A wireless recording device can be interrogated to determine its identity and its state. The state indicates whether a particular physical or chemical event has taken place. In effect, the physical or chemical event is recorded by the device. The identity of the device allows it to be distinguished from a number of similar devices. Thus the sensor device may be used in an array of devices that can be probed by a wireless interrogation unit. The device tells the interrogator who it is and what state it is in. The interrogator can thus easily identify particular items in an array that have reached a particular condition.

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Wireless event-recording device with identification codes

The Customer Activated Multi-Value (CAM) card provides a customer with a primary use as a transaction card which can be further activated to have a secondary use as a credit card. The CAM card can be activated as a transaction card or as a transaction card with a credit card feature. Activation of the CAM card as a transaction card allows the customer to purchase goods and services from one specific vendor and to establish a relationship with that vendor for the goods or services rendered (for example, telephone calling card or gasoline product purchasing card) while enjoying reward benefits based on those to purchases. Activation of the credit feature of the card allows the customer to interact with any merchant that accepts traditional credit cards such as VISA®, MASTERCARD®, AMERICAN EXPRESS®, or DISCOVER®. The combination of features allows a customer to purchase various goods and services from several different merchants. If the customer chooses to activate the CAM card as both a transaction card and a credit card, the customer is given the benefit of using the card in both manners described above.

Customer activated multi-value (CAM) card

A selectable, multi-purpose card comprising a plurality of features stored in memory means operatively mounted on the card and selection means for allowing a user to select a feature in a few simple steps, preferably in a single step. In one embodiment the card includes a plurality of magnetic strips positioned on the card in a manner to allow swiping each magnetic strip separately using conventional reading devices. Each magnetic strip activates a different feature of the card. In another embodiment the card includes a programmable magnetic strip, a plurality of features stored in memory means mounted on the card, a plurality of buttons or contacts, and means for programming the magnetic strip with a different card feature. The card may also include a thin, flexible display.

Selectable multi-purpose card

A radio frequency beacon device for use with a backscatter interrogator includes a processor; a receiver coupled to the processor; a backscatter modulator coupled to the processor; and an active transmitter coupled to the processor, the active transmitter being configured to transmit an RF signal, in response to a trigger signal, regardless of whether the interrogator is providing a carrier wave for backscatter modulation by the backscatter modulator. Other methods and apparatus are provided.

Semi-passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with active beacon

A system and method for providing promotional rewards is provided. First, a promotional reward is communicated to a customer. The promotional reward offer comprises a promotional reward associated with one or more promotional reward-earning behaviors and a promotional time frame. The offer may specify a customer population, and the customer may be enrolled in the promotional reward program if the customer is determined to be in the population. The customer is credited a promotional reward if the customer accomplishes the promotional reward-earning behavior(s) within the promotional time frame. The customer may also be enrolled in a base reward program. The promotional rewards and base rewards may be accumulated in a customer account. A system for implementing a promotional rewards program is also provided.

System and method for granting promotional rewards to credit account holders

A wireless equipment diagnosis system which can perform inspection and maintenance precisely and accurately, and which comprises sensors which measure information on each equipment being diagnosed, a transponder which transmits measured data from the sensors after modulating the measured data; a portable interrogator which acquires the measured data by receiving transmitted signals from the transponder; and a host computer which diagnoses each equipment by implementing predetermined signal processing using information stored in advance and data transferred from the acquired data.

Wireless equipment diagnosis system

An optical frequency synthesizer and/or sweeper, whereby a coherent optical output light is obtained by using a wavelength stabilized laser and an optical phase locked loop wherein the frequency of the output has the characteristics of high accuracy, high stability and narrow spectral line width The optical phase locked loop comprises a tunable laser, an optical frequency multiplier, an optical frequency shifter and an optical heterodyne detector, wherein the optical phase locked loop is capable of precisely outputting an arbitrary wavelength by feeding back an output optical frequency

Optical frequency synthesizer/sweeper

An optical frequency analyzer for measuring an optical frequency spectrum with high accuracy, high resolving power and high stability by heterodyne detecting the incident light with the aid of a local oscillator, wherein the local oscillator comprises an optical frequency synthesizer/sweeper or a marker signal attached tunable laser. The optical frequency analyzer can be modified to measure the incident light itself as the object of measurement or light emerging from the object of measurement can be the incident light.

Optical frequency analyzer using a local oscillator heterodyne detection of incident light

Light relative to non-modulated output light emitted from a semiconductor laser is applied to an absorption cell. Frequency modulating signals are converted into amplitude modulation signals of the output light through a modulating means by utilizing absorptive properties of the absorption cell. Transmissive light outputs of the absorption cell are synchronously rectified by a lock in amplifier, and an electric current supplied to the semiconductor laser is controlled so that the output signals of the lock in amplifier are arranged to be a predetermined value. The wavelength of the output light is locked to the absorption line of the standard substance in the absorption cell. Advantageously, the invention stabilizes the instantaneous value of the oscillation frequency.

Semiconductor laser wavelength stabilizer

An optical scale reader comprises a light source for radiating a beam of coherent light on a reflective scale, a half mirror for mixing light beams from the light source which are reflected and diffracted by the scale for interference with each other, an optical system for causing the interfering light beams leaving the half mirror on its opposite sides to be 90° out of phase with each other so that the light beams will fall on the half mirror at a particular angle of incidence, photodetectors for detecting the interfering light beams, respectively, which have left the half mirror, and a signal processor for processing first and second electric signals which are supplied from the photodetectors and 90° out of phase with each other to generate a signal indicative of the distance which the scale has moved. There is also disclosed a position control device incorporating the optical scale reader.

Koji Akiyama

Papers

Wireless equipment diagnosis system

Optical frequency synthesizer/sweeper

Optical frequency analyzer using a local oscillator heterodyne detection of incident light

Semiconductor laser wavelength stabilizer

High resolution digital diffraction grating scale encoder