ARTICLES WITH CONFOUNDED EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS AND METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THEIR AUTHENTICATION
First Claim
1. An article comprising:
- a substrate having a first surface and a first luminescent taggant, wherein the first luminescent taggant produces substrate emissions in a substrate emission band when the substrate is exposed to substrate excitation energy; and
an extrinsic feature positioned proximate a portion of the first surface at which the first luminescent taggant is present, wherein the extrinsic feature includes a second luminescent taggant that produces extrinsic feature emissions in an extrinsic feature emission band that at least partially overlaps the substrate emission band in an overlapping emission band when the extrinsic feature is exposed to extrinsic feature excitation energy,wherein at the portion of the first surface, the substrate emissions and the extrinsic feature emissions combine in the overlapping emission band to produce confounded emissions that are distinguishable from the substrate emissions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments include articles, authentication methods and apparatus, and article manufacturing methods. An article includes a substrate with a first luminescent taggant, and an extrinsic feature with a second luminescent taggant, which is positioned proximate a portion of the article surface. The first and second taggants produce emissions in overlapping emission bands as a result of exposure to excitation energy. Above the extrinsic feature, the substrate and extrinsic feature emissions combine in the overlapping emission band to produce “confounded” emissions that are distinguishable from the substrate emissions taken alone. An authentication system determines whether, in a region corresponding to a “substrate-only” region of an authentic article, emissions having first emission characteristics are detected in the overlapping emission band. The system also determines whether, in a region corresponding to an “extrinsic feature” region of an authentic article, the confounded emissions are detected in the overlapping emission band.
13 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An article comprising:
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a substrate having a first surface and a first luminescent taggant, wherein the first luminescent taggant produces substrate emissions in a substrate emission band when the substrate is exposed to substrate excitation energy; and an extrinsic feature positioned proximate a portion of the first surface at which the first luminescent taggant is present, wherein the extrinsic feature includes a second luminescent taggant that produces extrinsic feature emissions in an extrinsic feature emission band that at least partially overlaps the substrate emission band in an overlapping emission band when the extrinsic feature is exposed to extrinsic feature excitation energy, wherein at the portion of the first surface, the substrate emissions and the extrinsic feature emissions combine in the overlapping emission band to produce confounded emissions that are distinguishable from the substrate emissions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for authenticating an article that includes a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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exposing a surface of the substrate to excitation energy; determining whether, in a first region of the surface, first emissions having first emission characteristics are detected in a first emission band, wherein the first emissions result from the excitation energy, and the first region corresponds to a region at which an extrinsic feature is not present in an authentic article; and determining whether, at a second region of the surface, second emissions having second emission characteristics that are different from the first emission characteristics are detected in the first emission band, wherein the second emissions result from the excitation energy, and the second region corresponds to a region at which the extrinsic feature is present in the authentic article. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for authenticating an article that includes a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more excitation energy generators configured to direct excitation energy toward a surface of the substrate; a first emissions detector configured to detect first emissions in a first emission band; and a processing system configured to determine whether, in a first region of the surface, first emissions having first emission characteristics are detected in a first emission band, wherein the first emissions result from the excitation energy, and the first region corresponds to a region at which an extrinsic feature is not present in an authentic article, and wherein the processing system is further configured to determine whether, at a second region of the surface, second emissions having second emission characteristics that are different from the first emission characteristics are detected in the first emission band, wherein the second emissions result from the excitation energy, and the second region corresponds to a region at which the extrinsic feature is present in the authentic article. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification