Patent ID: 8143995

Claim:
A control device for controlling data exchange between entities and item identification devices associated with said control device, each of said entities having associated therewith a data exchange device for exchanging data with one or more of a plurality of item identification devices with which said control device is associated, said data exchange device being arranged to provide authentication data indicative of the entity with which they are associated or indicative of a category of entity with which they are associated, said control device comprising: an access policy storing unit for storing data indicative of access policies for each of a plurality of entities or categories of entities, said access policies relating to the extent to which an entity or category of entities is to be permitted to exchange data with one or more of a plurality of item identification devices with which said control device is associated; a communication receiving unit for receiving authentication data from one of the exchange devices; an authentication unit for establishing from received authentication data and from said access policy storing unit an access policy applicable to the entity or category of entities with which said data exchange device is associated, the applicable access policy being selected from the stored access policies in dependence on the received authentication data; a communication providing unit for providing access data to said data exchange device, said access data enabling the exchange of data between said item identification devices and the entity with which said data exchange device is associated in accordance with the applicable access policy for that entity.