A method and system for identification of an item is provided, wherein the system comprises includes a conveyor belt, a conveyor belt controller and a reader operable to receive at least one reading from at least one tag attached to the item and extract from the reading a measurement of the phase of the signal transmitted by the tag and received at at least one antenna of the reader, the antenna being adapted to be arranged at a read point along the conveyor belt, wherein the conveyor belt controller is configured to start the conveyor belt at a first time instant, after the item has been placed on the conveyor belt, and to stop the conveyor belt at a second time instant, when the item has passed the antenna of the reader.

A method and system for identification of an item is provided, wherein the system includes a conveyor belt, a positioning device and a reader operable to receive at least one reading at at least one first antenna from at least one tag attached to the item, the first antenna being adapted to be arranged at a read point along the conveyor belt, wherein the positioning device is configured to retrieve a first position of the item at a first time instant before the first antenna and a second position of the item at a second time instant after the first antenna, the first and second time instants defining a time window, wherein the reader is configured to extract from each reading retrieved by the first antenna a measurement (6) of the phase of the signal transmitted by the tag (5) and perform a data processing of the phase measurements whereby the identification of the item (2) is accomplished.

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 wireless tag reading device has an accommodation region with a bottom surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, and a back surface. The accommodation region can accommodate therein a product with a wireless tag attached thereto. The product can be inserted and withdrawn from the accommodation region via an opening at the front and top of the accommodation region. A tag reading unit includes an antenna configured to emit radio waves toward the product in the accommodation region and then receive a response signal. The outside portions of the first side surface, the second side surface, and the back surface reflect radio waves. An inside portion of the back surface is a radio wave transmitting material. There is a gap left between the inside portion and the outside portion of the back surface portion.

A system having a UHF RFID transceiver is adapted to communicate exclusively with a single electro-magnetically coupled transponder located in a predetermined confined transponder operating region. The system includes a near field coupling device comprising a plurality of lines connected in parallel with an unmatched load. The near field coupling device may be formed, for example on a printed circuit board with a plurality of electrically interconnected traces and a ground plane. The system establishes, at predetermined transceiver power levels, a mutual electro-magnetic coupling which is selective exclusively for a single transponder located in a defined transponder operating region. Also included are methods for selective communication with the transponder in an apparatus such as a printer-encoder.

Methods and apparatuses for selecting a subset of RFID tags are provided in some embodiments. These methods and apparatuses utilize the susceptibility to light by persistent nodes found in passive tags. Light can be used to intentionally reduce persistence times in a particular subset tags or even an individual tag. Then, persistent nodes can be used as a selection criterion to distinguish previously illuminated tags from non-illuminated tags. In other embodiments, a power circuit receives a RF input source and generates a direct current (DC) output voltage. The circuit includes a bias circuit to supply a gate to source bias, which is independent of the DC output voltage. The circuit further includes a voltage multiplier circuit that is coupled to the bias circuit. The voltage multiplier circuit has MOS transistors with one transistor to receive the gate to source bias.

A wireless system includes a plurality of objects. The wireless system includes a controller and a radio frequency identification (RFID) read-write device. Each of the objects includes an RFID device and a transceiver. An object and methods of tracking objects are also disclosed.

Apparatus and methods are provided for automatically interrogating a tagged object using radio frequency identification (RFID) when the object is moved. In one embodiment, a worker is outfitted with a wearable RFID system including an RF antenna, an RFID reader, and a holder to hold the antenna and reader during operation. The system is worn by the worker while the worker moves objects from one place to another. When the worker moves an object with an attached RFID tag, the antenna automatically begins scanning for signals from the object's RFID tag. When a RF signal is received by the antenna, the RFID reader collects the signal and transmits it to a host system which processes the signal to obtain information related to the object to which the RFID tag is attached.

An inventory management system includes an RFID reader, a multiplexing device operably connected to the RFID reader, and a plurality of shelving units. Each shelving unit has an outer boundary defined at least in part by RF blocking material. The inventory management system additionally includes a plurality of shelf antennas multiplexed to the RFID reader via the multiplexing device. At least one shelf antenna is routed within each shelving unit and tuned such that only RFID tags within the outer boundary of the shelving unit respond to an interrogation signal.

The presence or absence of objects (e.g., medical implements, medical supplies) tagged with transponders may be determined in an environment in which medical procedures (e.g., surgery) are performed via an interrogation and detection system which includes a controller and a plurality of antennas positioned along a patient support structure. The antennas may, for example, be positioned along an operating table, bed, a mattress or pad or a sheet and may be radiolucent. Respective antennas may successively be activated to transmit interrogation signals. Multiple antennas may be monitored for responses from transponders to the interrogation signals. For example, all antennas other than the antenna that transmitted the most recent interrogation signal may be monitored.