Patent ID: 8680973

Claim:
A synchronized RFID interrogation system, comprising: a communications channel; a synchronization master communicably coupled to the communications channel, the synchronization master configured to send synchronization signals via the communications channel; a first RFID interrogator communicably coupled to the communications channel, the first RFID interrogator configured to: (1) select a first time out period based at least in part upon an output from a first random number generator, wherein said output from the first random number generator is independent of any other RFID interrogator in the synchronized environment, (2) register a synchronization failure upon waiting a first predetermined period of time without receiving synchronization signals, and (3) become a new synchronization master if no synchronization signals are detected after registering the synchronization failure and after the first time out period, wherein becoming the new synchronization master comprises sending synchronization signals via the communications channel; and, a second RFID interrogator communicably coupled to the communications channel, the second RFID interrogator configured to: (1) select a second time out period based at least in part upon an output from a second random number generator, wherein said output from the second random number generator is independent of any other RFID interrogator in the synchronized environment, (2) register a synchronization failure upon waiting a second predetermined period of time without receiving synchronization signals, and (3) become the new synchronization master if no synchronization signals are detected after registering the synchronization failure and after the second time out period, wherein becoming the new synchronization master comprises sending synchronization signals via the communications channel, wherein the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time are the same.