History

RFID Overview RFID History
 * Radio frequency identification (RFID)
 * RFID tags and transponders can be used to store and retrieve data, then attached to an item and hold information about that item and even items related to it.
 * These can also be attached to living organisms - like people or cattle
 * RFID transceivers are used to read or change this information through radio frequencies
 * RFID technology has been around since the 1920's. MIT developed the technology to allow robots to "talk" to each other.
 * 1935 - WWII - With radar technology, the Germans, Japanese, American and British used this to warn themselves of approaching planes while they were still miles away. Problem was, they didn't know whether the plane was an ally or an enemy. The Germans discovered that the radio signal reflected back to them changes as they roll their planes. Under Watson-Watt, who headed a secret project, the British developed the first identification system: the IFF, to determine friend or foes planes.
 * 1939 - The IFF (friend or foe identification) transponder was developed. The IFF transponder was used in aircraft to identify themselves as friend or foe to other aircrafts. The British used this during WWII to identify their aircraft. When the planes received signals, the signal is sent to a transponder, which then either reflects back a signal (passive - friend) or broadcasts a signal (active -foe).
 * 1948 - It is said that this is the date of invention
 * 1950's and 1960's - Advances in radar and RF communications systems continued. Soon, companies began commercializing anit-theft systems that used radio waves to determine whether an item had been paid for or not. Then, Mario W. Cardullo claims to have received a patent for an active RFID tag with rewritable memory. Charles Walton received a patent for a passive transponder used to unlock a door without a key. At the request of the Agricultural Department, Los Alamos developed a passive RFID tag to track cows. Later, companies developed a low frequency system featuring smaller transponders.
 * 1970's - RFID implementations started to occur. At this time, though, the cost of the tags was prohibitive and the use was limited.
 * 1980's - Significant development occurred. 1987 - Norway implemented the first successful toll collection system. These were the breakthrough for RFID. Toll systems and government toll collection agencies had spread across the US fueling the development of this system.
 * 1990's - IBM engineers developed and patented ultra-high frequency (UFD) RFID system. These have a wider read range (up to 20 feet), as well as faster data transfer. But, due to financial trouble, IBM sold its patents to Intermec, a bar code systems provider. Intermec RFID systems have been installed in numerous different applications, but the technology was expensive at the time because of the low volume of sales and the lack of open, international standards.
 * 1999 - Uniform Code Council, EAN International, Procter & Gamble and Gillette put up funding to establish the Auto-ID Center at MIT. Two professors there researched into putting low cost RFID tags on all products made to track them through the supply chain. Their idea: put only a serial number on the tag to keep the price down - a simple microchip that stored very little information would be less expensive to produce than a more complex chip with more memory. Data associated with the serial number on the tag would be stored in a database that would be accessible over the Internet. These professors turned RFID into a networking technology by linking objects to the Internet through the tag. For businesses, this was important, as a manufacturer could automatically let a business partner know when a shipment was leaving the dock at a manufacuring facility or warehouse. A retailer could automatically let the manufacturer know when the goods arrived. The final piece of the RFID puzzle was the miniaturization of the tags and the improvement in manufacturing. These two developments dropped the price of tags to a level that allowed for wide-spread use of the system.
 * 1999-2003 - the Auto-ID Center gained the support of more than 100 large end-use companies and many key RFID vendors. The Auto-ID Center closed in October 2003 and its research was passed on to the Auto-ID Labs.
 * 2004 - Some of the biggest retailers in the world plan to use this technology to track goods in their supply chain. EPCglobal ratified a second-generation standard in December 2004, paving the way for broad adoption

Works Cited

Kro, Nathan. "History and Overview." __Rattei__. 11 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.rattei.org/CSCI3921W/history.html>.]

"The History of RFID Technology." __Rfidjournal__. 11 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/1338/1/129>.]

"RFID: the Early Years 1980-1990." __Surfbest__. 27 Sept. 2002. 11 Apr. 2008 <[|http://members.surfbest.net/eaglesnest/rfidhist.htm>.]