EXPRESSION CODES FOR MICROPARTICLE MARKS BASED ON SIGNATURE STRINGS
First Claim
1. A method for automatically generating at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles and is adapted to be scanned by an automated reader, the method comprising:
- determining whether each of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark presents a valid microparticle by examining at least two different indicia expressed by the microparticle and comparing the at least two different indicia to predetermined indicia associated with the microparticle being a valid microparticle, the at least two different indicia representing information other than a location of the microparticle that are adapted to be determined by the automated reader;
generating at least one signature string representative of at least one feature relationship among only the valid microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark, the at least one feature relationship adapted to be determined by the automated reader;
using a processing system to generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least one signature string and store the expression code in a storage system, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; and
accessing the storage system to utilize the at least one expression code to verify an authentication of a microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader such that a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark is generated.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system, apparatus, and method for identifying and authenticating articles using expression codes obtained from marks incorporating microparticles on or in articles, article packaging, or article labeling where the expression codes are based on signature strings generated relative to attributes of valid individual microparticles. The system, apparatus, and method can also enable the serialization of articles over and above the code-formulation that is achievable with multi-layered color-coded microparticles or single expression microparticles.
98 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for automatically generating at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles and is adapted to be scanned by an automated reader, the method comprising:
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determining whether each of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark presents a valid microparticle by examining at least two different indicia expressed by the microparticle and comparing the at least two different indicia to predetermined indicia associated with the microparticle being a valid microparticle, the at least two different indicia representing information other than a location of the microparticle that are adapted to be determined by the automated reader; generating at least one signature string representative of at least one feature relationship among only the valid microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark, the at least one feature relationship adapted to be determined by the automated reader; using a processing system to generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least one signature string and store the expression code in a storage system, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; and accessing the storage system to utilize the at least one expression code to verify an authentication of a microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader such that a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark is generated. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 40, 41)
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2. A method for automatically generating at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles and is adapted to be scanned by an automated reader, the method comprising:
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generating at least one microparticle code representative of at least one microparticle in the microparticle mark, the microparticle being adapted to express at least two different indicia to the automated reader; generating at least one signature string code representative of at least one feature relationship among a multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark, the at least one feature relationship adapted to be determined by the automated reader; using a processing system to generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on a subset of codes containing at least one of the at least one microparticle code and at least one of the at least one signature string code and store the expression code in a storage system, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; and accessing the storage system to utilize the at least one expression code to verify an authentication of a microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader such that a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark is generated.
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3. A method for automatically generating at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of multi-layered, multi-color microparticles and is adapted to be scanned by an automated reader, the method comprising:
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determining whether each of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark presents a valid microparticle by comparing at least two different colors expressed by the microparticle to a predetermined arrangement of colors associated with the microparticle being a valid microparticle; generating at least one signature string representative of a relative location feature among only the valid microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark; using a processing system to generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least one signature string and store the expression code in a storage system, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; and accessing the storage system to utilize the at least one expression code to verify an authentication of a microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader such that a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark is generated.
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4. A method for automatically generating at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles and is adapted to be scanned by an automated reader, the method comprising:
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generating at least two signature strings, each signature string representative of a relative location feature among only the microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark; using a processing system to generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least two signature strings and store the expression code in a storage system, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; and accessing the storage system to utilize the at least one expression code to verify an authentication of a microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader such that a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark is generated.
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5. A method for automatically generating at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles and is adapted to be scanned by an automated reader, the method comprising:
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generating at least one signature string representative of a relative location feature among only the microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark without information for background areas of the microparticle mark other than locations of the microparticles and without using a registration framework; using a processing system to generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least one signature string and store the expression code in a storage system, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; and accessing the storage system to utilize the at least one expression code to verify an authentication of a microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader such that a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark is generated.
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20. A method for automatically verifying at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles, the method comprising:
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using an automated reader to scan the microparticle mark to; determine whether each of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark presents a valid microparticle by examining at least two different indicia representing information other than a location of the microparticle that are expressed by the microparticle and comparing the at least two different indicia to at least two predetermined indicia stored in the automated reader that represent a valid microparticle; generate at least one signature string representative of at least one feature relationship among only the valid microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark, the at least one signature string being generated based on at least one predetermined feature relationship stored in the automated reader that represent a valid signature string; generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least one signature string; compare the expression code to a predetermined database of valid expression codes stored in a storage system; and if a match is determined between the at least one expression code and the predetermined database, provide a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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21. A method for automatically verifying at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles, the method comprising:
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using an automated reader to scan the microparticle mark to; generate at least one microparticle code representative of at least one microparticle in the microparticle mark representative of at least two different indicia expressed by the microparticle and compare the at least one microparticle code to a set of valid microparticle codes stored in the automated reader; generate at least one signature string code representative of at least one feature relationship among a multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark, the at least one signature string being generated based on at least one predetermined feature relationship stored in the automated reader that represent a valid signature string; generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on a subset of codes containing at least one of the at least one microparticle code and at least one of the at least one signature string code, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; compare the expression code to a predetermined database of valid expression codes stored in a storage system; and if a match is determined between the at least one expression code and the predetermined database, provide a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader.
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22. A method for automatically verifying at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles, the method comprising:
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using an automated reader to scan the microparticle mark to; determine whether each of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark presents a valid microparticle by comparing at least two different colors expressed by the microparticle to a predetermined arrangement of colors associated with the microparticle being a valid microparticle; generate at least one signature string representative of a relative location feature among only the valid microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark; generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least one signature string, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; compare the expression code to a predetermined database of valid expression codes stored in a storage system; and if a match is determined between the at least one expression code and the predetermined database, provide a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader.
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23. A method for automatically verifying at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles, the method comprising:
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using an automated reader to scan the microparticle mark to; generate generating at least two signature strings, each signature string representative of a relative location feature among only the microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark; generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least two signature strings, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; and compare the expression code to a predetermined database of valid expression codes stored in a storage system; and if a match is determined between the at least one expression code and the predetermined database, provide a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader.
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24. A method for automatically verifying at least one expression code that is unique to a microparticle mark that includes a multiplicity of microparticles, the method comprising:
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using an automated reader to scan the microparticle mark to; generate at least one signature string representative of a relative location feature among only the microparticles of the multiplicity of microparticles in the microparticle mark without information for background areas of the microparticle mark other than locations of the microparticles and without using a registration framework; generate at least one expression code for the microparticle mark based on the at least one signature string, the at least one expression code being unique for the microparticle mark; and compare the expression code to a predetermined database of valid expression codes stored in a storage system; and if a match is determined between the at least one expression code and the predetermined database, provide a tangible indication of the authentication of the microparticle mark as scanned by the automated reader.
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Specification