Encoding apparatus and method of using the same

An apparatus for preparing a plurality of encodable objects, comprising:

• a control subsystem;
• a write subsystem communicatively coupled to the control subsystem, the write subsystem configured to wirelessly transmit information for encoding at least one of the encodable objects;
• a read subsystem communicatively coupled to the control subsystem, the read subsystem configured to wirelessly read information encoded in one of the encodable objects, if any;
• and
• a position detector configured to detect a position of the plurality of the encodable objects and to send a signal indicative of the position of the plurality of encodable objects;
• wherein the control subsystem is configured to determine an encoding window based, in part, on a plurality of position signals from the position detector and a plurality of transmission power levels of the write subsystem at which the write subsystem transmitted information and to determine an operational transmission power level for the write subsystem such that the write subsystem at the operational signal indicative power level encodes information in one of the encodable objects in the encoding window without encoding that information in any of the encodable objects outside of the encoding window.

A method of preparing a plurality of encodable objects, the method comprising:

• wirelessly transmitting information from a write subsystem at a first power level;
• determining with a read subsystem whether the information wirelessly transmitted from the write subsystem is encoded in at least one of the encodable objects;
• and
• generating a response based, at least in part, on the determining of whether the write information from the write subsystem is encoded in the at least one of the encodable objects, if any;
• wherein the response comprises:
• in response to determining that the information wirelessly transmitted by the write subsystem at the first power level is encoded in one of the encodable objects, moving the plurality of encodable objects relative to at least a portion of the write subsystem;
• or
• in response to determining that the information wirelessly transmitted by the write subsystem at the first power level is not encoded in at least one of the encodable objects, wirelessly transmitting the information from the write subsystem at a second power level, and determining whether the information wireless transmitted from the write subsystem at the second power level is encoded in at least one of encodable objects.

A method of preparing a plurality of encodable objects, comprising:

• alternatingly wirelessly transmitting information from a write subsystem at a first plurality of power levels and determining with a read subsystem whether the information wirelessly transmitted from the write subsystem is encoded in a respective encodable object, if any;
• after determining that information from the write subsystem is encoded in the respective encodable object, moving the plurality of encodable objects relative to at least a portion of the write subsystem;
• and
• after moving the plurality of encodable objects, wirelessly transmitting information from the write subsystem at a second plurality of power levels and determining with the read subsystem whether the information wirelessly transmitted from the write subsystem at the second plurality of power levels is encoded on the previously encoded encodable object or another encodable object.

An apparatus for preparing a plurality of encodable objects movable along a processing path, the plurality of encodable objects capable of storing and transmitting information, the apparatus comprising:

• a write subsystem configured to wirelessly transmit information;
• a read subsystem configured to receive information transmitted from at least one of the encodable objects;
• a position detector for determining positions of the encodable objects relative to at least a portion of the apparatus;
• and
• a control subsystem communicatively coupled to the write subsystem, the read subsystem, and the position detector, the control subsystem configured to wirelessly transmit information from the write subsystem at a plurality of power levels and to attempt to read information with the read subsystem to determine whether the information wirelessly transmitted from the write subsystem was stored in one of the encodable objects when the encodable objects are at different positions along the processing path and to track at least some of plurality of power levels of the write subsystem and corresponding positions of the plurality of encodable objects.