Patent ID: 8742899

Claim:
A method of identifying tags, the method comprising: issuing a first set of commands of a first type in a first inventory process to identify tags in a first group of tags which are in a first state and to place the identified tags in a second group of tags, which are in a second state, which are addressable by a second set of commands of a second type, wherein the first group of tags do not respond to the second set of commands of the second type; issuing the second set of commands of the second type in a second inventory process to identify tags in the second group of tags in the second state and to place the identified tags in the first group of tags which respond to the first set of commands of the first type and wherein the second group of tags do not respond to the first set of commands of the first type, and wherein the second inventory process is similar to the first inventory process; issuing a third command in the first set of commands of the first type to address tags in the first group of tags in the first state, wherein the third command in the first set of commands of the first type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in a third state; and issuing a fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type to address tags in the second group of tags in the second state, wherein the fourth command in the second set of commands of the second type causes addressed tags to be placed in the third group of tags in the third state.