Display Frame UHF RFID Antenna for Museums

A display frame ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) reader antenna design is proposed for museums in this paper. Given its conformal design, the antenna can seamlessly hide and blend with the museum environment. RFID asset tracking, personnel tracking and anti-theft surveillance, can be accomplished without altering the display artifacts or disturbing the aesthetics of the museum. The series fed patch antenna array, arranged in a circular fashion makes the RFID tag detection viable in any orientation at the near zone. At far-field distances, the antenna can detect tags up to 6 meters. The antenna has a bandwidth of 28 MHz and is designed for Region-2 RFID frequencies. It uses an unconventional substrate that is lightweight, non-toxic, chemically resistant and self-extinguishing if exposed to fire. More than one frame antennas can be operated using multi-port RFID readers to realize a distributed antenna system within the museum.