RFID Tag Position Verification Using Movement Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RFID systems face challenges in accurately determining the position of tags in real spaces, especially indoors or underground, where GPS signals are unreliable, and require costly GPS implementations in tag readers.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system with wireless devices, a reading apparatus, and a management unit that reads identification information and measures movement to determine the positional relationship between tags and their registered positions, allowing for misalignment detection and correction without relying on GPS signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS function is implemented in tag reader, then position measurement capability is improved, but cost and size of apparatus increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a separate position measurement unit as an intermediary component that performs GPS positioning and provides position information to the tag reader. This allows the tag reader to benefit from GPS functionality without having to integrate the GPS hardware directly, thereby reducing cost and size while maintaining position measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the GPS positioning function from the tag reader and places it in a separate position measurement unit. This extraction allows the tag reader to remain simple and cost-effective while still accessing position information through the separate unit, resolving the contradiction between measurement capability and device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If GPS function is used for position measurement, then position accuracy is improved, but reliability deteriorates in areas where GPS signals are unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameters by introducing multiple position measurement methods (GPS-based and non-GPS-based) that can be selected based on the operational environment. This allows the system to maintain reliability in GPS-denied areas by switching to alternative methods such as dead reckoning or map matching, while still achieving high position accuracy when GPS is available.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic position measurement system that can adaptively switch between different measurement methods based on signal availability and environmental conditions. This dynamic approach ensures continuous reliable operation whether GPS signals are present or absent, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and reliability.
3Ease of operation
If RFID tags are installed without position verification, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to misalignment between registered and actual positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the position measurement unit continuously monitors the actual positions of RFID tags and compares them with registered positions. When misalignment is detected, the system provides feedback information to guide correction, allowing tags to be installed easily without compromising precision through automatic detection and notification of position errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary position verification after tag installation by measuring the actual positions and comparing them with registered positions before the system goes into full operation. This preliminary check ensures that any misalignment is detected and corrected in advance, maintaining manufacturing precision while preserving ease of installation.
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
Enables accurate and cost-effective detection and correction of tag misalignments in real spaces, reducing the need for GPS functionality in tag readers and improving system reliability in areas where GPS is unavailable.
Implementation Method 1
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that allows information embedded in a small device which is also referred to as a tag to be read by an external reader through short-range wireless communication
Implementation Method 2
a measuring unit configured to measure a relative amount of movement in the real space
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing system includes wireless devices arranged in a real space, a reading apparatus that includes a reading unit to read identification information from each wireless device and a measuring unit to measure an amount of movement in the real space, and a management unit that manages a database in which a position at which each wireless device should be arranged is registered. The reading apparatus provides the management unit with the read identification information and movement amount information indicating the amount of movement measured at the time of the reading. The management unit determines, for two or more wireless devices arranged in the real space, whether a first positional relationship among those wireless devices estimated based on the identification information and the movement amount information matches a second positional relationship among corresponding registered positions stored in the database.