Unique Physical Unclonable (PUF) function objects may be created by molding or extruding specialized particles creating a measurable physical characteristic over a surface. The magnetized particles form a unique measurable magnetic “fingerprint” based on the random size, position, polar rotation, magnetization level, particle density, etc., of the particles. PUF objects may also vary in other physical characteristics by having a mixture of magnetic, conductive (magnetic or nonmagnetic), optically reflective or shaped, varied densities or mechanical properties resulting in random reflection, diffusion, or absorption of acoustical energy particles in a matrix or binder. The present invention envisions sensing any of the characteristics.

Transaction identification is described. A payment processing platform can receive (i) transaction data associated with a transaction between a merchant and a customer and (ii) a transaction code from a payment making platform. The payment processing platform can receive an indication of an interaction between a computing device of the customer and the transaction code, wherein the indication is associated with context data associated with the interaction. Based at least partly on comparing the transaction data with the context data, determining that the customer is associated with the transaction and causing an association between the customer and the transaction, wherein the association causes at least a portion of the transaction data to be provided to a mobile payment application, associated with the payment making platform, on the computing device of the customer.

A controller samples, after determination of a start of a user's press on a pressable input surface of a pressure sensing member, a value of an output voltage of the pressure sensing member, and determines whether one of a first condition and a second condition is satisfied to accordingly determine whether the user's press on the pressable input surface is terminated. The first condition represents that the sampled value of the output voltage is lower than a predetermined second voltage threshold. The second condition represents that the output voltage has converged to a base voltage. The base voltage is a value of the output voltage of the pressure sensing member with no user's press on the pressable input surface of the pressure sensing member.

Methods and apparatus for using an indicator window of a handheld scanner as a trigger are disclosed herein. An example handheld scanner includes: a housing; an image sensor to capture image data through a front-facing opening; an indicia decoder; an indicator window positioned to face generally away from the front-facing opening and toward a user when the handheld scanner is in a handheld position; a light source disposed inside the housing to emit indication light through the window to provide an indication; a light detector disposed inside the housing and positioned to detect a reflection of the indication light received from an object positioned in front of or on the window outside the housing; and a processor configured to control a mode of the handheld scanner and/or a device in communication with the handheld scanner in response to the light detector detecting the reflection of the emitted indication light.

An adapter for a portable barcode reader includes a body having a base for selective placement on an external surface, adapter electrical contacts contained within the body and positioned to be in continuous electrical contact with reader electrical contacts of the portable barcode reader in a fastened state, a wireless charging receiver conductor coupled to the adapter electrical contacts, and a wireless controller configured to control charging of the portable barcode reader. The adapter maintains the portable barcode reader in a stationary position when placed on a surface such that the field of view of the portable barcode reader extends from horizontal to as much as 45 degrees below horizontal. The adapter may further include a near-field communication conductor and a microcontroller to wirelessly communicate indicia data captured by the portable barcode reader to an external receiver.

A novel, miniaturized hand-held electronic peek device that is used to display real-time information to the magician/performer for entertainment purposes by consolidating information from all the electronic magic devices from multiple vendors to a single platform; wherein the device includes Bluetooth radio transceiver, a radio receiver, a high-resolution colour LCD, vibrator motor and charging port. These components are configured to receive radio signals from a myriad of electronic magic props items such as electronic dice, dominoes, poker chips, pens, crayons, cubes, motion sensors, movement sensors, magnet detectors and RFID/NFC Readers. The information that is communicated from electronic devices is communicated to the magician/performer through visual and haptic feedback.

According to one embodiment, a commodity reading device includes a hand-held scanner configured to read a code symbol on a commodity, a fixed scanner configured to read a code symbol on a commodity by capturing an image of the code symbol, and a processor. The processor is configured to detect the code symbol in the image captured by the fixed scanner, extract commodity information for identifying the commodity from the detected code symbol, and provide a notification to a user when a time between the detection of the code symbol and the extracting of the commodity information exceeds a preset threshold length of time, the notification indicating that the hand-held scanner is available to read the code symbol.

Method and systems for driving an aiming assembly of a barcode imager are provided. An example method includes obtaining an operating mode of the barcode imager having an aiming assembly and, in response, determining a duty cycle of an aiming pulse of the aiming assembly. That duty cycle is determined as a percentage of a frame duration of an imager sensor and, further, such that simultaneous constraints are satisfied by the aiming pulse. The constraints include a simultaneous frame duration-independent, peak pulse optical power constraint and a frame duration-dependent heat dissipation constraint.

According to one or more embodiments, the tag reader includes a communication controller, a temperature measuring sensor, and a processor. The communication controller controls an output signal to be output from an antenna of the tag reader. The temperature measuring sensor measures an internal temperature of the tag reader. The processor sets the output value of an output signal based on the measured temperature and causes the communication control circuit to output the output signal from the antenna at the set output value.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) enabled readers and systems and methods for filtering cross reads of RFID tags and use thereof. The systems and methods may be configured to operate with mobile and/or fixed RFID readers. The systems and methods may provide for claim based filtering of cross reads based upon adjusting operating powers of RFID readers and/or antenna. The systems and methods may also be configured to apply weights to claims thereby providing efficient and/or accurate filtering of cross reads. The systems and methods may also provide for a database that may also be presented to a user to illustrate locations of inventory at any point in time or over a period of time, or to facilitate the ability of a user to physically locate inventory to be acted upon.