Group Design Project – B202

Product Design Report

Design Requirements

We have a list of requirements our system needs to achieve in order to satisfy the purpose of this project. This list of requirements is used as a check list at the end of the product design to check if the system satisfies the intended purpose which is to secure premises and improve existing security.

List of design requirements:
The writer must also be able to rewrite the RFID tag.
Compile a database to store stock information.
The program must facilitate for the writing of multiple RFID tags.
The program must also be able to process the identification of multiple RFID tags. .
RFID must operate at temperatures between -25º C and 70º C.
The write-cycle time must be less than 0.5s.
RFID tag must be capable of storing up to 1Kb of data.
Needs to utilize map to track RFID tag within the premises
In the case of a theft, the product of which the RFID tag is assigned to must be logged.
Notify security personnel about what item has been stolen via security device (for example a PDA)
Must be compatible with all passive RFID tags
RFID tag must be rewritable.
Distinguish which store the RFID tag has originated from.
Must be Compatible with Windows, Linux and MAC operating systems
Accommodate wireless interactivity

The most important points from the list that makes our product unique are:

1, The program must have the facility to program multiple RFIDs because there are thousands of products being sold in every retail and trying to assign each RFID for each items is time consuming not to mention fatigue. This feature will make assigning data to RFIDs which are attached to multiple items very easy.

2. Our system needs to have a database with list of product information. This database is used by the writer to retrieve data from the database to the RFIDs, which make the RFIDs unique to the items they are attached to. It is advised to update the database every time new products are in stoke.

3, Notifying security personnel about what item has been stolen (left the store without the RFID being deactivated) is the sole purpose of our product. Security receive alert on their PDAs and monitoring system about a product that has left the store with the RFID attached to it still active, this alert includes the product information which has been assigned to the RFID.

4, The system capability of utilising map to track active RFID tag within the premises gives staff a visual aid to where about the potential thief is. This allows collaborative security job with other shops within the premises as it helps predict the thief’s escape direction, in which case a security from nearby shop can stop the thief(as seen on the presentation video).

5, Keeping log of items that left the store without deactivation is very important as it helps the concerned store with their stock audit. This also helps the store manage their stoke level and identify false alarm.

Other key factors that are listed in the design requirements are:

Use Case Scenarios

The introduction of barcodes and magnetic coil tagging some years ago revolutionised the way industries utilized auto ID and subsequent security methods. However, these technologies are now being found to be more and more inadequate in an increasing number of cases. RFID technologies have proven to be ideal for identifying and locating products/assets, because they increase the reading accuracy and visibility of tagged items far beyond that of bar codes and magnetic tagging. The results include greater efficiency at the Point of Sale (POS), finding any missing or stolen items, and generally maintaining track of the products as they progress through their life cycle. The other benefits of RFID systems come from the sheer variety of scenarios where a system with a similar architecture to ours can be implemented to achieve a wide range of requirements.

The following deployments provide an insight into the broad range of uses for RFID in retail systems:

Charles Vögele Group is the largest clothing retailer in Switzerland; they have installed RFID technology that has helped them illuminate what they call "black holes" in the supply chain. The system reduces the likelihood of running out of stock, and dramatically reduces the amount of time spent counting inventory (by up to 50%).

Walgreen in Illinois has entered into a multiyear, chain-wide agreement to implement an RFID-based system for tracking the use and effectiveness of in-store product displays. Presently, RFID tags are integrated into product displays provided by 15 consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. The system can be used to notify store managers as to which displays should be put up or taken down - helping them decide which displays are most effective.

Bhima & Brothers Jewellers are an Indian jewellery retailer. They have installed a system that is tracking its high value inventory and providing consumers with immediate information about their jewellery stock. The system has reduced the amount of time the store requires to take inventory from 36 hours down to one, and has decreased the time necessary to complete a sales transaction from between six and eight minutes, to less than one.

TOP Food & Drug, a food retail chain in Washington State, USA, are utilizing RFID-enabled loyalty cards as part of a new program that provides them with services far beyond a typical loyalty card. The card links to an Internet-based system to provide such benefits as recall notifications, refunds of prices that drop following a purchase, and refund credit for items shoppers were dissatisfied with.

Clearly, the use of RFID in the retail industry offers an abundance of beneficial additions to improve a supply chains management. This was our main motive for designing such a system. One which can not only provide improvements to a particular supply chain, but one that is modular, and can be effectively applied to any product, anywhere. This leads us to the operational use-case scenarios of our product.

Gunwharf Quays

Gunwharf Quays

Gunwharf Quays is large shopping centre on the edge of Portsmouth Harbour, consisting of over 95 designer outlets and a large number of bars and restaurants. Given the layout of the centre and its fantastic transport links it will be a target for thieves, with a large number of exits, a train station and ferry services providing multiple means of escape.

