Apparatus for placing article with wireless tag

An apparatus for placing an article with an RFID tag, the apparatus comprising:

• a first table and a second table on which an article with an RFID tag may be placed;
• a retaining mechanism for selectively retaining the first table and the second table in a state in which the second table is placed on the first table and in a state in which the first table and the second table are apart from each other vertically by a specified distance;
• a first article detector and a second article detector disposed on the upper surface of the first table and the upper surface of the second table, respectively, for detecting that the article has been placed;
• an antenna communicating with the RFID tag;
• and
• a directivity switching section that aims the directivity of the antenna upward when an article has been detected by the second article detector, and aims the directivity downward when an article has been detected by the first article detector.