment for on-metal applications", comments Jarkko Miettinen, VP Business Development at Confidex.
In the aerospace industry, passive UHF RFID brings an attractive technology to securely identify metal parts or transit items in an industry known for its extreme environmental conditions and mechanical durability requirements. In addition to Aerospace applications, Ironside's size and performance has received high interest in industrial tracking applications such as transportation and logistics. The product has also been successfully used to identify rail carts, trucks and reusable transit items in motion from arctic to subtropical regions.
For More Information contact:
Jarkko Miettinen
Confidex
+358 3 341 5927
Jarkko.Miettinen@confidex.fi
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Nokia, Finland - March 26, 2007 – Confidex, a company with expertise in RFID design, manufacturing and engineering, and the Sun Microsystems APT/RFID Test Lab in Longmont, Colorado, today announced that the Confidex Ironside passive UHR RFID Tag has passed the testing requirements for the Aerospace Standard AS5678 specification.
This patent pending tag solution by Confidex, currently in use supporting a number of industrial on-metal applications around the globe, is now available for use in the Aerospace industry.
"The Confidex Ironside Tags have passed all the tests for environmental extremes such as temperature, shock, vibration, pressure, altitude and others as outlined in the AS5678 specification." Said Brian McGrane, Business Development Manager for the Sun Microsystems APT/RFID test lab."We are pleased to work with Confidex as they deliver unique tagging solutions that have proven to survive the rigorous aerospace testing requirements we put them through in our lab." "The RFID market has several products offered for on-metal use. With Ironside we want to put a benchmark to the market for an industrial tag that is truly designed for heavy industrial use. The compact IP 68 housing combined with uncompromised read distance of 15 feet helps to find a higher return on RFID investment for on-metal applications", comments Jarkko Miettinen, VP Business Development at Confidex.
In the aerospace industry, passive UHF RFID brings an attractive technology to securely identify metal parts or transit items in an industry known for its extreme environmental conditions and mechanical durability requirements. In addition to Aerospace applications, Ironside's size and performance has received high interest in industrial tracking applications such as transportation and logistics. The product has also been successfully used to identify rail carts, trucks and reusable transit items in motion from arctic to subtropical regions.
For More Information contact:
Jarkko Miettinen
Confidex
+358 3 341 5927
Jarkko.Miettinen@confidex.fi
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: business, confidex, ironside, rfid, tag, technology, tracking
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Opinion: Revitalize RFID Industry
Monday, February 19, 2007
by Adi Tedjasaputra
This is the time of the year when we start reading and listening to RFID technology yearly forecasts and slogans such as 1.71 billion tags will be sold, the total RFID market will be $4.96 billion, RFID will change everyday life, RFID is here to stay, 5-cent RFID tag has arrived, etc. The similar things we heard last year, or probably for the past several years, from those who try to sell reports and events in a quiet month.
Don't get me wrong – I applaud the work of credible people and organisations to disseminate knowledge around RFID technology and promote RFID business - but we need to understand that any change or transformation in the real world is evolutionary. There is no such thing as RFID revolution or RFID magic.
Forecasts are probably good to give a sense of direction and motivation, but the real change or transformation lies in wise actions. RFID players who are not aware of this reality have tasted some loss or about to find out the harsh reality of the RFID industry. VeriChip has had a slow sales and its stock has been struggling since its initial public offering. U.S. Homeland Security is abandoning the plans for using RFID tags. EPCglobal Gen 2 UHF tag has failed to meet its 5-cent tag vision. Wal-Mart is yet to succeed in reducing labour and inventory costs using RFID technology.RFID technology is now at the Slope of Enlightenment in the sense of Gartner's Hype Cycle. RFID community has just started the process of understanding the benefits of practical RFID applications. There is a huge need to bridge RFID knowledge gap and find the right partners for the right RFID projects and applications, particularly in Asia. The emerging markets in Asia, such as Indonesia, have started to show some active signs and enthusiasms.
In the beginning of the new year, I would like to use the opportunity to thank all the RFID Asia Community Members for your continuous support and active participation.
Have a Wireless and Prosperous Lunar New Year.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: business, epcglobal, indonesia, rfid, security, tag, technology
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Digestible RFID Tag: an Alternative for Your Internal Body Monitoring
Thursday, February 15, 2007
by Adi Tedjasaputra
Healthcare RFID applications have often triggered mixed reactions due to their strong links with ethical issues, particularly the plausible intrusive applications of the technology for people. One of such applications is the implantable RFID tags on human beings.
How about digestible RFID tags?
The potential of digestible RFID tags to obtain internal physiological information, such as reaction to medicine ingestion and absorption into body can be useful. Different from some methods, such as physical body probing, body imaging, biological sample collection and ingestible cameras, the use of digestible RFID tags is expected to accurately monitor a patient's ingestion and digestion of medicine, without the use of permanently embedded equipment or cost prohibitive RFID solutions.
Regarding the digestible RFID tags, Eastman Kodak Company has filed two patent applications for monitoring ingestion of medicine comprises forming a digestible RFID tag.
More info on the patent applications is available at:
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF
&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&p=1
&S1=20070008112&OS=20070008112&RS=20070008112
and
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1
&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01
&s1=20070008113&OS=20070008113&RS=20070008113
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: healthcare, rfid, tag, technology
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Press Release: RFID Field Trial in Japan for Cosmetics
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
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".
Send your comments and discuss.
Read more »
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".
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: japan, project, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology, trial
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Partnership Invitation for Mobile RFID 2.0 Project
Friday, January 19, 2007
During the RFID Asia Meeting in Jakarta last December 2006, we presented the Mobile RFID 2.0 project to the RFID community for the first time.
Utilising mobile and RFID technologies, we have outlined several guidelines and concepts that characterize the Mobile RFID 2.0 ubiquitous network architecture. One of the concepts, the blur distinction between RFID tags and readers, suggests for RFID applications that require logical bond or connection among physical objects.
Interestingly, a European semiconductor manufacturer, EM Microelectronic, has also started to look into some RFID applications beyond traditional transportation, access control and animal identification markets. In their projects, physical objects are logically paired together using passive RFID communication technology. The company further illustrates the benefits of RFID pairing applications through smart refills and automatic identification of wireless device pairs.
After the public presentation, we have received some interesting feedbacks from the RFID community that sum up the positive interests and responses for Mobile RFID 2.0. Based on the feedbacks received from the RFID community, RFID Asia has envisioned the development of Mobile RFID 2.0 open platform and interoperable Mobile RFID 2.0 open standards and protocol.
Prospective partners interested to participate in the Mobile RFID 2.0 project are invited to contact RFID Asia for further information.
Further Info
Adi Tedjasaputra
PT. RFID Centre Asia
Singapore Representative Office
9 Temasek Blvd
#31-02 Suntec Tower Two
Singapore 038989
E-mail: firstname.lastname@rfidAsia.org
firstname: adi
lastname: tedjasaputra
Send your comments and discuss.
Read more »
Utilising mobile and RFID technologies, we have outlined several guidelines and concepts that characterize the Mobile RFID 2.0 ubiquitous network architecture. One of the concepts, the blur distinction between RFID tags and readers, suggests for RFID applications that require logical bond or connection among physical objects.
Interestingly, a European semiconductor manufacturer, EM Microelectronic, has also started to look into some RFID applications beyond traditional transportation, access control and animal identification markets. In their projects, physical objects are logically paired together using passive RFID communication technology. The company further illustrates the benefits of RFID pairing applications through smart refills and automatic identification of wireless device pairs.
After the public presentation, we have received some interesting feedbacks from the RFID community that sum up the positive interests and responses for Mobile RFID 2.0. Based on the feedbacks received from the RFID community, RFID Asia has envisioned the development of Mobile RFID 2.0 open platform and interoperable Mobile RFID 2.0 open standards and protocol.
Prospective partners interested to participate in the Mobile RFID 2.0 project are invited to contact RFID Asia for further information.
Further Info
Adi Tedjasaputra
PT. RFID Centre Asia
Singapore Representative Office
9 Temasek Blvd
#31-02 Suntec Tower Two
Singapore 038989
E-mail: firstname.lastname@rfidAsia.org
firstname: adi
lastname: tedjasaputra
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: 2.0, mobile, partnership, project, rfid, singapore, tag, technology
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More Than 5 Cents
Friday, January 12, 2007
by Adi Tedjasaputra
The aggressive marketing campaign for RFID standards led by EPCglobal has been successful. At least, many who have heard about RFID, most likely have also heard about Electronic Product Code (EPC), EPCglobal standards or EPCglobal. Some even falsely identify RFID with EPC. There is no doubt that the EPC branding is in the mind of many people, for better or for worse.
