Patent ID: 6958678

Claim:
An electronic identification system including: an interrogator for transmitting a radio frequency interrogation signal; a plurality of radio frequency transponders; each transponder being operative in response to the interrogation signal to respond with a forward error correctable data message including transponder identifying base data encoded as first symbol characters in accordance with a forward error correcting code and first check characters on the transponder identifying base data as defined in the forward error correcting code, and other base data encoded as second symbol characters in accordance with the forward error correcting code and second check characters on the other base data as defined in the forward error correcting code; the first and second check characters for facilitating reconstruction of the transponder identifying base data and other base data in the event of corruption of the forward error correctable data message during transmission; and the interrogator including receiver means for receiving the forward error correctable data message; and data processor means programmed to utilize data relating to the forward error correcting code, the first and second symbol characters and the first and second check characters in the received forward error correctable data message, to reconstruct the transponder identifying base data in the event of corruption of the received forward error correctable data message.