RFID

Radio Frequency Identification

What is RFID?

Radio Frequency Identification is an identification

system used for retail and wholesale, security,
veterinary, and military purposes. The RFID
technology sector is growing rapidly as new uses for
it are found.

RFID systems can be either active or passive.

You may be surprised to find that you have been

using RFID technology for years without knowing it.

Some large companies, such as Wal-Mart and

Microsoft, are mandating that their suppliers begin
using RFID so that they can cut warehousing costs
and other related expenses.

Common RFID devices

EAS Tags, or Electronic Article Surveillance

Tags, are seen in many forms in virtually all
retail stores these days:

EAS tag antenna, soft item tags, and hard item tags

Common RFID devices

Lojack is a popular vehicle theft recovery

system that uses active RFID technology:

Shown is a common type of self-supporting

RF tower and a Lojack equipped vehicle being
recovered by the police

Common RFID devices

Microchip

devices are now commonly

used by veterinarians:
Microchip identification
for dogs, cats, and
livestock.
Hand-held scanner and passive RFID microchip

Common RFID devices

Another device that you may be familiar with

is the Speedpass:

Speedpass device on a keychain, in the store, and at the gas pump

How does RFID work?

RFID uses specially coded active or passive

radio frequency tags and antennas.

Active RFID

Active RFID devices are RF tags with an

attached power supply. These tags emit a
signal whether or not there is an antenna in
the vicinity to receive the data.

Lojack is an example of active RFID. When

the vehicle is reported stolen, the RF device
is remotely activated by the Lojack
computers, and it begins sending out a radio
signal that is coded to the vehicles unique
identification number. Authorities can then
track the location of the signal and recover
the vehicle.

Passive RFID

Passive RFID devices are RF tags that do not

have an attached power supply. The passive
RF tags receive their power when it is emitted
from active antennas in close proximity.

Examples of passive RF devices are

Speedpass, pet microchips, and EAS tags.
Warehouses will use passive RF to track box
contents and item counts. Passive RF is
cheaper and simpler to utilize than the Active
RF systems.

Who invented RFID?

Like most technologies in use today, RFID got

its start in WWII. The parent technology of
RFID is the transponder.

Transponders are radio devices that can

transmit and receive signals. They are found
on virtually all aircraft and watercraft today.

In WWII, transponders were first used as IFF,

or Identify Friend or Foe, systems to
distinguish Allied aircraft from enemy aircraft.

RFIDs move to the civilian sector

Mario Cardullo got the idea for the passive RFID tag
in 1969.

In 1971, Cardullo contacted the NY Port Authority

(NYPA) about testing the RFID system as an
automatic toll device.

The NYPA balked, saying that nobody in their right

mind would install it on their vehicle; much to the
NYPAs surprise, the RFID system was a hit.

The patent was issued in January 1973, and the

applications for RFID have been multiplying since
then.

What does the future hold?

Large corporations such as Wal-Mart and Microsoft

have mandated that their suppliers and
manufacturing departments implement RFID systems
by 2005.

The military is also moving toward RFID

implementation by 2005.

Expect to see more RFID tags in stores in the next

few years.

Apparel manufacturers, like Prada, will soon begin

inserting RFID devices into clothing tags, shoes, and
accessories for inventory and security purposes.

U.S. Department of Defense

Directive
the DoD will be an early adopter of
innovative RFID technology that leverages
the Electronic Product Code (EPC) and
compatible RFID tags. Our policy will
require suppliers to put passive RFID tags
on lowest possible piece part/case/pallet
packaging by January 2005.
Mike Wynne
Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

This slide courtesy of the Uniform Code Council, copyright 2003.

RFID security issues

It may be possible for criminals with the right

equipment to decode information like credit
card numbers and other financial information.

Any information shared via the Internet is

vulnerable (stock levels, corporate buying
accounts, military supply orders).

Fraud and counterfeit RFID devices may

someday be an issue that retailers and
manufacturers have to address.

RFID social issues

Believe it or not, there are people who believe that

bar codes are the mark of the devil because of the
way the numbering system looks (666). These people
tend to believe that RFID is also evil. There are,
however, some valid concerns about privacy:

It may be possible to scan consumers to find out

what brand of clothing or shoes they wear, what
credit cards they carry, what electronic devices they
have, and so on.

If the US decides to implement anti-counterfeiting

measures using RFID, it may be possible to scan a
person to find out how much money they are
carrying.

RFIDa quick review

RFID was first developed as a transponder/IFF

system in WWII. The military still uses RFID/IFF.
RFID got its modern form in the early seventies when
Cardullo patented the first passive RFID tag.
RFID is becoming more prevalent as large corporate
entities begin using the technology for inventory
control and security. The military is implementing
RFID in their supply chain.
RFID is becoming more popular with retailers as a
point of sale device.
RFID is used for vehicle and equipment recovery, and
for the identification of livestock and pets.
Many people fear that RFID technology is intrusive
and unconstitutional. Some even believe that the
technology is evil.

Presentation photo credits

Slide 3: EAS devices. Labels. Youralarmstore.com. 8 February 2004.

http://www.youralarmstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Product_Code=RF400P&Category_Code=TG.
Hang tags. Youralarmstore.com. 8 February 2004.
http://www.youralarmstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Product_Code=MXTG&Category_Code=TG.
Antenna. Youralarmstore.com. 8 February 2004.
http://www.youralarmstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Product_Code=Dialoc+RF+9000S&Category_Code=S.
Slide 4: Lojack slide. Vehicle recovery and Lojack logo. Affordable Classics. 2003. 8 February 2004.
http://www.theft-retrieval.com/.
Tower. Glen Martin Engineering. 22 September 2003. 8 February 2004. http://www.glenmartin.com/selfsupport.html.
Slide 5: Pet Microchip and Scanner. AVID Technology. 1996-2000. 8 February 2004.
http://www.avidid.com/technology/index.html.
Slide 6: Speedpass slide. Speedpass. 8 February 2004. Keychain. http://www.speedpass.com/how/index.jsp.
Pump. 8 February 2004. http://www.speedpass.com/how/pump_nonflash.jsp.
Counter. 8 February 2004. http://www.speedpass.com/how/register_nonflash.jsp.

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