Integration of RFID technology into reconfigurable aperture coupled patch array (RACPA) antenna system

Localization and responded accordingly are the most challenging and important issues in reconfigurable microstrip antenna (RMA). Hence, the challenges of combining Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology into the RMA are outlined. Integrating RFID into RMA is very important in wireless communication systems since the technologies have the ability to predict exact location of the users. In this paper, discussion and analyze approaches relying on the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) had been done intensively. The received signal strength was measured with respect to distance. From this aspect, RSSI is believed could be used for evaluating distance between base station or central and RFID tags. The RFID tag was used in the system is responsible for the central to facilitate location tracking of the user. RSSI will provide the distance estimation and yield the real time localization of users. Based on certain level of RSSI, RMA will respond accordingly by supplying coverage around the area. RMA with PIN diodes switches enabled altering the radiation pattern electronically by microcontroller development board (MDB) which is responding to the RFID tag. Indirectly, this system has the ability to control degree of radiation pattern (narrower or broader) adaptively to the distance between central and the tag. Through an outdoor testing and deep analysis of RFID and RMA, a form of new system architecture that combines the two technologies is proposed and its feasibility, technical challenges are discussed thoroughly. Finally, the measurement and calculation results had shown the combination between these two technologies in producing a new method of RMA had proven successfully.