Method and apparatus for reading radio frequency identification tags with lowest power consumption

A non-transient computer readable storage medium having computer-readable code stored thereon for programming a computer to perform a method for selectively reading radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, the method comprising:

• transmitting an interrogation signal at each of a plurality of power levels beginning with a lowest power level and sequentially increasing power of the transmitted interrogation signal to a highest power;
• receiving, in response to transmitting the interrogation signal for at least one of the power levels, at least one data signal from each RFID tag within a read zone of an RFID reader, wherein each of the data signals contain stored data corresponding to the RFID tag responding to the transmission of the interrogation signal;
• and
• selectively reading the stored data contained in the data signals received from the responding RFID tags.