Holographic localization of passive UHF RFID transponders

Abstract

In this paper a method for holographic localization of passive UHF-RFID transponders is presented. It is shown how persons or devices that are equipped with a RFID reader and that are moving along a trajectory can be enabled to locate tagged objects reliably. The localization method is based on phase values sampled from a synthetic aperture by a RFID reader. The calculated holographic image is a spatial probability density function that reveals the actual RFID tag position. Experimental results are presented which show that the holographically measured positions are in good agreement with the real position of the tag. Additional simulations have been carried out to investigate the positioning accuracy of the proposed method depending on different distortion parameters and measuring conditions. The effect of antenna phase center displacement is briefly discussed and measurements are shown that quantify the influence on the phase measurement.