An active sensor for performing active measurements of a scene is presented. The active sensor includes at least one transmitter configured to emit light pulses toward at least one target object in the scene, wherein the at least one target object is recognized in an image acquired by a passive sensor; at least one receiver configured to detect light pulses reflected from the at least one target object; a controller configured to control an energy level, a direction, and a timing of each light pulse emitted by the transmitter, wherein the controller is further configured to control at least the direction for detecting each of the reflected light pulses; and a distance measurement circuit configured to measure a distance to each of the at least one target object based on the emitted light pulses and the detected light pulses.

An active sensor for performing active measurements of a scene is presented. The active sensor includes at least one transmitter configured to emit light pulses toward at least one target object in the scene, wherein the at least one target object is recognized in an image acquired by a passive sensor; at least one receiver configured to detect light pulses reflected from the at least one target object; a controller configured to control an energy level, a direction, and a timing of each light pulse emitted by the transmitter, wherein the controller is further configured to control at least the direction for detecting each of the reflected light pulses; and a distance measurement circuit configured to measure a distance to each of the at least one target object based on the emitted light pulses and the detected light pulses.

Systems and methods for creating a data mapping to be used in a subsequent inventorying process to locate objects within an area. The methods comprise: identifying, by a robot, at least one first marker disposed within the area which should be re-programed; autonomously transforming, by the robot, a first programmed state of the at least one first marker to a second programmed state; and autonomously creating, by the robot, the data mapping specifying a current physical location of the at least one first marker which was re-programed and current physical locations of second markers also disposed within the area.

An information processing apparatus operable to specify identification information of a communication object that a moving object that carries a reader apparatus holds: receives, from the reader apparatus, identification information read from a communication object near the reader apparatus, and a reading time thereof; stores, in a memory unit, association information that includes association of the received identification information and the reading time; and specifies the identification information of the communication object that the moving object holds based on the association information stored in the memory unit.

The invention provides a diaper monitoring device for detecting wetness of a diaper. The device includes an RFID tag, an RFID reading module, a first communication module, a power adapter, an application program, operating at a user end and a control server. The RFID reading module has a scan program. The scan program controls the RFID reading module to scan the RFID tag with the RF signal with various frequencies according to a scan parameter and sends a number of successful scans to the control server. The control server makes a notification indicating that the diaper is wet when the number of successful scans is less than a threshold. A user can adjust the scan parameter through the application program to modify sensitivity of diaper wetness degree.

According to one embodiment, a radio tag communication device includes an antenna configured to transmit an interrogation signal and receive a response signal from a radio tag transmitting the response signal in response to the interrogation signal. A radio tag communication control unit of the device is configured to cause the antenna to repeatedly transmit the interrogation signal from a start time of an object conveyance until a reception strength of the response signal received by the antenna is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and then perform writing on the radio tag via the antenna once the reception strength of the response signal received by the antenna is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.

An active sensor for performing active measurements of a scene is presented. The active sensor includes at least one transmitter configured to emit light pulses toward at least one target object in the scene, wherein the at least one target object is recognized in an image acquired by a passive sensor; at least one receiver configured to detect light pulses reflected from the at least one target object; a controller configured to control an energy level, a direction, and a timing of each light pulse emitted by the transmitter, wherein the controller is further configured to control at least the direction for detecting each of the reflected light pulses; and a distance measurement circuit configured to measure a distance to each of the at least one target object based on the emitted light pulses and the detected light pulses.

Systems and methods for operating a Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) tag. The methods comprise: monitoring a level of Radio Frequency (“RF”) energy being received by the RFID tag; performing operations by a circuit of the RFID tag to compare the level of RF energy in a given frequency band to a first threshold value; and transitioning an operational mode of the RFID tag from a first operational mode in which a receiver is disabled to a second operational mode in which the receiver is enabled, when the level of RF energy exceeds the first threshold value. The RFID tag is able to communicate with a remote tag reader when the RFID tag is in the second operational mode and not when the RFID tag is in the first operational mode.

RFID tags may compensate for non-RFID power sources by automatically enforcing data or state persistence even while powered. A tag may measure a time interval between successive detected modulated reader transmissions. If the interval exceeds a minimum time, then the tag may deassert a protocol flag, erase data, and/or change tag operating states, even if the tag would normally not perform these actions while powered.

Disclosed are methods, systems and devices for varying operations of a transponder device based, at least in part, on an availability of energy and/or power that may be harvested and/or collected. In one particular implementation, operations to generate one or more signals from sensor circuitry and/or to perform computations may be varied based, at least in part, on an availability of harvestable and/or collectable energy and/or power.