Method and device for discriminating one of a group of NFC transmitters

A method of differentiating one of a plurality of unpowered near field communication (NFC) transmitting devices for use in establishing NFC communication with an NFC receiving device, each NFC transmitting device having a body member, a data processor, a memory, an antenna, and a transmitter NFC interface and having an NFC communication range, the method comprising:

• providing a range extending device having a power source, a transmitter communication interface configured for engaging the transmitter NFC interface, a range extender antenna, and an amplifier configured for amplifying an NFC transmitting device signal when the range extending device is connected to one of the NFC transmitting devices and said NFC transmitting device is activated by an NFC receiving device;
• selecting one of the plurality of NFC transmitting devices;
• removably connecting the range extending device to the selected NFC transmitting device so that the transmitter communication interface engages the transmitter NFC interface of the selected transmitting device, thereby establishing an extended communication range for the selected NFC transmitting device;
• positioning the plurality of NFC transmitting devices at a first distance from a first NFC receiving device, the distance being within the extended communication range, but outside the communication ranges of the others of the plurality of NFC transmitting devices;
• and establishing NFC communication between the selected NFC transmitting device and the first NFC receiving device, wherein the range extending device is or comprises an adhesive pad having at least a portion of the transmitter communication interface attached thereto, the adhesive pad being configured to be removably attachable to the body member of the selected NFC transmitting device so that the at least a portion of the transmitter NFC interface engages the transmitter communication interface.