The present invention is an RFID-enabled electrical connector with connector position assurance (“CPA”) features, comprised of an electrical connector having a plug, a socket, and a CPA feature; a strategically located electrically conductive material, such as a conductive polymer or metalized plastic; and an RFID tag. The present invention can be fabricated using a standard RFID tag, or a mini-RFID tag that has no antenna. The lack of antenna gives the mini-RFID tag an effective transmission distance of less than 25 mm. In the illustrated embodiments, until the CPA feature has been fully deployed, the RFID tag or mini-RFID tag cannot be read because of the strategic placement of the electrically conductive material. The RFID tag can only be properly read after the CPA feature has been fully deployed.

A method for bulk encoding of RFID tags. The method may include printing a plurality of unencoded RFID labels, coupling each of the plurality of unencoded RFID labels to each of a plurality of products, packaging like products from the plurality of products coupled with the unencoded RFID labels together in a container, scanning the container holding the products with an RFID antenna, and encoding each of the unencoded RFID labels coupled to each of the plurality of like products in a container simultaneously with identical information for each container.

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a display; and a back cover mounted to a rear surface of a body of the mobile terminal. Further, the back cover includes an accommodation unit formed on one surface of the back cover, and configured to accommodate a card inserted into the accommodation unit; a coil configured to convert an electric signal from the card into a magnetic signal to be transmitted to a payment machine; and a data terminal electrically connected to the coil, disposed at a position contacting a corresponding data terminal of the card inserted into the accommodation unit and configured to transfer the electrical signal from the card to the coil.

An automatic identification system for communicating identifying information by coupling signals through the human body is provided. The system includes a battery powered identification device that transmits an identifying signal via a modulated carrier. The identification device is coupled to the body of the user via a coupling plate. The signal from the identification device is received by a reading device that is also coupled to the body of the user via a coupling plate. The reading device may display and/or enunciates the identifying information to the user. The coupling technique, carrier frequency, and construction of the devices are such that the identification information is not inadvertently radiated or coupled to unintentional users or receivers.

A reader device for attachment to a smart device comprising a display, the reader comprising an antenna, processing and reading circuitry, and a communications module, wherein the antenna, the processing and reading circuitry, the processor and the communications module are coupled to each other, and whereby the antenna encloses said display. When a card is tapped on the display, the antenna receives a signal and transmits the signal to the processing and reading circuitry. The processing and reading circuitry processes the signal to produce data, and the produced data is transmitted to a device external to the reader device by the communications module.

A portable item reporting device (200) is configured to be attached to and in substantial collocation with a portable item (100), or to be integrated into a portable item (100). The device (200) includes environmental sensors (210) to monitor item location, movement, ambient light, sounds, temperature, etc. The device (200) is configured to store usage expectation data (600) indicative of historical and/or expected item usage and environments when the item (100) is in normal use/storage associated with an authorized user (AU). The device (200) monitors current environmental conditions (104) surrounding and pertaining to the item. If the current environment (104) is inconsistent with expected conditions (600), the device (200) assesses that the item (100) is displaced (503.0), meaning either that the item (100) is in abnormal use or abnormal storage, or is under the control of an unauthorized user (UU) who is other than the authorized user (AU). Based on the assessment the device initiates a signal (372) or message (374) to an authorized user (AU) of the item (100), indicating that the item (100) usage/storage is displaced (503.0) or otherwise anomalous (503.2).

To achieve an information output device in which information of a medium disposed on a stage surface can be surely and efficiently read out, and a stage effect and a security are high. In the information output device, media are disposed on a stage surface in a state where the media are opposite to the stage surface, the media where dot patterns are printed on medium surfaces on the basis of a predetermined rule, the dot patterns are read by imaging units disposed in a space below the stage and converted into code values or coordinate values indicating the dot patterns from photographed images obtained by the imaging units, and information corresponding to the code values or the coordinate values is outputted. Further, light transmitting reading holes are respectively provided at a plurality of medium disposing locations on the stage surface, and the imaging units are disposed in the space below the stage corresponding the respective reading holes such that the imaging units photograph the medium surfaces of the media disposed on the reading holes.

A chip card reading arrangement is provided including a chip card reading device including a data processing circuit and a reader antenna coupled to the data processing circuit arranged at a surface of the chip card reading device for placing a chip card to communicate with the chip card reading device via the reader antenna. The data processing circuit is configured to process at least one of signals received via the reader antenna and signals to be transmitted via the reader antenna. The chip card reading arrangement further includes an antenna structure including an antenna body, a first antenna and a second antenna coupled to the first antenna and surrounded by the first antenna. The antenna structure is arranged on and fixed to the surface of the chip card reading device such that the reader antenna surrounds the second antenna.

An RFID tag for capacitively coupled RFID communication with an RFID reader. The RFID tag comprising an integrated circuit (IC), the IC including a first RFID tag electrode arranged to capacitively couple with a first electrode of the RFID reader to form a first capacitor, and a second RFID tag electrode arranged to capacitively couple with a second electrode of the RFID reader to form a second capacitor when the RFID tag is in a first position relative to the RFID reader; power supply circuitry configured to extract power from a first time-varying signal received from the RFID reader via at least one of the first RFID tag electrode and the second RFID tag electrode, and supply the extracted power to circuitry of the RFID tag; and data transmission circuitry configured to receive the extracted power from the power supply circuitry, and transmit data to the RFID reader via at least one of the first RFID tag electrode and the second RFID tag electrode.

A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and reader system including an array of circular resonators with interdigitated capacitor fingers wherein the fingers of each pair are radially aligned and bars disposed between the resonators to reduce coupling between adjacent resonators, wherein subsets of the resonators resonate at respective different resonant frequencies, and the resonators of each of the subsets have the same resonant frequency; and the radio frequency response produced by the tag at a resonant frequency varies depending on the activation of resonators of the subset corresponding to the resonant frequency.