chrispeng [ad_1]
1. Introduction to the working principle of RFID
The long lines at the grocery store checkout may be one of the biggest complaints people have about shopping. But soon, as the global product number (UPC) barcode is replaced by smart tags, also known as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, these long lines may disappear. RFID tag is a kind of smart barcode, which can track and report every product you put in the shopping cart to the network system.
Imagine you go to the grocery store, fill your shopping cart with things, and walk straight out the door. You no longer have to wait in line for the cashier to scan everything in your car one by one. Instead, these RFID tags will be connected to electronic readers, which can instantly detect every item in the car. These readers will then be connected to a larger network that will send your purchase information to retailers and product producers. Then, your bank will receive a corresponding notice, and the amount due will be directly deducted from your account. No need to line up, no need to wait.
RFID tags, a technology that was once only used to track cattle, are now being used to track consumer products around the world. Many manufacturers use RFID tags to track each product throughout, from the time the product is produced until it is removed from the shelf and thrown into the shopping cart.
In addition to retail products, RFID tags are also used to track vehicles, airplane passengers, Alzheimer’s patients and pets. Soon, they might even track your preference for chunky or creamy peanut butter. Some critics say that RFID technology is taking up too much of our lives-almost all places in our lives are being affected by it.
In this article, you will learn what types of RFID tags and how these tags track the entire supply chain. We will also focus on the non-commercial uses of RFID tags and how the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security use them. Finally, we will study some critics who believe that RFID tags restrict human rights in animals, humans and our society.
2. Reshape the barcode
A UPC barcode will be printed on almost everything you buy from a retailer. These barcodes can help manufacturers and retailers keep track of inventory. They can also tell these manufacturers the number of products they sell, and to a certain extent provide information about consumers who purchased the products. These series of codes composed of machine-readable vertical lines storing binary codes are equivalent to the fingerprints of each product.
In the early 1970s, barcodes created to speed up the reading of goods had the following disadvantages:
In order to be consistent with inventory, companies must scan every barcode of the same product.
When passing the cash register, the same process of scanning each barcode of each product must be repeated.
Barcode is a read-only technology, which means it cannot send any information.
Compared with barcodes, RFID tags have been improved, both readable and writable. The data stored in the RFID tag can be changed, updated and locked. Some stores that have begun to use RFID tags have found that the technology provides a better way to track inventory and merchandise sold in the market. With RFID tags, stores will see how quickly products leave shelves and consumers are buying them faster.
RFID tags will not completely replace barcodes in the near future-there are currently too many retail stores that use UPC scanners to make transactions worth $1 billion per year. However, as time goes by, we will definitely see more products with RFID tags, and the seamless wireless transaction method similar to the beautiful instant checkout we envisioned in the previous introduction will receive more and more attention. In fact, the world has already begun to use RFID technology in special credit cards and smartphone payments-we will talk about these later.
In addition to retail goods, RFID tags are also used in transportation equipment such as passcode cards for highway tolls and subway passes. Because of their ability to store data so efficiently, RFID tags can tabulate charges and fares and automatically deduct the corresponding amount from the user’s money on the card. Instead of waiting for payment at a toll booth or putting coins into the counter, passengers with an embedded RFID chip can pass instantly as if using a credit card.
But will you entrust your medical history to RFID tags? Or your home address or the safety of your children? Before we pass by a grocery store where you can buy human lives, let’s take a look at two types of RFID tags And how they store and transmit data.
3. The past and present of RFID electronic tags
RFID technology has been around since 1970, but until recently, it has been used on a large scale. RFID electronic tags were originally used to track large commodities transported over long distances, such as cattle, rail cars and airline luggage. The tags at that time were called inductively coupled RFID electronic tags, which were a complex system composed of metal coils, antennas and glass.
The inductively coupled RFID tag is powered by the magnetic field generated by the RFID reader. Electric current has an electric field component and a magnetic field component-it is an electromagnetic wave. So either an electric field can be used to generate magnetism, or a magnetic field can be used to generate electricity. The name “inductive coupling” comes from the process by which a magnetic field induces current in a wire.
Later, in order to reduce technical costs, capacitive coupling tags were produced. These can be used as one-time labels to be applied to cheaper goods, and produce a commonly used barcode. Use capacitively coupled tags instead of metal and use conductive carbon ink coils to transmit data. The ink is printed on the label paper and scanned with a reader.
Motorola’s BiStatix RFID tag is the leader in this technology. They store 96 bits of information on a silicon wafer that is only 3 mm wide.The technology was not adopted by retailers, and BiStatix was also cancelled in 2001 [来源:RFID期刊].
