RF Code

1
RF Code

• Presentation
• To
• T-20 Standards Committee

2
Presentation Outline

• RF Code Overview Product
• RTLS Markets
• RTLS Technology Comparison
• Summary Proposal

3
RF Code Product Family

• Handheld Locator
• Mobile Platform for finding assets

• Reader
• Wireless connectivity
• High tag throughput

• Tag
• Low Cost
• Small

• TagTracker Software
• Real-time data collection
• Scalable system architecture
• Standards based

4
RF Code Overview

• Based in Mesa, Arizona
• Comdex 1999 Best of Show
• Third largest positioning/locating system
  installed base by tag count (after GPS Savi)
• Corpus Cristi Army Depot
• Largest single indoor locating installation
• 18 million square feet
• 50,000 tags initial deployment
• 400 readers
• Hybrid fix/portable reader infrastructure
• Hybrid use yield resolutions down to /- 18
  inches

5
Example RF Code Customers
6
RTLS Vendors

• Over the last few years there has been a dramatic
  growth of RTLS vendors each with distinct
  technology and product features.

and there are more
7
Current RTLS Technologies

• Location derived through
• Beacon
• Beacon with Location Reference Devices
• Location Transponders
• Differential Time of Arrival
• Space Time Focusing Systems
• More coming on line
• Narrow pulse
• UWB
• Functionality tradeoffs
• Tag Cost
• Location accuracy
• Ability to detect movement through threshold or
  portal
• Tag density
• Infrastructure complexity
• Infrastructure cost
• Bidirectional communications

8
Active Beacon Tags

• Tag Cost Good (lt5 in quantity lt3 achievable)
• Tag Density Good (100,000s tags/location 1-10
  second beacons)
• Threshold Detection Poor (Dictated by
  resolution)
• Resolution Medium
• 
  /- 25 feet common
• 
  /- 10 feet achieved
• 
  Resolution is algorithm dependent
• Other attributes
• Inexpensive and simple infrastructure
• Handheld locators allow for improved resolution
  (/-18 inches)
• No ability to write to tag

9
Active Beacon Tags With Location Reference Device

• Tag Cost Good (lt5 in quantity lt3 possible)
• Tag Density Good (100,000s tags/location 1-10
  second beacons)
• Threshold Detection Excellent (Using H field
  LRDs)
• Resolution Good (Two modes Coarse /- 10-25
  feet, Fine /- 18 inches)
• Other attributes
• Inexpensive infrastructure
• Handheld locators allow for improved resolution
  in coarse zone areas (/- 18 inches)
• Ability to write to a tag
• Long range

10
Location Transponders

• Tag Cost Poor (lt20 in quantity lt10 possible)
• Tag Density Medium (10,000s tags/location
  10-60 second beacon rate)
• Threshold Detection Poor (Requires /- 6 inch
  resolution beyond current state of the art
• FCC limits)
• Resolution Good (/- 10 feet practical /- 3
  feet achievable)
• Other attributes
• Single antenna yields a distance
• Expensive infrastructure but not as complex as
  DTOA
• Ability to write to tags long range
• Handheld locators not practical
• Range versus resolution tradeoff

11
DTOA Systems

• Tag Cost Poor (lt20 in quantity lt10 possible)
• Tag Density Poor (1,000s tags/location 5-10
  minute beacons)
• Threshold Detection Poor (Requires /- 6 inch
  resolution beyond current state of the art
• FCC limits)
• Resolution Good (/- 10 feet practical /- 3
  feet achievable)
• Other attributes
• Expensive complex infrastructure
• No ability to write to tags (at least not long
  range)
• Handheld locators not practical
• Range versus resolution tradeoff

12
Space Time Focusing Systems
TaggedAsset
To System
Reader
TaggedAsset
1000m

• Tag Cost Good (lt5 for Passive)
• Tag Density Good (100,000s tags/location 5-10
  second beacon rate)
• Threshold Detection Good (/- 18 inches)
• Resolution Medium (/- 18 inches)
• Other attributes
• Targeted for outdoor use
• Handheld locators not practical

13
RTLS Technology Comparison
Legend 1 is Bad 10 is Good
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The RTLS Markets
Supply Chain
Theme Parks
Manufacturing
Asset Tracking
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What does that mean to the marketplace?
Theme Park
Asset Tracking
Supply Chain
Manufacturing WIP
Implementation A
Implementation B
Implementation C
Implementation D
Implementation E
Implementation F
GPS
Legend
Technology is an excellent fit to the application
Technology has some issues for the application
Technology has major issues for the application
16
State of RTLS Market
RTLS ENCOMPASSES A RANGE OF APPLICATIONS BEST
SERVED THROUGH A RANGE OF TECHNOLOGIES
17
Proposal
High Precision RTLS
Low Precision RTLS
Current RFID Standards
GPS
Common API, Address And Data Format
ASPs
Independent Software Vendor Solutions
Customer Specific Solutions
18
Summary Proposal

• Summary
• There are multiple technology approaches
• Each makes a tradeoff in key functionality areas
• The market has not selected a clear leader
• The market is likely to select multiple
  technologies based on application
• Proposal
• Segment the technologies to reflect the
  applications
• Bridge the gap between current RFID standards and
  RTLS
• API
• Address Level
• Data Level