A framework for fast RFID tag reading in static and mobile environments

A framework for reducing the average reading time of passive RFID tags in dense environments is introduced. The proposed framework termed Accelerated Frame Slotted ALOHA (AFSA) can be used in conjunction with almost all RFID tag reading protocols that are based on frame slotted ALOHA. It is shown that AFSA reduces the tag reading time by avoiding the wastage in bit times due to collisions and idle slots. The implementation of AFSA in conjunction with two different ALOHA protocols - one with unlimited frame sizes and the other with limited frame sizes is discussed. For both these protocols, extensions of AFSA to read passive tags in a mobile setting are described. Simulation results show that AFSA reduces the average tag reading time by up to 40% with respect to the stand alone ALOHA protocols under both static and mobile settings. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.