Patent ID: 8690678

Claim:
An RFID reading device comprising: a housing; an antenna coupled to said housing, said antenna configured to emit an electromagnetic field that at least partially defines a zone of communication in which a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag can be read; a highly permeable magnetic material layer coupled to said housing and proximate to the antenna, said highly permeable magnetic material layer defining an outermost boundary of the zone of communication of said antenna, and further directing the electromagnetic field so as to form a zone of communication, such that a strength of the electromagnetic field within the zone of communication enables reading of an RFID tag within the zone of communication, and the strength of the electromagnetic field at any region beyond the defined boundary of the zone of communication is below a threshold level for communication with an RFID tag; and an RFID reader coupled to said housing, wherein said RFID reader is configured to read data transmitted by an RFID tag when said RFID tag is in the zone of communication.