A method performed in a network control entity for enabling access to a wireless tag in a wireless communications network is provided. The wireless communications network includes two or more access points, APs. The network control entity configures a first AP to transmit a radio frequency signal in a first time period, and configures a second AP to receive, in the first time period, a radio signal reflected from the wireless tag using the transmitted radio frequency signal. A network control entity for enabling access to at least one wireless tag in a wireless communications network is also provided. Further, an access point AP and a method therein for enabling access to a wireless tag in a wireless communications network are also provided.

A method of configuring a contactless communication device is provided. The contactless communication device includes integrated circuits hosting at least two applications compatible with different communication protocols or the same communication protocol and using different communication parameters and a contactless communication circuit. The method includes stopping, by the contactless communication circuit, the transmission of answers of the contactless communication device to requests transmitted by a proximity coupling reader during a transaction initiated by the reader to cause the initiation by the reader of a new transaction.

System and method for simulating the operation of an enterprise inventory management system. The general method includes instantiating at least a first instance of a simulated RFID interrogator subsystem on a computing system; generating, by the simulated RFID interrogator subsystem, data representative of the simulated reading of RFID tags associated with virtual inventory items and reporting the data to a global inventory database subsystem; receiving, at the global inventory database subsystem, the data from the simulated RFID interrogator subsystem; generating one or more performance metrics for the global inventory database subsystem based on the receipt of the data from the simulated RFID interrogator subsystem; and, in response to the one or more performance metrics, altering the generation rate of the data by the first instance of the simulated RFID interrogator subsystem, or instantiating additional instances of the simulated RFID interrogator subsystem to generate additional data, until a performance metric of the global inventory database system reaches a predefined limit.

There is provided an information processing apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to: cause a display to display image data received from a camera; provide a user with a first prompt to place an object in a shooting area of the camera; analyze the received image data; provide the user with a second prompt, in response to the received image data satisfying a predetermined condition, to reduce a distance between the object and the information processing apparatus for near field communication; receive information read from an IC chip on the object by the near field communication, the information being (i) personal information or (ii) information used to access the personal information stored in a database; and perform a predetermined process using the personal information.

In a method for establishing communication between a transaction terminal (1) and a mobile device (2; 6) located within communication range (5), wherein the transaction terminal (1) is able to communicate in an active and in a passive communication mode and wherein the following process steps are performed: activating the passive communication mode in the transaction terminal (1) for a first time range (t3-t4; t7-t8) in order to establish a passive communication of the transaction terminal (1) with a mobile active device (6) possibly located within communication range (5); activating the active communication mode in the transaction terminal (1) for a second time range (t5-t6) in order to establish an active communication of the transaction terminal (1) with a passive mobile device (2) possibly located within communication range (5), if communication with a mobile active device (6) was not established in the first time range (t3-t4; t7-t8); detecting a carrier signal (7) of a mobile active device (6) possibly located outside the communication range (5) during the first time range (t3-t4; t7-t8) as well as during a third time range (t10-t12); remaining in the passive communication mode of the transaction terminal (1) for the third time range (t10-t12), if the carrier signal (7) of the mobile active device (6) has been detected in order to establish a passive communication of the transaction terminal (1) with the mobile active device (6), if the mobile active device (6) gets within communication range (5) during the third time range (t10-t12).

A transaction card may monitor an amount of electric current induced in a first near-field communication (NFC) component of a transaction card. Electric current may be induced in the first NFC component when the first NFC component is within an electromagnetic field generated by a second NFC component of a transaction terminal. The transaction card may dynamically activate one or more output components associated with the transaction card based on the amount of electric current induced in the first NFC component. The one or more output components may indicate whether the transaction card can communicate with the transaction terminal. The transaction card may perform an action related to completing a transaction after determining that the amount of electric current induced in the NFC component satisfies a first threshold. The first threshold may indicate that the transaction card can communicate with the transaction terminal.

A system and method for tracking marine equipment is provided. Generally, the system and method of the present disclosure are designed to generate indicia corresponding to the inventory level of marine equipment used for a particular marine activity. To facilitate the assignment of indicia reflecting the inventory level of marine equipment used for a marine activity, the system and method of the present disclosure uses a plurality of equipment profiles having a defined lower limit and quantity associated with each piece of marine equipment. The lower limit may be manually input or automatically generated. The quantity may be tracked by the system using equipment transmitters and equipment sensors. In a preferred embodiment, the indicia indicate whether the quantity of a piece of marine equipment has fallen below a certain specified level as defined by the user. Users may purchase new marine equipment from third-party retailers via the user interface.

A system providing self-service access to locked merchandise comprising: (a) providing a fixture that restricts access to the locked merchandise, wherein the fixture can automatically lock or unlock, allowing or restricting access to the locked merchandise; (b) providing a means of uniquely identifying an individual attempting to access the merchandise; (c) measuring a set of behaviors of the individual during any time the fixture is an open mode; (d) assessing whether the set of behaviors of the individual are suspicious or not relative to a set of suspicious event thresholds; (e) storing the individual and their set of behaviors as accessible records in at least one database; and (f) providing an algorithm which determines future access privileges of the individual to the enclosure based on a set of variables.

The present invention provides a method and system for registering and authenticating items. The method can include steps of: receiving a login information of a user; identifying a unique physical identifier (UPI) associated with the item to obtain a registered ownership record associated with the item and the UPI, where ownership of the item is to be transferred by the user; matching the login information of the user with the ownership record of the item for authentication of the item; where if the ownership record and the login information do not match, the authentication is determined as being unsuccessful. Also provided herein is a system and method for registering and authenticating any physical object, which system and method may have particular value in authenticating personal objects of high value and items created by designer brands and artists. Information on authenticating user identity and the item as well as entire ownership and creation information may be stored in a blockchain based registry, where information of the present invention cannot be tampered.

A hose assembly for a hydraulic system is shown. The hose assembly includes a first hose that fluidly couples a pump with a hydraulic actuator using a first port. The first hose includes a first electronic device that provides identification information for the first hose. The hose assembly further includes a second hose that fluidly couples the hydraulic actuator with a reservoir tank using a second port. The second hose includes a second electronic device that provides identification information for the second hose. The hose assembly further includes a controller that receives a first connection signal and a second connection signal. The controller is further configured to determine that the first hose has fluidly coupled using the first port based on the first connection signal and determine that the second hose has fluidly coupled using the second port based on the second connection signal.