Patent ID: RE41916

Claim:
A system comprising: a plurality of radio frequency identification ( RFID ) tags, wherein each of the plurality of RFID tags is affixed to a respective one of a plurality of items and stores a respective identification number associated with the respective one of the plurality of items; an interrogator capable of operating in a normal first mode and a maintenance second mode , wherein during the first mode the interrogator is configured to wirelessly receive identification numbers from the plurality of RFID tags via a communication technique, and wherein during the second mode the interrogator is configured to wirelessly transmit the identification numbers to a remote communication device, and wherein the interrogator is capable of operating in the first mode without the remote communication device ; and an interface system comprising the remote communication device located remotely from and coupled to a processing device, wherein the remote communication device comprises wireless communication circuitry coupled to a first processor to wirelessly receive the identification numbers from the interrogator, the processing device being configured to output control signals to the interrogator, and the processing device comprises a second processor to receive and store the identification numbers received from the remote communication device wireless communication circuitry configured to communicate wireless signals including at least one of outputting data to the interrogator and receiving data from the interrogator; and a command control coupled with the wireless communication circuitry and being configured to output control signals to control the selection of operation of the interrogator between the normal mode and the maintenance mode .