Systems and methods for reading indicium

• US 20060086803A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William Berson
• Original Assignee: William Berson
• Inventors: Berson, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,651,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/491
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06225 using wavelength selection, e.g. colour code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks

Abstract

Detection systems that detect and decode machine-readable information and other indicia having varying spectral emissivity values are provided. The detection systems include a sensor, circuitry, and temperature influencing mechanism. The system may be connected to other hardware, such as a computer display screen, or audio emitting device. Meanwhile, the sensor detects differential emissivity values by measuring energy emitted from the targets of interest.

Claims

1. A system for detecting indicium, the indicium having at least one emissivity value, the system comprising:

an energy generation device that provides energy to affect a relative temperature of the indicium; and

a sensor that detects the energy emitted by the indicium.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicium comprises at least two elements.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each element has a predetermined emissivity value.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the indicium resides on a substrate having an emissivity value different from the emissivity value of at least one of the elements, wherein the sensor detects a difference in energy emitted by the substrate and the elements.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising at least one intervening layer between the substrate and the indicium, the at least one intervening layer having an emissivity value that is different than the emissivity value of at least one of the elements, and wherein the sensor detects a difference in energy emitted by at least one combination from the group comprising of the intervening layer, the elements and the substrate.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the intervening layer is a background layer.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the energy provided by the generation device causes the intervening layer and the indicium to each have a relative temperature that is substantially the same.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the relative temperature of the indicium is measurably different than the temperature of the environment surrounding the sensor.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the elements are arranged in a manner to represent coded information.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the

predetermined emissivity values of at least two element are different.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined emissivity value of at least two elements are substantially identical.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

information is encoded in the indicium based on the arrangement of the at least one emissivity value; and

the system further comprising;

operating circuitry that coupled to the sensor, wherein the operating circuitry decodes the information encoded in the indicium.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy generation device is a thermal energy source.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy generation device is a source of light energy.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the source of light energy is a flash lamp.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy generation device affects the relative temperature of the indicium by lowering the temperature surrounding the sensor.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy generation device affects the relative temperature of the indicium by increasing the temperature surrounding the sensor.

18. The system of claim 5, wherein the intervening layer is a conductive layer.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy generation device affects the temperature of the indicium by generating electromagnetic energy.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the energy generation device is a magnet in motion.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the energy generation device is a solenoid coil.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicium comprises high solids content ink.

23. The system of claim 5, wherein the indicium has a visual appearance similar to the intervening layer.

47. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor detects a difference in the energy emitted by the indicium.

48. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the indicium resides on a substrate having an emissivity value different from the at least one emissivity value of the indicium; and

the sensor detects a difference in the energy emitted by the substrate and the indicium.

49. The system of claim 48, further comprising at least one intervening layer between the substrate and the indicium, the at least one intervening layer having an emissivity value that is different than at least one of the emissivity values of the indicium, and wherein the sensor detects a difference in the energy emitted by at least one combination from the group comprising of the indicium, the substrate, and the intervening layer.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the emissivity value of the intervening layer is the same as the emissivity value of the substrate.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the emissivity value of the intervening layer is different than the emissivity value of the substrate.

52. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor detects the energy emitted by each element.

53. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor detects the difference in energy emitted by each element.

54. The system of claim 9, wherein the coded information comprises a first type of coded information having information encoded according to emissivity values of the elements.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the coded information comprises at least one other type of coded information having information encoded according to a property other than emissivity of the elements.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the property other than emissivity is selected from the group consisting of magnetic properties, reflective properties, visual properties and any combination thereof.

