Radio Frequency Identification

1. Radio Frequency Identification Jessica Palmer Center for Logistics Management University of Nevada Reverse Logistics Executive Council Woodland, CA August 7, 2002

2. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Definition A wireless method of identifying unique items using radio waves.

3. Features • Three Main Components to an RFID System • Active and Passive Types • Read/Write Capabilities • Shapes and Sizes • Tag Frequencies • Ranges

4. Three Main Components 1. An antenna or coil: emits radio signals to activate the tag and read / write data to it – they are the conduits between the tag and the transceiver. 2. A transceiver (with decoder): controls the system’s data acquisition and communication. 3. A transponder (RF tag) electronically programmed with unique information

5. Tag Frequencies • Low (LF): typically 125 KHz (30 KHz to 500 KHz) • High (HF): typically 13.56 MHz (850 KHz to 950 KHz) • Ultra-high (UHF): typically between 300 MHz to 1900 MHz. • Microwave (VHF)

6. Ranges Anywhere from a few millimeters to 100 feet or more, depending upon its power output and the radio frequency used.

7. Active vs. Passive Types • Where the power comes from: • Active • Passive • Semi-Passive

8. Read / Write Capabilities • Read-Only (identify product with tag) • Write Once Read Many (WORM – identify tag with product) • Read/Write

9. RFID System Hierarchy

10. Shapes and Sizes • Shapes: any shape at all – screw shaped to insert into trees (wood), credit card shaped for access applications, etc. • Sizes: many – as small as a grain of rice (common in animal implementation) or as large as a cell phone (common when used in GPS systems – long range communications)

11. Rafsec’s Smart Labels

12. Square Tag

13. Cylinder Tag

14. Glass Medium

15. Plastic Medium

16. History • Military origin in the 1940’s to identify aircraft • Identify: friend from foe (IFF) • Primarily government sponsored through the 1970’s • Progress with the invention of the microchip • Tagging of livestock in Europe

17. Benefits of RFID over Barcodes • Non-contact • Non-line-of-sight nature • Robustness • Efficiency • Real-time visibility • Read/write capability • Ability to scan numerous different products at once • Data capacity • Re-usability and durability • Security through encryption

18. Constraints in Using RFID with Regard to Bar Codes • Cost • Metallic or other conductive material environments • Tags located on or near liquid products • Susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI) • Multiple data capture: interference between RFID labels • Regulations: incompatible national and regional regulations • Human exposure • Proof of reading

19. Current Uses • Transportation (vehicle - RR cars - and container ID) • Anti-theft (the white tags attached to merchandise in stores) • Toll booth collection • Security (access control) • Automated manufacturing • Animal tagging • Vehicle velocity • Airline baggage • Libraries • Ski lift tickets

20. Future Uses • Casino chips • Detection of potentially harmful food • Robotic warehouse inventory • Counterfeit currency prevention • Recycling – currently sorting is the highest cost of recycling. • Reverse Logistics • Store check outs • And many, many more…

21. Cost Analysis

22. Standards in Progress • Global Tag (GTAG) • Bluetooth

23. International Standard Differences • US: frequencies used are 902-928 kHz • Europe: frequencies used are 420-460 kHz (over 900 is for cell phone use). Europeans have reservations about what the electrical fields created by radio frequency does to their health.

24. Application of RFID on Key Reverse Logistics Management Elements • Gatekeeping • Compacting Disposition Cycle Time • Reverse Logistics Information Systems • Centralized Return Centers (CRCs) • Zero Returns – verifications of percentages • Remanufacturing and Refurbishment • Asset Recovery • Negotiation • Financial / Inventory Management • Outsourcing

25. Examples of RFID Currently In Use • WhereNet (Santa Clara, CA) and Associated Food Stores (SLC,UT) • Escort Memory Systems (Scotts Valley, CA) and Toyota-South Africa • En-Vision America, Inc. (Normal, IL) and Scrip Talk^sup • SCS Corporation (San Diego, CA) and San Francisco Airport • Intermec (Everett, WA) and CHEP International • o OHIO Principle – Zero Human Intervention Operation • Omron Electronics (Schaumberg, IL) and Sainsbury • Intellident (Manchester, England) and Marks & Spencer

26. Associated Food Stores’ Utilization of WhereNet Corporation’s Technology • Associated Food Stores has been using WhereNet, Corp.’s WhereTags, which work with a Real-Time Locating System, a wireless technology in which the active tags (about the size of a pager) are placed on any of the company’s high-value, mobile assets, such as trailers. • RTLS: (real-time locating systems) can locate objects by searching with radio signals in addition to providing object identification • From 127 ship yard employees to 5

27. Technologies Associated with RFID Electronic Price Codes (EPCs) – a 96-bit unique identifier code (a standardized tag) • Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) • Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS)

28. Speculations on Increasing RFID Usage • Closed-Loop Logistics Systems • Totes • Pallets • Containers • Trucks • Smoothing Collaborative Planning • Forecasting • Replenishment • Task Elimination • Issuing Purchase Orders • Issuing Advance Ship Notices

29. RFID Resources • MIT’s Auto ID Center: www.autoIDcenter.org • RFID Center for Excellence