Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for providing physical validation of for precluding improper installation and confirming appropriate installation of a consumable articles into a consumable article dispenser, and further monitoring the appropriate installation and consumption of a consumable article in real-time.

An asset identification system includes a tool having an axial dimension and a radial dimension. There are three RFID devices located on the tool, and the three RFID devices are located at equal angles with respect to each other in the radial dimension. The system further includes a storage apparatus configured to store the tool, and an RFID reader. At least one of the three RFID devices located on the tool is readable by the RFID reader regardless of the radial orientation of the tool with respect to the RFID reader.

A stock material for additive manufacturing includes an extrudable filament configured for use as feed-stock for a material extrusion type additive manufacturing machine. Machine code is physically affixed to the extrudable filament. The machine code includes code specifying build instructions readable by the extrusion type additive manufacturing machine for building a specific part.

A stereoscopic marker device includes: a polyhedral cube, including at least four flat surfaces, wherein the at least four flat surfaces are used as one primary marker and at least three secondary markers respectively, the primary marker includes a primary graphic code, the three secondary markers individually include a first secondary graphic code, a second secondary graphic code, and a third secondary graphic code, and the primary graphic code is used for providing spatial coordinate information, which is used for calculating six degrees of freedom (DOF) attitude data; and a spike-shaped body, combined with the polyhedral cube and configured to be fixed on a surgery site.

A flexible asset tracking tag according to various aspects of the present technology include a self-powered tracking device on a flexible substrate. The flexible asset tracking tag may be configured to transmit data in response to sensed conditions. The flexible asset tracking tag may also be configured to conserve battery power in response to programmed intervals or sensed conditions.

The present disclosure relates to contactless payments using an electronic payment transaction environment. In particular, the disclosure provides methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing contactless payments based on a dual protocol display label including an optical code and an NFC tag, each configured to communicate merchant information for the purposes of enabling electronic payments to a merchant.

A lottery ticket pack verification system and method for simultaneously scanning a plurality of picked lottery ticket packs and for determining if the scanned lottery ticket packs are the correct lottery ticket packs based on a lottery ticket pack pick list.

An approach is provided for authenticating a payment card. Information is read from the payment card being used for a purchase. The information includes an identifier and data on a chip, in braille cells, and in markings in the payment card. A hash read from the chip, the identifier, and security codes derived from the braille cells and the markings are sent to a payment system. A hash of an (n+1)-th block of a blockchain is received and recorded in the chip in response to validations of the hash as matching a hash of an n-th block of the blockchain, the identifier, and the first and second security codes, and a generation of the hash of the (n+1)-th block. Data about the purchase and the hash of the (n+1)-th block are sent to the payment system.

Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, apparatus, and systems for deactivating an AM tag including receiving a deactivation signal via a first inductive coil, storing electrical charges generated from the deactivation signal in a capacitor, and discharging the electrical charges through a second inductive coil, wherein: a first bias strip in the demagnetized state and a second bias strip cause a resonator to vibrate at a first resonant frequency corresponding to an activated state of the AM tag, the discharging magnetizes the first bias strip from a demagnetized state to a magnetized state, and the first bias strip in the magnetized state and the second bias strip cause the resonator to vibrate at a second resonant frequency different than the first resonant frequency, wherein the resonator vibrating at the second resonant frequency corresponds to a deactivated state of the AM tag.

A system and method for identifying test bars formed during a selective laser sintering build. A part cake is formed during a selective laser sintering build. The part cake comprises parts formed from a powder by selective laser sintering and unsintered powder around the formed parts. The parts include test bars for performing material testing. Each test bar includes a plurality of indentations in a first grip section and a second grip section. The plurality of indentations are arranged in a information providing pattern that is adapted to be readable after the test part is removed from the part cake.