Abstract: A device comprising a detection mechanism to detect a medium; a pre-head to slide on a magnetic strip formed on the medium to read magnetic data; a shutter that opens and closes in response to the result of the detection mechanism; a card processor to process information recorded on the medium; and a magnetic field generating device which may include a magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field by a resonance unit; and a drive control circuit to control driving of the magnetic field generator. The drive control circuit may include a power supply, a reference potential circuit, and a resonance drive circuit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a smart card includes a communication unit, recording unit, first reception processor, determination unit, and first transmission processor. The recording unit records data defined by definition information. The first reception processor receives a command from an external terminal. If the first reception processor receives the command, the determination unit determines whether or not data required for execution of the command is stored in the recording unit. If the determination unit determines that the required data is not stored in the recording unit, the first transmission processor transmits a response indicating the start of a session required to acquire data related to that data from the external terminal to the external terminal.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring shelf inventory that combines bar code and RFID technologies to permit electronic data entry of item shelf assignments and real time reporting of item removal from display/dispensing storage shelves.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting transit fares is disclosed. The method implements databases contained within a central database that receive data indicating value. Detectable objects are associated with an identifier, which is then associated with one of the databases. Each identifier stores available fare value data in a database. Detectors that read the identifiers are placed at trip starting and/or endings locations and are coupled or couplable to a local memory that stores the identifiers and associated available fare data. Data sets from the central database comprising an available fare value and its associated identifier are downloaded on to the local memories from the databases. Once a detectable object is detected, its associated identifier is read and a fare is debited from the available fare value. The databases and local memories are periodically updated with updated fare values associated with each identifier.

Abstract: A package structure includes a first member that surrounds a semiconductor device, a heat insulating material that surrounds an outer side of the first member, and a second member that surrounds an outer side of the head insulating material. The heat insulating material has a density and a thermal conductivity lower than those of the first and second members. The first member has a heat capacity larger than that of the second member.

Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. Data may include the type of reward that a user would like to earn as a result of making a purchase or the type of reward that a user would like to utilize to at least partially pay for a purchase.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure provide a reader device for managing operation of an automatic gain control (AGC) sub-circuit on a host device computing device. In some implementations, a reader device of the subject technology can include a controller, a noise generator, noise coupling circuitry, and a 3.5 mm audio plug including an audio bus that is configured for insertion into a headphone port of a host device, such as a smart phone or tablet computer. Upon connection of the reader device to the host computing device, the reader device can provide an intentional noise signal to the host device via a signal path where the intentional noise signal is configured to establish a substantially stable gain amount at the AGC sub-circuit.

Abstract: A card reader to read information in an integrated circuit (IC) card includes a housing, a first antenna, a control circuit, a switch unit, and a third antenna. The first antenna is disposed inside of the housing. The control circuit is to communicate with the IC card within a communication range of the first antenna and perform at least a process that acquires data from a memory in the IC card. The switch unit is provided to the housing and includes a radio frequency (RF) tag that includes a second antenna. The third antenna is disposed inside of the housing. The switch unit functions as a switch that performs a predetermined function by causing the RF tag to communicate with the control circuit via the second antenna and the third antenna when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: An adapter and methods of using the adapter for communicating a personal electronic device to a smart card reader are disclosed. The adapter comprises a processor, a contact/contactless smartcard chip, an antenna and a power supply unit. The processor is adapted to exchange data with the personal electronic device, wherein that data is modulated on the audio signals. The processor is also adapted to exchange data with the smartcard chip, wherein the smartcard chip is adapted to communicate with the contactless smart card reader via the antenna. A method for enabling a personal electronic device to communicate with a contactless smart card reader via audio signals is also disclosed. The method comprises providing an adapter. The adapter comprises a processor, a contact/contactless smartcard chip, an antenna and a power supply unit. The method also comprises exchanging data between the personal electronic device and the processor.

Abstract: A method used to authenticate an item using an identification tag is provided. At the time of manufacture, the tags are created with various hardware attributes (HA), including a unique identifier (UID); and encoded with a signature of a message that includes a URL, and optionally a serial number associated with a product to which the tag is to be attached. The URL embeds various data such as one or more of the HAs, a serial number, etc., which can be used to verify the authenticity of the tag when verifying the signature. When a tag is read, the message including the URL is recovered and the signature is verified by the processor of the reader. This can be done to ensure that the URL in the message is one designated by the signer. The data in the signature can then be used to verify the authenticity of the tag and/or to detect tampering. The results of the verification can also be displayed to a user, e.g., using an available display on the electronic device including or otherwise acting as the tag reader.

