Patent ID: 8044804

Claim:
A method of localizing a plurality of cables with a reader device having a plurality of loop antennas, said method comprising: placing a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags near ends of the plurality of cables; placing the plurality of loop antennas over a plurality of respective cable sockets configured to receive the ends of the plurality of cables, wherein each of the plurality of loop antennas comprises an opening and is positioned to receive a cable end through the opening; activating at least one of the plurality of antennas to transmit an RF signal at a first signal range; determining whether a responsive signal is received from at least one of the RFID tags; altering the signal range of the at least one of the plurality of antennas to a second signal range in response to a determination that a responsive signal has not been received from at least one of the RFID tags; determining whether a responsive signal is received from at least one of the RFID tags; and in response to a determination that a responsive signal has been received from at least one of the RFID tags, localizing the position of the at least one of RFID tag and at least one cable on which the at least one tag has been positioned based upon the signal range at which the responsive signal from the tag was received.