Method and apparatus for fractal identification

• US 9,290,010 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AIC Innovations Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AI CURE Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanina, Adam, Lepouttre, Maurice, Guan, Lei
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Anh T. N.
• Application Number:
  US13/646,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20130088555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 347/101, 347/103, 347/104, 347/105, 347/106, 347/107, 235/494, 382/232, 382/248, 382/249
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1408 the method being specifically adapted for the type of code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1439 including a method step for retrieval of the optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/48 using fractals
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/99 involving fractal coding

Abstract

A method and system for applying and reading a fractal image to and from a plurality of objects to act as an identification label is provided. The system includes a printer for printing a fractal pattern to the plurality of objects and a reader for reading the printed fractal pattern. Such a fractal image is robust to printing and imaging difficulties and inconsistencies, and is difficult to copy, thus defending against counterfeiting.

Claims

1. A system for identifying one or more objects, comprising:

a printer for printing a fractal pattern having a first predetermined number of fractal dimensions at a first predetermined resolution to the one or more objects; and

an imaging apparatus for imaging from the one or more objects the printed fractal pattern at a second predetermined number of fractal dimensions at a second predetermined resolution.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more objects comprise medication pills.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the fractal pattern includes one or more piece of coded information contained therein.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a portion of the fractal image is printed on each of the one or more objects.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the fractal image is defined in accordance with an Integrated Function System.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the encoded fractal image is defined in accordance with an L-system.

7. A method for identifying one or more objects, comprising the steps of:

providing the one or more objects to a printing location;

defining a fractal pattern to be printed to the one or more objects;

printing a fractal image to the one or more objects, the fractal image having a first predetermined number of fractal dimensions at a first predetermined resolution; and

imaging from the one or more objects the printed fractal pattern at a second predetermined number of fractal dimensions at a second predetermined resolution.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more objects comprise medication pills.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the fractal pattern includes one or more piece of coded information contained therein.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a portion of the fractal image is printed on each of the one or more objects.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the fractal image is defined in accordance with an Integrated Function System.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the fractal image is defined in accordance with an L-system.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the fractal image is selectively printed with a higher resolution.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the fractal image further comprises a combination of a plurality of fractal images.