Prismatic retroreflective sheeting with reduced retroreflectivity of infra-red light

• US 9,519,087 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Toshitaka, Yokoyama, Masami, Muramoto, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Anyikire, Chikaodili E
• Assistant Examiner(s): KALAPODAS, DRAMOS
• Application Number:
  US13/502,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20120200710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/359, 359/530, 359/350, 359/533
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/10 Registration, licensing, or like devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/124 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

The present application relates to retroreflective sheeting that is capable of use in a license plate and that can be accurately read and/or detected by an ALPR system. The retroreflective sheeting is a prismatic retroreflective sheeting that provides reduced retroreflectivity of infra-red light. The retroreflective sheeting can also be a prismatic retroreflective sheeting that exhibits reduced retroreflectivity of incident infra-red light and substantially unaffected retroreflectivity of incident visible light.

Claims

1. A retroreflective sheet defining a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the retroreflective sheet comprising:

cube corner elements including a substantially planar viewing surface and a structured surface, wherein the substantially planar viewing surface is nearer the first side than the structured surface is;

a reflector layer adjacent to the structured surface of the cube corner elements, wherein the reflector layer is configured to reflect at least visible light incident transmitted through the cube corner elements to the reflector layer; and

an infra-red non-transmissive material in the retroreflective sheet between the reflector layer and the first side of the retroreflective sheet, wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material leaves retroreflectivity of visible light incident on the substantially planar viewing surface of the cube corner elements and transmitted through the cube corner elements to the reflector layer substantially unaffected.

2. The retroreflective sheet of claim 1, wherein the cube corner elements are one of full cubes, truncated cubes, cube corner type trigonal pyramids, cube corner type cavities, and the like.

3. The retroreflective sheet of claim 1, further including a whiteness-enhancing material.

4. The retroreflective sheet of claim 1, wherein the reflector layer includes one of a mirror-surfaced reflection layer and a multi-layer optical film.

5. The retroreflective sheet of claim 1, further including at least one of a protective layer and a sealing film.

6. The retroreflective sheet of claim 1, wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material forms a separate layer from the cube corner elements and the reflector layer.

7. The retroreflective sheet of claim 1, wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material is in the cube corner elements.

8. The retroreflective sheet of claim 3, wherein the whiteness-enhancing material is in the cube corner elements.

9. The retroreflective sheet of claim 3, wherein the whiteness-enhancing material and the infra-red non-transmissive material form a separate layer from the cube corner elements and the reflector layer.

22. A license plate utilizing the retroreflective sheet according to claim 1.

23. An Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system, comprising:

a license plate according to claim 22;

a light source that directs light at the license plate; and

a machine capable of imaging the license plate.

28. The retroreflective sheet of claim 1 wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material is visible light transmissive.

10. A retroreflective sheet defining a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the retroreflective sheet comprising:

cube corner elements including a substantially planar viewing surface and a structured surface, wherein the substantially planar viewing surface is nearer the first side than the structured surface is;

a reflector layer adjacent to the structured surface of the cube corner elements, wherein the reflector layer is configured to reflect at least visible light incident transmitted through the cube corner elements to the reflector layer; and

an infra-red non-transmissive layer adjacent to the substantially planar viewing surface of the cube corner elements, wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material leaves retroreflectivity of visible light incident on the substantially planar viewing surface of the cube corner elements and transmitted through the cube corner elements to the reflector layer substantially unaffected.

11. The retroreflective sheet of claim 10, further including at least one of a protective layer and a sealing layer.

12. The retroreflective sheet of claim 10, wherein the cube corner elements are one of full cubes, truncated cubes, cube corner type trigonal pyramids, cube corner type cavities, and the like.

13. The retroreflective sheet of claim 10, further including a whiteness-enhancing material deposited on the infra-red non-transmissive layer.

14. The retroreflective sheet of claim 10, wherein the reflector layer includes one of a mirror-surfaced reflection layer and a multi-layer optical film.

24. A license plate utilizing the retroreflective sheet according to claim 10.

26. An Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system, comprising:

a license plate according to claim 24;

a light source that directs light at the license plate; and

a machine capable of imaging the license plate.

29. The retroreflective sheet of claim 10 wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material is visible light transmissive.

15. A retroreflective sheet defining a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the retroreflective sheet comprising:

cube corner elements including a substantially planar viewing surface and a structured surface, wherein the substantially planar viewing surface is nearer the first side than the structured surface is; and

a reflector layer adjacent to the structured surface of the cube corner elements, wherein the reflector layer is configured to reflect at least visible light incident transmitted through the cube corner elements to the reflector layer;

wherein the cube corner elements include an infra-red non-transmissive material, and wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material leaves retroreflectivity of visible light incident on the substantially planar viewing surface of the cube corner elements and transmitted through the cube corner elements to the reflector layer substantially unaffected.

16. The retroreflective sheet of claim 15, further including a whiteness-enhancing material.

17. The retroreflective sheeting of claim 16, wherein the whiteness-enhancing material is deposited into a front side of the cube corner elements.

18. The retroreflective sheet of claim 15, wherein the cube corner elements include a whiteness-enhancing material.

19. The retroreflective sheet of claim 15, further including at least one of a protective layer and a sealing layer.

20. The retroreflective sheet of claim 15, wherein the cube corner elements are one of full cubes, truncated cubes, cube corner type trigonal pyramids, cube corner type cavities, and the like.

21. The retroreflective sheet of claim 15, wherein the reflector layer includes one of a mirror-surfaced reflection layer and a multi-layer optical film.

25. A license plate utilizing the retroreflective sheet according to claim 15.

27. An Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system, comprising:

a license plate according to claim 25;

a light source that directs light at the license plate; and

a machine capable of imaging the license plate.

30. The retroreflective sheet of claim 15 wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material is visible light transmissive.

31. A retroreflective sheet defining a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the retroreflective sheet comprising:

cube corner elements including a substantially planar viewing surface and a structured surface, wherein the substantially planar viewing surface is nearer the first side than the structured surface is;

a whiteness-enhancing material; and

an infra-red non-transmissive material in the retroreflective sheet between the structured surface of the cube corner elements and the first side of the retroreflective sheet, wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material leaves retroreflectivity of visible light incident on the substantially planar viewing surface of the cube corner elements and transmitted through the cube corner elements to the structured surface substantially unaffected.

32. The retroreflective sheet of claim 31 wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material is visible light transmissive.

35. A license plate utilizing the retroreflective sheet according to claim 31.

37. An ALPR system, comprising:

a license plate according to claim 35;

a light source that directs light at the license plate; and

a machine capable of imaging the license plate.

33. A retroreflective sheet defining a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the retroreflective sheet comprising:

cube corner elements including a substantially planar viewing surface and a structured surface, wherein the substantially planar viewing surface is nearer the first side than the structured surface is; and

an infra-red non-transmissive material in the cube corner elements, wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material leaves retroreflectivity of visible light incident on the substantially planar viewing surface of the cube corner elements and transmitted through the cube corner elements to the structured surface substantially unaffected.

34. The retroreflective sheet of claim 33 wherein the infra-red non-transmissive material is visible light transmissive.

36. A license plate utilizing the retroreflective sheet according to claim 33.

38. An ALPR system, comprising:

a license plate according to claim 36;

a light source that directs light at the license plate; and

a machine capable of imaging the license plate.