24. A method for detecting indicium, the indicium having at least one emissivity value, the method comprising:

locating the indicium;

providing energy to affect the relative temperature of the indicium; and

detecting the indicium in response to the energy emitted from the indicium.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the indicium comprises at least two elements.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein each of the elements have a predetermined emissivity value.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the indicium resides on a substrate having an emissivity value different from the emissivity value of at least one of the elements, the method further comprising detecting a difference in energy emitted by the substrate and the elements.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

at least one intervening layer between the substrate and the indicium, wherein the at least one intervening layer has an emissivity value that is different than the emissivity value of at least one of the elements; and

detecting a difference in energy emitted by at least one combination from the group comprising of the intervening layer, the elements and the substrate.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the intervening layer is a background layer.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing energy to affect the relative temperature of the intervening layer, wherein the temperature of the intervening layer and the indicium each have a relative temperature that is substantially the same.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising providing energy to affect the relative temperature of the indicium, wherein the relative temperature of the indicium is measurably different than the relative temperature of the environment surrounding a sensor for detecting the varying emissivity values of the indicium and the substrate.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising arranging the elements to represent coded information.

33. The method of claim 26,

wherein the predetermined emissivity values of at least two elements are different.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the predetermined emissivity values of at least two elements are is substantially identical.

35. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

encoding information based on at least one emissivity value of the indicium, wherein the at least one emissivity value influences energy emitted by the indicium; and

decoding the information.

36. The method of claim 24, wherein the energy affecting the relative temperature of the indicium is thermal energy.

37. The method of claim 24, wherein the energy affecting the relative temperature of the indicium is light energy.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the light energy is provided by a flash lamp.

39. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the detecting comprises using a sensor to detect the energy emitted from the indicium; and

wherein the energy provided to affect the relative temperature of the indicium lowers the temperature of an environment surrounding the sensor such that the temperature of the environment surrounding the sensor is different than the temperature of the indicium.

40. The method of claim 24, wherein the detecting comprises using a sensor to detect the energy emitted from the indicium;

and

wherein the energy provided to affect the relative temperature of the indicium raises the temperature of an environment surrounding the sensor such that the temperature of the environment surrounding the sensor is different than the temperature of the indicium.

41. The method of claim 28, wherein the intervening layer is a conductive layer.

42. The method of claim 24, wherein the energy affecting the relative temperature of the indicium is electromagnetic energy.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the electromagnetic energy is provided by a magnet in motion.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the electromagnetic energy is provided by a solenoid coil.

45. The method of claim 24, wherein the indicium comprises a high solids content ink.

46. The method of claim 28, wherein the indicium has a visual appearance similar to the intervening layer.

59. The method of claim 24, wherein detecting the indicium is in response to a difference in energy emitted.

60. The method of claim 24, comprising:

providing a substrate, wherein the indicium resides on the substrate having an emissivity value different than at least one emissivity value of the indicium; and

detecting a difference in energy emitted by the substrate compared to the energy emitted by indicium.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising:

providing at least one intervening layer between the substrate and the indicium, wherein the at least one intervening layer has an emissivity value that is different than at least one of the emissivity values of the indicium; and

detecting a difference in the energy emitted by at least one combination from the group comprising of the indicium, the substrate, and the intervening layer.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the emissivity value of the intervening layer is the same as the emissivity value of the substrate.

63. The system of claim 61, wherein the emissivity value of the intervening layer is different than the emissivity value of the substrate.

64. The method of claim 26 further comprising detecting the energy emitted by each element.

65. The method of claim 26 further comprising detecting the difference in the energy emitted by each element.

66. The method of claim 32, further comprising a first type of coded information having information encoded according to emissivity values of the elements.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising a second type of coded information having information encoded according to a property other than emissivity of the elements.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein the property other than emissivity is selected from the group consisting of magnetic properties, reflective properties, visual properties and any combination thereof.

57. A system for detecting energy emitted by indicium, the indicium having at least one emissivity value, the system comprising:

an energy source;

a sensor configured to detect a difference in energy emitted by the indicium while the temperature of the indicium is at a substantially constant temperature.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the temperature of an environment around the sensor is different than the temperature of the indicium when the sensor is used to detect the energy emitted by the indicium.

69. A method for detecting energy emitted by indicium, the indicium having at least one emissivity value, the method comprising:

providing energy to affect a temperature of the indicium; and

detecting a difference in energy emitted by the indicium while the temperature of the indicium is at a substantially constant temperature.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein detecting comprises using a sensor to detect energy emitted by the indicium, wherein an environment temperature of the sensor is at a temperature different than the temperature of the indicium when the sensor is used to detect the energy emitted by the indicium.