The tags, the antennae and the reader constitute part of thr RFID system, while computers, servers and network are part of the infrastructure needed for the RFID system to operate properly.
Every tag contain and transmit a piece of information about the object it is attached to, from a simple serial number to a relatively large amount of data. The reader can "inventory" (ie detect and list) the tags put in front of the antenna and transmit their IDs to a computer. This, in turn, can consult a database (e.g. find the content of a container the tag is attached to) or update it (e.g. change the last location of the container), or interrogate the tag for its memori content.
As this can be done in a completed automatic way, readers scatterd along a supply chain can provide an automated backlog of all the information related to a particular object the tag is attached to, and trigger business procedures when some usually simple conditions are met (delivery arrived, stock level running low, item being loaded in the wrong van).
Tags |
Antenna(can be integrated in the reader)
|
Reader |
Computer(can be integrated in the reader) |
Server(optional)
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