Using active and passive RFID technology to support indoor location-aware systems

Emerging mobile technologies are being applied successfully in cultural spaces to help users to get the correct information no matter where he is, in such a way that their use result better than traditional guides. Different technologies (RFID, Wi-Fi, etc.) are applied to allow mobile devices, such as PDAs or smart phones, interact with their environment in order to provide users with updated information regarding his physical location. This paper describes a system environment based on both active and passive RFID technology which supports the automatic positioning of mobile devices in closed spaces. This proposal results especially useful to provide location-aware information avoiding the need for users to manually select the desired information they want to view. This proposal has been successfully proved for the location and positioning of PDAs.

I. Introduction

Positioning systems are common in software applications that manage geographic information. Indeed, using computing devices while on the move is currently very common. PDAs, mobile phones, car navigation systems, and mobile entertainment devices are some examples. The basic idea of location and context-awareness is to provide services that fit the user's current situation. An interesting challenge is how to locate a mobile device inside a building as in the case of administrative buildings, hospitals or art museums. The idea is creating systems that continuously adapt to the user's needs and surroundings.