Detection of Multiple Tags Based on Impulsive Backscattered Signals

Passive and semipassive ultrawideband (UWB) radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology has been recently proposed to offer high-accuracy localization capabilities in next-generation RFID systems. This technology relies on the modulation of backscattered signals, i.e., backscatter modulation, from multiple tags present in the environment. The detection of multiple tags based on backscattered signals is challenging in harsh environments with nonideal conditions such as clutter, near-far interference effects, and clock drift. This paper analyzes the detection of multiple tags employing UWB backscatter modulation and proposes practical signaling, spreading codes, and detection schemes that are robust to nonideal conditions. A case study is presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed technique for the detection of multiple tags based on impulsive backscattered signals.