System having optically encoded information

• US 5,479,026 A
• Filed: 05/16/1994
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adaptive Optics Associates Inc (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Schumtz, Lawrence E., Schiller, Craig M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Stephone B.
• Application Number:
  US08/243,637
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/229, 250/566, 250/568, 359/619, 359/621, 359/622, 235/454, 235/487
• US Class Current: 250/568
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence

Abstract

A optical system having optically encoded information includes a microptic multiplet (MOM) optical system on compact arrays or cards for both secure (encrypted) and non-secure applications where the presence or position of optical micro-lenses is indicative of the encoded information. The system is characterized by a first microptic lens module (MLM) that has data optically encoded thereon based on the position of a lenslet in a lenslet cell. One or more additional microptic lens modules can be used as a key(s) to interpret the data.

Claims

1. A micro-optic multiplet (MOM) optical system having encrypted information, said system comprising:

an array of lenslet cells for receiving a beam of radiation, each of said cells including a lenslet having a lenslet optic axis substantially parallel to a radiation optic axis paired with an associated region having an optical parameter different from a lenslet optical parameter, said lenslet being selectably located at one of two positions in said cell;

a detector means for generating electrical signal equivalents of said beam received through said lenslet array; and

logic circuitry for receiving said detector means electrical signals and generating, for each of said lenslet cells, binary electrical signals of one of two logical states indicative of which of said cell positions contains said lenslets, thereby providing the encrypted information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said lenslet cell associated position is opaque.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said detector means further comprises a plurality of first and second detectors positioned in registration with an associated one of lenslet cells and wherein said lenslets focus said radiation on to a one of said first and second detectors in dependence on lenslet position within said cell.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said logic circuitry further comprises substraction circuits for comparing electrical signals provided through said lenslet cells and generating output signals in dependence on the cell position receiving said beam.

5. A micro-optic multiplet (MOM) optical system having encrypted information, said system comprising:

an array of aperture cells for receiving a beam of radiation, each of said cells having an aperture paired with an associated region having an optical parameter different from an aperture optical parameter, said aperture being selectably located at one of two positions in said cell;

a detector means for receiving said beam and generating electrical signal equivalents;

a decoding means including a decoder lenslet array moveable from an aligned position receiving said beam from said aperture cell array and providing said beam to said detector means to a non-aligned position disabling the presentation of said beam to said detector means;

logic circuitry for receiving said detector means electrical signals and generating, for each of said lenslets, binary electrical signals of one of two logical states indicative of which cell position contains said aperture, thereby providing the encrypted information.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein each of said apertures contains a lenslet having an aperture lenslet optic axis substantially parallel to a radiation optic axis.

7. The system of claim 5 further comprising a reader lenslet array positioned to receive said beam from said decoding means and wherein said detector means further comprises a detector array having each of said detectors located in substantial registration with a corresponding reader lenslet, said reader lenslets for focusing said beam onto said detectors.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said decoder lenslets have a decoder lenslet optic axis substantially parallel to said radiation optic axis configured to receive said beam from corresponding aperture cells, said decoder lenslets having a diameter approximately coextensive with the dimension of said aperture cells and twice the diameter of said reader lenslets.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said decoder and reader lenslet optical parameters include focal lengths are selected to image said beam onto said detectors.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein said decoder means futher comprises an array of decoder cells for receiving said beam, each of said cells having a one of said lenslets paired with an associated region having an optical parameter different from an lenslet optical parameter, said lenslet being selectably located at one of two positions in said cell.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein said detector means further comprises an detector array having elements including first and second detectors positioned in registration with an associated one of lenslet cells and wherein said lenslets focus said radiation on to a one of said first and second detectors in dependence on lenslet position within said cell.

12. The optical system according to claim 5, in which said aperture array and said decoder lenslet array are separated by an axial distance substantially equal to the sum of said first and second focal lengths

13. The optical system of claim 5 further comprising a cylindrical MOM assembly having first and second MLM'"'"'s configured on a surface of a cylinder adapted to receive said radiation beam from a mirror positioned along a rotational axis.

14. The optical system of claim 5 further comprising an annular MOM assembly having first and second MLM'"'"'s configured in adjacent sectors of a substantially planar annulus .

15. The optical system of claim 7 further comprising an optically transparent substrate for receiving said aperture lenslet array on a first outer surface and said reader lenslet array on an opposed second outer surface.

16. The optical system of claim 7 wherein said substrates have a thickness chosen in dependence on the desired optical system focal length.

17. The optical system of claim 7 wherein said decoding means further comprises a second decoder lenslet array moveable from an aligned position receiving said beam from said first decoder lenslet array and providing said beam to said reader lenslet array.