An apparatus for determining a passing time of a passive RFID sports timing transponder includes a housing for protecting the apparatus; an RFID reader unit connected to an RFID antenna for remotely determining an identity and a passing time of the transponder; a location unit for determining a location of the apparatus; a mobile communication unit connected to a mobile communication antenna for transmitting the identity and the passing time of the transponder and the location of the apparatus to a processing unit; and a communication unit for communicating with another similar apparatus in an immediate spatial vicinity to synchronize operation of the RFID reader unit and an RFID reader unit of the similar apparatus to avoid interference. The RFID reader unit, the RFID antenna, the location unit, the mobile communication unit and the neighbor communication unit are integrated in a common printed circuit board that is mounted within the housing.

In an IC tag issuing apparatus including a plurality of row antenna units arranged by facing the IC tags in multiple rows aligned as an IC tag continuous body in each row, respectively, and conducting communication in an electromagnetic induction method with each of the IC tags of the IC tag continuous body by using a plurality of the row antenna units, a plurality of the row antenna units are arranged in a row direction or in a direction along a conveyance direction of the IC tag continuous body, and each of the row antenna units is electromagnetically shielded except the position faced with the IC tags of the IC tag continuous body (by a shield plate and an antenna case).

A surgical product supply system includes a cart having a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment has first, second, third and fourth walls. The first and second walls are constructed of radio-reflective material and the third and fourth walls are constructed of a radio-absorptive material. The first compartment has a first storage area. A first RFID antenna array is attached to the first wall and is positioned within the first storage area. The first RFID antenna array includes a first plurality of RFID antennas. A second RFID antenna array is attached to the second wall and is positioned within the first storage area. The second RFID antenna array includes a second plurality of RFID antennas. The first RFID antenna is offset relative to the second RFID antenna such that opposing central axes of the first and second RFID antennas are not colinear.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) enabled readers and systems and methods for filtering cross reads of RFID tags and use thereof. The systems and methods may be configured to operate with mobile and/or fixed RFID readers. The systems and methods may provide for claim based filtering of cross reads based upon adjusting operating powers of RFID readers and/or antenna. The systems and methods may also be configured to apply weights to claims thereby providing efficient and/or accurate filtering of cross reads. The systems and methods may also provide for a database that may also be presented to a user to illustrate locations of inventory at any point in time or over a period of time, or to facilitate the ability of a user to physically locate inventory to be acted upon.

A pharmaceutical storage box to be stored in a pharmaceutical refrigerator so as to be freely movable in and out of the pharmaceutical refrigerator, the pharmaceutical storage box including: a bottom plate on which a pharmaceutical is placed, the pharmaceutical having an attached IC tag; a first side plate having an attached first antenna, the first side plate removably connected to a first end surface of the bottom plate; a second side plate removably connected to a second end surface of the bottom plate; and a back plate removably connected to a third end surface of the bottom plate, wherein the first side plate has a first connection structure connectable to the second end surface, wherein the second side plate has a second connection structure that is connectable to the first end surface.

Systems and methods for monitoring a throughway using a radio frequency identification (RFID) detection system. The RFID detection system includes (i) an image sensor configured to have a field of view directed towards a lane of the throughway; (ii) an RFID transceiver arrangement configured to interrogate RFID tags disposed on vehicles within the lane of the throughway; and (iv) a controller operatively connected to the image sensor and the RFID transceiver arrangement. The controller is configured to (1) cause the image sensor to capture a frame of image data representative of the lane of the throughway; (2) analyze the frame of image data to detect a presence of a vehicle in the lane of the throughway; (3) based on the analysis, determine a position of the vehicle relative to the RFID transceiver arrangement; and (4) configure an antenna array to generate a beam directed at the position of the vehicle.

According to an embodiment, a wireless tag communication device includes a first antenna that emits radio waves towards a first region of a conveyance path for wireless tags and a second antenna that emits radio waves towards a second region of the conveyance path on downstream of the first region along the conveyance path. A shield prevents the radio waves emitted from the first antenna from reaching a first portion of the first region while permitting the radio waves to reach a second portion of the first region. A controller is configured to select a tag ID read via the first antenna as a target tag ID, designate the target tag ID by communication via the second antenna, and then write tag information via the second antenna to the wireless tag corresponding to the designated target tag ID.

A positioning unit of an access control and user tracking system includes an antenna, which is embedded in the substrate of a ceiling tile of a drop ceiling system. The antenna can be observable (embedded in the substrate of an exposed surface of the ceiling tile), or, alternately, not observable (concealed within the substrate of the ceiling tile). A pinhole camera for capturing video information is inserted through the substrate of the ceiling tile and protrudes from the exposed surface of the tile. A ground plane covers the unexposed surface of the ceiling tile. A control module, comprising a controller, a network interface, an antenna controller, a power supply, an omni directional antenna and/or memory for the positioning unit, is positioned on the unexposed surface of the tile.

A wireless tag communication device for communicating with a wireless tag conveyed by a conveyance mechanism, includes radiation regions from which a radio wave is emitted. The radiation regions include a first region extending along a first direction crossing a conveyance direction of the tag and having a first length in the first direction, a second region extending along the first direction and having a second length in the first direction, a third region extending along the conveyance direction and having a third length in the conveyance direction, and a fourth region extending along the conveyance direction and having a fourth length in the conveyance direction. The device further includes a controller configured to cause at least one of the first, second, third and, fourth regions to emit a polarized wave towards the tag. Each of the first and second regions partially overlaps the third and fourth regions.

An article management system includes one or more first antennas provided on a side of a first prescribed region and one or more second antennas provided on a side of a second prescribed region such that the first antennas and the second antennas have respective reading target areas which at least partially do not overlap with each other; a reader/writer configured to read article information stored in an RFID tag attached to an article by using the first antennas and the second antennas, respectively; and a management device configured to manage the article information read by the reader/writer from the RFID tag.