Car-to-infrastructure communication using chip-less, passive RFID tags

Future driver assist systems and communication links between cars have the potential to make driving more safe, more efficient and less harmful to the environment. A novel possibility of supplying the driver with useful information using chipless RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is proposed in this paper. The system works in the UWB (Ultra Wideband) frequency band and is based on spectral information coding. The assembling of the chipless RFID tags is particularly simple. It contains neither batteries nor integrated circuits (ICs). This results in high reliability and low costs. Robustness and a compact form are further advantages. A large preference compared to optical systems is the independence of weather conditions and the time of the day. Owing to these characteristics a lot of application possibilities for chipless RFID systems in case of car-to-infrastructure communication occur. One possible applications may be the automatic reading of road signs. The tag is integrated into the road, a vehicle equipped with a RFID reader interroates the information automatically while driving past and announces it to the driver.