Applications for radio frequency identification systems

1. A method of using a portable RFID device with a group of items each having an RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting information to the device describing a certain item or class of items;

(b) scanning the RFID tags associated with each item in the group of items;

(c) receiving signals from each of the scanned RFID tags; and

(d) comparing the received signals to the information input to the device to determine whether the certain item or class of items are present among the group of items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is selected from information describing missing items, items that have not been used within a specified period of time, items that have not been checked into inventory, items that have been designated for hold status, and the owner of the items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is contained within and available from the RFID element itself.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes the step of:

(c) providing an indication in real time to a user that the item or class of items of interest were located.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further includes the step of:

(d) recording in a database that the item or items of interest were located.

6. A method of using a portable RFID device, comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting an algorithm to the device that describes an ordered set of items;

(b) scanning a plurality of items having RFID elements to obtain information from those elements; and

(c) comparing a description of the items obtained using the information obtained from the RFID elements to the algorithm to determine whether the scanned items are in the algorithm order.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

(d) providing an indication to a user of any item that is not in the algorithm order.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the indication is provided in real time.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the indication is provided in response to information obtained from a database separate from the RFID device and the RFID tag.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the algorithm is based on an ordering system that is selected from the Dewey Decimal System, the Library of Congress System, an alphabetical listing of authors, and an alphabetical listing of topics.

11. A method of using a portable RFID device to associate a certain item bearing an RFID element with a location having a group of items each also bearing an RFID element, comprising the steps of:

(a) scanning the RFID element associated with the item;

(b) scanning the RFID elements of at least one additional item within the group of items; and

(c) determining whether the certain item belongs with the group of items.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

(d) providing an indication of the determination made in step (c) to the user in real time.

13. A method of using a portable RFID device, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining an item having an RFID element associated therewith;

(b) using the portable RFID device to interrogate the RFID element and obtain information therefrom; and

(c) having a user input information to the RFID device as to that item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further includes the step of:

(d) using the information input in step (c) to update a database that includes information as to that item.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the database is updated when the portable RFID device is connected to a docking station to download information to that database.

16. A method of using a portable RFID device with an item having an RFID element associated therewith, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating the RFID element with the RFID device to obtain information therefrom;

(b) identifying the item using the information obtained;

(c) requesting and obtaining from the portable RFID device further information regarding the item.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information requested in step (c) is obtained from memory contained within the portable RFID device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the information requested in step (c) is obtained from memory that is separate from the portable RFID device and is transferred to the device.

19. A method of using an RFID device, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating a group of items each bearing an RFID tag;

(b) providing to the RFID device information identifying a certain class of items; and

(c) receiving in real time from the RFID device information identifying items that are not within the certain class of items.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the class of items are items associated with a particular location, and the information provided in step (b) includes that location.

21. A method of using an RFID device with items of interest that bear an RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating a tagged item with the RFID device;

(b) entering information into the RFID device describing the location of the item of interest; and

(c) collecting in a database the information entered in step (b) regarding the item that was interrogated, wherein the database is separate from the RFID device, and the information is transferred to that database.