Anti-counterfeiting barcode reader and associated methods
AssigneeDatalogic IP Tech S.R.L.
InventorsMichele Suman, Giulio Berzuini, Maurizio Bianchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A code reader may include a light source configured to illuminate a machine-readable indicia representative of a standard code associated with an item. An image sensor may be configured to receive an image of the machine readable indicia. An illumination source may be configured to illuminate an anti-counterfeiting key that, when illuminated by the illumination source, reflects the illumination from the illumination source to be incident on the image sensor. A processing unit may be in electrical communication with the image sensor, and may be configured to decode the standard code of the machine-readable indicia and check validity of the reflected illumination from the anti-counterfeiting key.
Claims24
A code reader, comprising:
- a code reader portion, including:
- a housing;
- a light source disposed within the housing and configured to illuminate a machine-readable indicia representative of a standard code associated with an item;
- a code reader exit window attached to the housing and through which the light source projects the illumination;
- an image sensor configured to receive an image of the machine readable indicia;
- an anti-counterfeiting key reader portion mechanically interfacing with the housing,
- and including:
- an illumination source supported by and positioned outside of the housing, and configured to illuminate an anti-counterfeiting key that, when illuminated by the illumination source, reflects the illumination from the illumination source to be incident on the image sensor;
- a diffusion optical component configured to diffuse the illumination of the illumination source to or from the anti-counterfeiting key to be illuminated onto the image sensor via the exit window;
- and
- a processing unit in electrical communication with the image sensor, the processing unit being configured to:
- decode the standard code of the machine-readable indicia;
- and
- check validity of the reflected illumination from the anti-counterfeiting key including comparing a size and shape of detected features within the reflected illumination against an expected size and shape for features of the anti-counterfeiting key based, at least in part, on analyzing a separate illumination spot detected for the illumination source.
A code reader, comprising:
- a code reader portion, including:
- a housing;
- a light source disposed within the housing and configured to illuminate a machine-readable indicia representative of a standard code associated with an item;
- a code reader exit window attached to the housing and through which the light source projects the illumination;
- an image sensor configured to receive an image of the machine readable indicia;
- an anti-counterfeiting key reader portion mechanically interfacing with the housing,
- and including:
- an illumination source supported by and positioned outside of the housing, and configured to illuminate an anti-counterfeiting key including one or more diffractive gratings that, when illuminated by the illumination source, generate a diffractive pattern in the reflected illumination;
- and
- a diffusion optical component configured to diffuse the illumination of the illumination source to or from the anti-counterfeiting key via the exit window to be illuminated onto the image sensor;
- a processing unit in electrical communication with the image sensor, the processing unit being configured to:
- decode the standard code of the machine-readable indicia;
- and
- check validity of the anti-counterfeiting key based, at least in part, detecting a valid pattern for the diffractive pattern in the reflected illumination generated by the anti-counterfeiting key.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.