RFIDRFID

Prepared byRui Wang

Ram Katepally

Any Guesses??

AgendaAgenda

• Introduction and Background• Physical Components• Data Transactions• Data Management • Applications• Conclusion

What is RFID?

IBM Commercial for RFID Supply Chain

RFIDRFID

• Its first use is in World War II.

• Global RFID Market spent $2.7 billion in 2006, and is projecting $26.2 Billion By 2016.

• More and more companies are looking forward to deploying RFID.

• RFID Tag(a.k.a Transponder)

Physical ComponentsPhysical Components

Physical ComponentsPhysical Components

• RFID Reader(a.ka Interrogator)

Fixed Reader Handheld Reader PlugNPlay Readers

Microprocessor + Circuit board + Antenna

How do they work together?How do they work together?

Reader(Transceiver Antenna)

Tag(Transponder)

2

1

Passive Mode

• Active Mode Built-in Battery makes tags broadcasting, reader

becomes the listener

• Semi-active Mode passive mode with battery assisting

RF Electromagnetic spectrumRF Electromagnetic spectrum

Works better on metal and water products

Longer reading range, and faster reading speed

RFID StandardsRFID Standards

RFID data ArchitectureRFID data Architecture

Enterprise System

Middleware

Readers

Tags

Items

Enterprise Interface

Feature Implementation

Reader Interface

Elements of an RFID System

Ubiquitous RFID data Readers

RFID Data

• Data generated from an RFID application is seen as a stream of RFID tuples of the form EPC, location, time.

• large amount of data redundancy• Compressing multiple items that stay together

at a single location is vital in order to reduce the enormous size of the cleansed RFID database.

RFID Data Analysis

• The essence of RFID is automated data collection

• Databases are thus a critical part of most RFID systems

RFID data management & Challenges

• How to interpret the enormous volume of data that an RFID application generates?

• Walmart generates around 7 terabytes of data every day.

• Database vendors like Oracle, IBM and Teradata provide solutions to integrate RFID information into enterprise data warehouses.

RFID Back-End Database

• The RFID system has several RFID readers at the front-end, and a database at the back-end

• Real-life RFID deployments employ a wide variety of physically distributed RFID readers, access gateways, management interfaces, and databases.

RFID TAGID ContainerContents

123 Apples

234 Pears

RFID Back-End Database(cntd..)

Data Architecture(cntd..)

• Node servers Reside inside the reader hardware and check if tags

are registered.

• Cluster Server - Routes tag reads from node servers to interface

servers for applications. - Also periodically checks with node servers to make

sure they are still running.

Data Architecture(cntd..)

• Interface Server - Based on the raw data from cluster server, Interface

server computes higher level events. - Maintain connection with applications - Also respond to event Queries by applications

• Application Server - Runs the application logic and UI.

Smart Card Commercial

Case Study - RFID Credit Cards

• RFID chip or contactless smart card chip• require only physical proximity of credit card

and the reader• Use a small radio transponder that is

energized and interrogated by a reader

According to Visa "This has been the fastest acceptance of new payment technology in the history of the industry"

• RFID card readers capture the information such as:

• Cardholder Name• Complete credit card number• Credit card expiration date• Credit card type• Information about software version and

supported communications protocols

Security Threats of RFID Smart Cards

• Skimming Attack - No cryptography or passwords were required to obtain this data

• Eavesdropping Attack- Captures a copy of transmission between a legitimate credit card

reader and an RFID credit card.

Security of Tags and Readers

ConclusionConclusion

Pros• No line of sight required• Enable automated process• Read multiple tags• Increase accuracy

Cons:• Costly

Questions?