Rfid read system for verifying the contents of items in tray pockets

A method for determining the location of an article labeled with an RFID tag, the article being located in a pocket of a container having a plurality of pockets, each pocket having a size, the method comprising:

• transmitting a first forward radiation beam pattern from a first antenna toward a selected pocket of the container and thereafter reading a first set of read data from any article labeled with an RFID tag;
• alternately transmitting a second forward radiation beam pattern from a second antenna toward the selected pocket of the container, the second forward radiation beam pattern having a null area directed at the selected pocket, the null area being less than the size of the selected pocket at which the null area is directed, and thereafter reading a second set of read data from any article labeled with an RFID tag;
• receiving the first set of read data from articles responding to the first antenna, receiving the second set of read data from articles responding to the second antenna, sending the two sets of read data to a processor, comparing the two sets of read data, and determining that an article identified to the first antenna but not identified to the second antenna resides in the selected pocket;
• and
• moving the first and second antennas among the pockets of the container.

An inventory tracking system to determine the location of an article labeled with an RFID tag, the article being located in a pocket of a container having a plurality of pockets, the system comprising:

• an antenna gateway device having openings, the antenna gateway device positioned so that the openings are aligned with respective pockets, the antenna gateway device having a side facing the pockets of the container and a side facing away from the pockets of the container, wherein a size of each of the openings is selected to allow radiation of a selected frequency range through the opening;
• an antenna having a forward radiation beam pattern, the pattern being wide enough to radiate through all of the openings of the antenna gateway device, the antenna being located on the side facing away from the pockets of the container of the antenna gateway device, the antenna facing the antenna gateway device whereby the antenna gateway device provides control over the forward radiation beam pattern of the antenna to separate the beam pattern into separate beams that radiate through the openings of the antenna gateway device;
• an antenna gateway controller that switches each opening between an operable state and an inoperable state such that when in the operable state, the radiation beam of the antenna at the selected frequency is allowed to radiate through the opening, and when in the inoperable state, the radiation beam of the antenna at the selected frequency is not allowed to radiate through the opening, the antenna gateway controller being responsive to gateway switch control signals to switch each opening between the operable and inoperable states;
• a processor that is programmed to provide gateway switch control signals to the antenna gateway controller to switch the openings between the operable and inoperable states in response to programming under which some or all of the pockets are to be read, the processor also programmed to activate the antenna to transmit the forward radiation beam pattern through an opening of operable state into a particular pocket and thereafter to read a set of read data from any responding article labeled with an RFID tag;
• and
• an RFID reader connected to the antenna to receive the set of read data from articles responding to the antenna and to output the set of read data to the processor which determines that articles responding to the antenna are located in the particular pocket.

A method for determining the location of an article labeled with an RFID tag, the article being located in a pocket of a container having a plurality of pockets, each pocket having a size, the method comprising:

• transmitting a forward radiation beam pattern from an antenna toward an antenna gateway device positioned between the antenna and the pockets of the container, the antenna gateway device having openings aligned with respective pockets, wherein the size of each of the openings is selected to allow radiation of a selected frequency range through the opening, and wherein the openings are controlled by an antenna gateway controller to switch between an operable state and an inoperable state such that when in the operable state, the radiation beam of the antenna at the selected frequency is allowed to radiate through the opening, and when in the inoperable state, the radiation beam of the antenna at the selected frequency is not allowed to radiate through the opening;
• sending a first gateway control signal to the antenna gateway controller to switch the opening aligned with a selected pocket of the container into an operable state such that the forward radiation beam pattern of the antenna is allowed to radiate through the opening and read a set of read data from any article labeled with an RFID tag;
• alternately sending a second gateway control signal to the antenna gateway controller to switch the remaining openings aligned with the remaining pockets of the container into an inoperable state such that the forward radiation beam pattern of the antenna is not allowed to radiate through the remaining openings;
• and
• receiving the set of read data from articles responding to the antenna, sending the set of read data to a processor, and determining that an article identified by the antenna resides in the selected pocket.