Wireless local area network (WLAN) channel radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag system and method therefor

A wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:

• a plurality of identification tags for transmitting signals on a channel of said wireless local area network and bearing an identification number corresponding to a particular identification tag;
• a plurality of location units for receiving said signals transmitted by said identification tags and determining a characteristic of said received signals on a channel of said wireless local area network;
• and
• at least one master unit for receiving information corresponding to said received characteristic from each of said location units, whereby locations of said identification tags are determined in conformity with said received characteristic, and wherein each of said identification tags comprise a sniffer circuit to determine whether or not said channel is clear, and wherein said wireless identification tags transmit said signals only when said included sniffer circuit determines that said channel is clear.

A wireless identification tag for use within a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:

• a storage for storing at least a identification number of said identification tag;
• a transmitter coupled to said storage, for transmitting a signal from said identification tag on a channel of said wireless local area network, said signal bearing an identification number of said identification tag;
• and
• a sniffer circuit for determining whether or not said channel is clear, and wherein said transmitter transmits said signal in response to said sniffer circuit determining that said channel is clear.