A tag comprising a communication unit configured to receive a signal representative of postal information and an information provisioning unit configured to make the postal information available to a postal service so as to facilitate transportation of the tag by said postal service.

A system for a machine component includes at least one local transmitter/receiver. At least one device is associated with a component and configured to communicate with the at least one local transmitter/receiver through wireless signals. Shielding surrounds both the local transmitter and the device for containing the wireless signals proximate to the component. A remote processing unit is disposed outside of the shielding in communication with the local transmitter/receiver. A control system and method are also disclosed.

Various embodiments employ multiple readers and tags in fixed locations in different geographical areas and/or along different storage units. This allows for more granular or precise location sensing. Particular embodiments employ multiple environment tags in various geographical locations and within multiple storage units. Using this new infrastructure setup, some embodiments can perform new functionality by predicting whether a target asset is in a particular geographical location, predict whether the asset is within a particular storage unit based on the proportion of readers mapped to that shelf which are actually reading the tag on the asset, and/or can predict where an asset's exact location in the located storage unit is based on comparing indications of signal strength values between each reader and tag in the storage unit with other indications of signal strength values between each reader and the tag that is attached to the asset.

A method performed in a network control entity for enabling access to a wireless tag in a wireless communications network is provided. The wireless communications network includes two or more access points, APs. The network control entity configures a first AP to transmit a radio frequency signal in a first time period, and configures a second AP to receive, in the first time period, a radio signal reflected from the wireless tag using the transmitted radio frequency signal. A network control entity for enabling access to at least one wireless tag in a wireless communications network is also provided. Further, an access point AP and a method therein for enabling access to a wireless tag in a wireless communications network are also provided.

Various embodiments employ multiple readers and tags in fixed locations in different geographical areas and/or along different storage units. This allows for more granular or precise location sensing. Particular embodiments employ multiple environment tags in various geographical locations and within multiple storage units. Using this new infrastructure setup, some embodiments can perform new functionality by predicting whether a target asset is in a particular geographical location, predict whether the asset is within a particular storage unit based on the proportion of readers mapped to that shelf which are actually reading the tag on the asset, and/or can predict where an asset's exact location in the located storage unit is based on comparing indications of signal strength values between each reader and tag in the storage unit with other indications of signal strength values between each reader and the tag that is attached to the asset.

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.

A system includes a network of a plurality of sensing/control/identification devices distributed throughout a machine, each of the sensing/control/identification devices associated with at least one sub-system component of the machine and operable to communicate through a plurality of electromagnetic signals. Shielding surrounds at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices to contain the electromagnetic signals proximate to the at least one sub-system component. A communication path is integrally formed in a component of the machine to route a portion of the electromagnetic signals through the component and a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing/control/identification devices through the electromagnetic signals, wherein at least a portion of the sensing/control/identification devices comprise a wide band gap semiconductor device and wherein at least a portion of the sensing/control/identification devices comprise an on-chip antenna.

An intelligent tracking system generally includes one or more tracking devices, some of which may be passive tracking devices. Each passive tracking device includes one or more transceivers and is energized by an energizing signal. Some of these passive tracking devices may operate in a first communication mode or a second communication mode based on the energizing signal. Some tracking devices may include encryption modules or authentication modules. Some of these devices may incorporate a bulk acoustic wave oscillator.

An asset tracking system that has a master notification unit, a reader relay unit in communication with the master notification unit, and a tag configured to be coupled to an asset. When the reader relay unit identifies a tag, the reader relay unit sends a signal to the master notification unit providing both a tag identifier and a reader relay unit identifier.

An intelligent tracking system generally includes one or more tracking devices, some of which may be passive tracking devices. Each passive tracking device includes one or more transceivers and is energized by an energizing signal. Some of these passive tracking devices may operate in a first communication mode or a second communication mode based on the energizing signal. Some tracking devices may include encryption modules or authentication modules. Some of these devices may incorporate a bulk acoustic wave oscillator.