Patent ID: 8830063

Claim:
A system for recognizing animals in a detection zone wherein the animals are provided with labels that respond by transmitting return signals with information when introduced into an electromagnetic interrogation field, the system comprising: a transmitting and receiving system configured to create the electromagnetic interrogation field throughout the detection zone and receive a return signal from a label present in the detection zone, the transmitting and receiving system comprising: a single transmitter at only one location and a transmitting antenna connected to the single transmitter, the single transmitter and the transmitting antenna being configured to generate the electromagnetic interrogation field throughout the detection zone, a plurality of receiving antennas, distinct from the transmitting antenna, configured to receive the return signal from the label present in the detection zone, the plurality of receiving antennas being designed and arranged to discretely receive electromagnetic signals, generated by labels, respectively coming from mutually different subzones, the mutually different subzones, in combination, forming the detection zone, a multiplexer signally connected with each of the plurality of receiving antennas, and a signal processing unit, wherein the transmitting and receiving system generates a receiving signal per receiving antenna or per group of receiving antennas of the plurality of receiving antennas, wherein the processing unit is configured to process, in combination, multiple ones of the receiving signal to render information from the return signal from the label, received by at least one of the receiving antenna or the group of receiving antennas, present in the detection zone, wherein the multiplexer is configured to time select the receiving antenna or the group of receiving antennas from the plurality of receiving antennas, to successively obtain the receiving signal from a time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas, wherein the receiving signals signal from the time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas is supplied to the signal processing unit to be processed further, and wherein the multiplexer, for each time selection, connects the time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas with a receiver for obtaining the receiving signal that is stripped of a carrier wave.