Patent ID: 8284033

Claim:
A method of tracking an object tagged with a radio frequency identification tag having an identification code using a network of readers, wherein a reader interrogates the tag by transmitting the tag's identification code and, the tag responds to interrogation by transmitting a response if it receives the tag's identification code and does not respond if it receives an identification code which is not the tag's identification code, and wherein the network of readers has one or more uncovered areas not covered by an interrogation field of any of the readers, the method comprising: identifying that an object tagged with the tag has left a covered area covered by an interrogation field of a reader; identifying one or more readers monitoring points of access to one or more uncovered areas not covered by an interrogation field of any of the readers, the one or more uncovered areas located adjacently to the covered area such that the object passes directly into one of the one or more uncovered areas to leave the covered area; directing the one or more readers to start interrogating the tag repeatedly and concurrently by transmitting the tag's identification code; and in response to at least one of the interrogating readers receiving a response from the tag, directing other interrogating readers to stop interrogating the tag.