5-Cent RFID Tags
Ideally, a marketing power should come with a responsibility to fulfil promises advertised in the marketing campaign. Unfortunately, in the real world, promises do not always come true in time and people often get disappointed, and sometimes confused and frustrated.
How many times have you heard or read people talk about 5-cent RFID tags?
Here, instead of discussing whether the 5-cent tag is a myth or a feasible vision, it is necessary to point out that 5-cent price target was originally introduced by Sanjay Sarma and his colleagues, who are also involved in the development of EPC. Riding the 5-cent buzz, EPC, a unique numbering scheme endorsed by EPCglobal, has gained popularity in the recent years, at the expense of RFID technology and industry in general.
We quickly determined that if RFID tags were ever going to have a shot at being widely used, a 5-cent price target was important for both psychological and commercial reasons. In return, though, the volumes would have to be very high—for example, more than 5 billion bar codes are scanned daily today. The problem with RFID tags at the time was that the industry was "stuck" in a higher-margin, lower-volume mind-set. At the Auto-ID Center, we set about flipping it to a high-volume, low-margin approach. (Integrating RFID, Sanjay Sarma, ACM Queue vol. 2, no. 7 - October 2004)
There is no doubt when Sanja Sarma and his colleagues envisioned 5-cent RFID tags, they were comparing RFID tags with barcode labels and referring only to retail supply chain item tagging, instead of the general RFID tags and applications.
Nevertheless, when the news of 5-cent RFID tags was published in the media, many became excited and over-enthusiastic. Some unrealistic expectations started to be unfolded. Many people easily forget or ignore the underlying assumption that an initial large volume purchase is necessary to achieve the 5-cent RFID tag vision.
Is Gen 2 the Silver Bullet?
Realising the shortcomings of the Class 0 and Class 1 UHF Air Interface Protocol Standard, EPCglobal began its work on the second generation of UHF air interface protocol mostly known as Gen 2. The standard was later ratified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) last year.
When EPCglobal later realised that the strengths of UHF RFID technology comes with its weaknesses and limitations, the organization started to look into HF RFID technology and formed HF Air Interface Working Group. The Working Group currently works toward the extension of Gen 2 into HF band.
The less known facts are actually the cost for involvement in the EPCglobal and the cost of adopting EPCglobal standards. If you are an end user, you have to pay at least US$750 (EPCglobal North America) for the initial subscription fee, in addition to other fees. Solution providers will have to pay more. The subscription fee schedule for companies outside the United States is less transparent, but since EPCglobal is a joint-venture between GS1 and GS1 US, one may expect similar fees to be collected as well.
Beside the high organisational and infrastructure costs, the design of current Gen 2 protocol standard ironically does not reflect any breakthrough towards the vision of 5-cent RFID tags, especially with added security feature extensions for RFID Supply Chain item-level tagging that will increase the total tag manufacturing cost.
The result of unrealistic expectations is predictable: disappointment. RFID vendors will fail to meet unrealistic expectations already generated by aggressive and unrealistic marketing campaign, including the demand for 5-cent tags. RFID technology and industry will get more bad press, in addition to the current opposition from already flourishing privacy groups. Wait-and-see attitude towards RFID implementations will become more common among potential RFID adopters, including the ones outside the retail supply chain industry. The expectation of large volume purchase that can decrease general RFID tag price will happen in a very slow pace, along with various setbacks.
Fortunately, there are hundreds of RFID applications that are independent from the need to adopt EPCglobal standards. These RFID applications are primarily unrelated to the supply chain industry. Nevertheless, we still urgently need a healthy dosage of marketing campaign that is balanced with rational and realistic expectations and actions to move beyond the current hype. We need to prevent one drop of indigo to stain the whole cauldron of milk (*).
(*) "One drop of indigo stains the whole cauldron of milk" is an Indonesian proverb that means one minor ill behaviour can ruin the whole good things or efforts.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: 2.0, epc, epcglobal, iso, privacy, rfid, scm, security, tag, technology
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RFID Tag Attachments
Monday, December 18, 2006
by Adi Tedjasaputra
Last week, the article the Art and Science of RFID Tagging introduced several factors that can influence the performance of air interface UHF RFID passive tags and the RFID tagging positions, i.e. R-Spot, L-Spot and D-Spot.
This week, we will continue the theme of RFID tagging and introduce three different kinds of RFID tags based on their attachment with identified objects, i.e. attachable, implantable and insertion tags. Depending on their nature of use, these tags are either reusable or disposable. Understanding the basic design of different RFID tag attachments can help the evaluation of different RFID tags available in the market for specific purposes or applications.
More than eighty five percent of the RFID tags available in the market are attachable tags. Attachable tags are popular due the broad and diverse RFID applications that require flexible and different types of attachments. The tags are designed to be attached on the surface of identified objects with permanent, semi-permanent or temporary attachment means. The most popular form of attachable tags is pressure-sensitive label, commonly known as smart label.
Implantable tags or embedded tags are usually aimed for permanent or long-term implantation, such as animal traceability and machine readable travel documents (MRTD). The ultimate benefit of implantable tags is the unity between the tags and their identified objects. Beside some ethical issues on human RFID tagging, the usage problems on human or animal implants may be tissue irritation and tissue migration problems.
Insertion tags, on the other hand, are designed to have little contact or no contact with identified objects. The main purpose of the tags is to enable identification for certain objects without specific attachment process and without tampering the identified objects, thus preserving the original state of the objects. Most of the insertion tags take form of non-adhesive labels that can be inserted into printed materials, their covers or other product packages easily. Since these tags can also be easily removed from identified objects, these tags only provide limited protection to identified object tampering or theft.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: label, rfid, tag, technology
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The Art and Science of RFID Tagging
Monday, December 11, 2006
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.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: antenna, d-spot, erp, l-spot, mobile, r-spot, reader, rfid, tag, technology, tracking
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China Authorizes RFID Products Compatible with ISO 18000-7
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Edited Press Release.
Savi Technology received official approval this week from the China State Radio Regulation Committee (SRRC) to use its family of active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products throughout the country. Savi Technology's tags and readers approved by SRRC, a division of the China Ministry of Information Industry, are compatible with the ISO 18000-7 (International Standardization Organization) standard for active RFID products operating at the 433.92 MHz radio frequency band.
"China’s certification of Savi's hardware products further validates international recognition that active RFID technology standard ISO 18000-7 is the global standard," said Fraser Jennings, vice president of Standards and Regulatory Affairs for Savi Technology, a Lockheed Martin company. "This milestone event facilitates the deployment of our proven RFID-based solutions to improve the real-time visibility, management and security of global shipments within, to and from China – the world’s largest manufacturing center."
By approving Savi's hardware equipment, China has authorized the use of active RFID products compatible with ISO-18000-7. These product approvals in China, combined with similar prior approvals in North America, South America, Europe and Pacific Rim markets such as Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, "clearly show the solid support for the 433 MHz frequency as the worldwide choice for active RFID," Jennings said.
Following extensive testing and document reviews, SRRC has issued Savi Technology a Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Certificate and Code for five of the company's flagship hardware products, including tags, readers and signposts.
Send your comments and discuss.
Read more »
Savi Technology received official approval this week from the China State Radio Regulation Committee (SRRC) to use its family of active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products throughout the country. Savi Technology's tags and readers approved by SRRC, a division of the China Ministry of Information Industry, are compatible with the ISO 18000-7 (International Standardization Organization) standard for active RFID products operating at the 433.92 MHz radio frequency band.
"China’s certification of Savi's hardware products further validates international recognition that active RFID technology standard ISO 18000-7 is the global standard," said Fraser Jennings, vice president of Standards and Regulatory Affairs for Savi Technology, a Lockheed Martin company. "This milestone event facilitates the deployment of our proven RFID-based solutions to improve the real-time visibility, management and security of global shipments within, to and from China – the world’s largest manufacturing center."
By approving Savi's hardware equipment, China has authorized the use of active RFID products compatible with ISO-18000-7. These product approvals in China, combined with similar prior approvals in North America, South America, Europe and Pacific Rim markets such as Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, "clearly show the solid support for the 433 MHz frequency as the worldwide choice for active RFID," Jennings said.
Following extensive testing and document reviews, SRRC has issued Savi Technology a Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Certificate and Code for five of the company's flagship hardware products, including tags, readers and signposts.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: china, iso-18000-7, rfid, security, singapore, tag, technology
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APEC Vietnam: RFID Mobile Phone Made in Vietnam
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
The 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled to be held in Ha Noi, Vietnam, 18-19 November 2006, will be attended by leaders and VIPs from the Asia Pacific region.
