Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating an item within an RFID monitored area. When attempting to locate an item using an RFID reader, an interrogation signal is transmitted for at least one RFID tag. A responsive signal from the interrogated RFID tag is processed using data from one or more orientation sensors configured within the RFID reader to determine a direction from the RFID reader toward the RFID tag. The direction toward the RFID tag is displayed and the process repeats while movement of the RFID reader is detected to assist the user in locating the RFID tag, and thus, the item.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification system comprises a tag, a back-end system, and a plurality of readers, each reader having at least one antenna coupled thereto. In a cross-read resolution method performed by a first reader, the first reader receives a first tag read of the tag having a tag identifier. The first reader determines a first metric for the first tag read, and transmits the first metric and the tag identifier to a second reader. The first reader receives a second metric and the tag identifier from the second reader, wherein the second metric is determined by the second reader based on a second tag read of the tag by the second reader. The first reader executes an algorithm, based at least in part, on the first metric and the second metric, to determine whether the first reader will report the tag identifier to the back-end system.