This disclosure relates to systems with multiple NFC front ends and at least one shared controller. One disclosed system includes a first discrete device having a first near field communication (NFC) controller, a second discrete device having a second NFC controller, a communicative connection between the first discrete device and the second discrete device, and a system controller located on the first discrete device. The system controller is communicatively connected to the first NFC controller. The system controller is connected to the second NFC controller via the communicative connection. In specific approaches, the second discrete device can include a display which is also controlled by the system controller, and the system controller is NCI compliant and application aware. In specific approaches, the system controller can control the second NFC controller based on the content concurrently being provided to the display.

The game table reading system comprises reading antennas for each of a plurality of reading areas of a game table, read-restriction antennas for each of the plurality of the reading areas, the read-restriction antennas restricting the RFID tag embedded in a game token placed in the corresponding reading area from being read by the reading antenna corresponding to the other adjacent reading areas, a reading control device that controls the reading antennas, and a read-restriction control device that controls the read-restriction antennas. The read-restriction control device causes the read-restriction antennas corresponding to the reading areas adjacent to the reading areas corresponding to the reading antenna that the reading control device causes to read, in synchronization with the reading control device.

A condition monitoring system includes a radio frequency transponder module including an RFID chip having a first memory, and an antenna; at least one sensor module that monitors data related to the condition of an item and includes a second memory for storing the monitored data; and a communication interface that couples the at least one sensor module to the RFID chip of the radio frequency transponder module so that the sensor module is operative to communicate with the RFID chip by way of the communication interface and the RFID chip first memory is operative to store data related to the item.

An asset management and tracking system for use in a facility having a product designation RFID tag having product information is attached to a product and at least one location designation RFID tag having location information. The system includes a RFID reader and a portable communication device. The RFID reader reads at least one of the product designation RFID tag and the at least one location designation RFID tag and the portable communication device receives product information from and transmits product information to an asset tracking and management device. The RFID reader transmits product information read from the product designation RFID tag and the location information read from the location designation RFID tags to the portable communication device. The portable communication device, in turn, transmits the received product information and location information to the asset tracking device and queries the asset tracking device for additional product and location information.

An information collection system includes a sensor terminal group including first sensor terminals and second sensor terminals and an information collection terminal capable of wireless communication with the sensor terminals. The information collection terminal includes a transmission unit that transmits data requests to the sensor terminals and a receiving unit that executes processing of receiving measurement data from the first sensor terminals in a first period, executes processing of receiving reception requests from the second sensor terminals in a second period, and when the reception requests are given, executes processing of receiving measurement data from the second sensor terminals in a third period. The second sensor terminal includes a transmission unit that, when the data requests are given, and when the control unit determines to transmit the measurement data, transmits the reception requests in the second period and transmits the measurement data in the third period.

An inventory management system and method using RFID tags for the tracking and management of individual items of inventory or work-in-process. The system uses a cloud-based service device to manage inventory at a facility via a communications hub. RFID printers, RFID readers, and antennas located at the facility relay information through the communications hub. Movement of items is monitored by tracking RFID tags associated with each item. Information on the tracked items may be recorded, displayed, and used to generate reports and notifications by the cloud-based services device. Historical tracking records may also be displayed.

A system that exploits collaboration between a plurality of spatially distributed RFID readers to enhance the range of commercial passive RFID tags, without alteration to the tags. The system uses distributed MIMO to coherently combine signals across geographically separated RFID readers. It is capable of inferring the optimal beamforming parameters to beam energy to a tag without any initial knowledge of the location or orientation of the tags.

Examples provide a tag manager component that identifies a plurality of stationary RFID tags located within a three-dimensional space outside an item display area based on an analysis of RFID tag data associated with the plurality of RFID tag readers. A zone detection component analyzes item data associated with a plurality of items corresponding to the plurality of stationary RFID tags and location data associated with the three-dimensional space using a set of per-item criteria. The set of per-item criteria includes a per-item minimum threshold number of items per unit of three-dimensional space and/or a minimum threshold stationary time-period. A verification component analyzes sensor data and/or transaction data to verify whether the three-dimensional space is a termination zone. If the three-dimensional space is a termination zone, an inventory manager component removes the plurality of items from perpetual inventory.

An item management support system includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of an RFID medium attached to an item, and an item management support unit that transmits item management support information to a store clerk terminal used by a store clerk for work in response to determining, based on the acquired position information, that the RFID medium being located in an area different from a predetermined area of a store space divided into a plurality of areas and is located in the different area for a predetermined time or longer, the item management support information being include information about an area where the RFID medium is currently located.

Transmitting a radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogation signal into an RFID interrogation zone of an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system. Detecting at least one response signal from a first RFID tag of the EAS system responding to the interrogation signal. Capturing, at one or more times in a window of time around the detection, sensor data within a sensor field, the sensor field and the RFID interrogation zone overlapping to form a zone of interest. Characterizing movement of a non-tag object during the window of time based on the captured sensor data. Determining whether the first RFID tag is associated with the characterized non-tag object based on a comparison of the at least one response signal and the characterized movement of the non-tag object.