WIRELESS ASSOCIATION

• US 20090153327A1
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ullenboom, Georg, Hartwig, Stephan
• Granted Patent: US 7,868,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A system for determining compatibility between various items is disclosed. A wireless communication device is used to scan a machine-readable tag which includes a plurality of information fields. The information fields include at least identification information of the primary object to which the tag is affixed, list of compatible items, characteristic information of the primary object or other objects, etc. The scanned information from the tag is compared to information in other tags. If the at least some of the information in the tag affixed to the primary object matches the information in one or more other tags, a notification event is triggered to inform the user of the match.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a scanner configured to read machine-readable tags; and

a processor coupled to the scanner, the processor being configured to;

scan information from a tag associated with a primary item, the scanned information being configured to set at least one selection criteria in the apparatus;

scan information from one or more tags associated with one or more other items, the scanned information including at least characteristic information about the one or more other items;

evaluate the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information; and

trigger an event in the apparatus if the primary item is compatible with the one or more other items based on the evaluation.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor being configured to evaluate the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information comprises the processor being further configured to compare the selection criteria against the characteristic information in the apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor being configured to evaluate the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information comprises the processor being further configured to transmit the information read from the tag associated with the primary item and the information read from the one or more tags associated with the one or more other items to a remote resource, the remote resource being configured to compare the selection criteria against the characteristic information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the result of the compatibility determination from the remote resource.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one selection criteria includes at least identification information of the primary item associated with the tag.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one selection criteria includes at least identification information of one or more items which may be compatible with the primary item.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein triggering an event in the apparatus requires that the characteristic information matches at least a part of the selection criteria.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanner is a RFID scanner.

9. A tag comprising:

a machine-readable data retention component, the machine-readable data retention component including;

at least one information field including identification information for an item to which the tag is affixed; and

at least one information field including association information, said association information including at least information for identifying other items that can be used in association with the item to which the tag is affixed.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for scanning information from a machine-readable tag associated with a primary item, the scanned information being configured to set at least one selection criteria;

means for scanning information from one or more machine-readable tags associated with one or more other items, the information read from the one or more machine-readable tags including at least characteristic information about one or more other items;

means for evaluating the selection criteria with the characteristic information; and

means for triggering an event if the primary item is compatible with the one or more other items.

11. A method comprising:

scanning information from a machine-readable tag associated with a primary item, the scanned information being configured to set at least one selection criteria;

scanning information from one or more machine-readable tags associated with one or more other items, the information read from the one or more machine-readable tags including at least characteristic information about one or more other items;

evaluating the selection criteria with the characteristic information; and

triggering an event if the primary item is compatible with the one or more other items based on the evaluation.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein evaluating the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information further comprises to comparing the selection criteria against the characteristic information.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein evaluating the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information comprises further comprises transmitting the information read from the tag associated with the primary item and the information read from the one or more tags associated with the one or more other items to a remote resource, the remote resource being configured to compare the selection criteria against the characteristic information.

14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising receiving, from the remote resource, the result of the compatibility determination.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one selection criteria includes at least identification information of the primary item associated with the tag.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic information includes at least identification information of one or more items which may be compatible with the primary item.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein triggering an event in the apparatus requires that the characteristic information matches at least a part of the selection criteria.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium comprising:

a computer readable program code configured to scan information from a machine-readable tag associated with a primary item, the scanned information being configured to set at least one selection criteria;

a computer readable program code configured to scan information from one or more machine-readable tags associated with one or more other items, the information read from the one or more machine-readable tags including at least characteristic information about one or more other items;

a computer readable program code configured to evaluate the selection criteria with the characteristic information; and

a computer readable program code configured to trigger an event if the primary item is compatible with the one or more other items based on the evaluation.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein evaluating the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information further comprises to comparing the selection criteria against the characteristic information.

20. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein evaluating the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information comprises further comprises transmitting the information read from the tag associated with the primary item and the information read from the one or more tags associated with the one or more other items to a remote resource, the remote resource being configured to compare the selection criteria against the characteristic information.

21. The computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising a computer readable program code configured to receive, from the remote resource, the result of the determination.

22. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the at least one selection criteria includes at least identification information of the primary item associated with the tag.

23. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the characteristic information includes at least identification information of one or more items which may be compatible with the primary item.

24. A system comprising:

an apparatus including a scanner configured to read information from machine-readable tags;

a primary tag associated with a primary item;

one or more other tags associated with one or more other items;

the apparatus scanning information from the primary tag, the scanned information being configured to set at least one selection criteria in the apparatus;

the apparatus further scanning information from the one or more other tags, the scanned information including at least characteristic information about the one or more other items;

the apparatus further evaluating the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information; and

the apparatus further triggering an event if the primary item is compatible with the one or more other items based on the evaluation.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the apparatus evaluating the selection criteria in view of the characteristic information comprises the apparatus transmitting the information read from the tag associated with the primary item and the information read from the one or more tags associated with the one or more other items to a remote resource, the remote resource being configured to compare the selection criteria against the characteristic information.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the apparatus is further configured to receive, from the remote resource, the result of the determination.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein the at least one selection criteria includes at least identification information of the primary item associated with the tag.

28. The system according to claim 24, wherein the characteristic information includes at least identification information of the one or more items which may be compatible with the primary item.