The RFID industry has seen more innovations, including active, semi-active and passive RFID tags. These tags can store up to 2 k of data and are composed of a microchip and antenna. Active and semi-active tags also include batteries. These components are encapsulated in plastic, silicon, and glass.
Basically, every label works in the same way:
The data is stored in an RFID tag chip waiting to be read.
The antenna of the tag receives the electromagnetic field emitted by the antenna of the RFID reader.
Powered by the electromagnetic field emitted by its internal battery or reader, the tag sends radio waves to the reader.
The reader receives the radio waves emitted by the tag and interprets its corresponding frequency data.
Because they are expensive and bulky, inductively coupled and capacitively coupled RFID tags are not commonly used today. In the next chapter, we will learn more about active, semi-active and passive RFID tags.
4. Active, semi-active and passive RFID tags
Active, semi-active and passive RFID tags make RFID technology more practical in our world. These labels cost less to produce and can be small enough to fit in almost any product.
Active and semi-active RFID electronic tags use internal batteries to drive their circuits. Active tags also use battery drive to transmit signals to the RFID reader, while semi-active tags rely on the power provided by the reader to transmit signals. Because these two kinds of tags have more hardware inside than passive RFID electronic tags, they are more expensive. Active and semi-active tags are used in more expensive projects for reading large distances—they emit high frequencies from 850 to 950 MHz, which can be read at distances of 100 feet (30.5 meters) or more. If the reading distance needs to be farther, an additional battery can be added, and the tag reading range can exceed 300 feet (100 meters)[来源:RFID期刊].
Similar to other wireless devices, RFID tags can emit electromagnetic signals within a certain frequency spectrum. The frequency is precisely variable, thereby avoiding interference between tags or between readers. The RFID system uses a time division multiple access (TDMA) cellular system to ensure correct processing in wireless communication[来源:RFID期刊].
Passive RFID tags rely entirely on readers to increase their power drive. Such tags can be read at 20 feet (6 meters), and their lower production cost means they can be applied to cheaper goods. Because they are often used for disposable consumer products, these labels are often also disposable. A railroad car will have an active RFID tag and a bottle of shampoo will use a passive tag.
Another factor that affects the cost of RFID tags is data storage. There are three types of storage: read-write, read-only and WORM (write once, read multiple times). The data of a readable and writable tag can be added or overwritten. Read-only tags cannot be written or overwritten-they only contain the data stored in them. Worm WORM tags can be written once (such as writing another serial number), but the data cannot be overwritten.
Most passive RFID tags cost between 7 and 20 cents[来源:RFID期刊]. Active and semi-active tags are more expensive, and generally, RFID manufacturers cannot give the price of these tags before determining their scope of use, storage type and quantity. The goal of the RFID industry is to reduce the cost of passive RFID tags to five cents if more businesses use it.
In the next chapter, we will learn how this technology connects to the Internet and creates a global RFID tag system.
5. RFID talk
If the RFID industry can lower prices, it will move towards a ubiquitous network that can intelligently track the supply chain throughout. The store ¬shelves will be filled with smart label products, which can be tracked from being purchased to thrown into the trash can. The shelf itself will communicate wirelessly with the network. The label will only be a component of this large product tracking network.
The other two parts of the network are readers that communicate with tags and the Internet that provides communication lines to the network.
Let’s take a look at a practical scenario of this system:
At the grocery store, you bought a carton of milk. The RFID tag on the milk container stores the expiration date and price of the milk. When you pick up milk from the shelf, the shelf will display the milk expiration date or the information can be sent to your personal digital assistant or mobile phone via wireless network.
When you walk out of the store, go through the door with the RFID reader embedded. The reader will list the prices of all items in your shopping cart and send the bill to your bank, and the bank will deduct the corresponding amount from your account. The product manufacturer will know that you have bought their product, and the inventory of computers will also know how much each product needs to be prepared.
When you get home, put your milk in the refrigerator, which is also equipped with an RFID reader. This smart refrigerator can track all the food stored in it. It can track the food you use, record how often you use the refrigerator, and let you know when milk and other foods have spoiled.
Products can also be tracked until they are thrown into trash cans or recycle bins. At this time, your refrigerator can add milk to your shopping list, or you can set the refrigerator to automatically order these items.
Based on the products you buy, your grocery store can know your unique preferences. Instead of receiving general grocery store specials newsletters every week, you may receive a newsletter made just for you. If you have two school-age children and a puppy, your grocery store will send you coupons for items you would like, such as juice and dog food.
In order for this system to be realized, each product must have a unique product number. The Auto-ID Center of MIT is working on the development of electronic product code (EPC) identifiers, which can replace bar codes. Each smart tag may store 96bit information, including product manufacturer, product name and 40bit serial number. In this system, smart tags communicate with a network called Target Naming Service. This database will retrieve the information and then send the information directly to the manufacturer’s computer.
