Patent ID: 7812725

Claim:
A system for identifying and tracking movable products bearing RFID tags using a reader receiving data signals transmitted on a data frequency by tags on a multiplicity of such products, the tags being powered by received RF energy on a power frequency, comprising: a product-containing area within which the multiplicity of products are located, the products each having an RFID tag, one or more readers within the product-containing area to receive transmitted data from the RFID tags on the data frequency, and a plurality of power nodes within the area, the power nodes being independently powered, separate from and spaced from the readers and the tags and spaced apart within the area, each power node when activated sending an RF signal on the power frequency powering up RFID tags within a transmit distance of the power node, whereby tags are powered up to be read from positions generally more distant from a particular reader than possible if a powering signal were sent by the particular reader itself.