Patent ID: 6693539
Filing Date: 2004-02-17
Classification: G06K,G06Q,G07C,G07F,G07G

Abstract:
An RFID tag for use in an inventory control system wherein the inventory control system has at least one article return area for receiving articles which were removed from a storage area and which are to be returned to the storage area, the article return area including an interrogation zone and a collection area for holding returned articles, the returned articles passing through the zone and into the collection area as the articles are returned, wherein plural articles may be simultaneously placed in the zone, an interrogator for monitoring the zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of one or more tags within the zone, the interrogator substantially simultaneously interrogating each article in the zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal for each tag detected in the zone, each interrogator output signal including the identification information stored in the integrated circuit of an interrogated tag; said interrogator being couplable to a database for receiving the interrogator output signals, the database including inventory data for articles monitored by the system, the received interrogator output signals being used to update the status data of each returned article, the tag comprising:an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna for storing article identification information and for outputting the article identification information with the response signal upon interrogation of the tag.