Today, building automation and infrastructure provisioning are discrete deployments and systems such that electrical power distribution for consumption, electrical power and switching for lighting, environmental sensors, security sensors and the like are discrete and fixed. The present disclosure provides receptacles including electrical power outlets and light switches with configurable and reconfigurable additional functionality such that additional functions are distributed as necessary or required within the environment such as sensors, wireless interfaces, and data interfaces through the use of removable inserts. Further, these receptacles and inserts support artificial intelligence-based assisted living functionality through monitoring user activities with the artificial intelligence centralized or distributed locally or remotely accessed. These receptacles and inserts identify other electrical or electronic devices attached to them, allowing increased knowledge of the user's activities, as well as providing additional aspects of artificial intelligence-based assisted living such as power monitoring, and preventive maintenance.

A near-field communication device operates to transmit data by near-field communications techniques to another device. The near-field communication device includes a memory that stores a message to be transmitted in an ASCII format. The message is retrieved from the memory and transmitted using the near-field communications techniques in an ASCII format.

A method of conducting two-way communication between a first NFC enabled device and a second NFC enabled device. The method includes transmitting a write command from the first NFC enabled device to the second NFC enabled device. A silent mode of the second NFC enabled device, in which the presence of the second NFC enabled device is hidden from the first NFC enabled device, is then activated. While the silent mode is activated, the second NFC enabled device processes the write command and writes a response in a memory of the second NFC enabled device. The silent mode is then deactivated, which triggers the first NFC enabled device to read the response in the memory of the second NFC enabled device.

A method and an apparatus for invoking a radio frequency card function are provided. The method includes: monitoring a feature input event, and obtaining feature information of a user from the feature input event obtained through monitoring; determining, based on a mapping relationship between the feature information and a radio frequency card type, a target radio frequency card type corresponding to the feature information of the user; and invoking a radio frequency card function corresponding to the target radio frequency card type. According to the method, different radio frequency card types may be distinguished based on the feature information of the user, so that the radio frequency card function corresponding to the target radio frequency card type corresponding to the feature information of the user can be invoked based on the feature information of the user. This further improves a card swiping success rate and improves user experience.

Various aspects of the disclosure generally relate to point-of-sale credit card processing devices. More specifically, the disclosure relates to synchronizing device communications with other device functions in order to reduce cross-platform interference and meet certification requirements.

Described herein are systems and method for determining a presence and/or type of an object positioned on a platform. The system may include: a tag reader configured to determine a type of an object, the object including a tag readable by the tag reader; a load cell configured to detect the presence of the object on a platform, the object having a known weight; and the platform including at least one face for receiving the object. The platform is communicatively coupled to the load cell and the tag reader. The presence of the object is detected by the load cell housed in the platform when the object is position on the at least one face of the platform. The type of the object is determined by the tag reader housed in the platform when the object is in physical proximity to the platform.

Apparatus and method for managing connections of a plurality of devices by a Near Field Communication (NFC) Controller (NFCC) through NFC. The method includes setting identification information of an entity, the entity being requested from an NFC device for a connection with the NFC device; and setting a logical link between the NFC device and the entity based on the identification information.

Systems and methods for optically measuring a position of a measurement surface relative to a reference position. The system is a wireless network comprising a centrally located data acquisition computer and a multiplicity of remotely located sensor modules mounted at different locations within wireless communication range of a central receiver. Each sensor module is mounted to a clamp that is made specific to a control surface location and embedded with an RFID tag to denote clamp location. The optical components of the sensor modules are selected to enable indication of the linear position of a measurement surface relative to a reference position and then broadcast the measurement results. The broadcast results are received by the central receiver and processed by the data acquisition computer, which hosts human interface software that displays measurement data.

In the case of a potential detection, by a first near field communication (NFC) device, of a second NFC device, a validation of this detection is performed according to the time variation gradient of at least one environmental condition of the first device. A value of one of an amplitude and an phase of a signal across an oscillating circuit of the first NFC device is compared to first thresholds to potentially detect the second NFC device. Validation of detection occurs when one of the amplitude and the phase of the signal is outside the first thresholds adjusted as a function of the time variation gradient. Validation detection also occurs when one of the amplitude and the phase of the signal adjusted as a function of the time variation gradient is outside the first thresholds.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic tamper detection device is provided, comprising a tamper loop and a deformable component, wherein a deformation of said component indicates that the tamper loop has been broken. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of producing a tamper detection device is conceived.