As a part of the security measure during the event, RFID mobile phones branded APEC Vietnam, will be distributed to the VIPs attending the event, according to the news released by Vinamobi Vietnam Company on their web site,
APEC Vietnam, which is fully manufactured and assembled in Vietnam, integrates Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera, recorder, camcorder, removable card and RFID chip in one package. When the delegates enter and exit the conference area and hotels, the personal information of each delegate will be authenticated and verified from a distance using the mobile phone as an "RFID tag".
The device will also contain some information related to Vietnam, conference material, historical documentation of APEC, APEC members, national flags and the national anthems of all nations attending APEC event. In particular, the conference material contents can be retrieved by voice, so the delegates can listen to conference material contents during the event instead of reading them.
Send your comments and discuss.
Read more »
As a part of the security measure during the event, RFID mobile phones branded APEC Vietnam, will be distributed to the VIPs attending the event, according to the news released by Vinamobi Vietnam Company on their web site,
APEC Vietnam, which is fully manufactured and assembled in Vietnam, integrates Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera, recorder, camcorder, removable card and RFID chip in one package. When the delegates enter and exit the conference area and hotels, the personal information of each delegate will be authenticated and verified from a distance using the mobile phone as an "RFID tag".
The device will also contain some information related to Vietnam, conference material, historical documentation of APEC, APEC members, national flags and the national anthems of all nations attending APEC event. In particular, the conference material contents can be retrieved by voice, so the delegates can listen to conference material contents during the event instead of reading them.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: card, mobile, rfid, security, tag, technology
Read more »
RFID vs. Contactless Smart Card
Friday, August 25, 2006
by Adi Tedjasaputra
Smart Card vendors have realized that some negative perception against RFID technology is not good for them, especially when they are after various large contracts from governments around the world, supplying their Contactless Smart Card Chips for biometric passports and ID cards.
When a defensive approach to distinguish RFID from Contactless Smart Card does not seem to be enough, some Smart Card vendors have decided to invest in a Secure ID Coalition for promoting the smart card technology to achieve enhanced security for ID management systems while maintaining user privacy.
(update 31 May 2007: After the release of this article in 2006, the Smart Card Alliance has removed the article titled "RFID and Contactless Smart Card Technology: Comparing and Contrasting Applications and Capabilities" previously available on their website and also linked in this article . The new version of similar article titled RF-Enabled Applications and Technology: Comparing and Contrasting RFID and RF-Enabled Smart Cards is now available on their website instead.)
Their initiatives to avoid negative perception against smart card deserve an attention. However, there is also a need to set the record straight. Contactless Smart Card technology used for biometric passports and ID cards is RFID.
Contactless Smart Card Chip used in most biometric passports and ID cards is a passive 13.56 MHz RFID transponder incorporating a microcontroller conforming to ISO/IEC 14443 standard that allows for a read range of up to 10 cm, with a memory capacity of at least 32 Kilobytes and data transfer rate of 106 kbps or greater.
Some might argue that contactless smart card biometric passport and ID card applications require a higher degree protection for information privacy due to the sensitive information, compared to most RFID tags that only carry some product identification number. Nonetheless, the fact that they are all used for unique identification by means of radio waves implies that they are RFID.
There are various applications that use different types of RFID technology. It is understandable if the word RFID could trigger some
allergic reactionsin some people, given many hypes, devastating RFID image. For different reasons, some technology vendors are reluctant to use the word RFID for describing their products and services, eventhough what they actually sell is RFID. It is part of the current challenges and concerns faced by the RFID technology. There is a need to embrace and tackle the RFID challenges and concerns, but before assessing the challenges and concerns, it is essential to have a better understanding of RFID technology in the first place.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: card, privacy, rfid, security, tag, technology
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New RFID Rules and Regulations in Philippines
Monday, August 21, 2006
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
Send your comments and discuss.
Read more »
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
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: antenna, payment, reader, rfid, tag, technology
Read more »
RFID and Children: The World is Not Enough
Friday, August 11, 2006
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.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: japan, privacy, reader, rfid, tag, technology, tracking
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Flexible Electronics: Embedding RFID Ubiquitously
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
The recent publication of the work in flexible electronics published in the Journal Applied Physics Vol. 100, Issue 1, 1 July 2006, describes an experiment in transferring thin-film transistors (TFTs) on single-crystal silicon membranes to flexible polymer substrates.
For RFID applications, the work of Hao-Chih Yuan, Zhenqiang Ma and their colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison could mean that the embedding of RFID tags in materials such as flexible electronics displays or some other flexible electronic devices is theoretically possible.
Send your comments and discuss.
Read more »
For RFID applications, the work of Hao-Chih Yuan, Zhenqiang Ma and their colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison could mean that the embedding of RFID tags in materials such as flexible electronics displays or some other flexible electronic devices is theoretically possible.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: rfid, tag, technology
Read more »
Press Release: OMRON Introduces EPC Gen2 Global Loop Inlay
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Edited Press Release.
OMRON Corporation announced availability of the V750 series Gen2 Global Loop inlay which can be used under North American, European and Japanese radio frequency bands in a single tag design. Aimed at consumer electronics manufacturers and suppliers to major retailers, the new inlay will be ready for shipment from early August 2006.
The Gen2 Loop is optimized to ensure robust read performance when the tag is applied to items containing materials unfriendly to RFID, for example, the metallic components used in electronics equipment and products with high moisture content. With non-metallic objects, the Gen2 Loop realizes the same high read performance as the Class 1 Loop inlay currently available from OMRON (see Figure 1 below).In addition, the new inlay delivers a read performance of approximately 1 meter even when in close proximity to metal objects (see Figure 2 below). The Loop tag also delivers reliable read ranges when the orientation on the product is not fixed or could change after application. As a direct result, the Loop inlay can improve pallet tag read rates.
OMRON Gen2 global loop inlays can be used with all international UHF RFID frequencies from 860 to 960MHz with little or no performance degradation. The addition of the Global Loop inlay to the already announced Wave tag expands OMRON's ability to meet a wide range of applications for today's international supply chain needs. Potential applications of the new inlay include tags and labels for use in the electrical appliance and pharmaceutical industries, where the ability to read large shipments of products speedily, simultaneously and from a distance will realize significant cost reductions.
"With RFID deployments expanding both globally and to a wider range of SKU's, a global tag that performs across all UHF frequency bands and is less sensitive to materials and orientation is clearly a benefit for our customers," says Bill Arnold, chief strategist at OMRON RFID. "If a company uses the OMRON global inlay, then it has no need to handle the complexity of different tag selection for each region or SKU requirements. This means our Gen2 global loop inlays help to reduce total RFID tag application costs and operation time."
Table 1
Model V750-D22M02-IM
Minimum delivery lot 5000 pcs/roll
Inlay price Open price
Protocol EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2
Operating frequencyUHF band: 860MHz to 960MHz (Japan, U.S., Europe, China, Asia, etc.)
Memory 240 bits NVM(EPC: 96 bits)
Dimensions 68mm×70mm
Operating temperature -20˚C to 55˚C (no icing, no condensation)
Storage temperature -20˚C to 55˚C (no icing, no condensation)
Storage humidity (maximum) 60% RH
External view of V750 Series Gen2 Loop Inlay
Send your comments and discuss.
Read more »
OMRON Corporation announced availability of the V750 series Gen2 Global Loop inlay which can be used under North American, European and Japanese radio frequency bands in a single tag design. Aimed at consumer electronics manufacturers and suppliers to major retailers, the new inlay will be ready for shipment from early August 2006.
The Gen2 Loop is optimized to ensure robust read performance when the tag is applied to items containing materials unfriendly to RFID, for example, the metallic components used in electronics equipment and products with high moisture content. With non-metallic objects, the Gen2 Loop realizes the same high read performance as the Class 1 Loop inlay currently available from OMRON (see Figure 1 below).In addition, the new inlay delivers a read performance of approximately 1 meter even when in close proximity to metal objects (see Figure 2 below). The Loop tag also delivers reliable read ranges when the orientation on the product is not fixed or could change after application. As a direct result, the Loop inlay can improve pallet tag read rates.
OMRON Gen2 global loop inlays can be used with all international UHF RFID frequencies from 860 to 960MHz with little or no performance degradation. The addition of the Global Loop inlay to the already announced Wave tag expands OMRON's ability to meet a wide range of applications for today's international supply chain needs. Potential applications of the new inlay include tags and labels for use in the electrical appliance and pharmaceutical industries, where the ability to read large shipments of products speedily, simultaneously and from a distance will realize significant cost reductions.
"With RFID deployments expanding both globally and to a wider range of SKU's, a global tag that performs across all UHF frequency bands and is less sensitive to materials and orientation is clearly a benefit for our customers," says Bill Arnold, chief strategist at OMRON RFID. "If a company uses the OMRON global inlay, then it has no need to handle the complexity of different tag selection for each region or SKU requirements. This means our Gen2 global loop inlays help to reduce total RFID tag application costs and operation time."
