Passive RTLS: Next Generation RFID

Roelof KoopmansManaging Director Europe

Mojix Inc

Mojix ConfidentialMojix Confide 3ntial

• Manufacturer– WIP tracking– Asset tracking– Inventory

• Distribution Center– Shipping / Receiving– Staging Goods– Inventory

• Retail Store– Inventory– Replenishment– Anti-Theft– Promotion display

Business Processes Need VisibilityRFID has the potential but has not deliveredBusiness Processes Need VisibilityRFID has the potential but has not delivered

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Catalyst for ‘Next Generation RFID’

The Opportunity: Track Location, Condition and Inventory Using Passive RFID

• Bring passive tag cost benefits to active technology applications• EPC-Gen2 as global standard suited for open loop supply chains • New economics for RTLS systems utilizing passive technology

Mojix Technology: A Breakthrough for Passive RFID

• Economical, large scale read coverage areas, high capacity deployments• Long range, NLOS capability (200 meter)• Location and tracking of fully passive EPC Gen2 tags • Near 100% accuracy and reliability

Mojix STAR System: Use Cases & Applications

ManufacturingReal-time tracking of assets and inventory- optimize workflow- reduce inventory- resource utilization

Perishable GoodsVisibility fast moving goods- Traceability- Aging- Warehouse management

Retail ApparelReal-time Tracking-automatic inventory -reduced shrinkage-promotion tracking- reversed logisitics

Yard ManagementVisibility & Accountability- location accuracy- historical tracking- video & YMS integration

Shipping/Dock DoorsReal-time visibility-staged items-receiving-shipping

Hazardous EnvironmentsLocating assets- Locating for safety- Process optimization- Security & compliance

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Mojix STAR System Centralized Long Range Receiver, Distributed Transmitters

InterrogationSpace

InterrogationSpace

Active

InterrogationSpace

Active

Star Receiver

Centralized Receiver: STAR- High sensitive reader

reading tags up to 200 m- Cover spaces up to

20’000 m2 with 1 reader- Non Line of Sight- Single point for command

and control

Distributed eNodes- 4 external standard UHF

antennas at each eNode- Scales very well

eNodeTransmitter

Tag populations associated to

eNodes

7 Mojix – System components

STAR: Space Time Array ReadereNode: excitation Node

4-Port eNodeSTAR

Master Controller

eMux

Dock Door Discrimination (DDD)

Why is this important?Conventional reader systems must share the ETSI band and may not coordinate frequencies.

This leads to:‐ Degraded performance with scale‐ Extremely RF noisy environments

Feature: ZERO Self Interference

• One system eliminates self interference• No stray read/ cross reads issues• System eliminates False positive reads

Mojix Staging Discrimination

Feature: Staging Discrimination• Ubiquitous coverage of entire dock

• Accurately determine what is • BEING SHIPPED• BEING RECEIVED• STAGED

• Report only desired information

Why is this important?Conventional reader systems report stray tags leaving middleware or backend systems to determine what happened.  

This leads to:‐Wasteful network traffic‐ Increased chances of misreads

REWE: No. 2 German Food Retailer Distribution Center Operations

Business Objectives

RFID Performance Requirements

• Management of returnable transport items (RTIs) between 28 Distribution Centers and REWE retail stores

• Reduction of shipping operation errors

• Highly accurate tag reads at shipping dock doors and staging areas

• 100% Dock Door Discrimination (DDD) and 100% Staging Discrimination

• Coverage of 40,000 square meter DC with different pallets with dry food and perishables

RFID Performance Requirements

REWEDockdoor Operations

Shipping Dock Doors

Mojix Solution: 99.9% Read Accuracy of pallets and ReturnableTransport Items (RTIs), across 100 dock doors

Mojix EPC Based RTLSA New Paradigm in “Tracking & Tracing”

– Mojix STAR system enabling new economics with RTLS systems utilizing passive technology

– Emergence of EPC RTLS solutions in:• Asset tracking• Factory/warehouse (WIP)• Retail Store (inventory, anti-theft)• Yard management

– Emergence of lower cost battery assisted EPC Gen 2 tags– Performance improvements in newer passive Gen 2 tags

