Printed RFID tag antenna array with interfering subarrays

A radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:

• a printed RFID tag comprising a printed RFID antenna array comprising at least three printed RFID antenna elements on a substrate of the RFID tag;
• an electronic RFID reader device comprising at least one RFID reader antenna, at least one of the at least one RFID reader antenna being an RFID transmit and receive antenna configured to simultaneously transmit excitation energy to a number N>1 of printed RFID antenna elements of the printed RFID antenna array, wherein N is less than a total number of printed RFID antenna elements of the printed RFID antenna array;
• wherein the at least one RFID reader antenna is configured to receive a first compound signal from a first plurality consisting of N of the printed RFID antenna elements of the printed RFID antenna array when the printed RFID antenna array is positioned at a first reading location relative to the RFID transmit antenna in response to the excitation energy being transmitted at the first reading location, the first compound signal comprising interfering signals from the first plurality;
• wherein the at least one RFID reader antenna is configured to receive a second compound signal from a second plurality consisting of N of the printed RFID antenna elements of the printed RFID antenna array when the printed RFID antenna array is positioned at a second reading location, different from the first reading location, relative to the RFID transmit antenna in response to the excitation energy being transmitted at the second reading location, the second compound signal comprising interfering signals from the second plurality, wherein the first plurality is different from the second plurality;
• an electronic demodulator communicatively coupled to an output of the RFID reader antenna and configured to demodulate the first compound signal and the second compound signal and produce a first encoded signal and a second encoded signal;
• and
• an electronic decoder communicatively coupled to an output of the electronic demodulator and configured to obtain read data from at least the first encoded signal and a second encoded signal, wherein the read data is representative of data stored by the printed RFID antenna array.