Patent ID: 6959862

Claim:
An inventory control and identification apparatus comprising: plural storage spaces, each holding at least one inventory item; each of the inventory items providing a radio frequency identification tag enabled for emitting a wireless identity transmission in response to an energy signal; each of the storage spaces further engaging an identification label having a label means for transceiving enabled for receiving the identity transmission of the associated identification tags and for transmitting time stamped label transmissions; a coordinate communication network having plural network means for transceiving and arranged in fixed positions relative to the storage spaces; and a means for data processing; the means for label transceiving, the means for network transceiving and the means for data processing enabled for mutual wave energy communication; the coordinate communication network enabled for receiving the time stamped label transmission at, at least three of the network means for transceiving and for identifying a time of receipt thereof; the data processing means enabled for receiving the transmitting and receipt times of the time stamped transmissions and for calculating locations and inventory quantities of the storage spaces by applying a triangulation method.