ISO/IEC 15961-2:2019

Overview

ISO/IEC 15961-2:2019 defines the registration procedures for RFID data constructs used in item management. It specifies how a Registration Authority (RA) and application administrators must manage assignments such as Application Family Identifiers (AFIs), data formats, Root-OIDs/Relative-OIDs for Unique Item Identifiers (UIIs) and other data, and table-driven encoding schemes (per ISO/IEC 15962). The standard ensures consistent, interoperable encoding of RFID data across systems that use the ISO/IEC 15961 data protocol together with air-interface protocols in ISO/IEC 18000.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope & purpose: Procedural requirements to maintain RFID data constructs for open and closed applications using the ISO/IEC 15961/15962 data protocol.
• Registration roles: Obligations and responsibilities of the Registration Authority and application administrators.
• Assignments covered:
  • Allocation of AFIs to applications.
  • Allocation of data formats to applications.
  • Registration of Root-OIDs (ISO/IEC 9834-1 compliant) to UIIs and other application data.
  • Registration of table-driven encoding schemes compliant with ISO/IEC 15962.
• Application process:
  • Standardized application forms, one submission per data-construct set.
  • Applications must include required elements per ISO/IEC 15961-3.
  • RA reviews, may request clarifications, retains copies of all applications.
• Approval / rejection criteria:
  • Approval requires identifiable authority over an open application, representation in two or more countries, and intent for near-term use (preferably within 12 months).
  • Rejection reasons include non-open application, delayed use, ineligible applicant, or incomplete information.
• Registry publication:
  • RA maintains a public, free Register of RFID Data Constructs, published in English (alphabetical by application administrator).
  • RA submits register updates to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 secretariat each January and July.

Applications and who uses it

• Application administrators developing RFID application standards for supply chain, retail, logistics, asset tracking, returns management, and other item-management domains.
• Registration Authorities responsible for assigning AFIs, OIDs, and data formats.
• RFID manufacturers and system integrators implementing tag memory layouts and encoding that must interoperate across systems and geographies.
• Standards bodies and solution architects ensuring compliance with ISO/IEC 15961/15962 and air-interface standards (ISO/IEC 18000).

Using ISO/IEC 15961-2:2019 helps organizations achieve consistent RFID data encoding, reduce interoperability issues, and support reliable long-term data exchange across RFID systems.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 15961-1, 15961-3, 15961-4 (data protocol parts)
• ISO/IEC 15962 (data encoding rules)
• ISO/IEC 18000 (air-interface protocols)
• ISO/IEC 9834-1 (Root-OID assignment)