The information stored in the smart label is written in Product Markup Language (PML), which is mainly based on Extensible Markup Language (XML). Using the PML language, all computers can communicate with any computer system, similar to the way that a web server reads Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)—the language used to create web pages.
RFID has not yet reached this stage, but RFID tags play more roles in your life than you might think. Wal-Mart and Best Buy are just two of the major customers that use RFID tags to manage inventory and market sales.An automated system called an intelligent software agent can process all the data entering and leaving the RFID tag and perform specific actions like sorting items [来源:RFID期刊].
The US retail market mainly implements RFID technology in a bundled manner through the use of near-field communication payment systems. These will become the credit cards of the future.
6. Near field communication, smart phones and RFID
Near Field Communication (NFC) has good application prospects because it proposes a more secure and more convenient next-generation payment method. Some credit cards have built-in NFC chips, which can be paid by swiping on the NFC payment terminal instead of swiping on the terminal. Therefore, it is impossible for someone to read your data through a magnetic stripe. The same system is also applied to smart phones: it depends on how electronic payments are tapped on this technology.
Google is using Google Wallet to promote NFC payments. This application stores credit card information under multiple security protections and can quickly tap payment on the NFC terminal. In other words, the availability of this technology depends on the number of NFC payment terminals at retailers and the number of mobile phones that support this technology-Google Wallet was only available for Android Nexus S series smartphones when it was released.
Does this have anything to do with RFID? Near-field communication devices can read passive RFID tags and extract the information stored in them. This technique is used in modern advertising. For example, imagine a normal jeans advertising poster, the kind you can see on the wall of a shopping mall. Advertisers can make a “smart” poster with RFID tags to generate more interaction with customers.
With a swipe of an NFC phone against a smart poster with an RFID tag, you can get a 10% discount coupon for buying these jeans at Macy’s. The cost of passive RFID tags is very low and can be used in promotional materials to attract customers.
NFC and RFID technologies have great prospects in the retail industry, but security issues are still a common concern. Some critics feel that they need to be vigilant about the idea of manufacturers to track and record purchases. Retail is not the only industry that uses RFID technology: in the next chapter, we will understand how the government uses RFID tags.
7. RFIDs issued by the government
The Real ID Project of the U.S. Government
From air traffic to road traffic, safety is becoming a more pressing issue, and some people believe that they are now under closer supervision than ever before. Real ID is a project developed by the 9/11 committee to improve the issuance of official documents. In fact, the Real ID project has not yet been approved (and is under heated discussion), and the first Real ID proposed is a real-identity driver’s license. DHS issued a notice on March 1, 2007, proposing legislation on real-identity driving licenses. “A real-identity driver’s license can make transit through Canada easier, and compared to a standard driver’s license, it also allows you to get close to federal facilities, federal aircraft, and nuclear power plants.[来源:安全部]. The United States will choose whether to embed an RFID chip in a real-identity driver’s license to replace the current two-dimensional barcode.
Although many consumers are willing to buy goods tracked by RFID tags, the US government has legislated to force passports to be embedded with RFID chips, which has made some people angry.
On August 14, 2006, the US State Department began to issue electronic passports, or e-passports. After the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed e-passport security measures, which are conducive to air traffic safety, border security, and more efficient customs procedures at US airports. The enhanced security features of e-passport-a chip identification number, digital signature and photo as a biometric identification-so it is impossible to forge a passport.
e-passport will improve security, but with so much personal information embedded in it, more and more people have worried about the potential of e-passport identity documents being stolen. The two forms of identity theft that may occur with e-passports are:
Skimming: Without the knowledge of the e-passport holder, someone uses an RFID reader to scan data from an RFID chip.
Eavesdropping: When the RFID reader scans the RFID, the frequency of the RFID transmission is interpreted by others.
However, DHS insists that the use of e-passport is completely safe and has taken appropriate precautions to ensure that user information is kept confidential.
To prevent skimming, the e-passport contains a metal anti-skimming device. This device is a radio frequency shield inserted between the passport cover and the first page.When the e-passport is closed, it cannot be scanned at all; when it is opened, it can only be read by a scanner within a distance of 3.9 inches (10 cm) [来源:美国国家].
In order to prevent eavesdropping, DHS has ordered the complete coverage and isolation of all e-passport scanning areas so that the signal will not be leaked to unauthorized RFID readers.
The e-passport price is $97. This cost seems to be high, and the cost of installing RFID readers at airports will be even more alarming. The adoption of e-passport requires gradual changes, but the authorities have begun to discuss how to enhance security and add biometric technology to the next generation of e-passports.
The debate on e-passports is far less than the debate on the human chip. Next, we will look at what RFID chips do in the biological field.