An RFID Security system would dramatically reduce crime within the centre as offenders would be caught more often and potential thieves would be deterred from targeting Gunwharf.

Theft from Suits You (Menswear shop)

A thief steals a jacket from the Suits You shop in Gunwharf.

• Thief leaves shop
• RFID Tag triggers alarm at shop exit
• Gunwharf Security are informed automatically and CCTV control follow thief
• Security Guards make there way towards the thief
• The thief’s position is further confirmed by sensors in the ground
• Security apprehend suspect

Advantages over current system:

• Security automatically informed
• CCTV operator told quick enough to follow the thief’s movements, more sensors confirm that the CCTV operator has the right person.

Theft that got caught at another shop:

Theft from HMV (Entertainment Shop)

• Thief leaves shop
• RFID Tag triggers alarm at shop exit
• Gunwharf Security are informed automatically but CCTV busy dealing with another incident
• The thief’s position is tracked by sensors in the ground
• Thief enters Marks and Spencer and Security staff are alerted via a PDA and apprehend the suspect.

Thief caught later

Theft from Fatface

• Thief leaves shop
• RFID Tag triggers alarm at shop exit
• Gunwharf Security are informed automatically and CCTV control follow thief
• Security Guards make there way towards the thief
• The thief’s position is further confirmed by sensors in the ground
• Thief runs and manages to escape
• Sensors at Tiger Tiger Nightclub later that night, detect the stolen jacket and door staff hold suspect until police arrive
• CCTV is later used to prove the person held at Tiger Tiger is the thief

Design Specification

To make the specification easier to follow this section will be broken into two sections:
• RFID
This part would cover the RFID tags and sensors and will also describe how the RFID peripherals are used within the system.
• The operation
This part will describe how the system uses PC’s and handheld devices in order to produce the required outcomes.
Our system has many requirements, as it is a sophisticated system this can be expected but although these requirements seem to be high in quantity most of them can be met with a common solution.

RFID

An example of this would be the writing to and reading of the RFID tags. The frequency of which RFID can operate differs throughout the globe, in our case, for now we aim to base our product within Europe, which means that our system has to meet the European legislation which states that the RFID must operate at the frequency of 868 MHz. Obviously if we in future plan to expand our operations to other parts of the globe, then of course we would have to take into consideration their legislations on the acceptible frequencies for RFID use. This is the standard for RFID systems requiring RFID readers to read and write at this frequency. This is not a problem and as there are readers capable of both reading RFID tags as well as writing to them simultaneously, therefore this can be achieved with a single device covering both reading and writing functions. This is reassuring as the system will need to be rewriting tags as sold at the POS (Point of Sale) while keeping track of any products that are being removed from the store.

Although only using one RFID reader/writer does put a lot of pressure on the device to provide updates of products being purchased and stolen in shopping centres such as Gunwharf quays and ocean park in Portsmouth there would never be enough traffic that could overwork the reader as there are limited points of sale and exits which would never be able to surpass the rate at which products will be moved through.
The RFID reader/writer chosen will also need to have expansion ports to connect external antennas in order to boost the range in which the RFID r/w will be able to detect. These antennas can be placed at each POS to also allow the RFID r/w to be program tags at a distance.

Operation

After a careful revision we decided that a GPS program wasn't actually neccessary for the installation instead we could just use the antennas as an uplink which would update a map with co-ordinates, so this would be able to update the system on the current location of the stolen products fulfilling the requirement.

Security personnel will have possesion of a PDA device which in the event of a theft, will be updated with instructions of where to head, in effect informing them as to the whereabouts of the stolen product and therefore increasing the chance of retrieving the product by a great deal. This will work within a realtime system which will work along with information gained from the antennas. In the event of a theft the antennas are excited by the stolen product which update the PDA device as to the position of the stolen product e.g. the way point. The PDA device will also have an RFID tag attached to it so that the security personnel can pin point where they are and what direction they need to head in to catch the culprit.

The software will house a database consisting of all tagged products information e.g. product ID, type, colour etc. This will have an internal function to update products which have been purchased or stolen. This software will be made to work with the windows operating system as we found most RFID systems already implemented in stores and outlets all around the world, use this operating system. The main system and the RFID r/w will be connected via an ethernet cable ensuring that data attained from the antennas situated at the point of sale and also around the complex can be transmitted straight to the main database.

The notification the PDA receives will be wireless, this information will be transmitted to the PDA via a wi-fi connection which will be provided from the main system by the access points(wi-fi antennas). Data on the particular item being stolen and the present location of the product will all be transmitted through this medium. Thus ensuring the PDA is linked to the main server continuously.

