Shape-matrix geometric instrument
AssigneeShape Matrix Geometric Instruments, LLC
InventorJonathan Cramer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Shape-matrix geometric instruments having numerous applications including, but not limited to, anti-counterfeiting, graphical passwording, games, and geometry education. A shape-matrix geometric instrument is a manufacture and/or a method whose design is based on a shape-matrix that, in turn comprises a set of building blocks that are N-dimensional polytopes. Corner shapes are positioned in or near the interior corner spaces of at least ones of the shape-matrix building blocks. At least ones of the corner shapes differ from others in at least one property or aspect including, for example, geometric shape, orientation within the building block, and one or more surface “finishes,” such as color, shading, cross-hatching or real or apparent texture.
Claims23
A system of physical objects, wherein each particular physical object in the system includes a particular two-dimensional physical pattern, which particular pattern:
- (a) is different from any two-dimensional physical pattern that is included in any other physical object in the system;
- and
- (b) includes multiple two-dimensional portions, each two-dimensional portion having an outline that matches, in geometric shape, an outline of a component of a shape-matrix, which shape-matrix comprises a set of three-dimensional building blocks, each particular building block in the set including three-dimensional corner shapes, which corner shapes are located in respective three-dimensional corner spaces of the particular block in such a way that each corner shape in the particular block (i) touches a vertex of the particular block and (ii) fills a three-dimensional volume that is in the interior of the particular block.
A system of three-dimensional physical objects, wherein, for each particular physical object in the system:
- (a) the particular physical object includes a particular two-dimensional physical pattern that identifies the particular physical object;
- (b) the particular two-dimensional physical pattern includes a set of two-dimensional components;
- (c) the two-dimensional components depict three-dimensional corner shapes of a shape matrix in such a way that each two-dimensional component in the set of components depicts a three-dimensional corner shape of the shape matrix;
- (d) the shape matrix comprises a group of three-dimensional building blocks;
- and
- (e) three-dimensional corner shapes of each particular building block in the shape matrix are located in respective three-dimensional corner spaces of the particular block in such a way that each corner shape in the particular block (i) touches a vertex of the particular block;
- and (ii) fills a three-dimensional volume that is in the particular block.
A system of three-dimensional physical objects, wherein, for each particular physical object in the system:
- (a) the particular physical object includes a particular two-dimensional physical pattern that identifies the particular physical object;
- (b) the particular two-dimensional physical pattern includes a set of two-dimensional components;
- (c) the two-dimensional components match three-dimensional corner shapes of a shape matrix in such a way that an outline of each two-dimensional component in the set of components has a geometric shape that matches a geometric shape of an outline of a three-dimensional corner shape of the shape matrix;
- (d) the shape matrix comprises a group of three-dimensional building blocks;
- and
- (e) three-dimensional corner shapes of each particular building block in the shape matrix are located in respective three-dimensional corner spaces of the particular block in such a way that each corner shape in the particular block (i) touches a vertex of the particular block;
- and (ii) fills a three-dimensional volume that is in the particular block.
A method of identifying a particular physical object by detecting a particular two-dimensional physical pattern that is present in and that identifies the particular physical object, wherein:
- (a) the particular two-dimensional physical pattern includes a set of two-dimensional components;
- (b) the two-dimensional components depict three-dimensional corner shapes of a shape matrix in such a way that each two-dimensional component in the set of components depicts a three-dimensional corner shape of the shape matrix;
- (c) the shape matrix comprises a group of three-dimensional building blocks;
- and
- (d) three-dimensional corner shapes of each particular building block in the shape matrix are located in respective three-dimensional corner spaces of the particular block in such a way that each corner shape in the particular block (i) touches a vertex of the particular block;
- and (ii) fills a three-dimensional volume that is in the particular block.
A method of identifying a particular physical object by detecting a particular two-dimensional physical pattern that is present in and that identifies the particular physical object, wherein:
- (a) the particular two-dimensional physical pattern includes a set of two-dimensional components;
- (b) the two-dimensional components match three-dimensional corner shapes of a shape matrix in such a way that an outline of each two-dimensional component in the set of components has a geometric shape that matches a geometric shape of an outline of a three-dimensional corner shape of the shape matrix;
- (c) the shape matrix comprises a group of three-dimensional building blocks;
- and
- (d) three-dimensional corner shapes of each particular building block in the shape matrix are located in respective three-dimensional corner spaces of the particular block in such a way that each corner shape in the particular block (i) touches a vertex of the particular block;
- and (ii) fills a three-dimensional volume that is in the particular block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.