Wireless association

• US 7,956,749 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ullenboom, Georg, Hartwig, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/860,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20100314456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/568.1, 340/570, 340/10.1, 340/10.34
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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. 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.

2. The tag of claim 1, wherein the identification and association information are encoded as radio frequency identification (RFID) information.

3. The tag of claim 1, wherein the identification and association information are encoded as barcode information.

4. The tag of claim 1, wherein the association information further identifies other objects or items that are compatible with the item to which the tag is affixed.

5. The tag of claim 1, wherein the association information further includes information characterizing objects or items that are compatible with the item to which the tag is affixed.

6. The tag of claim 1, where the association information further identifies a group of devices that can be used in association with the item to which the tag is affixed.

7. The tag of claim 1, where the association information further identifies a class of devices that can be used in association with the item to which the tag is affixed.

8. An electronic data retention component, comprising:

an identification information field for containing identification information for an item to which the electronic data retention component is affixed; and

an association information field for containing association information including at least information for identifying other items that can be used in association with the item to which the electronic data retention component is affixed.

9. The electronic data retention component of claim 8, wherein the identification and association information are encoded as radio frequency identification (RFID) information.

10. The electronic data retention component of claim 8, wherein the identification and association information are encoded as barcode information.

11. The electronic data retention component of claim 8, wherein the association information further identifies other objects or items that are compatible with the item to which the electronic data retention component is affixed.

12. The electronic data retention component of claim 8, wherein the association information further includes information characterizing objects or items that are compatible with the item to which the electronic data retention component is affixed.

13. The electronic data retention component of claim 8, where the association information further identifies a group of devices that can be used in association with the item to which the electronic data retention component is affixed.

14. The electronic data retention component of claim 8, where the association information further identifies a class of devices that can be used in association with the item to which the electronic data retention component is affixed.