Abstract: An item can be authenticated based on a first, second, third, and fourth identifier, wherein the identifiers are incorporated into various parts of product packaging. In some embodiments, the first, second, and fourth identifiers can be a QR code, a bar code, a serial number, any RFID tag, or a combination thereof, and the third identifier can be an image type, for example, a type of animal, and image location, for example, a quadrant. The identifiers can be scanned or inputted manually by a user. When the four identifiers are authenticated, the product is deemed to be authentic, whereas when the four identifiers are not authenticated, the product is deemed to be counterfeit. In some implementations, a user can authenticate the items using a smart phone, smart phone app, tablet, tablet app, website, web-based application, and/or the like.

Abstract: Techniques for making electronic cards that can be displayed on a mobile phone. The techniques permit making an electronic card based on an arbitrary SMS message and making an electronic card (eCard) that corresponds to a pre-existing non-electronic privilege card such as a loyalty card. In the latter case, the system on which the card is being made obtains information about the user and the issuer and uses the information to determine whether to issue the eCard and also to make use validity information which is associated with the card and is used to determine the validity of the card as it is used.

Abstract: A digital image is captured. The captured digital image includes a calibration pattern. The calibration pattern includes displayed information about the calibration pattern. The displayed information is read to obtain calibration information about the captured digital image. A new image is generated. The calibration information is stored with the new image.

Abstract: An electronic, hand-held, and portable donation device and method are disclosed for collecting financial donations. The donation device may include a plurality of electronic payment processors, each payment processor corresponding to a different monetary amount.

Abstract: A solution for inventory identification and quantification using a portable computing device (“PCD”) comprising a camera subsystem is described. An exemplary embodiment of the solution comprises a method that begins with capturing a video stream of a physical inventory comprised of a plurality of individual inventory items. Using a set of tracking points appearing in sequential frames, and optical flow calculations, coordinates for global centers of the frames may be calculated. From there, coordinates for identified inventory items may be determined relative to the global centers of the frames within which they are captured. Comparing the calculated coordinates for inventory items identified in each frame, as well as fingerprint data, embodiments of the method may identify and filter duplicate image captures of the same inventory item within some statistical certainty. Symbology data, such as QR codes, are decoded and quantified as part of the inventory count.

Abstract: A compact wireless communication includes a first radiating element and a second radiating element, which define and function as a dipole antenna, a feeder circuit including a wireless IC chip coupled with the first and second radiating elements, and a feeder substrate that is provided with the wireless IC chip. The first radiating element is provided to the feeder substrate. The second radiating element is provided to a substrate other than the feeder substrate.

Abstract: Provided are an IC module, an IC card, and an IC module substrate that can reduce the manufacturing cost without degrading the external appearance of a contact terminal. An IC module includes a contact terminal (10) provided on a front surface (1a) of a base member (1) and having a contact surface, for contact with an external terminal, formed of a gold plating layer (14); an IC chip (55) attached to a back surface (1b) of the base member (1); a conductive member (a wire (60), a first conductive layer (20), and a second conductive layer (30)) connecting the IC chip (55) and the contact terminal (10) to each other through a through hole (3) opened at the front surface (1a) and the back surface (1b) of the base member (1); and an insulating surface material (40) partially covering the front surface (1a).

Abstract: A processor of a card may detect variations (e.g., position, velocity, acceleration and direction) of a read head in relation to the card. Based on certain parameters (e.g., card length, initially detected read head position, and read head velocity) a processor of a card may adjust synchronization bit patterns that may synchronize communications between the card and a read head of a magnetic stripe reader. A processor of a card may generate a number of leading synchronization bits that is different than a number of trailing synchronization bits.

Abstract: A security system installation kit carries a coded designation of the characteristics of the components of the kit. An installer can use a wireless telephone, which is executing a scanning application, to sense or read the coded designation. The telephone can transmit the component parameters to an installation server. The server can transmit installation instructions back to the telephone. Those instructions can be visually or audibly presented to the installer facilitating the process. The installer, via the telephone and the server, can test the installed components for proper operation.

Abstract: Systems and methods of operation for a machine-readable symbol reader for estimating the relative position, orientation and/or distance of a scanned target object or item labeled with two dimensional (2D) indicia, such as a digital watermark. Such estimation information may be provided to a localization process or a decoding process to assist such processes in decoding the 2D indicia from an image of the object labeled with the 2D indicia. The machine-readable symbol reader may include an aiming system which projects a light pattern onto a target object. The reader may capture one or more images of the target object while the light pattern is projected thereon and analyze at least one characteristic of the pattern to estimate position, orientation or distance of the target object relative to the machine-readable symbol reader. Such information may be used to improve decoding of the 2D indicia.