System and method for identifying a spatial code
First Claim
1. A system for identifying a spatial code applied to an object, where the spatial code includes a plurality of security tags having one or more characteristic emission spectral profiles, the system comprising:
- a beam source operable to illuminate said spatial code, to stimulate light emission from the security tags in the code, simultaneously from the entire code, a detector operable to record the light emission from the security tags, at each of a plurality of wavelengths, when the code is illuminated by said source, the detector further comprising (a) an image detector for recording the spatial image of light emission from the tars in the code, (b) an optical spectrometer for recording the emission profile of the tags in the code, at each of a plurality of wavelengths, and (c) a beam splitter for splitting emitted light from the code to both the image detector and the optical spectrometer, and a processor, coupled to the detector, which is operable to (i) decode the spatial code using the spatial information, (ii) resolve the emission spectral profiles from the security tags to derive spectral information therefrom, by resolving the spectrum into a plurality of wavelengths, and (iii) identify the spatial code on the basis of the combined spatial and spectral information from (i) and (ii).
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are provided for identifying a one- or multi-dimensional spatial code comprising a plurality of security tags with one or more characteristic emission profiles. The spatial codes are identified on the basis of the combined spatial and spectral information. The system for identifying such spatial codes is comprised of a beam source, a detector, and a processor. The method includes illuminating the code, recording the light emission at a plurality of wavelengths, decoding the spatial information, resolving the spectral profiles, and identifying the code based on the spatial and spectral information. The system and method are applicable to validating a spatial code.
21 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for identifying a spatial code applied to an object, where the spatial code includes a plurality of security tags having one or more characteristic emission spectral profiles, the system comprising:
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a beam source operable to illuminate said spatial code, to stimulate light emission from the security tags in the code, simultaneously from the entire code, a detector operable to record the light emission from the security tags, at each of a plurality of wavelengths, when the code is illuminated by said source, the detector further comprising (a) an image detector for recording the spatial image of light emission from the tars in the code, (b) an optical spectrometer for recording the emission profile of the tags in the code, at each of a plurality of wavelengths, and (c) a beam splitter for splitting emitted light from the code to both the image detector and the optical spectrometer, and a processor, coupled to the detector, which is operable to (i) decode the spatial code using the spatial information, (ii) resolve the emission spectral profiles from the security tags to derive spectral information therefrom, by resolving the spectrum into a plurality of wavelengths, and (iii) identify the spatial code on the basis of the combined spatial and spectral information from (i) and (ii). - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16)
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2. (canceled)
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3. The system of claim 3, for use in identifying an object whose spatial code has two or more different types of tags, each with a different characteristic excitation wavelength, and said beam source is effective, under control of the processor, to illuminate the code for a first time period at a first excitation frequency but not at a second excitation frequency, and for a second time period at the second excitation frequency but not at the first excitation frequency where the first and second excitation frequencies correspond to excitation wavelengths of two different types of tags.
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14. A method for identifying a spatial code applied to an object, where the spatial code includes a plurality of security tags having one or more characteristic emission spectral profiles, the method comprising:
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(a) illuminating said spatial code with abeam source, to stimulate light emission from the security tags in the code, simultaneously from the entire code;
(b) recording the light emission from the security tags, at a plurality of wavelengths, when the code is illuminated by said source, including (i) recording the spatial image of light emission from the tags in the code with an image detector to derive spatial information therefrom, (ii) recording the emission profile of the tags in the code with an optical spectrometer to derive spectral-emission information therefrom, and (iii) splitting emitted light from the code to both the image detector and the optical spectrometer with a beam splitter;
(c) decoding the spatial code using the spatial information;
(d) resolving the emission spectral profile(s) from the security tags to derive spectral information therefrom, by resolving the spectrum into a plurality of wavelengths; and
(e) identifying the spatial code on the basis of the combined spatial and spectral information from (c) and (d). - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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15. (canceled)
Specification