Substrate labeling system

• US 7,740,280 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steven Jerome Moore
• Original Assignee: Steven Jerome Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross; Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis; Justin V
• Application Number:
  US12/110,449
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 283/85, 283/86, 283/87, 283/101, 283/105, 359/2, 430/1, 430/2, 430/275.1, 430/297, 430/945
• US Class Current: 283/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/146 Laser beam

Abstract

In an embodiment, there is disclosed a product labeling system comprising: a first high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generator, at least one second high energy electromagnetic of particle wave generator; and a controller operatively configured to direct wave produced by said first generator and the wave produced by said second generator onto a portion of the subsurface of the product to mark the product at said subsurface without generating any substantial disruption of the surface of said product.

Claims

1. A method for labeling a material, the method comprising:

focusing a first high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generator, producing a wave transmissible to a subsurface of a material without causing any substantial disruption of the surface of the material, on a first portion of said subsurface;

focusing one or more second high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generator(s), producing a wave transmissible to a subsurface of said material without causing any substantial disruption of the surface of said material, on said first portion of said subsurface;

wherein the first and second generators are set in combination to allow for marking said first portion of said subsurface without any substantial disruption of the surface of said material, but the setting individually of which alone does not allow for said marking of said first portion of said substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

focusing said first and second generators on at least one other portion of said subsurface of said substrate such that said first and second generators in combination allow for marking said at least one other portion of said subsurface without any substantial disruption of the surface of said material.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said mark can be used to identify the product from one or more other products.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the first and second generators are controlled by a controller to form an identifying mark in said subsurface of said material.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said mark is a unique identifying mark.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the mark comprises dots.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the mark comprises a line.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the mark comprises a bar code.

9. A product made by the method of claim 1.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generator produces at least one wave from the group consisting of:

light, microwaves or sound waves.

11. A product labeling system comprising:

a first high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generator

at least one second high energy electromagnetic of particle wave generator; and

a controller operatively configured to direct wave produced by said first generator and the wave produced by said second generator onto a portion of the subsurface of the product to mark the product at said subsurface without generating any substantial disruption of the surface of said product and to control the settings of said first and at least one second high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generator such that each individually alone cannot effectively mark said first portion of said substrate.

12. The product labeling system of claim 11 wherein said mark comprises a unique identifier unique to said product.

13. The product labeling system of claim 11 wherein said controller is operatively configured to generate a subsurface bar code in the substrate.

14. The product labeling system of claim 11 wherein said controller is operatively configured to generate a subsurface dot code in the substrate.

15. The product labeling system of claim 11 wherein said surface of said material is not disrupted by said first and second generators when marking said subsurface.

16. A method for labeling a material, the method comprising:

focusing a first high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generator on a first portion of the subsurface of a material;

focusing one or more second high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generator(s) on said first portion of said subsurface;

wherein the first and second generators are set in combination to have a power to allow for marking said first portion of said subsurface without any substantial disruption of the surface of said material but the setting of which individually alone does not allow for said marking of said first portion of said substrate .

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said high energy electromagnetic or particle wave generators produce at least one wave from the group consisting of:

light, microwaves or sound waves.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the material is at least one of the group consisting of:

metal and plastic.

19. A product produced by the method of claim 16.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the first and second generators are controlled by a controller to form an identifying mark in said subsurface of said material.