8. Animal and human chip
Animal chips are not a new thing-farmers have been using RFID technology to track livestock for many years. However, some companies are making a larger article on animal chips used in pets, and some companies can provide chip implants for humans.
The RFID pet recycling system uses a rice grain-sized microchip that contains the pet owner’s contact information and sometimes the animal’s medical history. The veterinarian uses an RFID reader to scan the lost pet to confirm whether it carries an RFID. But the system will have problems here. There are many pet recycling systems competing with each other, so many types of pet microchips have also appeared. The American Society for the Protection of Animals has been choosing a universal RFID reader that can be used by veterinarians to read pet chips, regardless of its manufacturer and manufacturing time. In November 2005, President Bush signed a bill to regulate pet microchips and the national pet owner information database (source: RFID Journal).
Although the FDA approved the implantation of RFID chips in animals and humans in 2004, research from as early as 1996 showed that these chips implanted in laboratory mice can cause tumors (from the Washington Post). To be precise, implantation causes sarcoma, which affects body tissues. There is no research to confirm that cancer will appear in animals other than laboratory mice, and it is too early to say what effect the chip will have on humans. The radio waves emitted by RFID chips have not had any negative effects on health. In any case, the other shortcomings of these human chips may far outweigh their advantages.
VeriChip is a leader in the human body chip business. The company gives each chip a unique identification number to access its medical database. The VeriChip database contains emergency contact information and medical history. Patients with serious medical problems such as Alzheimer’s are ideal candidates for VeriChip chips. In addition to the one-time implantation fee, the VeriChip chip charges an annual fee based on how much information you want to store in the database-you can choose to store only your name and contact information or store the entire medical history. VeriChip’s business is still growing, so not every hospital has RFID readers. Similarly, doctors will not scan every patient to check whether there is a chip, so whether the VeriChip chip is useful depends on the hospital and doctor.
VeriChip has been successfully used in the hug baby protection project. Under this RFID monitoring system, newborns in nurseries in some hospitals wear RFID ankle bracelets on their ankles. If an unauthorized person tries to take the child away from the hospital, alarms will sound at the nurse’s station and the safe passage. On the VeriChip website, you can also see more successful cases about protecting babies.
In the next chapter, we will hear what RFID critics say about tracking devices in our modern world.
RFID technology and SIDS
A researcher has developed a radio frequency identification system to monitor the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled by babies to prevent SIDS. In this system, the sensor is connected to the baby cradle, and once they find that the child has stopped breathing, an audible alarm will sound, which potentially protects young lives. Learn more about this SIDS prevention system in the RFID magazine.
9. RFID reviews
Mandatory human chip
In October 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill prohibiting any employer from forcing employees to install chips.California also bans the use of RFID chips on real-identity driver’s licenses[来源:RFID期刊].
Like many new technologies, people are afraid of what they don’t understand. For RFID, consumers also have many fears, some of which are very legitimate concerns. In this debate, you will see the few cases where the American Civil Liberties Union and the Christian Union are on the same side.
The human body chip looks more advanced than the commodity label, and RFID critics worry that one day the body chip will become mandatory. After CityWatcher.com installed chips on two of his employees in 2006, these fears began to spiral out of control. CityWatcher.com insists that employees are not forced-they voluntarily implant chips to make it easier to access documents stored in the safe. There are other employees who refuse to transplant, and their positions in the company are not affected in any way.
In addition to the limitations of VeriChip chip scanning discussed in the previous section, for some, there are deep hints of religious and civil liberties behind the VeriChip chip. Some people think that the VeriChip chip foreshadows a biblical prophecy in the “Apocalypse” and interpret the chip as the “mark of the beast.” For those who care about civil liberties, the chip will bring us step by step into a society close to Orwellian, in which our thoughts and actions will be controlled by people.
Although we can choose whether to implant RFID chips in ourselves or our pets, we cannot control whether to place tags in the commercial products we buy. In the book “Spy Chip: How Many Companies and Governments Plan to Use RFID to Track Your Every Move”, Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre describe the most extreme application scenarios of RFID tags. They wrote that RFID tags can be used to estimate your spending habits and bank account to determine how much you have to pay for the products you buy. This may sound paranoid, but some hackers have confirmed that RFID tags can be forged, including breaking their anti-theft function and changing the corresponding price of the product. Therefore, better encryption technology is needed to ensure that hackers cannot steal RFID radio frequencies with ultra-sensitive antennas.
More importantly, some critics believe that relying on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems as the primary security method will make human security checkpoints lazy and ineffective. If security personnel rely solely on commodity RFID anti-theft devices and government-issued identification RFID technology to monitor criminals and terrorists, they may miss the criminal activities that are happening right in front of them.
[ad_2]
