Abstract: Assets are managed using policies. Locations of the assets are also determined. A policy may apply to an asset as determined based on the location of the asset. If a policy applies to the asset, a control function is performed.

Abstract: The invention provides for restoration of lost peer-to-peer offline transaction records. The lost offline transaction records may include access rights to digital media. In one embodiment, a demand for restoration of a plurality of lost peer-to-peer offline transaction records is made. In response, an attempt is made to verify each transaction for the plurality of lost transaction records. This attempt is made through another party to the corresponding transaction. An accuracy indicator is assigned to each transaction to indicate whether the transaction is verified directly through another party to the corresponding transaction. A determination is made as to whether each transaction record of the plurality of lost transaction records should be restored based on the assigned accuracy indicators.

Abstract: A rack sensor controller is operable to sense information for assets housed in a rack. The rack sensor controller includes a memory storing a location of the rack and sensor information received from a plurality of sensors. At least some of the sensors include one or more RFID readers operable to read RFID tags attached to assets housed in the rack. A processor is operable to receive the sensor information and generate a message including the sensor information and the location of the rack for transmission to one or more back-end applications via a forwarder. The forwarder is operable to receive the message, determine one or more back-end applications to receive the message, replicate the message for each of the back-end applications, and transmit the message to the back-end applications. The back-end applications use the location of the rack and the sensor information to track the assets.

Abstract: A system for tracking cables is disclosed includes a cable socket and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag placed near an end of at least one of the cables, where the end of the at least one cable is configured to be inserted into the cable socket. The system also includes a reader device having at least one antenna positioned near the cable socket and being configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal to interrogate the RFID tag and thereby track the cables.

Abstract: Information from an object having an RFID tag is received and state information about the object is received from a sensing device. A state is determined for the object using the information from the tag and the sensing device, and the state is assigned to the object.

Abstract: A system for distinguishing a package includes a plurality of identifiers, where at least one of the identifiers is intentionally non-functional. The system also includes an identifier indicator that indicates the identity of the at least one of the identifiers that is intentionally non-functional. In addition, the identifier indicator is stored on at least one of the package and a database and is accessible by a user to authenticate the package.

Abstract: A method and system of tracking documents uses tags and a workflow. Initially, a workflow is developed for each document or type of documents using a state diagram. The workflow specifies a subset of one or more destinations that the document is allowed to travel and a sequence for this travel. A tag is associated with each document to enable tracking of the document as it passes the one or more readers in the various destinations. These tag readers in turn report back position information on the document to assist in locating the document. A comparison between the state diagram for the workflow and the position information gathered from the tag readers determines if the document is outside the desired workflow. An alert is generated when the document is outside the workflow and not being processed as intended.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of identifying a product involving generating a code unique to the product, said code being provided by a multitude of individual identifiers, applying the multitude of the identifiers of the code to the packaging of the product as a pattern to identify the product. The method also involves applying a sub-set of two or more of the multitude of the identifiers of said code to the product, said sub-set of the multitude of the identifiers of the code being applied so they will be presented in the same pattern order as they appear in the pattern order of the multitude of the identifiers of the code applied to the packaging. The product can be identified with a reasonable likelihood of being a genuine product by determining that a presented pattern order of the sub-set of the multitude of the identifiers applied to the product corresponds to a presented pattern order within the multitude of the identifiers applied to the packaging.

Abstract: A first aspect of the present invention is a keypad arrangement for a device. The keypad arrangement includes a molded portion and an underlying display portion coupled to the molded portion capable of dynamically displaying a plurality of different legends whereby each of the plurality of legends is associated with at least one functionality of the device.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for identification of RFID-tagged items includes one or more interrogator units communicating over a network, the interrogator unit comprising a hanger support upon which RFID-tagged items are stored. The apparatus for identification of RFID tagged items includes a solenoid RFID interrogator antenna aligned with the longitudinal axis of an item hanger and a concentric RFID tag antenna wound around an opening in an item package that is hung from the item hanger.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention recite a multi-sensor system for identification and data collection. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises an identification system for determining the identity of a target object. The present invention further comprises a physical sensing system for determining a sensible characteristic of the target object. Finally, the present invention comprises a monitoring system which is coupled with the identification system and with the physical sensing system. The monitoring system is for comparing a virtually described characteristic which is associated with the identity of the target object with the sensible characteristic of the target object.

