METHOD OF MARKING AND SUBSEQUENTLY LOCALIZING, IDENTIFYING AND RECORDING PHYSICAL OBJECTS

• US 3,780,368 A
• Filed: 02/19/1971
• Issued: 12/18/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Data DANE A/S
• Original Assignee: Allan Northeved, Hans Vinter
• Inventors: Northeved, Allan, Vinter, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Hubler, Malcolm F.
• Application Number:
  US05/116,956
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 343/6.5SS 340/280,408,152T,258C
• US Class Current: 340/10.32
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/12 using electric or electronic detecting means B07C3/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/041 using reflecting tags
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2414 using inductive tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

Physical objects within a group of such objects are all provided with identical electronic marking devices, each comprising a predetermined set, common to the group as a whole, of mutually independent electronic marking circuits, each marking circuit comprising a passive circuit for receiving electrical energy from a surrounding electromagnetic field and a circuit for transmitting electromagnetic signals in response to the reception of electrical energy in said receiving circuit. Each individual marking circuit is designed to radiate its own characteristic output signals and is selectively tuned only to do so when receiving its own characteristic input signals. Each marking circuit further contains at least one component which is destroyed or changed when the field intensity of the characteristic input signals exceeds a predetermined value. Each individual object is then separately coded by subjecting it to an electromagnetic coding field supplying a characteristic subcombination of input signals specific to the object in question and having a high enough field intensity so that a corresponding subcombination of marking circuits are selectively destroyed or changed. When later subjected to an electromagnetic searching field comprising the total combination of input signals for the common set of marking circuits, individual objects may be identified and recorded by means of the characteristic subcombination of output signals from the remaining, intact marking circuits, which identify the object in question according to a predetermined identification and coding system for the group of objects as a whole.

Claims

1. A method of marking and identifying individual physical objects within a group of such objects, comprising the steps of:

marking all objects within said group with a common set of marking circuits, each marking circuit of the set radiating a characteristic electromagnetic output signal assigned thereto when subjected to an electromagnetic searching field including a characteristic input signal assigned thereto;

separately coding each individual object by a specific electromagnetic coding field including a characteristic subcombination of said input signals unique to the object in question and having a sufficient field intensity so that a characteristic of each of the subcombination of marking circuits to which said subcombination of input signals is assigned is permanently altered; and

identifying the individual object by means of an electromagnetic searching field including the total combination of input signals for the common set of marking circuits employed for the group of objects whereby the marking circuits not altered by the coding field transmit electromagnetic signals in a predetermined characteristic residual subcombination which identifies the object according to the predetermined identification and coding system for a group of objects as a whole.