Evaluation of a MEMS based theft detection circuit for RFID labels

摘要

In the proliferation of RFID technology anti-theft labels are continuing to evolve. In the functional hierarchy of RFID labels the battery-powered labels are a set of higher class labels referred to as active labels. Often these labels are employed for the tagging of expensive goods, with aim of both tracking and preventing the theft of the item. The battery powering such active labels must have very low internal and external current drain in order to prolong the life of the battery while being in a state of functionality to signal a theft of the labelled item. However due to circuit complexity or the desired operating range the electronics may drain the battery more rapidly than desired and the label may not last the shelf life of the product. The theft detection mechanism presented in this paper conserves power and thus prolongs the battery life of an active anti-theft label. A solution available for the development of such a theft detection circuit uses electroacoustic energy conversion using a MEMS device on a label IC to provide a high sensitivity result. This paper presents the results of an analysis conducted to evaluate the performance and the capabilities of such a theft detection circuit.