Patent ID: 7064663

Claim:
An electronic object location system comprising: at least eight identification tags, each tag having RF send and receive capabilities, and each tag having an internal tag memory for storing a unique tag identification code associated therewith, each tag being attachable to an object; and a single portable finder having a processor and an internal finder memory, and RF send and receive capabilities, said finder storing a plurality of said unique tag identification codes in said finder memory, wherein said tag identification codes are associated in said finder memory with descriptive text identifying an object to a user, and wherein said descriptive text identifiers provide an intuitive object identifier; wherein said finder is configured for direct communication with each individual identification tag of said at least eight of identification tags; wherein said finder memory is programmable such that at least one of tag identification codes and descriptive text identifiers can be added, deleted and edited by the user, whereby a flexible number of identification tags can be used with the finder, wherein a user can select a stored descriptive text identifier for location of a desired object from said finder memory, and said finder then transmns a search RF signal to locate the identification tag associated with said desired object using the stored tag identification code associated with said selected descriptive text, the search RF signal including the selected tag identification code, wherein an identification tag in the vicinity of the finder receives the search RF signal and compares the transmitted rag identification code with its own tag identification code stored in said internal tag memory, wherein the identification tag responds to the finder by transmitting a found RF signal only if the transmitted tag identification code matches its own tag identification code, and wherein the finder signals to the user that the object with the selected descriptive text identifier has been located, said user signal indicating a relative proximity of the finder to the desired object.