A near-field communication device includes: a processing module and a first antenna arranged in a first near-field communication area and connected to the processing module; a first presence detector arranged in the first area; a second antenna arranged in a second near-field communication area, the first antenna and the second antenna being electrically in series and forming a circuit of antennae; a second presence detector arranged in the second area; and a control circuit designed to place the circuit of antennae into at least two different operating modes: a) a first mode, termed ‘functional mode’, in which the circuit of antennae allows near-field communication, and b) a second mode, termed ‘dysfunctional mode’, in which the circuit of antennae does not allow near-field communication.

An electromagnetic coupling reader may include: an antenna, a management module, and a supervision unit, the supervision unit comprising a sleep mode configured to limit energy consumption, a first wake-up signal enabling the supervision unit to be extracted from the sleep mode, the management module comprising an energy saving mode consisting of measuring, at regular intervals, an impedance of the antenna in order to detect a presence of a peripheral authorizing an electromagnetic coupling, the wake-up signal being activated by the management module when a peripheral is detected, the electromagnetic coupling reader comprising a second wake-up signal controlled by a clock configured to extract the supervision unit from the sleep mode at regular intervals.

There is described a method of checking whether a transponder device (220) is in proximity of a reader device (210), the method comprising (a) transmitting a first command (331) from the reader device to the transponder device, (b) in response to receiving the first command at the transponder device, transmitting a first response (332) to the reader device, the first response including an expected transponder device response time (pubRespTime) which is stored in a memory (224) of the transponder device, (c) transmitting a second command (333) from the reader device to the transponder device, (d) in response to receiving the second command at the transponder device, transmitting a second response (334) to the reader device, (e) at the reader device, determining the transponder device response time as the difference in time between transmitting the second command and receiving the second response from the transponder device, and (f) determining whether the determined transponder device response time matches the expected transponder device response time included in the first response. There is also described a reader device (210), a transponder device (220), and a contactless communication system (200).

An asset tag adapted to be mounted to an asset, the asset tag comprising a first component encoded with a first ID unique to the asset tag, the first component having a first wireless interface and being adapted to transmit first broadcast signals via said first wireless interface over a first range, the first broadcast signals including the first ID. The asset tag comprises a second component encoded with a second ID unique to the asset tag, the second component having a second wireless interface and being adapted to transmit second broadcast signals via said second wireless interface over a second range, the second broadcast signals including the second ID. The first range and the second range are different. The first ID and the second ID are identical.

An object detection system includes a reader waveguide (101) formed as an open transmission line, an RFID tag (102) placed above the reader waveguide (101), a signal strength acquisition unit (103) that acquires signal strength of a read signal read from the RFID tag (102) by electromagnetic coupling through the reader waveguide (101), and an object detection unit (104) that detects physical characteristics of an object (105) corresponding to the acquired signal strength based on a relationship between a plurality of (three or more values of) signal strength of the read signal and physical characteristics of the object to be detected.

A reader device for attachment to a smart device comprising a display, the reader comprising an antenna, processing and reading circuitry, and a communications module, wherein the antenna, the processing and reading circuitry, the processor and the communications module are coupled to each other, and whereby the antenna encloses said display. When a card is tapped on the display, the antenna receives a signal and transmits the signal to the processing and reading circuitry. The processing and reading circuitry processes the signal to produce data, and the produced data is transmitted to a device external to the reader device by the communications module.

An inventory verification device (“IVD”) provides automatic inventory verification and detection of inventory discrepancies. The IVD automatically verifies the quantity of items in a container based on weight and/or height measurements obtained for the items in the container using two or more sensors of the IVD. The IVD may also automatically updated tracked inventory of an item based on detected changes to the weight and/or height of the items in the container as a result of a worker adding items to the container or removing items from the container without the working providing confirmation for each addition and/or removal. The IVD autoatmically verifies whether correct items are stored in a container by performing feature matching of various characteristics for items imaged in the container against expected characteristics for items that should be stored in the container.

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for locating lost or stolen [BDS1] objects. In use, it is determined whether there are any RFID tags within a set range of a transceiver. If at least one RFID tag is determined, the at least one RFID tag is queried, and each of the at least one RFID tag is identified. Next, the identification of the at least one RFID tag is saved, and it is determined whether the RFID tag is no longer in a sensing zone. Additionally, a video is recorded, using at least one video camera, of the surroundings associated with the at least one RFID tag. Further, an audio is recorded, using at least one microphone, of the surroundings associated with the at least one RFID tag Next, the video recording and the audio recording are saved. Additionally, access to view the saved identification, the saved video recording, and the saved audio recording is provided. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented.

A reel receiving device based on RFID is disclosed. A reel receiving device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a reel receiving antenna array for individually receiving and supporting a plurality of reels each of which is wound by a strip loaded with electronic components by allowing each of the reels to be supported at outer circumferential side in part, and reading independently RFID tags attached to the reels received individually, a switching unit for activating antennas forming the reel receiving antenna array individually in sequence, and a control unit for providing reception-position information of each of the reels by identifying the RFID tag read.

Disclosed is a method for determining a type of an object arranged in a radio frequency, RF, field transmitted by an NFC reader device. This method involves analyzing the oscillatory behavior in the NFC reader device, after the RF field transmitted by the reader has been switched off, using a decomposition scheme with a degree M for decomposing a decay signal trace into M superimposed components. The method involves predetermining the decomposition scheme with a degree M for decomposing a decay signal trace into M superimposed components, e.g. weighted oscillation components, wherein each one of said M superimposed components is defined by a predetermined superimposition function, which in turn is determined by an associated set of characteristic parameters, and storing, e.g. in a database that is accessible for the P&E unit, an indication of the decomposition scheme and the M predetermined superimposition functions.