Abstract: The present invention is a travel planning system including a commodity cost forecasting component and a route planning component that can be utilized in conjunction with one another to provide a commodity cost optimized route between locations supplied by a user of the system. The commodity cost forecasting component utilizes a suitable algorithm and current commodity cost information to provide an estimate of commodity costs at locations along an optimized route provided by the route planning component to travel between the point of origin and the destination supplied by the user to the system. The system also enables a user to determine the estimated commodity cost at a selected location, separately from planning a travel route to or from that location.

Abstract: The present invention is a wireless personal area network created utilizing the pre-existing wiring from conventional payphone devices. A data aggregator is operably connected to the wiring for the payphones to connect the aggregator to a public switch telephone network (PSTN) so that the data aggregator can communicate with a data concentrator via the PSTN. The data concentrator periodically retrieves and forwards data from the Internet to the data aggregator along the PSTN at speeds much greater than that of a conventional Internet connection. The data aggregator stores this data for subsequent transmission to a personal data access device via a wireless network access device operably connected to the data aggregator. In this manner the personal device can access data at speeds greater than conventional direct Internet connections without ever directly connecting to the Internet.

Abstract: A broadband antenna constructed according to the present invention for use with an RFID tag device is formed with a three dimensional (3D) structure. The 3D structure of the antenna enables the antenna to be constructed with a size smaller than that of conventional two-dimensional antennas, consequently reducing the size of the overall tag device, but without any loss of efficiency. The 3D antennas are formed with Archimedean spiral sections and can be tuned to a specific frequency in a particular frequency band, enabling many more unique RFID devices to be defined and operate within that band in conjunction with a reader utilizing a frequency-hopping method without interfering with one another. Additionally, the antenna can receive signals from a higher frequency band than the band in which the antenna resonates to enable those higher power signals to supply power to the device without interfering with the resonant frequency signals received by and transmitted from the RFID device.

Abstract: A system and method for locating items using radio frequency identification tags is provided in which the tags are configured with information concerning the items to which they are attached that is formatted in a standardized Internet compatible protocol. By placing the information on the tags in an Internet compatible protocol, information from the tags can be obtained by a variety of mobile routing devices and transferred directly or indirectly to other devices utilizing the Internet. This ability to transfer information in a standardized Internet compatible protocol allows for greatly enhanced access to information contained on a tag that allows for increased abilities to locate and trace items including RFID tags configured in this manner.

Abstract: A broadband antenna constructed according to the present invention for use with an RFID tag device is formed with a three dimensional (3D) structure. The 3D structure of the antenna enables the antenna to be constructed with a size smaller than that of conventional two-dimensional antennas, consequently reducing the size of the overall tag device, but without any loss of efficiency. The 3D antennas can be tuned to a specific frequency in a particular frequency band, enabling many more unique RFID devices to be defined and operate within that band in conjunction with a reader utilizing a frequency-hopping method without interfering with one another. Additionally, the antenna can receive signals from a higher frequency band than the band in which the antenna resonates to enable those higher power signals to supply power to the device without interfering with the resonant frequency signals received by and transmitted from the RFID device.