Patent ID: 8378827

Claim:
An antenna configuration for determining identity and location of RFID tags in a two-dimensional distribution of possible locations, the antenna configuration comprising: (a) a first set of elongated reader coils, each elongated reader coil in the first set associated with a different column of possible locations in the two-dimensional distribution; and (b) a second set of elongated reader coils, each elongated reader coil in the second set associated with a different row of possible locations in the two-dimensional distribution, wherein: at least one elongated reader coil in the first set is associated with at least two different elongated reader coils in the second set; at least one elongated reader coil in the second set is associated with at least two different elongated reader coils in the first set; and each possible location in the two-dimensional distribution is associated with (i) a single elongated reader coil in the first set and (ii) a single elongated reader coil in the second set.