Patent ID: 7589635

Claim:
A conveyor system for processing items on which radio frequency identification tags are disposed, said system comprising: a frame; a conveyor that is disposed movably on the frame and that conveys items through a path of travel, each item having at least one respective radio frequency identification tag disposed thereon; a plurality of antennas disposed proximate the path of travel so that each said antenna radiates a gain pattern that carries radio frequency signals into a respective predetermined first area through which the items pass and receives responses to the radio frequency signals from the respective radio frequency identification tags on the items in the path of travel; at least one radio frequency transmitter that drives the antennas to emit the gain patterns into the respective predetermined first areas; at least one radio frequency receiver that receives signals from the antennas corresponding to the responses received by the antennas from the respective radio frequency identification tags and outputs first signals corresponding to the responses; and a processor that receives the first signals from the at least one receiver, wherein the processor associates a said first signal with a first said item based upon whether the processor receives the first signal from the at least one receiver while at least a portion of the first item is within any said respective predetermined first area, the antennas of the plurality of antennas are disposed with respect to the path of travel so that the respective predetermined first areas at least partially overlap with each other, a first antenna and a second antenna of the plurality of antennas are disposed so that the gain pattern of the first antenna generally does not interfere with reception of responses by the second antenna, and the gain pattern of the second antenna generally does not interfere with reception of responses by the first antenna, and the processor controls the at least one transmitter to drive respective said antennas, including driving the first antenna and the second antenna simultaneously with each other.