Table 1
Model V750-D22M02-IM
Minimum delivery lot 5000 pcs/roll
Inlay price Open price
Protocol EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2
Operating frequencyUHF band: 860MHz to 960MHz (Japan, U.S., Europe, China, Asia, etc.)
Memory 240 bits NVM(EPC: 96 bits)
Dimensions 68mm×70mm
Operating temperature -20˚C to 55˚C (no icing, no condensation)
Storage temperature -20˚C to 55˚C (no icing, no condensation)
Storage humidity (maximum) 60% RH
External view of V750 Series Gen2 Loop Inlay
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: china, epcglobal, gen2, inlay, japan, omron, rfid, scm, tag, technology
Read more »
Ontario's RFID Privacy Guidelines
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
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.
Send your comments and discuss.
Read more »
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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IEEE P1902.1: RFID Alternative?
Saturday, June 10, 2006
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) has commenced work on a new standard IEEE P1902.1, based on the existing Rubee IV, IEEE 802.11 and 802.15.4 protocols, with some potential applications in agriculture and healthcare.
Aiming for low-cost visibility in harsh environments, the new standard promises a working network system that works near steel and water for a high number of clients or tags within a single network of 3 to 15 meters. The only expected compromise for the benefits is the low bandwidth requirement, which is between 300 to 9600 baud.
The new standard will be developed within the IEEE Corporate Standards Program and expected for completion in late 2007.
Reference: IEEE Press Release 8th June 2006 - IEEE Begins Wireless, Long-Wavelength Standard for Healthcare, Retail and Livestock Visibility Networks
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Aiming for low-cost visibility in harsh environments, the new standard promises a working network system that works near steel and water for a high number of clients or tags within a single network of 3 to 15 meters. The only expected compromise for the benefits is the low bandwidth requirement, which is between 300 to 9600 baud.
The new standard will be developed within the IEEE Corporate Standards Program and expected for completion in late 2007.
Reference: IEEE Press Release 8th June 2006 - IEEE Begins Wireless, Long-Wavelength Standard for Healthcare, Retail and Livestock Visibility Networks
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Labels: rfid, tag, technology
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Microsoft to help South Korean Companies in RFID Technology Development
Thursday, May 25, 2006
The current visit of Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer in Seoul is no coincidence.
Microsoft apparently considers South Korea as an important country for its strategic technology investment in Asia.
This gesture is signaled with US$30 million investment in the next three years for local software companies, a discussion with the Education Minister for cooperation in the field of education, an agreement with Samsung Corp. for developing a home network automation system for apartments and a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Information and Telecommunication.
Source: Digital Chosunilbo - http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200605/200605250023.html
Technorati Tag: rfid, rfid asia
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Microsoft apparently considers South Korea as an important country for its strategic technology investment in Asia.
This gesture is signaled with US$30 million investment in the next three years for local software companies, a discussion with the Education Minister for cooperation in the field of education, an agreement with Samsung Corp. for developing a home network automation system for apartments and a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Information and Telecommunication.
Source: Digital Chosunilbo - http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200605/200605250023.html
Technorati Tag: rfid, rfid asia
Labels: microsoft, rfid, tag, technology
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CDT's RFID Best Practices
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
(1) CDT-Led Working Group Releases RFID "Best Practices"
A working group led by CDT and made up of some of the nation's largest companies, public interest and consumer advocates earlier this month unveiled a set of "best practices" designed to promote respect for consumer privacy in the growing use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in commercial applications.
Released at the RFID Journal Live! conference in Las Vegas, May 1, the document offers guidance for companies that use RFID technology to collect data that can be linked to consumers' personally identifiable information. Drawn from widely accepted principles of "fair information practices," the best practices outline how consumers should be notified about RFID data collection, what choice they should have with regard to the uses and sharing of their own personal information, and how that information should be treated by the companies that collect it.
The document is a milestone in the evolution of RFID technology, offering companies and organizations clear guidance on what steps they should take before putting in place RFID technology that can be linked to personally identifiable information.
In addition to CDT, the American Library Association, aQuantive, Cisco Systems, Eli Lilly and Company, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, the National Consumers League, Procter & Gamble, VeriSign and Visa USA all worked for more than a year to develop the document. Elliot Maxwell, an RFID consultant and fellow with the communications program at Johns Hopkins University also worked on the document.
RFID refers to a broad range of technologies that allow users to track and identify physical items using radio waves. RFID "tags" of various types can be placed on shipping crates, livestock, even clothing, where they can be later identified by RFID readers designed to scan the items at a distance. Many of those applications raise no real privacy concerns, but when the data collected from RFID tags is linked to personally identifiable information, privacy issues can arise. The best practices are geared specifically toward those instances.
The best practices described in the document are based on the fair information principles of notice, consent, access, transfer and security.
RFID Privacy Best Practices: http://www.cdt.org/privacy/20060501rfid-best-practices.php
(2) Best Practices Ideal for Evolving Technology
CDT shares the concern of the privacy community that RFID technology deployed without proper transparency and privacy safeguards could undermine consumer privacy. However, CDT does not believe that passing legislation limiting RFID deployment or imposing privacy rules specific to RFID technology are appropriate responses to those concerns. The best practices document offers a means to address legitimate privacy concerns pertaining to RFID, without hobbling the technology.
Government-imposed mandates on specific technologies can be problematic. Technological advancement typically outpaces the legislative cycle, meaning that technology-specific laws can quickly become obsolete, or worse, become impediments to the natural evolution of technology. Those problems are compounded in the case of newer services or devices, like RFID, that evolve at a much faster pace than more mature technologies.
Although technology-specific legislation is probably not the best way to address the privacy concerns associated with RFID, failing to address those concerns systematically would be equally troubling. As RFID becomes increasingly ubiquitous, the potential for the technology to impinge on personal privacy grows exponentially. As RFID sensors proliferate, the abundance of collection points, and the detail of location data that can be gathered, also increases.
If industry adequately addresses those concerns now, before RFID is widespread in consumer applications, companies may be spared challenge of trying to retrofit RFID systems with appropriate privacy protections after the fact. The best-practices document offers companies a blueprint for those considerations. Drawing on fair information principles, the best practices represent a practical response to the privacy issues that arise when personal information is linked to information collected using RFID.
Of course, the real test of any self-regulatory regime is industry uptake and compliance. But the diversity and size of the organizations that participated in drafting the best practices document gives it a solid basis for widespread discussion and adoption. CDT will encourage all organizations planning to deploy RFID in a consumer context to use the best practices as a starting point.
Because the technology continues to evolve, members of the working group dubbed the first public the release of the best practices an "interim draft." As new technological considerations arise, the RFID working group will review the document to determine whether advances in the technology and its applications require changes to the best practices.
(3) Technology-Neutral Consumer Privacy Legislation Still Needed
While CDT believes that it would not be appropriate to enact legislation specially regulating RFID, technology-neutral consumer privacy legislation should require that uses of the technology in conjunction with personal information be bound by fair information practices.
Many of the privacy concerns that arise from deploying commercial applications of RFID would be eliminated or greatly lessened by the existence of a strong, national consumer privacy law. For many years, the multiple laws to protect personal information held by companies have lagged far behind the technological advances that have allowed those companies to collect, store and share ever greater quantities of their customers' personal data.
State and federal lawmakers have traditionally responded to privacy concerns with laws to address symptomatic problems like data breaches and spyware. But the privacy issues that arise when companies collect personal data, create detailed profiles and use those profiles to track their customers' physical or virtual activities are the same regardless of the technology used. The more appropriate and sustainable solution is legislation that focuses on the information collected rather than the technology used to collect it.
In every case, citizens should be properly notified when their data is collected, given more control over how their data is shared, be allowed to know what information a company has on file about them, be allowed to correct inaccuracies, and be assured that the company collecting their personal information is taking serious steps to protect it from being stolen or compromised. Such a law could provide companies deploying emerging technologies with baseline guidance about appropriate data practices, and consumers with a degree of confidence that their information is being collected and handled responsibly.
Congress was nearing passage of a broad, technology neutral consumer privacy measure before the dot-com bust and the September 11 terrorist attacks. Major technology companies including Microsoft, HP and eBay have signaled their support in principle for consumer privacy legislation, and Congress now appears prepared to restart that debate.
If Congress prevails in passing a strong consumer privacy measure, it will address the fundamental concerns privacy advocates have with RFID technology. In the meantime, the best practices provide clear guidance for companies to deploy RFID in a way that protects consumers.
