Radio frequency identification device with movable antenna

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of a hand-held radio frequency identification reader includes a first casing suitable for being grasped by a user, a second casing, and a transceiver housed within one of the first and second casings. The reader also includes an antenna housed within the second casing and communicatively coupled to the transceiver for communicatively coupling the reader to a radio frequency identification tag. The second casing is movably coupled to the first casing so that the second casing can be aligned with the radio frequency identification tag to substantially maximize a read distance of the reader while the first casing is held in a substantially fixed position in relation to the radio frequency identification tag.

1 . A radio frequency identification device, comprising: 
 a first and a second casing;    a transceiver housed within one of the first and the second casings, the transceiver comprising a transmitter for generating a radio frequency carrier signal and a receiver for detecting modulation of the radio frequency carrier signal caused by a radio frequency identification tag;    an antenna housed within the first casing and communicatively coupled to the transceiver for broadcasting the radio frequency carrier signal, and sensing the radio frequency carrier signal after the radio frequency carrier signal is modulated by the radio frequency identification tag; and    a controller housed within the second casing and communicatively coupled to the transceiver for interpreting information encoded in the radio frequency carrier signal by the radio frequency identification tag, wherein the first casing is movably coupled to the second casing.