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| Feature: Innovation Alive and Well at TI as Company Celebrates 75th Anniversary |
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Among many major milestones in the history of Texas Instruments (TI), the company passed another one on May 16th by marking its 75th anniversary. Yet even as the company paused to commemorate its past, the people of TI continue to deliver technology innovations that have a profound and positive effect on people around the world.
"A common characteristic among the people of Texas Instruments is an impatient eagerness to buck the odds and do something different," said TI chairman Tom Engibous. "TIers just don't seem to know what cannot be done. So, this company has consistently achieved what others thought was impossible."
History of Innovation
From its roots in 1930 as a pioneer in developing signal processing technology to search for hidden reservoirs of oil, TI has consistently been a company of firsts.
TI was the first company to commercialize silicon transistors, a breakthrough that accelerated the industry's shift from vacuum tubes to solid state devices. In 1958, TI's Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit, which opened the door for the exploration of space and ultimately launched the modern electronics industry as it is known today. Jack Kilby received the Nobel price in 2001 for his innovation.
Developing Visionary RFID Markets and Products
Texas Instruments established the RFID Systems group as a worldwide business in 1991, becoming the first multinational semiconductor company to develop and market radio frequency identification systems. TI has been a visionary leader and at the forefront of establishing new markets for RFID in applications including automotive security, automatic toll collection, retail refueling, wireless payment, sports timing and library asset management.
In product and manufacturing innovation, TI co-invented the flexible RFID inlay with the introduction of Tag-it™ in 1998. It was the first company to work with leading label converter companies to build standardized smart label conversion processes for 13.56 MHz high-frequency (HF) RFID technology. TI was one of the first companies to drive international standards for RFID (ISO/IEC 15693) through its participation in the International Standards Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission.
Texas Instruments participated in defining the Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) Generation 2 specification working in the EPCglobal Inc™'s Hardware Action Group. As the company moves toward volume production of EPC Gen 2 ultra-high frequency (UHF) tags, it is implementing a number of new technologies and processes to drive innovation in three main areas - the integrated circuit (IC), the RF antenna, and assembly. On the IC, TI is migrating to smaller and smaller silicon structures and is the first company to use 130 nanometer technology, the most advanced analog node for RFID. For the antenna, TI's vision is to move from etched metal to printed conductive ink. In assembly, TI foresees an evolution to printing the RF antenna directly on a label or on a package and attaching the IC via a strap. This brand new process is designed for efficient, high-volume production in the billions.
TI's strategy is to apply its electronics design and manufacturing prowess and six sigma engineering quality process - as it has done with its low-frequency (LF) and HF RFID product lines - to achieve high-volume EPC Gen 2 UHF inlay and strap production that meets the demanding yield, reliability and ease of integration needs of the label conversion and printer market, and ultimately the requirements of end-users applying the technology in their retail supply chain businesses.
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TI ViewPoint: Anti-Counterfeit the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain with Authenticated RFID
Counterfeit drugs are a $32 billion industry representing 10 percent of the global market, according to the Food & Drug Administration. To combat the issue and improve patient safety, Texas Instruments is advocating an Authenticated RFID Platform, combining RFID and Public-key infrastructure (PKI) technologies, and recently unveiled this new model as part of an alliance with industry leaders, VeriSign and 3M.
The new Authenticated RFID Platform brings together a combination of hardware and a service-based architecture to provide manufacturers with multiple lines of defense in addressing the issue of product counterfeiting and diversion. Architected to support EPCglobal Inc.'s network and serialization scheme, the platform can immediately impact pharmaceutical supply chain safety through real-time, off-network authentication at the dispensing pharmacy. This first step can be implemented quickly with minimal investments in current infrastructure. This new approach has received positive reviews from leading pharma supply chain participants and AMR Research analyst Dennis Gaughan.
"It provides a solution now instead of in the future," said ABI Research analyst Sara Shah. "It's important not only [in the US] in the short term, but also globally, because other countries don't have government initiatives to stop counterfeiting, but counterfeiting is a global problem." (Computerwire, June 2, 2005).
