Passive RFID Tag Object Navigation via Smartphone Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing object tracking devices are bulky, battery-dependent, and lack customization, making them inefficient and unreliable for locating misplaced items within a specific range.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing passive RFID tags powered by an RFID reader, integrated with a smartphone that selectively communicates with the tags to determine the location of objects within a predetermined range, allowing for customization and continuous tracking without battery concerns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery-powered tags are used for object tracking, then the tags can actively communicate their location, but the tags become bulky and subject to battery failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the battery component from the tag system entirely, extracting the power source function from the tag itself. The tag becomes a passive RFID element that derives power from the reader's electromagnetic field during communication, eliminating weight while maintaining tracking capability through the reader's active scanning process.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID reader acts as an intermediary that provides electromagnetic energy to power the passive tags during communication. Instead of the tag carrying its own power source, the reader mediates the power transfer through electromagnetic fields, enabling the tag to respond without having its own battery.
2Ease of manufacture
If pre-configured factory settings are used in tracking systems, then the system is simple to deploy, but the system lacks customization for additional items and labeling
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static factory pre-configuration to dynamic user-level configuration. The mobile device enables users to add, remove, and customize item profiles, tags, and labels in real-time based on their specific needs, making the system adaptable while maintaining ease of use through intuitive mobile interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system design allows a single platform to serve multiple purposes: tracking various types of objects, supporting different tagging methods (physical tags, digital labels), and accommodating different user needs through customizable profiles. The mobile device acts as a universal controller that adapts to different tracking scenarios without requiring separate systems.
3Ease of operation
If continuous beeping is used to indicate object location, then the object can be easily located, but the system cannot determine if the object has been found
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback loops where the mobile device receives signals from the tagged object and provides confirmation to the user. The app displays the object's location status, confirms when the object has been found, and allows the user to stop the beeping signal once located, creating a closed-loop system that tracks both the object and the search process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous beeping, the system uses periodic signaling controlled by the mobile device. The beeping occurs in controlled intervals and can be stopped or modified based on whether the object has been located, providing information about the search status through the pattern and duration of the signals rather than continuous noise alone.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a lightweight, efficient, and reliable method for locating objects, eliminating battery failure risks and enabling easy expansion for tracking multiple items.
Implementation Method 1
Each RFID passive tag is exclusively associated with each object. Further, the RFID reader is configured to communicate with the RFID passive tags.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a system for locating objects. The system includes a set of passive tags such that each tag is being exclusively associated with each object. The system further employs an identification module and a mobile device. Configuration of the identification module allows communication between the module and the passive tags. Further, the mobile device selectively and/or continuously processes the communication between the identification module and the passive tags.