Patent ID: 7548162

Claim:
A conveyor system for processing items on which radio frequency identification tags are disposed, said system comprising: a frame; a conveyor disposed movably on the frame and that conveys items through a path of travel, each item having at least one respective radio frequency identification tag disposed thereon; a plurality of antennas disposed proximate the path of travel so that the plurality antennas simultaneously radiate radio frequency signals into respective first areas along the path of travel through which the items pass and receive responses to the radio frequency signals from the respective radio frequency identification tags on the items in the path of travel at least one radio frequency receiver receiving signals from the plurality of antennas corresponding to the responses received by respective said antennas from the radio frequency identification tags and outputting first signals corresponding to the responses; and a processor that receives the first signals from the receiver and is programmed to associate a said first signal with a first said item based upon whether the processor receives the first signal from the receiver while at least a portion of the first item is within a predetermined second area along the path of travel corresponding to an antenna of the plurality of antennas that received the response that corresponds to the received first signal; wherein each antenna of the plurality of antennas that simultaneously radiates radio frequency signals into the path of travel is offset with respect to the path of travel from each other antenna of the plurality of antennas that simultaneously radiates radio frequency signals into the path of travel at a sufficient distance so that radio frequency signals from one simultaneously radiating antenna of the plurality of antennas generally do not interfere with reception of and response to radio frequency signals of each other simultaneously radiating antenna by radio frequency identification tags within the second area of said other simultaneously radiating antenna.