Source: http://www.cdt.org/publications/policyposts/2006/9
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Labels: cdt, privacy, rfid, security, tag, technology, tracking
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Press Release: Blackbay's Bluetooth Enabled RFID Reader Launched
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
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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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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RFID Antenna: A Growing Area of Innovation
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
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.
Send your comments and discuss.
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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.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: antenna, business, indonesia, japan, reader, rfid, tag, technology
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RFID Security Threats: Your Cat is Probably Safe ... for Now
Monday, March 20, 2006
by Adi Tedjasaputra
The recent paper titled “Is Your Cat Infected with a Computer Virus?”, published during the Pervasive Computing and Communications Conference 2006 in Italy warns that data from RFID tags can be used to exploit back-end software systems.
One day later, the president of AIM Global, the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility, published an article on his web site that mitigates this issue and criticises the methodology of the particular research in the paper.
Recognising the two extremely different opinions expressed by two respected representatives from the Computer Science community and the RFID community, it is particularly important for both community members to really understand the essential issues beyond the issue of RFID virus.
Analysis
The paper published by the researchers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has done a good job summarising the common security and privacy threats, i.e. Sniffing, Tracking, Spoofing, Replay Attacks and Denial of Service and demonstrating the possible malware threat for an RFID system by exploiting several possible security holes.
With the increasing number of IT vendors that jump on the RFID bandwagon and the fiercer competition among the vendors that requires shorter middleware's time-to-market, there is a realistic chance that the existing RFID middlewares available in the market are delivered with security holes, independent from the critic uttered by the AIM Global's president that the demonstration system mentioned in the paper was intentionally built with a weakness. Instead of pointing fingers to each other, there is a need for verification from security experts to objectively evaluate the current state of RFID middlewares' susceptibility to malware threats.
On the other hand, some organisations that have implemented some RFID system can still currently sleep without worries, because any exploit using the methodology presented in the paper would require a combination of thorough knowledge in malware production and RFID system design, one or more security holes that match the malware exploit, an opportunity to infect a tag with a proper (relatively expensive) equipment and most important of all an ill intention to sabotage. It is safer to assume that the potential threats coming from internal organisation is more prominent than the external ones.
Reflection
When I explained the possible security threats of using on-line banking facilities to some people who were not aware of the risks in using an on-line banking system, they usually became alerted with the fact that their asset has been vulnerable to various security threats the second they connect to the Internet.
Explaining some security measures that they could perform, I usually added a joke for the ultimate on-line banking security measure: Unplug all the cables from your computer, turn off all your electronic devices and remove any power source elements from your electronic devices for 100% security guarantee.
In reality, there is no 100% security guarantee in this networked world. When you become part of a “network” voluntarily or involuntarily, there is always a chance that your security is compromised. A sensible action you can take is to assess your security state continuously, take several appropriate security measures and prepare for some recovery plans that may arise from any security breach.
End-Note
Your cat may be safe for now, because the current RFID animal tags usually have the Read-only (RO) memory attribute and immune from any change of data. However, the recent natural threats from mad cow disease and avian flu have sparked some interests in using RFID animal sensory tags that can integrate some sensing devices to detect, monitor, measure, record and transmit various environmental and host parameters, such as temperature. A future scenario of recording more data into a Read-Write (RW) animal sensory tag is no longer far-fetched. Your cat may no longer be safe in this future scenario.
The PDF version of this article is downloadable at:
http://www.rfid-asia.info/rfid_security_threats.pdf
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Labels: privacy, rfid, security, tag, technology, tracking
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Press Release: EU Commission launches public consultation on RFID tags
Friday, March 10, 2006
Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID), which will soon replace bar codes in your supermarket, offer tremendous opportunities for business and society. But their power to report their location, identity and history also raises serious concerns about personal privacy and security, as well as technical interoperability and international compatibility. To address these concerns – some of which may well require legislative responses –, the European Commission today launched a comprehensive public consultation with a high-level Conference on RFID at the CeBit 2006 trade fair in Hannover, Germany.
“RFID tags are far cleverer than traditional bar codes. They are the precursors of a world in which billions of networked objects and sensors will report their location, identity, and history” said Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. “These networks and devices will link everyday objects into an ‘internet of things’ that will greatly enhance economic prosperity and the quality of life. But as with any breakthrough, there is a possible downside – in this case, the implications of RFID for privacy. This is why we need to build a society-wide consensus on the future of RFID, and the need for credible safeguards. We must harness the technology and create the right opportunities for its use for the wider public good.”
The European Commission last year established an RFID inter-service group to co-ordinate the gathering, analysis and internal dissemination of information concerning RFID technology and its uses. Building on this, the Commission has started today to launch a wide public debate on the opportunities and challenges associated with RFID. To exploit the economic potential of RFID, privacy and consumer concerns associated with the use of RFID tags need to be handled constructively, with the assent of all stakeholders. Furthermore, to enable RFID to deliver on its potential for growth and jobs, Europe needs to agree on common technical standards, to ensure RFID interoperability across borders, and also on a common radio spectrum band for RFIDs to use.
The public debate on RFID launched by the Commission today will rely on a series of workshops to build consensus on key issues associated with the use of RFID. These workshops will address RFID applications, end-user issues, interoperability and standards, and frequency spectrum requirements. They will take place in Brussels between March and June 2006 and their conclusions will assist the European Commission in drafting a working document on RFID. This document will be published in September in an online consultation. Additional feedback obtained will then be analysed and integrated in a Commission Communication on RFID, to be adopted before the end of the year.
This feedback could lead to amendments of the e-privacy-Directive which is up for review this year. The Communication will also address the need for other legislative measures for RFID, such as decisions on allocation of spectrum.
The Commission is at the same time stepping up its exchanges with the USA and Asia on RFID technologies, in order to define globally-accepted interoperability standards and practices with regard to data privacy and ethical principles when applying the technology.
Finally, the Commission is also planning to support, in the forthcoming Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, technology and innovative applications that bring us a step closer to the “Ambient Intelligent Society”.
For more information:
- DG INFSO website “Towards a RFID Policy for Europe3
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/rfid/index_en.htm
- CEBIT Fair Hannover, “The Revolution of RFID – Changes and Options for Action”
http://www.cebit.de/34733?usertyp=1&highlight=Reding&x=1
Send your comments and discuss.
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“RFID tags are far cleverer than traditional bar codes. They are the precursors of a world in which billions of networked objects and sensors will report their location, identity, and history” said Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. “These networks and devices will link everyday objects into an ‘internet of things’ that will greatly enhance economic prosperity and the quality of life. But as with any breakthrough, there is a possible downside – in this case, the implications of RFID for privacy. This is why we need to build a society-wide consensus on the future of RFID, and the need for credible safeguards. We must harness the technology and create the right opportunities for its use for the wider public good.”
The European Commission last year established an RFID inter-service group to co-ordinate the gathering, analysis and internal dissemination of information concerning RFID technology and its uses. Building on this, the Commission has started today to launch a wide public debate on the opportunities and challenges associated with RFID. To exploit the economic potential of RFID, privacy and consumer concerns associated with the use of RFID tags need to be handled constructively, with the assent of all stakeholders. Furthermore, to enable RFID to deliver on its potential for growth and jobs, Europe needs to agree on common technical standards, to ensure RFID interoperability across borders, and also on a common radio spectrum band for RFIDs to use.
The public debate on RFID launched by the Commission today will rely on a series of workshops to build consensus on key issues associated with the use of RFID. These workshops will address RFID applications, end-user issues, interoperability and standards, and frequency spectrum requirements. They will take place in Brussels between March and June 2006 and their conclusions will assist the European Commission in drafting a working document on RFID. This document will be published in September in an online consultation. Additional feedback obtained will then be analysed and integrated in a Commission Communication on RFID, to be adopted before the end of the year.
This feedback could lead to amendments of the e-privacy-Directive which is up for review this year. The Communication will also address the need for other legislative measures for RFID, such as decisions on allocation of spectrum.
The Commission is at the same time stepping up its exchanges with the USA and Asia on RFID technologies, in order to define globally-accepted interoperability standards and practices with regard to data privacy and ethical principles when applying the technology.
Finally, the Commission is also planning to support, in the forthcoming Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, technology and innovative applications that bring us a step closer to the “Ambient Intelligent Society”.
For more information:
- DG INFSO website “Towards a RFID Policy for Europe3
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/rfid/index_en.htm
- CEBIT Fair Hannover, “The Revolution of RFID – Changes and Options for Action”
http://www.cebit.de/34733?usertyp=1&highlight=Reding&x=1
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: business, privacy, rfid, security, tag, technology
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Hitachi Develops RFID-based Nuclear Power Plant Construction Technologies
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Tokyo (JCN) Jan 20, 2006 - Hitachi announced on January 20 that it has developed radio frequency identification (RFID)-based technologies applicable to nuclear power plant construction.
