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US 11,589,703 B1Granted
Spectral signature systems that use encoded image data and encoded spectral signature data
AssigneeMicrotrace, LLC
InventorsBrian John Brogger, Joseph Thomas Ippoliti, Blake Maxwell Roeglin, Brian Thomas Bustrom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides improved spectral signature strategies for use in a wide range of product and service applications. The present invention encodes spectral signature features into one or more optical brightener compounds and/or one or more infrared absorbing compounds. Equipment is modified with appropriate ultraviolet/violet or infrared LED illumination sources and corresponding detectors, optionally optical filters, and optionally mask elements, in order to read the spectral responses. These features desirably are used in combination with one or more other luminescent taggant compounds.
Claims19
A spectral signature system useful for authenticating a bar code image on a substrate, said spectral signature system comprising:
- a) a spectral signature pre-associated with the bar code image, wherein at least a portion of the spectral signature is encoded in spectral characteristics of at least one optical brightener compound and/or in spectral characteristics of at least one infrared absorbing compound, and wherein at least a portion of the spectral signature is encoded in spectral characteristics of at least one additional luminescent taggant compound;
- b) an illumination system comprising at least one of a first illumination that provides at least an ultraviolet and/or violet illumination in one or more portions of a wavelength range from 200 nm to 420 nm and/or a second illumination that provides at least infrared illumination in one or more portions of a wavelength range from 700 nm to 1200 nm, wherein the illumination system includes the first illumination at least when the optical brightener encodes at least a portion of the spectral signature, and wherein the illumination system includes the second illumination at least when the infrared absorbing compound encodes at least a portion of the spectral signature;
- and
- c) a taggant system that encodes the spectral signature, wherein the taggant system includes:
- i) at least one of the optical brightener compound and/or the infrared absorbing compound;
- and
- ii) the at least one additional luminescent taggant compound.
4 more elements
A spectral signature system useful for authenticating a substrate, said spectral signature system comprising:
- a) a spectral signature pre-associated with the substrate, wherein at least a portion of the spectral signature is encoded in spectral characteristics of at least one optical brightener compound and/or in spectral characteristics of at least one infrared absorbing compound, and wherein at least a portion of the spectral signature is encoded in spectral characteristics of at least one additional luminescent taggant compound;
- b) an illumination system comprising at least one of a first illumination that provides at least an ultraviolet and/or violet illumination in one or more portions of a wavelength range from 200 nm to 420 nm and/or a second illumination that provides at least infrared illumination in one or more portions of a wavelength range from 700 nm to 1200 nm, wherein the illumination system includes the first illumination at least when the optical brightener encodes at least a portion of the spectral signature, and wherein the illumination system includes the second illumination at least when the infrared absorbing compound encodes at least a portion of the spectral signature;
- c) a taggant system that encodes the spectral signature, wherein the taggant system includes:
- i) at least one of the optical brightener compound and/or the infrared absorbing compound;
- and
- ii) the at least one additional luminescent taggant compound;
- and
- d) optionally a control system comprising program instructions that evaluate information comprising spectral data emitted by the substrate to determine information indicative of whether the substrate comprises said taggant system encoding the spectral signature.
5 more elements
A spectral signature system useful to authenticate a bar code on a food package, said spectral signature system comprising:
- a) a spectral signature pre-associated with the bar code image, wherein at least a portion of the spectral signature is encoded in spectral characteristics of at least one optical brightener compound and/or in spectral characteristics of at least one infrared absorbing compound, and wherein at least a portion of the spectral signature is encoded in spectral characteristics of at least one additional luminescent taggant compound;
- b) an illumination system comprising at least one of a first illumination that provides at least an ultraviolet and/or violet illumination in one or more portions of a wavelength range from 200 nm to 420 nm and/or a second illumination that provides at least infrared illumination in one or more portions of a wavelength range from 700 nm to 1200 nm, wherein the illumination system includes the first illumination at least when the optical brightener encodes at least a portion of the spectral signature, and wherein the illumination system includes the second illumination at least when the infrared absorbing compound encodes at least a portion of the spectral signature;
- c) a taggant system that encodes the spectral signature, wherein the taggant system includes:
- i) at least one of the optical brightener compound and/or the infrared absorbing compound;
- and
- ii) the at least one additional luminescent taggant compound;
- and
- d) optionally a control system comprising program instructions that evaluate information comprising spectral data emitted by the food package to determine information indicative of whether the food package comprises said taggant system encoding the spectral signature.
5 more elements
A method of making a beverage pod system, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a spectral signature system comprising a plurality of unique spectral signature codes comprising first and second spectral codes, wherein the first and second spectral codes are different, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the first and second spectral signature codes is encoded in optical characteristics of a taggant system comprising at least one optical brightener compound and/or in optical characteristics of at least one infrared absorbing compound;
- b) associating a first beverage pod with the first spectral signature code;
- c) incorporating the first spectral signature code onto a surface of the first beverage pod;
- d) associating a second beverage pod with the second spectral signature code;
- and
- e) incorporating the second spectral signature code onto a surface of the second beverage pod.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.