Patent ID: 7982585

Claim:
A computer implemented method comprising: establishing a first association via a wireless network with a first RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) interrogator device, the first association including a first network identifier of the first RFID interrogator device to enable communication with the first RFID interrogator device; entering a sleep mode to conserve energy if no wireless communications packets are received from the first RFID interrogator device during a wake up period in a wake up mode with the first association established; waking up from the sleep mode to the wake up mode, wherein a wireless communication packet is received via the first association from the first RFID interrogator device in the wake up mode, the wireless communication packet including a selection command and a second network identifier, the selection command indicating a selection by a second RFID interrogator device coupled to the wireless network; establishing a second association with the second RFID interrogator device via the wireless network based on the selection, the second association including the second network identifier to enable communication with the second RFID interrogator device, wherein the first association with the first RFID interrogator device ends with the establishment of the second association, wherein the sleep mode is entered with the second association based on whether wireless communication packets are received from the second RFID interrogator device independent of the first RFID interrogator device; and in response to receiving a broadcast wireless packet from the second RFID interrogator device in the wake up mode with the second association, sending an RFID data packet to the second RFID interrogator device via the second association.