Embodiments provide a method of facilitating a payment transaction with a payment card of a customer. The method includes receiving a payment transaction request initiated at a merchant terminal. The payment transaction request comprising at least a merchant transaction amount associated with a purchase entered at a merchant terminal, a PIN of the payment card provided by the customer via a keypad and a customer transaction amount provided by the customer via the keypad. The method includes facilitating verification of facilitating verification of the PIN with a stored PIN. The method further includes, upon successful verification, determining whether the merchant transaction amount conforms to the customer transaction amount. The method further includes facilitating a payment transaction associated with the payment transaction request if the merchant transaction amount conforms to the customer transaction amount.

A shipping package (1) comprises an enclosure for receiving content within, a closure (14) for sealing the enclosure, a label comprising shipping information, a network module (380), a sensor module (382), and a battery module (384). The battery module provides power to the network module and the sensor module. The sensor module (382) providing location information to the network module, the network module transmits a shipping status message to an external device.

An intelligent energy harvesting device, a voltage signal application system, and an energy management module thereof are disclosed. The intelligent energy harvesting device is used to transfer a signal to an application device. The intelligent energy harvesting device includes a power generation module, a battery and an energy management module. The power generation module generates a first voltage signal. The battery generates a second voltage signal. The energy management module is electrically connected to the power generation module and the battery for enabling the first voltage signal output from the power generation module to be used as a power signal to provide the application device, or enabling the first voltage signal output from the power generation module and the second voltage signal output from the battery collectively serves as the power signal to provide the application device.

Metal layers of a smartcard may be provided with slits overlapping at least a portion of a module antenna in an associated transponder chip module disposed in the smartcard so that the metal layer functions as a coupling frame. One or more metal layers may be pre-laminated with plastic layers to form a metal core or clad subassembly for a smartcard, and outer printed and/or overlay plastic layers may be laminated to the front and/or back of the metal core. Front and back overlays may be provided. Pre-laminated metal layers having an array of card sites, with each position having a defined area prepared for the later implanting of a transponder chip module characterized by different sized perforations and gaps around this defined area adjacent to the RFID slit(s), to facilitate the quick removal of the metal in creating a pocket to accept a transponder chip module.

A key fob, comprising an electronic communication circuit, a processor, and a battery configured to power the electronic communication circuit and the processor, further comprises: a communication module for exchanging data with an external electronic communication device, an access control module for exchanging access control data with an external electronic access control device, and a user activatable operating element which activates the communication module, or the access control module, depending on actuation of the operating element by a user.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) enabled readers and systems and methods for filtering cross reads of RFID tags and use thereof. The systems and methods may be configured to operate with mobile and/or fixed RFID readers. The systems and methods may provide for claim based filtering of cross reads based upon adjusting operating powers of RFID readers and/or antenna. The systems and methods may also be configured to apply weights to claims thereby providing efficient and/or accurate filtering of cross reads. The systems and methods may also provide for a database that may also be presented to a user to illustrate locations of inventory at any point in time or over a period of time, or to facilitate the ability of a user to physically locate inventory to be acted upon.

An identification device is provided having an optical detector (1), a controller (5) and an identification transmitter unit (6), wherein the optical detector (1) has a detection area with an identification pattern partially covering the detection area and the controller (5) is designed to interact with the detector (1) and the identification transmitter unit (6) in such a manner that the identification transmitter unit (6) can be activated to transmit an identification signal depending on an analysis of the temporal sequence of measurement signals from the detector (1). A method is also provided for identifying an object by an identification system.

This disclosure describes a solution to assign values to personal objects. These values can be calculated based on a number of criteria and stored for the objects. Future values can also be projected. Types of value can include monetary, sentimental, and donation value. Personal objects, such as objects within the inventory of a house, apartment, or other dwelling, can be tagged using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or other tag that has at least a memory store, an antenna for communication within a near-field range, and optionally, a power supply, such as a battery. Such a tag can be applied to, or otherwise associated with, a personal object, such as a chair, a piece of artwork, or any other tangible object. The memory can be used to contain data associated with the object, which can be accessed via an RFID reader, which can be used to collect objects into an object inventory.

A method of tracking a container closure used to seal liquid in a container is provided, comprising applying a trackable indicia to a container closure, wherein the trackable indicia is unique to the container closure; recording an associated data set comprising a plurality of parameters related to the liquid in the container; correlating the associated data set with the trackable indicia; applying the container closure to the container to seal the liquid within the container; maintaining a database of the trackable indicia corresponding to the associated data set; and scanning the trackable indicia to retrieve the associated data set from the database. The method of the invention also includes utilization of a container closure having inherent natural imperfections and/or patterns on the top and/or sides of the closure and obtaining scanned images and data thereof which are analyzed and utilized for closure and container identification and likewise serve as scannable trackable indicia.

Systems and methods for smart wheel implementations are disclosed. In some embodiments, a smart wheel system includes: a first plurality of modules attached to a circumferential surface of a wheel, wherein the first plurality of modules are interconnected with one another in a ring configuration that spans along the circumferential surface of the wheel, wherein the first plurality of modules includes: at least one energy harvesting (EH) module comprising at least one EH component configured to convert a force acting on the at least one EH component into at least one electrical signal; and at least one dummy cavity module comprising at least one electronic module, wherein the at least one EH module and the at least one dummy cavity module are each electrically coupled to an electrical interface coupled to the wheel.