Design and prototype implementation of asset management system at museum using mobile rfid network model

As the research activities related to 'Ubiquitous Computing' whose concept was introduced by Mark Weiser are growing, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology has recently gained attention as a technology to advance the ubiquitous computing and a lot of related researches are also in progress. Research works done so far are mainly linked to the situation that the research outputs apply to meet the requirements for asset tracking and data sharing with partners over supply chain by using fixed RFID readers. However, it is essential that users have access to real-time information about the tagged objects and services whenever and wherever they want in the era of ubiquitous computing, so mobile devices - including PDA, smart phone, cellular phone, etc - which are equipped with an RFID reader can be regarded as an essential terminal for users living in ubiquitous computing environment. As far as the application with mobile devices are concerned, there are many considerations due to their limited capabilities of data processing, battery consumption and so on. In this paper, we review the generic RFID network model and introduce the revised RFID network model in consideration of incorporation with mobile devices equipped with an RFID reader. Also, we derive the requirements for software embedded within an RFID-enabled mobile terminal and then discuss essential components for implementation. Moreover, we develop the applications for asset management at museum by using mobile RFID network model.