Managing a sphere of wireless tags

A wireless reader for managing a sphere of wireless tags, comprising:

• a controller that is arranged to program a group of wireless tags to belong to the sphere of wireless tags;
• a wireless transceiver that is arranged to:
• send sphere beacons aimed to the wireless tags of the sphere;
• detect a loss of a wireless tag of the sphere if the wireless tag did not respond to a predetermined number of sphere beacons;
• and wherein the wireless reader is arranged to respond to the detecting of the loss of the wireless tag.

A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute the stages of:

• programming, by a wireless reader, a group of wireless tags to belong to the sphere of wireless tags;
• sending by the wireless reader sphere beacons aimed to the wireless tags of the sphere;
• detecting a loss of a wireless tag of the sphere if the wireless tag did not respond to a predetermined number of sphere beacons;
• and responding to the detecting of the loss of the wireless tag.

A method for operating a wireless tag that belongs to a sphere of wireless tags, the method comprising:

• participating in multiple sphere check cycles;
• and operating at an energy saving mode between the multiple sphere check cycles;
• wherein a participating of the wireless tag in a sphere check cycle of the multiple sphere check cycles comprises:
• searching, by the wireless tag and during a time window, for a preceding wireless tag token from a preceding wireless tag;
• and transmitting, by the wireless tag, a lack of reception indication indicative of a failure to receive the preceding wireless tag token during the time window.

A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute the stages of:

• participating in multiple sphere check cycles;
• and operating at an energy saving mode between the multiple sphere check cycles;
• wherein a participating of the wireless tag in a sphere check cycle of the multiple sphere check cycles comprises:
• searching, by the wireless tag and during a time window, for a preceding wireless tag token from a preceding wireless tag;
• and transmitting, by the wireless tag, a lack of reception indication indicative of a failure to receive the preceding wireless tag token during the time window.

A wireless tag, comprising:

• a transceiver and a processor that are arranged to participate in multiple sphere check cycles;
• and wherein the wireless tags is arranged to operate at an energy saving mode between the multiple sphere check cycles;
• wherein a participating of the wireless tag in a sphere check cycle of the multiple sphere check cycles comprises:
• searching, by the wireless transceiver and during a time window, for a preceding wireless tag token from a preceding wireless tag;
• and transmitting, by the wireless transceiver, a lack of reception indication indicative of a failure to receive the preceding wireless tag token during the time window.