Specifically, the company has developed two new systems, an RFID tag system used in the processes of manufacturing and installing pipes, and an RFID-based cable connection navigation system.
With the RFID tag system, RFID tags are attached to construction materials as they are delivered so they can be efficiently monitored in distribution management. Subsequently, it will lead to preventing human errors and ensuring the traceability of the materials used.
The navigation system uses RFID tags attached to both cable cores and end terminals to simplify cable connection work and help workers easily check for errors when they connect cables.
Going forward, Hitachi plans to proceed with research, focusing on the establishment of rules of using RFID tags, the integration of the tags into the existing systems, and the development of basic technologies including metal-compliant antenna. Through these means, Hitachi aims to contribute to the development of next-generation nuclear power plants.
By jcn, JCN Staff Writer
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Specifically, the company has developed two new systems, an RFID tag system used in the processes of manufacturing and installing pipes, and an RFID-based cable connection navigation system.
With the RFID tag system, RFID tags are attached to construction materials as they are delivered so they can be efficiently monitored in distribution management. Subsequently, it will lead to preventing human errors and ensuring the traceability of the materials used.
The navigation system uses RFID tags attached to both cable cores and end terminals to simplify cable connection work and help workers easily check for errors when they connect cables.
Going forward, Hitachi plans to proceed with research, focusing on the establishment of rules of using RFID tags, the integration of the tags into the existing systems, and the development of basic technologies including metal-compliant antenna. Through these means, Hitachi aims to contribute to the development of next-generation nuclear power plants.
By jcn, JCN Staff Writer
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Labels: antenna, hitachi, nuclear, rfid, tag, technology
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Raflatac and UPM Rafsec merge to UPM Raflatac
Raflatac, a pressure sensitives suppliers, and UPM Rafsec, a manufacturer of RFID tags and inlays have merged to form a new business entity, UPM Raflatac. Following the merger, UPM Raflatac’s product and service offering comprises both pressure sensitive labelstock and RFID.
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Labels: business, raflatac, rfid, tag, technology
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Tax Benefits or Privacy?
Friday, January 13, 2006
From 19th January 2006, the Seoul city government will offer tax benefits for drivers who are willing to participate in "No Driving Day" campaign and attach a sticker embedded with an RFID tag to the front window of their cars.
The idea of using stickers embedded with RFID tags for vehicle identification is nothing new. However, the idea of giving the choice for claiming tax benefits or risking privacy is new.
The bottom line is that 5 percent discount in automobile taxes and a 2.7 percent discount in auto insurance fees will be traded with the requirement to leave vehicles for one day a week and allow the authorities to track their movements and access their personal information.
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The idea of using stickers embedded with RFID tags for vehicle identification is nothing new. However, the idea of giving the choice for claiming tax benefits or risking privacy is new.
The bottom line is that 5 percent discount in automobile taxes and a 2.7 percent discount in auto insurance fees will be traded with the requirement to leave vehicles for one day a week and allow the authorities to track their movements and access their personal information.
Labels: privacy, rfid, tag, tax, technology, tracking
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The first Gen2 project in Hong Kong and the South China region
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
UPM Rafsec, an RFID tag and inlay manufacturer, announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement with Supply Chain and Logistics Technology Holdings Limited (SCL), a joint-venture of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), to deliver UPM Rafsec Gen 2 RFID tags. UPM Rafsec together with SCL will supply tags to Novetex Spinners Limited (Novetex), a single site woollen spinner, for the project that will mark the first Gen 2 RFID initiative in Hong Kong and the South China region.
The new RFID system being deployed for Novetex by SCL, consultant as well
as hardware & solution provider for the project will touch three different
processes in Novetex’s Zhuhai warehouse - the receiving process, cycle
counting and the delivery process. Novetex expects substantial enhancements in operating efficiency at its warehouse when the project is fully deployed.
Marcus Vaenerberg, Vice President Sales at UPM Rafsec, comments “We’re
extremely excited to be taking part in the first Gen 2 project in the
South China region. The technology is just starting to take hold here.
However this region is very dynamic. Our collaboration with SCL, an ideal
partner for us, will permit us to expand our presence significantly in
this rapidly growing market.”
Novetex’s complete RFID identification and tracking solution will go live
in early 2006.
Read more »
The new RFID system being deployed for Novetex by SCL, consultant as well
as hardware & solution provider for the project will touch three different
processes in Novetex’s Zhuhai warehouse - the receiving process, cycle
counting and the delivery process. Novetex expects substantial enhancements in operating efficiency at its warehouse when the project is fully deployed.
Marcus Vaenerberg, Vice President Sales at UPM Rafsec, comments “We’re
extremely excited to be taking part in the first Gen 2 project in the
South China region. The technology is just starting to take hold here.
However this region is very dynamic. Our collaboration with SCL, an ideal
partner for us, will permit us to expand our presence significantly in
this rapidly growing market.”
Novetex’s complete RFID identification and tracking solution will go live
in early 2006.
Labels: china, gen2, inlay, project, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking
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Indian Secretariat to Introduce RFID Vehicle Tracking
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Increased security assurance is the main reason behind the plan to introduce RFID-based vehicle tracking at the Indian Secretariat.
All the vehicles entering the Indian Secretariat premises will have to carry RFID tags for identification and tighten the security at those premises. Starting with tagging four-wheelers, the new system will also apply to the two-wheelers after a few months according to the chief security officer B V Ram Reddy told The Times of India on Monday.
The RFID system is expected to transmit vehicle numbers and other data to the security wing more than 200 metres away from their position.
Read more »
All the vehicles entering the Indian Secretariat premises will have to carry RFID tags for identification and tighten the security at those premises. Starting with tagging four-wheelers, the new system will also apply to the two-wheelers after a few months according to the chief security officer B V Ram Reddy told The Times of India on Monday.
The RFID system is expected to transmit vehicle numbers and other data to the security wing more than 200 metres away from their position.
Labels: india, rfid, security, tag, technology, tracking, vehicle
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RFID ticketing application in Shanghai, China
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The Ba-Shi Group, host of the Tennis Master Cup in Shanghai, China, through 2007, said Monday it has installed radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to prevent counterfeit ticketing.
After embedding Texas Instruments (TI) Inc's Tag-it HF-I ISO/IEC 15693 inlays into the tickets for sporting events, seat and section number, date and unique ID were encoded. This ticket will later be authenticated by a number of RFID readers installed at Shanghai Qi Zhong stadium's gates and several RFID handheld readers carried by the event staff inside the stadium. In addition, the ticket will also provide an option for spectators to pay for refreshments and merchandises.
Systems integrators who worked on the project include Shanghai HSIC Application System Co., Ltd., Shanghai Shenbo Intelligent ID Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai East Ticket Co., Ltd. Hua Shen supplied the stationary and handheld RFID readers. Tickets were printed using the CL408E-HF, 13.56 MHz ISO/IEC 15693 RFID printers from SATO Shanghai Co., Ltd.
Read more »
After embedding Texas Instruments (TI) Inc's Tag-it HF-I ISO/IEC 15693 inlays into the tickets for sporting events, seat and section number, date and unique ID were encoded. This ticket will later be authenticated by a number of RFID readers installed at Shanghai Qi Zhong stadium's gates and several RFID handheld readers carried by the event staff inside the stadium. In addition, the ticket will also provide an option for spectators to pay for refreshments and merchandises.
Systems integrators who worked on the project include Shanghai HSIC Application System Co., Ltd., Shanghai Shenbo Intelligent ID Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai East Ticket Co., Ltd. Hua Shen supplied the stationary and handheld RFID readers. Tickets were printed using the CL408E-HF, 13.56 MHz ISO/IEC 15693 RFID printers from SATO Shanghai Co., Ltd.
Labels: china, project, rfid, shanghai, tag, technology, ticketing
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RFID standard for Baggage Tags
Monday, November 21, 2005
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has introduced a global standard for RFID baggage tags. The standard was unanimously endorsed by IATA member airlines at the IATA Joint Passenger Services Conference held in Geneva last week.
The new standard uses 850MHz to 950MHz UHF and employs ISO-18000-6-C, ISO-15691 and ISO-15692 protocols.
It is expected that RFID will save the industry US$760 million annually by reducing baggage mishandling.
Read more »
The new standard uses 850MHz to 950MHz UHF and employs ISO-18000-6-C, ISO-15691 and ISO-15692 protocols.
It is expected that RFID will save the industry US$760 million annually by reducing baggage mishandling.
