A wireless tag system includes: a tag signal antenna configured to receive a tag signal transmitted from a wireless transmission tag; and a communication area shaping antenna configured to transmit a reception area shaping signal for narrowing an area in which the tag signal antenna can communicate with the wireless transmission tag, wherein the tag signal antenna and the communication area shaping antenna are arranged for each prescribed product unit in a group of products that are arranged.

An RFID system includes an RFID antenna assembly configured to be positioned on a product module assembly of a processing system. The product module assembly is configured to releasably engage at least one product container. A first RFID tag assembly configured to be positioned on the at least one product container. The at least one product container is configured to position the first RFID tag assembly within a detection zone of the RFID antenna assembly whenever the product module assembly releasably engages the at least one product container.

A product identification method comprises instructing an antenna in a product verification area to collect first product identification data of identified products in the case where a user enters the product verification area of a product identification passage; instructing the antenna in the product verification area to collect product verification data of identified products in the case where a user enters a product settlement area of the product identification passage; and determining user product data based on the first product identification data and the product verification data. A product verification area is provided to eliminate a tag outside the passage being falsely read and reduce a tag false reading probability.

A method for employing cycle counting is presented. The method includes interrogating, by an RFID reader, RFID tags by using a plurality of antenna ports, determining, by an activation sequencer, an activation sequence of the plurality of antenna ports that have been enabled, collecting RFID tag responses from each of the RFID tags, and matching one or more of the RFID tag responses to a particular antenna port of the plurality of antenna ports in an activation cycle.

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for backscatter RFID communication security. In some example embodiments, a system may include a RFID reader, and a passive RFID tag. A desired direction channel H.sub.θ.sub.R between the RFID reader and the passive RFID tag is H.sub.θ.sub.R=[e.sup.j2π cos θ.sup.R e.sup.jπ cos θ.sup.R e.sup.−jπ cos θ.sup.R e.sup.−j2π cos θ.sup.R]. In certain example embodiments, a system includes a first RFID reader, a second RFID reader, and a passive RFID tag. The first RFID reader is aware of the location of the second RFID reader and the location of the passive RFID tag. The second RFID reader is aware of the location of the first RFID reader and the location of the passive RFID tag. The first RFID reader and the second RFID reader are aware of each others generated reader signals.

Backscatter tags, comprising: antennas; single pole, multiple throw switches each switch (S) having pole terminal connected to one of the antennas, and each having first throw terminal (TT) connected to first side (FS) of inductor (I) for S, second TT connected to FS of capacitor (C) for S, third TT connected to fixed voltage level (FVL), fourth TT that is floating, wherein second side (SS) of I and SS of C are connected to the FVL; power combiner (PC) having inputs connected to fifth TT of each of two of the switches; power detector (PD) having an input connected to output of PC; analog to digital converter (ADC) having input connected to output of PD; hardware processor coupled to output of the ADC and coupled to control terminal of each of the switches.

An RFID reading enclosure having a Faraday cage including a cage floor and a cage hood hinged to the cage floor. The cage hood includes a RF blocking fabric formed on a frame with the interior of the Faraday cage having a volume between 4.5 and 30 ft.sup.3. There are at least two RFID antennas positioned to transmit signals into the Faraday cage, with the two RFID antennas having a transmission axis along different orientations.

An RFID system comprises an array of antennas each configured to emit a plurality of beams in different directions. The beams of each pair of adjacent antennas are directed towards one another and overlap. A pair of adjacent antennas transmits simultaneously and the overlapping beams interfere to create an interference pattern. An RFID reader controls the relative phase and/or frequency of the beams to move the interference pattern to read an RFID tag within the moving pattern. As the chance of a RFID tag responding to an emitted beam generally increases with signal strength of the reader beam an area of constructive interference means that RFID tags in that region are more likely to respond to the signal. The system can cover a large proportion of the area below ceiling-mounted antennas, where cover generally means that RFID tags in that area will be successfully read.

A method for employing cycle counting is presented. The method includes interrogating, by an RFID reader, RFID tags by using a plurality of antenna ports, determining, by an activation sequencer, an activation sequence of the plurality of antenna ports that have been enabled, collecting RFID tag responses from each of the RFID tags, and matching one or more of the RFID tag responses to a particular antenna port of the plurality of antenna ports in an activation cycle.

A wireless tag system including a tag signal antenna configured to receive a tag signal transmitted from a wireless transmission tag; and a communication area shaping antenna configured to transmit a reception area shaping signal for narrowing an area in which the tag signal antenna can communicate with the wireless transmission tag.