Abstract: The invention provides a compliance detecting method of payment applications in a virtualized environment, and pertains to the field of security technology of payment applications. The detecting method is used for compliance detection for PCI DSS isolation demands. The detecting method can determine whether it is a compliance state by analyzing the current virtual machine domain and its connection from data stream, and can also determine whether it is a compliance state by analyzing the purity of network flow of virtual machines. The detecting method is suitable for a virtualized environment and makes the detection of compliance accurate in the virtualized environment, thus being advantageous for guaranteeing the security of payment applications.

Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating and/or optimizing a transaction, such as a purchase transaction, through the use of scanned data. In some implementations, a user may use a portable computing device to scan a vehicle tag (e.g., vehicle identification number) that is affixed to a vehicle and determine vehicle information. The user may also scan a user tag such as a driver's license to determine user data that identifies the user. The vehicle data and/or user data may be communicated to transaction service(s), which generate transaction data that may be specific to the particular user that provided the vehicle data and/or user data. The transaction data may include information regarding a price of the vehicle, terms of a loan that the user may take out to finance the purchase of the vehicle, information regarding an insurance policy for insuring the vehicle, and so forth.

Abstract: A local electronic voting network configured as a daisy chain network is provided. Each network device may include a switch for routing and propagating voting network communications. A TCP/IP protocol over Ethernet based connections may be used. Voting devices may include a relay configured such that in case of power down of a voting device the relay shunts the communications down the network. Multiple input/output ports may be provided on network devices and a physical port blocker is provided to block unused ports. A network controller may include a display screen which utilizes a graphical user interface to display status information regarding individual ones of the voting devices that are coupled to the voting network.

Abstract: A card may store data on an integrated circuit housed within the card. The card includes at least two antennas that are configured to transmit the data. Antennas of the card may be configured to transmit the data in different directions as a result of a signal-blocking layer embedded within the card that isolates respective antennas from electromagnetic signals originating from a direction on the opposing side of the blocking layer. The card may be configured to send a first set of data through a first antenna and a second set of data through a second antenna, where together the two sets of data can be used to execute a transaction.

Abstract: A container for a foodstuff or beverage preparation machine, the container for containing beverage or foodstuff preparation material and comprising a code encoding preparation information, the code comprising: a data sequence having a plurality of marker locations, whereby said marker locations either comprise or do not comprise a marker as a variable to at least partially encode the preparation information therein, with adjacent marker locations separated by a distance of ?x; at least one locator marker to enable location of the data sequence of the code, the locator marker having a read distance X2, which is distinct from a read distance X1 of the data markers to enable a locator marker to be identified.

Abstract: A counting device and a pedometer device is described. The counting device includes: a piezoelectric sensor generating a voltage signal when pressed; a rectifier receiving the voltage signal and rectifying the voltage signal to produce a trigger signal; a non-volatile counter receiving the trigger signal, and including a plurality of non-volatile D flip-flops counting according to the trigger signal and storing count data; a processing module reading the count data and using the count data to generate a counting value; and a wireless communication module transmitting the counting value to an external device. The counting device is powered with electrical energy of the voltage signal generated by the piezoelectric sensor.

Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other card or device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. User interfaces are provided in a number of different configurations in order to achieve a number of different functionalities.

Abstract: A contactless payment device including a wireless communication device; a power source; a processor coupled to the power source; an accelerometer communicatively coupled to the processor and the power source; and an actuator communicatively coupled to the wireless communication device and the processor. The actuator is configured to activate the wireless communication device when the actuator is set in a closed state, and deactivate the wireless communication device when the actuator is set in an open state. The processor is configured to receive an incoming signal from the accelerometer; determine whether the incoming signal corresponds to a pre-programmed signal corresponding to an enabling gesture; and set the actuator in the closed state for a time interval, when the incoming signal corresponds to the enabling gesture.

Abstract: The invention relates to closable containers and a method for retrieving a shut state and/or a location of a closable container, wherein the container has at least one RFID chip having a connected near field antenna and a far field antenna. The RFID chip is arranged at the first or at the second container part and the far field antenna is arranged at the other one of the first and second container part, respectively. In the closed position of the container, a noncontact electromagnetic coupling takes place between the near field antenna and the far field antenna. Due to the interaction of a sending unit and a receiving unit, a response signal can by generated by RFID chip and transmitted. The range of said response signal depending on the shut position of the container.

Abstract: A container for aerial drone transport includes a main body; a lid; a plurality of aerial drone grip elements organized in an aerial drone grip configuration; a plurality of visual aerial drone orientation markers carried by at least one external surface at predetermined locations relative to the plurality of aerial drone grip elements, which define a pickup orientation; and a first machine-readable code indicating a container serial number, container dimensions, weight carrying capacity, and/or the aerial drone grip configuration. The container can also include a second machine-readable code indicating a target aerial drone delivery address. The container can include an RFID tag, and possibly a sensing unit configured for sensing one or more types of signals. The container can be securely closed by closure mechanisms, including an elastic band structure having knob elements that can be inserted into and securely retained by aperture structures having two different cross-sectional areas.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using optical barcodes without orientation for information access are provided. In example embodiments, a computer accesses an image including data encoded within a geometric shape. The computer decodes, for each of a plurality of orientations of the geometric shape, a first portion of the data encoded within the geometric shape. The computer determines that, for one of the plurality of orientations, the first portion of the data encoded within the geometric shape decodes to a predefined number. The computer determines that the one of the plurality of orientations is an intended orientation for the geometric shape. The computer decodes, based on the intended orientation of the geometric shape, a second portion of the data encoded within the geometric shape. The computer accesses, via a network, a resource that corresponds to the decoded second portion of the data.

