Analysis of Indoor Propagation Characteristics Under Varying Environmental Conditions Introducing the Degree of Impact Metric for Evaluation of UHF-RFID Applications

The prediction of the reliability of UHF-RFID systems in planned indoor environments plays a key role for a successful implementation of those systems into the operational environment. Therefore, a method to efficiently compare the prediction results of varying system setups and different simulation techniques is required. For this purpose, a novel evaluation metric called the Degree of Impact (DoI) is introduced. To demonstrate the evaluation method, a typical UHF-RFID scenario in logistics under varying environmental conditions and different system setups is investigated. Based on full-wave simulation results the DoI is computed, highlighting that warehouse stock and goods have substantial impact on the propagation characteristics and, thus, the attainable reliability of RFID systems. The proposed evaluation enables the quantification and direct comparison of the influence of different system setups and present objects on system functionality. A discrete rating scheme discloses regions of relevant impact on system performance, enabling a fast and cost-effective system analysis.