Labels: baggage, rfid, standard, tag, technology
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Press Release: RFID Tags from DOMINANT
Thursday, November 17, 2005
DOMINANT Semiconductors announces the release of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to deliver high level of performance in automatic identification and tracking objects.
The total RFID tag production solution provided by DOMINANT covers the converting processes like inlay assembly and the test from raw materials to finished goods such as smart tags. The flip chip technology enables DOMINANT to provide superior RFID tag product quality with competitive pricing.
DOMINANT provides three types of tags classified as per their radio frequency – HF at 13.56 MHz, UHF at 860-960 MHz and microwave at 2.45 GHz.
By adopting RFID technology, companies are able to optimize the accuracy of data collection – something that is not always possible with traditional systems. DOMINANT plays an important role as one of the RFID tag suppliers on a global scale where demand for compliant RFID tag is growing dramatically. The company aims to be the forefront in the RFID market by providing RFID tag products with superior quality in large quantities.
About DOMINANT Semiconductors
DOMINANT Semiconductors is an excellence-driven organization, offering a comprehensive variety of product range and selection for diverse industries and applications. With extensive industry experience and relentless pursuit of innovation, DOMINANT Semiconductors, with its state-of-the-art manufacturing, research and testing capabilities, has become a trusted and reliable brand across the globe. It develops and manufactures high quality RFID (radio frequency identification) tags used in automatic identification, tracking and supply chain management, which are specialized in high quality, high volume production. More information about DOMINANT Semiconductors can be found on the Internet at http://www.dominant-semi.com/rfid. DOMINANT is a QS 9000 and ISO9001 certified company.
Marketing Communication
Tee Mei Ghee
Tel: +60 (06) 2833566 (Ext: 2117)
Fax: +60 (06) 2830566
Email: mei-ghee.tee@dominant-semi.com
Website: http://www.dominant-semi.com/rfid
Read more »
The total RFID tag production solution provided by DOMINANT covers the converting processes like inlay assembly and the test from raw materials to finished goods such as smart tags. The flip chip technology enables DOMINANT to provide superior RFID tag product quality with competitive pricing.
DOMINANT provides three types of tags classified as per their radio frequency – HF at 13.56 MHz, UHF at 860-960 MHz and microwave at 2.45 GHz.
By adopting RFID technology, companies are able to optimize the accuracy of data collection – something that is not always possible with traditional systems. DOMINANT plays an important role as one of the RFID tag suppliers on a global scale where demand for compliant RFID tag is growing dramatically. The company aims to be the forefront in the RFID market by providing RFID tag products with superior quality in large quantities.
About DOMINANT Semiconductors
DOMINANT Semiconductors is an excellence-driven organization, offering a comprehensive variety of product range and selection for diverse industries and applications. With extensive industry experience and relentless pursuit of innovation, DOMINANT Semiconductors, with its state-of-the-art manufacturing, research and testing capabilities, has become a trusted and reliable brand across the globe. It develops and manufactures high quality RFID (radio frequency identification) tags used in automatic identification, tracking and supply chain management, which are specialized in high quality, high volume production. More information about DOMINANT Semiconductors can be found on the Internet at http://www.dominant-semi.com/rfid. DOMINANT is a QS 9000 and ISO9001 certified company.
Marketing Communication
Tee Mei Ghee
Tel: +60 (06) 2833566 (Ext: 2117)
Fax: +60 (06) 2830566
Email: mei-ghee.tee@dominant-semi.com
Website: http://www.dominant-semi.com/rfid
Labels: dominant, inlay, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking
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If you can't kill it, scratch it off
Monday, November 07, 2005
One of the privacy issues in the application of RFID technology in the retail industry is related to RFID tag deactivation. Several latest attempts, such as the support of deactivation feature (KILL) in EPCglobal's Gen 2 tags and Zero-knowledge approach, both rely on technology embedded in RFID tags to ensure the "preservation" of privacy.
Tackling the privacy issues from a different angle, two IBM researchers, Guenter Karjoth and Paul Moskowitz, recently proposed the use of Clipped Tags to deactivate RFID tags. In the usage scenarios of these tags, retail consumers have an opportunity to scratch off the specially designed antenna, tear off perforated rfid tags or peel off antenna sandwiched between two layers of packaging material.
Read more »
Tackling the privacy issues from a different angle, two IBM researchers, Guenter Karjoth and Paul Moskowitz, recently proposed the use of Clipped Tags to deactivate RFID tags. In the usage scenarios of these tags, retail consumers have an opportunity to scratch off the specially designed antenna, tear off perforated rfid tags or peel off antenna sandwiched between two layers of packaging material.
Labels: antenna, kill, privacy, rfid, scratch, tag, technology
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The beginning of low cost RFID tag manufacturing
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan has announced the development of a technique to produce RF tags by printing called "Pressure Annealing".
Through this technique, it is believed that the production of RFID tags on flexible substrates entirely by printing is possible, and thus reduce the tag manufacturing cost. AIST has confirmed that their fabricated tags are highly responsive to RF signals at a range of frequencies between 5 and 40 MHz.
Read more »
Through this technique, it is believed that the production of RFID tags on flexible substrates entirely by printing is possible, and thus reduce the tag manufacturing cost. AIST has confirmed that their fabricated tags are highly responsive to RF signals at a range of frequencies between 5 and 40 MHz.
Labels: cost, japan, low, manufacturing, rfid, tag, technology
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Smart Label could get Smarter
Friday, October 07, 2005
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.
Read more »
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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Is RFID Hardware Price War Unavoidable?
Friday, September 30, 2005
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.
Read more »
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
Read more »
New EPC Gen2 RFID Chips from STMicroelectronics
Monday, September 19, 2005
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.
Read more »
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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RFID adoption is taking shape in South Korea
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
MSWAY, a Seoul-based semiconductor distributor of memory, microcontrollers and radio frequency products ordered 100 million units of RFID tags from SmartCode to be used in the Korean market, according to the information released by SmartCode on Tuesday.
This purchase order is not a big surprise, because the Korean government itself has committed to the development and commercialisation of RFID technology in Korea through a planned investment of 162.6 billion won through the Ubiquitous-Sensor Network (USN) programme.
Read more »
This purchase order is not a big surprise, because the Korean government itself has committed to the development and commercialisation of RFID technology in Korea through a planned investment of 162.6 billion won through the Ubiquitous-Sensor Network (USN) programme.
Labels: korea, rfid, tag, technology
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Press Release - Technology watch: CENTREDOC launches RFID Patents
Friday, September 02, 2005
CENTREDOC, Neuchatel (CH), Sept. 02, 2005 - CENTREDOC, a major player in Switzerland's technology watch and economic intelligence, launches RFID Patents, the portal for a new patent watch which focuses on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology.
Currently very much in the news, RFID technology is the subject of intense activity in the field of patents. Proof of this can be seen in the increasing number of patent applications published over the last five years: between 2000 and 2004, no fewer than 1,625 new inventions have been published, 697 in 2004 alone, representing a year-on-year increase of 65%.
On the strength of this observation, CENTREDOC carried out a survey of innovative firms in this sector to determine their requirements in terms of technological information and, more particularly, patents. This survey has resulted today in the launch of the patent watch portal RFID Patents. Intended to provide regular and pertinent information, RFID Patents sees itself as the first stop for businesses active in this area to obtain information on intellectual property. Each month, RFID Patents supplies bibliographical data, the summary in English and the complete text of new patents ranging in subject matter from tag technology to readers and their applications. Its coverage extends to American, European and global (PCT) patent applications.
For more informations: http://rfid.centredoc.ch.
About CENTREDOC
Founded in 1964 as the technical information center for the watchmaking industry, CENTREDOC has since diversified its activities and today offers its services to a wide range of industries. CENTREDOC provides search, analysis and synthesis of scientific, economic, commercial and patent-related information as well as technology & patent monitoring. Services are based on thorough knowledge of international online databases,as well as on a high-performance and proven network of worldwide partners.
Contact:
David Borel
Marketing Manager
Jaquet-Droz 1
CH-2007 Neuchâtel
Tel: +41 32 720 51 31
Fax: +41 32 720 57 51
e-mail: rfid@centredoc.ch
web: www.centredoc.ch
Read more »
Currently very much in the news, RFID technology is the subject of intense activity in the field of patents. Proof of this can be seen in the increasing number of patent applications published over the last five years: between 2000 and 2004, no fewer than 1,625 new inventions have been published, 697 in 2004 alone, representing a year-on-year increase of 65%.
