Patent ID: 6967563

Claim:
An inventory control apparatus comprising: a computer including: a list implemented therein comprising: a unique item identifier for each item in an inventory; a unique item code; and an item status; an anti-collision, field activated apparatus affixed to each item in the inventory including a programmable memory storing its unique item code, a transmitter, anti-collision hardware and software and an antenna; and an interrogator/reader in communication with the computer and including: a field generator capable of generating a field having a range characterized by a radius centered at the generator and a field strength sufficient to activate any field activated apparatus affixed to an item within the range of the generated field; and a receiver, where each anti-collision, field activated apparatus affixed to an item of inventory within the range of the generated field periodically transmits a signal including its unique item code only when anti-collision hardware and software of each anti-collision, field activated apparatus determines that no other anti-collision, field activated apparatus is transmitting its periodic signal and where the status of each item whose field activated apparatus has transmitted its signal to the receiver of the interrogator/reader is set to a first state indicating that the item is inside the range of the generated field, while the status of all other items is set to a second state indicating that the all other items are outside of the range of the generated field.