Accurate localization of RFID tags using phase difference

Abstract

Due to their light weight, low power, and practically unlimited identification capacity, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and associated devices offer distinctive advantages and are widely recognized for their promising potential in context-aware computing; by tagging objects with RFID tags, the environment can be sensed in a cost- and energy-efficient means. However, a prerequisite to fully realizing the potential is accurate localization of RFID tags, which will enable and enhance a wide range of applications. In this paper we show how to exploit the phase difference between two or more receiving antennas to compute accurate localization. Phase difference based localization has better accuracy, robustness and sensitivity when integrated with other measurements compared to the currently popular technique of localization using received signal strength. Using a software-defined radio setup, we show experimental results that support accurate localization of RFID tags and activity recognition based on phase difference.