Abstract: A shrink-tubing measurement guide has a flexible strip with a measuring surface and a measurement indicator. Bands on the measuring surface form a tubing size indicator gauge, with each band having a band-specific indicium different from any adjacent band and associating a specific size of shrink tubing. The tubing size indicator gauge has a measuring surface layout based on a circumferential difference between a hand tool body and a hand tool end being compared to a predefined value, where the bands are either aligned end to end along the measuring surface or progressively-staggered with at least one end of each band extending beyond an adjacent band. The flexible strip is configured to be wrapped around a hand tool body of the hand tool with the measurement indicator aligning with at least one of the plurality of bands, where each band-specific indicium identifies a specific shrink tubing size.

Abstract: A railroad train marshaling system or marshaling method is disclosed. The railroad train includes cars within platform area which are made up of several cars; door-free cars which are connected with the cars within platform area at both ends or one end and made up of at least one car with no side door for passengers to get on and off the train. When the railroad train stops at the platform, the cars within platform area are arranged to stop within the area of platform or corresponding to the platform, the door-free car is arranged to stop beyond platform area and passengers in the door-free car will get to the platform directly from the car within platform area. The sum of length of door-free car and cars within platform area is more than that of the platform.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods of attendance verification using mobile electronic devices (or “mobile devices”). In some embodiments, a person's biometric data is acquired and verified locally by a mobile device associated with the person while the mobile device is located in a geographic region associated with an event, and attendance data, including an indication of the verification of the biometric data along with a unique identifier of the mobile device, such as an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of the mobile device, is transmitted to an attendance server that makes a record of the person's attendance of the event based on the attendance data.

Abstract: A settlement apparatus includes a case body; a coin inserting slot, provided at the case body, which receives a deposited coin; and a concaved shape money placement portion, arranged at the case body, which has a money placement surface on which the deposited coin which is received by the coin inserting slot is temporarily placed at the bottom surface portion thereof, wherein the money placement surface is connected to the coin inserting slot in a width direction of the case body and the money placement portion is located across a center of the case body in the width direction thereof to slide the deposited coin on the money placement surface toward the coin inserting slot.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods of attendance verification using mobile electronic devices (or “mobile devices”). In some embodiments, a person's biometric data is acquired and verified locally by a mobile device associated with the person while the mobile device is located in a geographic region associated with an event, and attendance data, including an indication of the verification of the biometric data along with a unique identifier of the mobile device, such as an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of the mobile device, is transmitted to an attendance server that makes a record of the person's attendance of the event based on the attendance data.

Abstract: A headlight housing assembly for mounting a projector lamp. The headlight housing eliminates the need to cut a stock headlight housing of a motor vehicle for an aftermarket adaptation to receive a projector lamp. The invention permits installation of a properly aligned projector, mounted securely to the vehicle, with no mess created. The design results in a professional looking product using stronger materials for a longer expected life.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods of attendance verification using mobile electronic devices (or “mobile devices”). In some embodiments, a person's biometric data is acquired and verified locally by a mobile device associated with the person while the mobile device is located in a geographic region associated with an event, and attendance data, including an indication of the verification of the biometric data along with a unique identifier of the mobile device, such as an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of the mobile device, is transmitted to an attendance server that makes a record of the person's attendance of the event based on the attendance data.

Abstract: A method of actuating a barcode reading platform by combining omnidirectional laser scanning and area-imaging approaches to trigger an imaging assembly in response to sensing laser pulses reflected and/or scattered by surrounding objects is disclosed. Specifically, a method of capturing an image of a barcode with a barcode scanner focuses on actuating a laser scanning system, illuminating an object with optical laser beam pulses, detecting laser beams reflected and/or scattered by the object, transmitting and analyzing a signal indicative of the detected laser beams to determine a presence of the object, and actuating a barcode reading platform.

Abstract: Precision ballistic airdrop of packages from an aircraft comprises entering the estimated wind field in the drop zone into a CPU aboard the packages; computing a transition altitude for each of the packages based on the wind field and the order in which each package is released, each package having a predetermined release order; programming the computed transition altitude into each of the packages; releasing each of the packages in the predetermined order; comparing a pressure altitude to the transition altitude in the CPU of each package; jettisoning the drogue chute and deploying the main chute for each of the packages when the pressure altitude is less than or equal to the transition altitude; and descending each of the packages under its main chute, wherein the wind field affects the flight of some of the packages more than others based on the selection of the transition altitude for each package.