Active RFID location system based on time-difference measurement using a linear FM chirp tag signal

Abstract

This paper introduces a new method for estimating location of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for application in indoor environments. The proposed positioning scheme employs a time-difference of arrival (TDOA) range estimation algorithm. The time-difference measurement is performed by taking advantage of the de-ramp properties of a linear frequency modulation (LFM) chirp. The paper provides details of the mechanism of this LFM-TDOA scheme from the system point of view. Compared to other popular radio technologies in the indoor positioning field, this new scheme is easy to design and requires only moderate computation ability. According to the experiment results summarized in the paper, the LFM-TDOA system shows good range estimation accuracy and thus has the potential to be used in accurate indoor location application.