The main system within the retail store will be connected to a server, this server will contain all information on the tagged products within our system, this will enable any stores which utilize our system to identify products that have been stolen from other retailers preventing a thief from using the store as place to hide. With this in place stores would also be able to stop theifs from commiting a simular crime in thier store.

Simulations, Prototypes and User Surveys

This section will demonstrate the successful implementation of our RFID tracking system through the use of simulation and prototyping:
- Diagramatic technical overview of the system
- A fictional computer program, with active alerts
- How the iPhone could be used for the portable interfaces
- Graphical representation of this implementation
- Survey results
- Analysis of surveyed data

Below is a diagram showing a suggested network layout our RFID tracking system. It implements 2 switches separating the user network and the incoming RFID data, giving higher network efficiency. Three servers are used to handle user and internet services, processing of raw RFID data and storage. The network also implements wireless access points so that data can be sent to the 'mobile' security staff.

This network design should give the highest efficiency with the smallest cost.

The network offices system is not shown as this would be integrated into current systems.

Fictional Computer Program

The link below shows an example program that would be run within the security control room to track, log and manage the security effort.
Example security program

Portable Interfaces and iPhone Application Development

One issue is how to integrate the portable interfaces into the central system, the primary specifications for the portable interfaces: communicate to security staff the product location, product details, time and to do so within under 5 seconds.

The simplist implementation would be a text based messaging service, however this is not an option as we want to include live gps tracking.

One potential problem would be the development time and cost of developing the software and hardware for the interface, with it needing: GPS, wireless communications and a reliable interface. Assuming that GPS logging and reporting was done by a pre-developed program, such as

One well rounded solution, that would address this aswell as many other obstacles would be the apple iphone, relevant functionality in order of importance:
- Writable apps
- Inbuilt gps
- Impressive interface
- Practicality and aesthetics
- Been thoroughly tested
- Affordable
- Support
- Battery life, screen quality and such like

The most interesting aspect is the writable applications which is what makes this solution stand out.

The iPhone development centre offers masses of documentation and support, not forgetting un-official third party forums and websites. Documentation ranges from basic tutorials through introductory information (shown below) to complex reference manuals.

- iPhone (General)
- Data Management
- Audio & Video
- Tools
- Performance
- User Experience
- Graphics and Animation
- Security
- Networking & Internet

It is clear from the documentation that this application will only utilise the very basics in networking, graphics and interfacing compared to the potential on offer.
The networking required is to simply transfer map coordinates and summary information from the central system. Graphics to plot and display the received data and a basic user interface. At minimum, the user needs to be able to switch between a map and written summary, due to the iPhone's screen size as a result of its high portability.

It must be remembered that this would be a minimalist system, additional functionality would be added due to the ease of expansion, once the 'core' system has been implemented. Ideas for such functionality include: the plotting of security personnel alongside criminals for better response and collaboration, aswell as integrated voice communications.

The use of the iPhone as a portable interface

Survey Results

5C) What are your privacy concerns over the implementation of the 'tracking tags' described?
In summary, the concerns with the proposed system were: How it would be ensured that the tags were destroyed, what data would be stored and whether for example a dishonest shopkeeper would be able to track high value goods (for example to a home address).

Survey Analysis

Survey Conclusion

The two most interesting points highlighted by the survey are:
- That the public feel the security system which is in place to deter them and also, obviously catch theives, is too basic.
- That most shop keepers basically ignore alarms, demonstrating little faith or trust in current the system.

Conclusion

We still feel very strongly about the potential of this product, but recognise the difficulty in launching it during times of economic recession and also due to the technology that is currently availble, this because although the RFID tags were found to very cheap the RFID readers and writers are very costly and quite complicated to implement. With more development in this field opportunities for this system would become more sucessful but with present circumstances it is more inclined to fail.

With our previous research we found our product could either be launched through setting up a new company, offering all the above functionalities would be very difficult as we would have no presence in the security industry and even though we may offer a very effective service people are more inclined to trust well known names and reputations with their security due to the amount of fraud in current times.

As an alternative the system could be licensed to a third party company such as G4S or ADT who have the presence in the security industry known for their standard of high quality service.

It is felt, due to the lack of capital that the first option is unlikely to succeed as significant capital would be required to set the company up and to be able to offer credit to companies. This option would pose significant cash flow problems simply because banks would doubt the system would be able to repay the loan in a timely manner when intial income would be low simply because of all the initial costs and also becuase payments would be recieved slowly. However the option of licensing is very promising with the named companies having contacts, capital and experience in this field.

Another potential help would come from producing a scaled down, less costly system that contains all the fundamentals, leaving room for future additions.

Something we have learnt from this project is that some security systems in retail are more there as a deterrence than functional system. We think our system will change this mind set and reduce retail crime significantly, not only putting criminals off but catching the ones who do try.