An identification badge system having an image relaying device for communicating an electronic image, a base station for communicating with the image relaying device, a readiness indicator, and a reusable badge. The badge has a housing, a colored e-paper display, a radio frequency identification tag, and a Wi-Fi transponder and related circuitry that sends radio frequency signals to Wi-Fi routers or Bluetooth beacons in the facility using the system for real-time location tracking of the badge using GPS. Backscatter can be used to encode information on the Wi-Fi signals with little or no battery energy. Tracking information can be stored apart from the badge. The base station has at least one docking receptacle for docking the badge for charging only or also for communication of the electronic image to the badge e-paper display and for erasing the image from the display.

Methods of connecting or linking real objects to machines or the virtual world in real time utilizing a device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless tag attached to an object in communication with an electronic device, such as a cellular phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, or watch, monitors and updates the position of a wireless tag locally and on a machine/network/cloud. Methods of using a wireless tag in safety, loss/theft prevention, healthcare, tracking, advertising and marketing, education, games, finance, payment, and athletic are disclosed. In another embodiment, methods of providing an application programming interface and/or a software development kit based on the devices are provided, allowing software developers the ability to create their own programs or applications on top of the disclosed system is disclosed. Methods of allowing developers to distribute and/or monetize applications developed through the application programming interface and/or a software development kit are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for adapting an incremental information object (IIO) to accommodate a change in a workflow are provided. A method includes analyzing an IIO, wherein the IIO comprises a plurality of tiles, and wherein the plurality of tiles comprise a code. The code is confirmed and, if the confirmation is successful, a determination is made as to whether the workflow has changed. If the workflow has changed the IIO is modified to change the information density of the IIO, a new code comprising a bitstream is generated, and the bitstream is overwritten on the plurality of tiles.