A system providing self-service access to locked merchandise comprising: (a) providing a fixture that restricts access to the locked merchandise, wherein the fixture can automatically lock or unlock, allowing or restricting access to the locked merchandise; (b) providing a means of uniquely identifying an individual attempting to access the merchandise; (c) measuring a set of behaviors of the individual during any time the fixture is an open mode; (d) assessing whether the set of behaviors of the individual are suspicious or not relative to a set of suspicious event thresholds; (e) storing the individual and their set of behaviors as accessible records in at least one database; and (f) providing an algorithm which determines future access privileges of the individual to the enclosure based on a set of variables.

The invention provides method for organizing the disinfection of one or more items contaminated with biological agent(s) comprising (a) attaching a radio-frequency ID (RFID) tag to an item(s) to be disinfected; exposing the item(s) of (a) to a disinfecting means for a period sufficient to disinfect the item; and (c) obtaining a signal from the tagged item when disinfection is complete thereby organizing the disinfection of one or more items.

An information processing apparatus includes a first reader, a touch panel, and a processor. The first reader has a first reading function which electrically reads first information, stored in a communication medium, in a non-contact manner. The touch panel electrically detects contact or proximity of an object as an input detection function. The processor is electrically connected to the first reader and the touch panel, turns OFF the first reader in response to the input detection function of the touch panel being turned ON, and turns OFF the input detection function of the touch panel in response to the first reader being turned ON.

A point of sale (POS) device includes a nest portion and a cradle portion. The nest portion includes one or more payment card or near field communication (NFC) readers. The cradle portion couples to differently-sized interchangeable frames, which in turn help secure a mobile computing device to the cradle portion of the POS device. The mobile computing device is connected via a connector to the rest of the POS device. Payment card information read by the readers is conveyed to the mobile computing device over the connector for processing. The POS device may also include tamper detection circuitry.

An automated transaction machine (ATM) can include a housing, a display, a cash recycler, and a check receiver. The display can be mounted to the housing and directed toward an exterior of the housing. The cash recycler can be configured to receive a first note of currency from a first user of the ATM and dispense the first note of currency to a subsequent, second user of the ATM. The check receiver can be positioned in the housing, an intake portion with an inlet communicating with the exterior of the housing, and a check reader portion configured to receive a check from the intake portion, scan data displayed on the check, and store the check. The intake portion can be positioned below the display and the check reader portion is positioned behind the display.

A self-contained, mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracker and hardware assembly and method of use thereof. The mobile RFID asset tracker includes a frame mounted on locking swivel casters which provide a mobile base for mounting of an RFID antenna, RFID reader and other electrical equipment thereon. An electronics control box, which is adjustably mounted on the frame, houses the RFID reader, a custom Printed Circuit Board (PCB) control module, cellular and WIFI modems, and a power source. The electronics control box is operatively engaged via Input/Output (IO) ports and cabling to an external indicator assembly and to the external adjustably mounted RFID antenna.

Systems for determining a price of goods, reducing food waste, optimizing markdowns for the goods, and controlling prices of the goods in a retail setting are described. A scanner scans a readable identification tag affixed to a good during a time period. A pricing engine of at least one server queries, dynamically and in real-time, a database to identify, from the readable identification tag, the good and the information associated with the good. The pricing engine then applies algorithms to the identified good to calculate a price of the good and modify the calculated price of the good during the time period to optimize a target function. The optimization of the target function depends on price-calculation factors associated with a shelf-state of the good and associated with a future stock of the good. At least one calculated price based on the expiration date of the good is displayed.

Exemplary embodiments include a wireless computing network to automatically provide digital serialization of a plurality of objects, the network including a plurality of wireless nodes located in a physical space, each of the plurality of wireless nodes configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other wireless node in the network in a secure manner and affixed to a physical object in the physical space via any attachment means, utilize data received from a vision-based system to provide a unique digital identity for the physical object upon which it is affixed and transmit information regarding the physical object upon which it is affixed to a portable wireless computing device.

An information processing apparatus includes a first reader, a touch panel, and a processor. The first reader has a first reading function which electrically reads first information, stored in a communication medium, in a non-contact manner. The touch panel electrically detects contact or proximity of an object as an input detection function. The processor is electrically connected to the first reader and the touch panel, turns OFF the first reader in response to the input detection function of the touch panel being turned ON, and turns OFF the input detection function of the touch panel in response to the first reader being turned ON.

In some implementations, a system may receive door position information that indicates a position of a door of a room. The system may receive, in association with a read operation of an RFID reader, first tag information associated with a first RFID tag, wherein the first tag information is received via a first antenna of the RFID reader, and wherein the RFID reader is disposed within the room and a first directional range of the first antenna is directed toward the door. The system may determine, based on the first tag information being received via the first antenna, a location status of the first RFID tag according to the door position information. The system may perform, based on the location status, an action associated with indicating a location of the first RFID tag.