METHOD AND DEVICE FOR READING A PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC ON AN OBJECT

• US 20110135160A1
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Track & Trace
• Original Assignee: Advanced Track & Trace
• Inventors: Massicot, Jean-Pierre, Foucou, Alain, Sagan, Zbigniew
• Granted Patent: US 8,983,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/95 Pattern authentication; Markers therefor; Forgery detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2504 Coarse or fine approaches, e.g. resolution of ambiguities or multiscale approaches
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/2008 using pre-processing, e.g. de-blurring, averaging, normalisation or rotation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/2033 Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper

Abstract

A method for reading a physical characteristic on an object includes:

• • a step (240, 315, 405) of capturing a first image of at least a portion of the object with a first resolution;
  • a step (245, 320, 415, 420) of determining the position of an area of the object to be processed, according to the first image;
  • a step (255, 330, 430) of capturing a second image of the area of the object to be processed, with a second resolution higher than the first resolution; and
  • a step (260, 335, 440) of determining the physical characteristic based on the second image. In some embodiments, there is, in addition, a step of marking the object with a mark bearing information representative of at least a portion of the physical characteristic.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for reading a physical characteristic on an object, which comprises:

a step of capturing a first image of at least a portion of said object with a first resolution;

a step of determining the position of an area of the object to be processed, according to said first image;

a step of capturing a second image of said area of the object to be processed, with a second resolution higher than said first resolution; and

a step of determining said physical characteristic based on said second image.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of determining the position of the area of the object to be processed, the position of at least one characteristic point of the object, then the position of the area to be processed in relation to each said characteristic point of the object are determined.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of determining the position of the area of the object to be processed, the position of at least one characteristic line of the object, then the position of the area to be processed in relation to each said characteristic line of the object are determined.

21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of detecting the arrival of said object.

22. A method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of marking the object with a mark bearing information representative of at least a portion of said physical characteristic.

23. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of determining a physical characteristic, said physical characteristic is linked to a local structure of the surface of the object in the area of the object to be processed.

24. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of determining the position of the area of the object to be processed, a query is sent to a database, said query comprising the positions of characteristic points and/or lines of the object information on the object'"'"'s shape and on the position of the area to be processed in said object'"'"'s shape is returned from the database.

25. A method according to claim 18, wherein the step of determining the position of the area of the object to be processed includes a step of determining at least one printed mark position of, a step of capturing an image of at least one said mark and a step of reading information represented by that mark and representing the position of the area to be processed.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein, during the step of determining at least one printed mark position, a query is sent to a database, said query comprising the positions of characteristic points and/or lines of the object;

information on the object'"'"'s shape and on the position of each printed mark in said object'"'"'s shape is returned from the database.

27. A method according to claim 25, further comprising a step of transmitting the physical characteristic to a database.

28. A method according to claim 27, further comprising a step of comparing said physical characteristic to physical characteristics stored in said database and of determining which of the previously stored physical characteristics is most similar to the new physical characteristic sent to the database.

29. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of determining the position of the object area to be processed, a position located on the inside of the object once manufactured is determined.

30. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of capturing a first image of the object, the object'"'"'s speed of passage is used and, during the step of determining the position of the area to be processed, a moment is determined for the capture of the second image.

31. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of determining a physical characteristic, the second image is rotated beforehand.

32. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of determining the physical characteristic, a hash function is applied to the physical characteristic and the resulting hash of this hash function is associated with the physical characteristic.

33. A method according to claim 18, wherein, in the step of determining a physical characteristic, a physical characteristic of the object is determined.

34. A device for reading a physical characteristic on an object, which comprises:

means for capturing a first image of at least one portion of said object with a first resolution;

means for determining the position of an area of the object to be processed, according to said first image;

means for capturing a second image of said area of the object to be processed, with a second resolution higher than said first resolution; and

means for determining said physical characteristic based on said second image.