Patent ID: 7103087

Claim:
A radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising: an RFID base station adapted to communicate with at least one RFID transponder; said RFID base station comprising: a transmitter adapted to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals to said at least one RFID transponder; a receiver adapted to receive RF signals backscattered from said at least one RFID transponder; and a processor electrically connected to said transmitter and said receiver, and adapted to: determine the amount of time available on a first carrier frequency; determine the amount of time it would take to perform a particular transaction, wherein said particular transaction comprises a worst-case transaction, such that said processor is adapted to determine the amount of time it would take to perform the longest possible transaction; and change to a second carrier frequency before said amount of time available on said first carrier frequency expires when said amount of time on said first carrier frequency is less than said amount of time it would take to perform said particular transaction.