The layers of the Authenticated RFID Model are:
1) PKI Digital Signing of Tags – During the product manufacturing process, a digital signature is generated and locked into the memory of an RFID tag integrated into a drug package. The digital signature - a key part of the PKI technology - can be read by Authenticated RFID readers to "validate" the tagged product at the pharmacy dispenser or throughout the entire supply chain.
2) Package Integrity – The tag's "electronic fingerprint" can be further coupled to physical elements of the label making it more difficult to compromise the security of the label.
3) Supply Chain of Custody Event Validation – Throughout the supply chain, Authenticated RFID readers can create event validation information for both the tag and data network. Event time/date stamps called event markers, allow for another level of authentication when comparing the event data written to the tag to the corresponding event data stored in a distributed data network.
As the Authenticated RFID Platform becomes adopted at each additional point in the supply chain, the robust architecture supports an extensive electronic pedigree (e-Pedigree) to provide incrementally higher levels of confidence in the drug supply chain.
To download a copy of the TI white paper, "Securing the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain with RFID and PKI technologies," click on http://www.ti.com/rfid/docs/customer/eped-form.shtml.
3M's white paper, "Securing the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain - The Authenticated RFID Platform," can be downloaded at www.3m.com.
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RFID Sports Ticketing: Fast Access and the Fight Against Counterfeits
TI-RFid high-frequency tags are making the world of ticketing for sporting activities and events more efficient while helping to fight counterfeits. The following stories highlight the benefits of RFID for skiers in Europe and tennis spectators in China.
Faster Runs for Skiers; Accurate Accounting for Operators at Dolomiti SuperSki
Using RFID technology, 140 ski operators at Dolomiti Superski in South Tyrol, Italy are offering customers faster hands-free access, more time on the slopes, and a wider choice of lifts across 758 miles of terrain, while improving data gathering and accounting.
Systems integrator Axess AG, based in Wals, Austria, developed the Smartgate-Identity system which features 13.56 MHz RFID inlays from Texas Instruments embedded in paper tickets and reusable plastic cards. Skiers can place the RFID tickets on their jacket or inside a pocket where it is automatically read by a stationary reader/antenna as he or she approaches the gate turnstile before getting on the lift. TI-RFid technology lets skiers use any of the lifts in the 12 valleys and reduces waiting time allowing them to get back uphill faster. Skiers at the resort have an average of 20 lift rides per day.
The Smartgate Identity system also includes General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology that gathers and transmits each day's ticket sales from the resort's 300 sales outlets as well as number of rides and usage, and makes the data available to the outlets the next morning. TI-RFid tags help ensure the accurate gathering of data and financial compensation for each lift operator who receives a proportionate share of total sales.
Serving “Real” Seats at the Tennis Master Cup 2005 in Shanghai
Spectators at the ATP Tennis Master Cup 2005 in Shanghai, China won't have to worry about whether their tickets are genuine. In an effort to curb the possibility of counterfeit tickets for the event, ATP has been working with a series of systems integrators to install a stadium-wide RFID ticketing system for the November 13-20 event.
Each of the 100,000 tickets sold will incorporate an ISO/IEC 15693 high-frequency RFID inlay from Texas Instruments. Specific information about the individual ticket, such as the corresponding section and seat number, are written to the RFID chip before being mailed to the purchaser. When a spectator enters the Shanghai Qi Zhong stadium through any of the 16 RFID reader-enabled gates, a quick wave of his or her ticket at the automated gate will allow entry into the stadium.
Prior to using RFID, spectators were required to purchase a pre-event ticket holder and then exchange it for the physical ticket at the stadium box office. This new system not only offers peace of mind that the tickets purchased are genuine, it puts tickets in the purchaser's hands faster and provides more efficient entry come event time.
Systems integrators on the project include Shanghai HSIC Application System Co., Ltd.; Shanghai Shenbo Intellligent ID Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai East Ticket Co., Ltd.
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