Introduction

This patent is about a very fast (time-optimal) and simple protocol for polling tags in an RFID system formed by one reader. This patent can be used for determine missing tags (useful for raising a warning), the collection of information associated to the tags,  and the determination of the presence of cloned tags, again for raising a proper warning. The protocol is privacy preserving since tags ID’s are never transmitted during the polling procedure.

Technical features

This patent is about a very fast (time-optimal) and simple protocol for polling tags in an RFID system formed by one reader. The main idea of the protocol is to associate a short and unique number (called “nickname” in the following) to each tag in the reader’s range, and by using such nicknames as the polling order.  When polled, the tags transmit a proper (usually short) message. Polling protocols, with little or no changes, can be efficiently used for solving several practical problems related to the use of RFID systems, like exactly determine missing tags, collection of information associated to the tags, probabilistic determination of missing tags (useful for raising a warning), and determination of the presence of cloned tags, again for raising a proper warning. The protocol is privacy preserving since tags ID’s are never transmitted during the polling procedure.

Possible Applications

• Detecting stolen goods in warehouses;
• Detecting fake goods inserted in warehouses;
• Collecting informations gathered by active tags.

Advantages

• Fastest possible protocol for detecting missing tags;
• Fastest possible protocol for detecting cloned tags;
• Fastest possible protocol for polling of tags;
• Fastest possible protocol for information collection from tags.