RFID devices are provided with an antenna coupled to an RFID chip by a direct or indirect connection. A data-carrying pattern that is visible at one or more wavelengths is incorporated into and/or onto the antenna. The pattern may comprise a plurality of apertures defined in the antenna or a material applied onto the antenna and having a property or properties different from a property or properties of the material used to form the antenna at one or more wavelengths. The pattern may carry data that is optically readable at one wavelength and quasi-optically readable at another wavelength. The pattern may include at least one sensing material configured to cause the pattern to present different data depending on whether a condition is existent or not. The antenna may include a plurality of layers, each with patterns or portions of a pattern or patterns that are visible at different wavelengths.

RFID devices are provided with an antenna coupled to an RFID chip by a direct or indirect connection. A data-carrying pattern that is visible at one or more wavelengths is incorporated into and/or onto the antenna. The pattern may comprise a plurality of apertures defined in the antenna or a material applied onto the antenna and having a property or properties different from a property or properties of the material used to form the antenna at one or more wavelengths. The pattern may carry data that is optically readable at one wavelength and quasi-optically readable at another wavelength. The pattern may include at least one sensing material configured to cause the pattern to present different data depending on whether a condition is existent or not. The antenna may include a plurality of layers, each with patterns or portions of a pattern or patterns that are visible at different wavelengths.

Features are disclosed for an overpackage that can contain an object and provide for automated identification and handling of the object by a robotic retrieval system. The automated identification and handling are enabled through self-identifying marks on the overpackage that indicate the identity of the overpackage as well as the relative location of the mark on the overpackage. Using the location information, a robot or other autonomous actor of the robotic retrieval system can identify a path to a pick point and detect whether the proper pick point is engaged through additional identifiers on the overpackage or a pick point.

An object marking including a first security element and at least a second security element, wherein each security element is associated with a set of data segments and each security element exhibits depending on the capturing conditions, in particular the viewing angle and/or the direction of illumination, a code segment which is an optoelectronically readable representation of one of the data segments of the set associated with the respective security element, wherein different distinct data segments are represented by different code segments and that the set associated with the first security element and the set associated with the second security element differ in at least one data segment; method for producing and method for authenticating the same.

Disclosed is a smart device housing configured to fixably attach to a beverage vessel having a domed surface at a distal end, the domed surface adjacent a wall terminating at a lip, the smart device housing including an exterior configured as a transformable shape enabling a locking fit between the lip and the domed surface of the beverage vessel. Also disclosed is a system wherein a smart device has at least one proximity, image or distance sensor having a beam of detection with a path, the sensor located and directed such the beam of detection covers a location where a coupler can be attached to the beverage vessel, the smart device configured to determine whether the coupler is attached to the beverage vessel by measuring whether the path is obstructed by the coupler. Also disclosed is a method of determining the fill status of a beverage container.

Disclosed is a smart device housing configured to fixably attach to a beverage vessel having a domed surface at a distal end, the domed surface adjacent a wall terminating at a lip, the smart device housing including an exterior configured as a transformable shape enabling a locking fit between the lip and the domed surface of the beverage vessel. Also disclosed is a system wherein a smart device has at least one proximity, image or distance sensor having a beam of detection with a path, the sensor located and directed such the beam of detection covers a location where a coupler can be attached to the beverage vessel, the smart device configured to determine whether the coupler is attached to the beverage vessel by measuring whether the path is obstructed by the coupler. Also disclosed is a method of determining the fill status of a beverage container.

A system configured to identify a location of a problem gaming chip includes a camera configured to capture an image of a plurality of gaming chips having a built-in RFID tag storing first information and second information written on a surface thereof. The system also includes a reading device configured to read the RFID tags of the plurality of gaming chips to obtain the first information of the plurality of gaming chips and an image analysis unit configured to obtain, based on the image, a location of each of the plurality of gaming chips and the second information. The system further includes a comparison and judgement unit configured to perform a comparison based on the first information of the plurality of gaming chips obtained by the reading device and the second information of each of the plurality of gaming chips obtained by the image analysis unit to identify the location.

A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. Gift cards may be inputted by a user into such a payment card or other device such that a user can combine gift cards. Similarly, a user be provided with a global payment account that can be utilized in multiple countries that have different standards for formatting data. A user may be provided with a default country (e.g., United States) but may have a way to select that the user is in a different country (e.g., Japan). Accordingly, a user may select that a Japanese data structure be transmitted through a magnetic stripe reader when the user is in Japan.

An environmental exposure indicator includes a substrate and an environmental exposure indicator (“EEI”) material provided on the substrate that is configured to change an optical property between a creation state and an end state. The environmental exposure indicator material has a deployment state, between the creation state and the end state, at a deployment time. The environmental exposure indicator also includes calibration data based on the deployment state.

The disclosure features dendritic tags, and methods and systems for fabricating and using such tags. The methods can include obtaining at least one image of a dendritic tag attached to an article, analyzing the at least one image to identify a set of features associated with the dendritic tag, and comparing the set of features to stored information to identify the article.