On the strength of this observation, CENTREDOC carried out a survey of innovative firms in this sector to determine their requirements in terms of technological information and, more particularly, patents. This survey has resulted today in the launch of the patent watch portal RFID Patents. Intended to provide regular and pertinent information, RFID Patents sees itself as the first stop for businesses active in this area to obtain information on intellectual property. Each month, RFID Patents supplies bibliographical data, the summary in English and the complete text of new patents ranging in subject matter from tag technology to readers and their applications. Its coverage extends to American, European and global (PCT) patent applications.
For more informations: http://rfid.centredoc.ch.
About CENTREDOC
Founded in 1964 as the technical information center for the watchmaking industry, CENTREDOC has since diversified its activities and today offers its services to a wide range of industries. CENTREDOC provides search, analysis and synthesis of scientific, economic, commercial and patent-related information as well as technology & patent monitoring. Services are based on thorough knowledge of international online databases,as well as on a high-performance and proven network of worldwide partners.
Contact:
David Borel
Marketing Manager
Jaquet-Droz 1
CH-2007 Neuchâtel
Tel: +41 32 720 51 31
Fax: +41 32 720 57 51
e-mail: rfid@centredoc.ch
web: www.centredoc.ch
Labels: business, centredoc, rfid, tag, technology
Read more »
Tagging Cow Business in India
Monday, August 15, 2005
Cow business is special in India, because cow is considered sacred among Hindus. It does not matter whether it is a stray cow or a cow owned by someone, a cow is protected by the law of India.
The growing problem of stray cows has given the New Delhi's authorities an idea to implement RFID technology, considered an appropriate technology for animal control, to identify stray cows.
By inserting $12 worth of RFID tags into the stray cows in the streets and providing a reward of $46 to anyone bringing the stray cows to the authorities, the authorities can later demand $233 from the owner of the stray cows.
News contributor: Arpan Talwar
Article contributor: Adi Tedjasaputra
Read more »
The growing problem of stray cows has given the New Delhi's authorities an idea to implement RFID technology, considered an appropriate technology for animal control, to identify stray cows.
By inserting $12 worth of RFID tags into the stray cows in the streets and providing a reward of $46 to anyone bringing the stray cows to the authorities, the authorities can later demand $233 from the owner of the stray cows.
News contributor: Arpan Talwar
Article contributor: Adi Tedjasaputra
Labels: business, cow, india, rfid, tag, tagging, technology
Read more »
Conclusion: RFID tags were effective
Friday, August 05, 2005
NTT Data, Keio University, the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM) and Toyo Seiki proved that RFID tags were effective in swift response to changes in order flows during a join experiment at Toyo Seiki's plant.
Read more »
Labels: japan, rfid, tag, technology
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RFID is changing the definition of warehouse
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Mark Anderson, a technology futurist, thinks that RFID and RFID-related technologies have opened a huge new area:
"Radio Frequency Identification [RFID, which are electronic tags used to track goods within the supply chain], and RFID-related technologies have opened a huge new area. All the people who run warehouses are going to have real-time information about what's inside, which they don't actually have today.
The definition of what a warehouse is already changing. Volkswagen and Dell might store their products in the same warehouse, but where one warehouse ends and the other begins is determined by a dividing line on the floor. So getting to know where a product is becomes very important. Wal-Mart has gotten it, but most others have not. In the next five years, we'll see an absolutely massive change in our ability to communicate with devices."
Read more »
"Radio Frequency Identification [RFID, which are electronic tags used to track goods within the supply chain], and RFID-related technologies have opened a huge new area. All the people who run warehouses are going to have real-time information about what's inside, which they don't actually have today.
The definition of what a warehouse is already changing. Volkswagen and Dell might store their products in the same warehouse, but where one warehouse ends and the other begins is determined by a dividing line on the floor. So getting to know where a product is becomes very important. Wal-Mart has gotten it, but most others have not. In the next five years, we'll see an absolutely massive change in our ability to communicate with devices."
Labels: rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking, warehouse
Read more »
The first RFID-based die inventory management system
Monday, July 04, 2005
Nissan introduced the world's first die inventory management system with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags at an engine manufacturing plant in Yokohama.
Read more »
Labels: die, inventory, management, rfid, tag, technology
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New RFID tag chip from Fujitsu
Friday, July 01, 2005
Fujitsu has added an RFID tag chip with 256B of FRAM with a clock speed of 13.56MHz, a communication range of 70cm and a data speed of 26.48Kbps. The chip is sample-priced at ¥50.
Read more »
Labels: chip, fujitsu, rfid, tag, technology
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Cheap RFID tags as ubiquitous as ink
Monday, June 27, 2005
With the new understanding of organic transistors provided by Lay-Lay Chua at the University of Cambridge and Peter Ho at the National University of Singapore, fast and cheap plastic electronics, such as RFID tags, could soon be as ubiquitous as ink.
Read more »
Labels: ink, rfid, singapore, tag, technology, ubiquitous
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Local retailers hit hard by big bros' demand for RFID code
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Indian companies may bleed to make their foreign associates richer. Suppliers to retail majors such as Wal-Mart, Metro, Target and Tesco fear a hit on their bottomline as their foreign partners have issued directives to their suppliers to replace bar codes with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.
The retail bigwigs' diktat is giving sleepless nights to domestic companies. Indian suppliers' worst fear is that the cost of RFID labels will squeeze their margins. “The cost of one RFID tag results in a loss of about 30 US cents.
Read more »
The retail bigwigs' diktat is giving sleepless nights to domestic companies. Indian suppliers' worst fear is that the cost of RFID labels will squeeze their margins. “The cost of one RFID tag results in a loss of about 30 US cents.
Labels: retail, rfid, tag, technology
Read more »
TAGSYS Opens Office in Hong Kong
Thursday, May 12, 2005
TAGSYS, the global leader in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and reading systems for item-level tracking and authentication, announced today the opening of a new office in Hong Kong to meet the growing demand for RFID implementation in the Northern Asian market. TAGSYS, headquartered in France’s Smart Valley with offices in the USA (Doylestown, Pennsylvania) and Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore), provides select market sectors with end-to-end item-level tracking RFID systems that automate labor-intensive processes, authenticate goods and enable real-time inventory.
Labels: rfid, singapore, tag, tagsys, technology, tracking
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Singapore's UTAC allies with nine Chinese chip firms
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
United Test and Assembly Center Ltd.(UTAC) said it will work with nine Chinese fabless companies in a deal that marks a new stage in the Singapore-based company's regional expansion plans. Their designs are used in products ranging from telecommunications equipment to RFID tags and displays.
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Royal Philips mulls Korean plants project
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Royal Philips Electronics NV, Europe's largest maker of consumer electronics, may build a chip plant in Korea, the country's information minister revealed yesterday. The plant would produce radial frequency identification (RFID) chips, which are used in everything from tagging household products in retail stores to transmitting personal information on luggage tags, he said.
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Labels: korea, philips, project, rfid, tag
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Toppan Printing Develops Built-in RFID Tag for Glass Containers
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Toppan Printing has announced that it has developed a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for glass containers in collaboration with Nippon Sheet Glass.
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Labels: japan, rfid, tag, toppan
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Tracking Food with RFID and barcodes
Monday, February 07, 2005
The Ubiquitous ID Center has started an RFID tag demonstration at the Nihombashi main store, Mitsukoshi, Ltd. RFID tags are used for foods such as expensive fruits, beef and pork, sold at the department store. The demonstration is aimed at testing food traceability.
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Labels: food, rfid, tag, tracking
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NEC Tokin Releases RFID Tag Reader/Writer Modules at below 40,000 Yen
Friday, February 04, 2005
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.
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Labels: antenna, nec, reader, rfid, tag
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How RFID Tags Can Track Livestock
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
After the bird flu virus killed 83 tigers at the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo last year, officials tried to identify the shops that had sold the infected chicken carcasses. ... this situation could have been very different if there had been an implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology because RFID can be used on farms to tag animals and the information can be carried throughout the food chain process.
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Labels: livestock, rfid, tag, tracking
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Asian Shipping Company Opens RFID Test Center
Neptune Orient Lines Group, a shipping company based in Singapore, in April will open a radio-frequency identification lab in Singapore with Sun Microsystems. The lab will provide businesses with a place to test RFID tags, readers, software, and more. Sun executives weren't available for comment by press time.
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Labels: business, rfid, singapore, tag
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Inkjet technology and RFID
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
There is some expectation that boards made with inkjet technology can be used in radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and similar applications, but the necessary conductivity to high-frequency currents has yet to be verified. Seiko Epson uses Ag microparticles coated with an organic material to print interconnect patterns on the dielectric film, then bakes the boards at 150 to 200*C to create the interconnects.
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Deloitte expects billions of RFID tags to be commissioned this year
Monday, January 24, 2005
Deloitte expects billions of RFID tags to be commissioned this year as large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Tesco start to use them.
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