Wi-Fi Location-Based Services- Design Guide – RFID Tag Considerations
A location-based service (LBS) is an information and entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device .
Many people are familiar with wireless Internet, but many don’t realize the value and potential to make information services highly personalized. One of the best ways to personalize information services is to enable them to be location based. An example would be someone using their Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) based phone to search for a restaurant. The LBS application would interact with other location technology components to determine the user’s location and provide a list of restaurants within a certain proximity to the mobile user.
Location based billing
The ability to have preferential billing is provided by this type of application. Through location based billing, the user can establish personal zones such as a home zone or work zone. Through arrangements with the serving wireless carrier, the user could perhaps enjoy flat-rate calling while in the home area and special rates while in other defined zones. This type of application can be especially useful when use in conjunction with other mobile applications such as prepaid wireless.
Emergency services
Hopefully not many readers of this article will have to rely on dialing 9-1-1 from a mobile phone, but if you do, it is a location based emergency service application that pinpoints your location and relays it the appropriate authorities. The FCC has mandated that by October of 2001, all wireless carriers in the United States must provide a certain degree of accuracy in pinpointing the location of mobile users who dial 9-1-1.
Tracking
This is a rather large category that contains everything from the difficult fleet applications to enabling mobile commerce. Fleet applications typically entail tracking vehicles for purposes of the owning company knowing the whereabouts of the vehicle and/or operator. Tracking is also an enable of mobile commerce services. A mobile user could be tracking and provided information that he has predetermined he desires, such as notification of a sale on men’s suits at a store close to the user’s current proximity.
LBS services can be used in a variety of contexts, such as health, work, personal life, etc. LBS services include services to identify a location of a person or object, such as discovering the nearest banking cash machine or the whereabouts of a friend or employee. LBS services include parcel tracking and vehicle tracking services. LBS can include mobile commerce when taking the form of coupons or advertising directed at customers based on their current location. They include personalized weather services and even location-based games. They are an example of telecommunication convergence.
RFID Tag Considerations
RFID Tag Technology
Passive RFID Tags
Semi-Passive RFID Tags
Active RFID Tags
Beaconing Active RFID Tags
802.11 Active RFID Tags
Multimode RFID Tags
Chokepoint Triggers
Using Wi-Fi RFID Tags with the Cisco UWN
Compatible RFID Tags
Using 802.11b Tags in an 802.11g Environment
Enabling Asset Tag Tracking
Enable Asset Tag RF Data Timeout
Enable Asset Tag Polling
Enable Asset Tag Display
Configuring Asset Tags
Tag Telemetry and Notification Considerations
Deploying Tag Telemetry
Deploying Tag High-Priority Notifications
Configuring Tags for Telemetry and Notifications
Chokepoint Considerations
Configuring Chokepoint Triggers
Defining Chokepoint Triggers to the Cisco UWN
Chokepoint Trigger Traffic Considerations
RFID Tag Considerations
This chapter has the following main sections:
•RFID Tag Technology
•Using Wi-Fi RFID Tags with the Cisco UWN
•Tag Telemetry and Notification Considerations
•Chokepoint Considerations
RFID Tag Technology
The majority of RFID tags produced today are passive RFID tags, comprised basically of a micro-circuit and an antenna. They are referred to as passive tags because the only time at which they are actively communicating is when they are within relatively close proximity of a passive RFID tag reader or interrogator.
Another type of common RFID tag in the marketplace today is known as the active RFID tag, which usually contains a battery that directly powers RF communication. This onboard power source allows an active RFID tag to transmit information about itself at great range, either by constantly beaconing this information to a RFID tag reader or by transmitting only when it is prompted to do so. Active tags are usually larger in size and can contain substantially more information (because of higher amounts of memory) than do pure passive tag designs. The tables shown in Figure 6-1 provide a quick reference of common comparisons between active and passive RFID tags. Within these basic categories of RFID tags can be found subcategories such as semi-passive RFID tags.