The present disclosure facilitates the establishment of near field communication with a mobile terminal while also preventing malfunctions and an increase in burden of maintenance. A display apparatus (10) includes: at least one antenna (140) for carrying out near field communication with a mobile terminal (20), the at least one antenna being provided so as to positionally overlap with a display section (160). In a case where the mobile terminal comes into proximity to the display section, the display section is caused to display a guide for bringing the mobile terminal in proximity to at least one of the at least one antenna.

The disclosed methods and apparatus relate generally to the use of electronic devices to interact with electronic tags associated with objects, services, places, people, or animals (“objects”) in order to access programming material related to these objects. The invention discloses the input of keywords, phrases, preferences, or interests into a user's device to search a plurality of electronic tags within a given physical range to access programming material from the tags—or via data links provided in the tags—that matches the keywords, phrases, preferences, or interests. Furthermore, the invention locates, maps, and labels the objects associated with this programming material on the user's display.

Various embodiments are directed to a method and system for mapping or visualizing the magnetic fields and their associated field strengths of an object, such as a mobile computing device. An example source of the magnetic fields may be a near-field communication (NFC) reader configured in the object. A computer vision system or device may track a visual marker arranged near or on a magnetic field strength detector in order to associate, match, or map the magnetic field strength measurement readings of the detector at different positions or locations on the object. The computer vision system may generate and display a heat map of the object based on at least the magnetic field strength measurements and their relative positions.

A reading apparatus includes a wireless tag reader including an antenna and an antenna surface facing a first direction and through which the antenna emits a radio wave to read tag information from a wireless tag, and a code reader including an imaging unit and an imaging window facing the first direction and through which the imaging unit acquires an image to read a code. The code reader further includes a grip detachably connected to the wireless tag reader.

A method of communicating devices using virtual buttons comprises receiving, by a user device, a store code and transmitting, by the user device, the store code to a server; searching, by the server, for virtual buttons corresponding to the store code, and transmitting, by the server, to the user device the virtual buttons corresponding to the store code; providing, by the user device, an interface configured to receive a location identifier and button selection input among the virtual buttons received from the server, and transmitting, by the user device, the location identifier and the button selection input to the server; transmitting, by the server, to a staff device the location identifier and the button selection input; and receiving, by the staff device, the location identifier and the button selection input and displaying information associated with the location identifier and requested service corresponding to the button selection input.

A multi-layer conductor device is disclosed comprising two or more conductors used in an antenna for a more durable radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag. The conductors interconnect electrically, but are separated mechanically, so a failure in one conductor will not necessarily cause a failure in the other conductor. And, if the failure occurs at different locations on the antenna, the current path through the antenna will bridge the break.

A system and method for performing a package status check are provided, including a scanner for use in a surgical field and having an antenna for emitting a radio frequency detection field, the scanner including control circuitry configured to determine a predetermined quantity of sponges corresponding to a complete pack of sponges; count a number of sponges associated with the pack with the scanner prior to use of the sponges in a surgical field; and issue an alert when a number of counted sponges does not match the predetermined quantity corresponding to the complete pack. The system and method may include the control circuitry configured to determine whether a sponge has been re-scanned or is unknown by comparing detected information with previously detected information prior.

Ultrasonic transmitters periodically transmit ultrasonic ranging signals, and an ultrasonic receiver receives the ultrasonic ranging signals on a mobile device in order to locate the mobile device in a venue. A controller determines a noise level in the venue, and varies a sound level of the periodically ranging signals based on the determined noise level, thereby optimizing the position of the mobile device.

A user moves about a venue, and operates a mobile reader to read a product tag in a read zone of the mobile reader. An identifier, such as a user identity badge, is associated with the user to identify the user. A sensing system is deployed in the venue for sensing the location of the identifier. A host server associates the mobile reader with the identifier of the user operating the mobile reader, and determines a location of the product tag in the venue based on the read zone and the location of the identifier.

A control circuit receives location information from a handheld RFID-tag reader that pertains to a scan of a location marker that correlates to a particular modular within a retail shopping facility. The control circuit also receives from that reader RFID-tag information gleaned from read RFID tags that are proximal to that location marker. The control circuit uses the location information to select specification information for a particular modular of interest and also compares the RFID-tag information with specification information for modulars other than the particular modular of interest to thereby remove some of the RFID-tag information and thereby provide filtered RFID-tag information. The control circuit then compares that filtered RFID-tag information with the specification information for the particular modular of interest to assess modular compliance.