Real Time view to inventory and assetsTrue supply chain visibility

Reduced time to locate and stageImproved utilization

Warehouse Operations

Shipyard (Netherlands)Re-engineering Shipbuilding & Logistics

Business Objectives

RFID Performance Requirements

• Automated real-time visibility to outbound parts shipments

• Eliminate inefficient, error prone and costly manual processes

• Ensure timely and accurate shipments

• RTLS coverage in outbound staging areas • Identify and locate goods staged for loading on

sea-containers for worldwide shipping• Accuracy of locating goods of less than 2 meters

Antennas /

e-Nodes

Certified Mojix Partnersince March 2009

A project by:

Shipyard (Netherlands)Re-engineering Shipbuilding & Logistics

• Metal parts, liquids (oil drums) and mixed pallets tagged with flag tags

Mojix Solution : passive RTLS with low-cost passive EPC Gen 2 Tags providing visibility of staged pallets before shipping

• Goods stacked on top of each other can be identified and located

Antennas/ e-Nodes

Antennas/ e-Nodes

Perishable Foods Track & TraceFresh Produce Production Operation

Business Objectives

RFID Performance Requirements

• Real-time product condition information• Verification of freshness• Ability to trace contaminated, packed product

back to its origin• Reduce operational inefficiencies, scrap

levels and overall risk• Reduce redundant purchases and theft

• High water content products• High read rates required• Dock door and inventory staging accuracy• Track and trace throughout the production

process

Mojix e-Node

Perishable Foods Track & TraceLeading US Produce Supplier

• Mojix eNodes excite RFID tags on raw-product bins

– entry into the facility at dock doors– through the inventory staging area to

the bin dumpers

Mojix Solution: Real-time tracking of tagged goods and plastic bins using passive RFID, as items move from receiving through the facility

• 99.9% tag reads on bins moving through processing

• Location of the tagged bins in the inventory staging to facilitate proper FIFO processing

Tracking RTI‘s in Staging-Area Leading European Retailer

• Locate Pallets in staging-lanes

• Optimize shipping process

• Reduce wrong-shipments

• Check before Shipping

Mojix e-Nodes

Mojix e-Nodes

Warehouse: 1 STAR does it all !

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3 Usecases:

- Dockdoor- Staging- Inventory

Mojix STAR

Warehouse Inventory Shelf/Rack

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Mojix eNodes

eNodes mounted at the ceiling above aisles allows locating items on which shelf

Manufacturing Tracking Finished Goods into 3PL

Results & Benefits: Increased productivity, reduced error rates, improved accuracy• RFID tracking solution for both products sets, driven and crated

• All use cases were incorporated into the solution for both product sets– RFID - Auto Receiving– RFID - Auto Storage – RFID - Auto Shipping

• Overall solution met the ROI requirements

Port OperationsAsset and Goods Visibility

Business Objectives RFID Initiative

RFID performance requirements

• Lower costs and mitigate risks associated with challenges in port staging operations

• Inventory, shipping accuracy, lost or misplaced items

• Tracking tagged assets to pre-determined zones reliably

• Enhance visibility of material flow• Identify and track all tagged assets entering a

slip, staged in the slip, being loaded onto a ship, and leaving the ship

Port OperationsAsset and Goods Visibility

Mojix Solution: Complete asset visibility in slip operations

• Tagged assets read as they enter or exit a slip

• Tagged assets read as they are staged and loaded onto ships

• STAR receiver read range performed at 200 meters

– The STAR system installed quickly and scales easily

– A Mojix enabled RTLS can be utilized with low cost passive tags

Backroom Sales Floor

Check-out

FittingRoom

Front Door

SALE

SALE SALE

SALE

3

Receiving /Shipping

Real-time Inventory

Check-OutEAS

RFID enabled Retail Store

RFID Fashion Store in Parma, I

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Mojix Next Generation RFID

• Ubiquitous VISIBILITY– Wall to wall, floor to ceiling, fence to fence!– Range of reading tags of 200 meters (even in NLOS)

• Passive RTLS– Location and tracking of passive EPC Gen 2 tags– Low-cost EPC tags based on global standards vs. high tag costs for

proprietary infrastructure only suitable for closed loop solutions

• Near 100% Accuracy and Reliability– Mission critical business process to recognize true ROI– Seamless integration of STAR solution with business process

• STAR: Fully Centralized Data Collection Network Appliance– Central read point on a single network element– “All-in-one” without aggregation middleware– Save costs (CAPEX and OPEX)