Abstract: Implementations of the present invention provide an authentication method for tagged items. The first portion of the authentication method includes determining an identifier associated with a tag for each of one or more items in a container and hashing the identifiers from the one or more items in the container creating a digest. The second portion of the authentication method is performed after the items are shipped or transferred. This second portion of the authentication method includes determining an identifier associated with a tag for each of the one or more items in a container, hashing the identifiers from the one or more items in the container to create a verification digest, determining if the verification digest matches a digest of the identifiers previously hashed and indicating that the contents of the container may have changed in response to the match determination.

Abstract: A reader device for locating and tracking multiple tags includes a plurality of closely packed antenna circuits and at least one controller configured to control the plurality of closely packed antenna circuits. The at least one controller is configured to activate one or more of the antenna circuits to generate at least one resonance signal field configured to interrogate at least one tag associated with the one or more active antenna circuits while substantially preventing or reducing cross-coupling of signals between the one or more active antenna circuits and at least one antenna circuit within the at least one resonance signal field to a sufficiently low level, wherein the sufficiently low level substantially prevents misreads from unwanted tags, to thereby track the multiple tags in a substantially controlled manner.

Abstract: An object is monitored with identification data and tracking data. In an embodiment, a monitoring apparatus is utilized to monitor the object. The monitoring apparatus has a first interface for receiving identification data from an identification system. Moreover, the monitoring apparatus includes a second interface for receiving tracking data from a tracking system. Additionally, the monitoring apparatus further includes a merging unit for merging and storing the identification data and the tracking data of each monitored object to form monitoring data for each monitored object.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a first set of coordinates for a plurality of locations in a symmetric environment is accessed. The first set of coordinates are defined by a position determining system disposed in the symmetric environment which uses a first coordinate system. A second set of coordinates for the plurality of locations in the symmetric environment are accessed. The second set of coordinates are defined by a second coordinate system. The first set of coordinates are correlated with the second set of coordinates. Then, at least one matrix is determined that is useable to convert a set of coordinates defined by the first coordinate system to a corresponding set of coordinates defined by the second coordinate system.

Abstract: A method of determining coordinates for nodes in a network. In response to a node being selected, the node broadcasts a request to other nodes for respective coordinate information of the other nodes. Based on the response to the request, the node takes one of the following steps. The node establishes itself as an origin of the coordinate system if no nodes respond to the request with coordinates. The node establishes a first axis of the coordinate system if one node responds to the request with coordinates. The node establishes a second axis of the coordinate system if two nodes respond to the request with coordinates. And, the node determines coordinates for the node based on distance measurements to selected nodes having established coordinates if three nodes respond to the request with coordinates.

Abstract: A method of reducing energy consumption in a multi-effect absorption system. The multi-effect absorption system includes a primary generator for a primary desorption process and a secondary generator for a secondary desorption process. In the method, heat is provided to the primary generator from a primary heat source for the primary desorption process. Heat generating devices are cooled with the multi-effect absorption system while the generated heat is collected and transferred to the to the secondary generator for use in the secondary desorption process thereby reducing the amount of heat required from the primary heat source and reducing the energy consumption of the absorption system.

Abstract: A cover embedded with functions is provided to add functionality to an appliance. The cover includes a connection associated with the cover to connect to a peripheral port of the appliance, electronics and logic embedded into the cover that utilizes the connection to operate and provide one or more functions to complement operation of the appliance and a mechanism that removably couples the cover to the appliance.

Abstract: An object is monitored with identification data and tracking data. In an embodiment, a monitoring apparatus is utilized to monitor the object. The monitoring apparatus has a first interface for receiving identification data from an identification system. Moreover, the monitoring apparatus includes a second interface for receiving tracking data from a tracking system. Additionally, the monitoring apparatus further includes a merging unit for merging and storing the identification data and the tracking data of each monitored object to form monitoring data for each monitored object.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for identification of RFID-tagged items includes one or more interrogator units communicating over a network, the interrogator unit comprising a hanger support upon which RFID-tagged items are stored. The apparatus for identification of RFID tagged items includes a solenoid RFID interrogator antenna aligned with the longitudinal axis of an item hanger and a concentric RFID tag antenna wound around an opening in an item package that is hung from the item hanger.