Patent ID: 7579955

Claim:
A radio frequency identification (RFID) device operable to derive power from a carrier wave source that is separate and distinct from the RFID device, the RFID device comprising: at least two antennas configured to receive carrier waves from the carrier wave source; and an RFID circuit including a passive power supply circuit configured to rectify at least some of the carrier waves received via the at least two antennas to provide power to the RFID circuit, the RFID circuit configured to select which of the at least two antennas to employ for outgoing transmissions, if any, based at least in part on an indication of an amount of power being received at the RFID device via respective ones of the antennas, and the passive power supply circuit further configured to modulate at least some of the carrier waves received via the at least two antennas with information and backscatter the modulated carrier waves via the selected one or more of the antennas, if any, wherein the RFID circuit is configured to select for the outgoing transmissions the antenna of the at least two antennas that receives a lower of the amounts of power.