Patent ID: 6977586

Claim:
An associated articles identification system comprising: at least one radio tag from a first set of radio tags, each radio tag from said first set of radio tags being locatable proximate to an article from a first set of articles; at least one radio tag from a second set of radio tags, each radio tag from said second set of radio tags being locatable proximate to an article from a second set of articles; wireless communication means within each said radio tag of said first and second set of radio tags, whereby said wireless communication means allows communication between said first set of radio tags and said second set of radio tags; range detection means within at least one of said first set of radio tags and said second set of radio tags, said range detection means detecting whether a radio tag from said first set of radio tags is within a predetermined range of a radio tag from said second set of radio tags; a unique identifier within at least one of said first set of radio tags and said second set of radio tags, said unique identifier being transmitted using said wireless communication means; in situ bonding means between at least one radio tag of said first set of radio tags and at least one radio tag of said second set of radio tags, said bonding means including: activation means to begin a bonding process; storage means to store said unique identifiers received during said bonding process; and deactivation means to end said bonding process; whereby said at least one of first set of radio tags becomes bonded to said at least one of said second set of radio tags for which said unique identifier was received; identification means within at least one of said first set of radio tags and said second set of radio tags, said identification means determining whether a first radio tag from said first set of radio tags is bonded to a second radio tag from said second set of radio tags when said first radio tag is within a predetermined range of said second radio tag; and indication means within at least one of said first set of radio tags and said second set of radio tags, said indication means providing an indication of whether said identification means determined that said first radio tag is bonded to said second radio tag, whereby said indication means provides a different indication if said first and second radio tags are bonded than if said first and second radio tags are not bonded.