Short Range Wireless Technologies

There are many short range wireless communications devices available now with combinations usually based on complentarity, but there are also combinations to create interoperability. For many the main argument for near field communication is that it can be an interface of interfaces.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

 

1. INTRODUCTION

 

2. ACTIVE RFID

 

2.1. Formats of active RFID

2.2. Operational modes of active RFID

2.3. Great variety of applications

2.4. Project cost, size and payback

2.4.1. Military, logistics and automotive/transportation are dominant applications so far

2.4.2. Analysis of 75 case studies

2.4.3. Frequencies are varied but 433MHz is popular

2.4.4. Most applications have a range of up to 30 metres

2.4.5. New forms of battery - smart active labels

2.4.6. The most important countries

2.5. Standards

2.6. Privacy issues

2.7. Forecasts for active RFID

2.7.1. Tags

2.7.2. Systems

2.7.3. Total systems plus tags

2.8. Value chain for active RFID

 

3. DSRC

 

3.1. Evolution from RFID

3.2. What is DSRC?

3.3. Japan leads in vehicle telematics

3.4. US origins of DSRC

3.5. US government funding

3.6. Safety paramount

3.7. Great potential

3.8. Definitions

3.9. Other differences

3.9.1. Parallel transmission

3.9.2. Operation in multiple overlapping zones

3.10. DSRC consortium

3.11. Vehicle black box

3.11.1. This problem is an opportunity

 

4. BLUETOOTH

 

4.1. Objective

4.2. Definition

4.3. Special Interest Group

4.4. Bluetooth Qualification Board

4.5. Bluetooth products

4.6. Advantages and disadvantages compared to WiFi

4.7. Bluetooth products

4.8. Challenges

4.9. Setbacks

4.10. Bluetooth market size

 

5. WIFI

 

5.1. Objective

5.2. Definition

5.3. Industry lobbying and influence

5.4. Example of advanced WiFi product

5.5. WiMax

5.5.1. Objectives

5.5.2. Definition and standards

 

6. NFC - INTERFACE OF INTERFACES?

 

6.1. RFID and communications interfaces

6.2. A virtual connector

6.3. Link to RFID smart cards

6.4. NFC Forum created by Sony and Philips

6.5. Standardization of NFC

 

7. ZIGBEE

 

7.1. Unique features claimed

7.2. ZigBee relationship to IEEE 802.15.4

7.2.1. IEEE 802.15.4 technical attributes on which ZigBee is based

7.3. ZigBee compared to other wireless standards

7.4. ZigBee compared with Bluetooth protocol

7.5. International regulations that apply to ZigBee

7.6. How ZigBee achieves low power consumption

7.6.1. Battery life

7.7. Interference and coexistence in the 2.45GHz band

7.8. ZigBee reliability

7.9. Number of ZigBee network nodes

7.10. Security issues

7.11. RAM/ROM requirements for the FFD and RFD MAC?

7.12. ZigBee technology compared to proprietary alternatives

7.13. When will products be available?

 

8. COMBINATIONS OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES IN EXCITING NEW PRODUCTS

 

8.1. Complementarity

8.1.1. Data transfer rate and range

8.1.2. Ultra wide band

8.1.3. Supplier case study: Parco Wireless

8.1.4. Prospect of UWB in Europe

8.1.5. Case study: eShepherd - Wi-Fi and RFID unite to help hospitals

8.1.6. Case study: BlueTags - Bluetooth with RFID for protecting children

8.1.7. Case study: Radianse RFID with GPS and IR

8.1.8. Case study: Savi Technology - RFID with GPS and GSM

8.1.9. Case study: Tracking school buses with WiFi, GPS and RFID

8.2. Interoperability

8.3. Combination with other data transfer technologies

 

9. MILESTONES AND MARKETS 2004-2015

 

APPENDIX 1: FURTHER READING

 

APPENDIX 2: GLOSSARY