Optical encoding
AssigneeFryco Limited
InventorNigel Christopher Abraham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A substrate, such as a document of value, carries a design feature (F) which comprises an array of repeating patterns, the patterns exhibiting discrete differences in one or more visual characteristics (e.g. shape or colour or optical responses) according to a predetermined pattern. The differences are preferably indiscernible to the unaided eye but can be discriminated by an optical reading machine. In alternative embodiments, the visual characteristics of each pattern represent 8-or 16-bit information.
Claims22
A substrate or other article which carries, on a surface thereof, a design feature which comprises an array of repeating patterns, said patterns exhibiting discrete differences in one or more visual characteristics according to a predetermined code:
A substrate or other article which carries, on a surface thereof, a design feature which comprises an array of repeating patterns, said patterns of the design feature exhibiting differences in visual characteristics according to a predetermined code, with the visual characteristics of each pattern representing greater than 1-bit information.
A substrate or other article which carries, on a surface thereof, a design feature which comprises an array of repeating patterns, a plurality of said patterns exhibiting differences in one or more visual characteristics according to a predetermined code, and at least one other pattern of said array exhibiting at least one visual characteristic representing a key which defines said predetermined code.
A substrate or other article which carries, on a surface thereof, a design feature which comprises an array of repeating patterns, said patterns exhibiting differences in one or more visual characteristics in accordance with a predetermined code, the design feature having a code associated therewith which determines the order in which the patterns, and/or elements of each pattern, are to be read.
A batch of substrates or other articles each carrying, on a surface thereof, a design feature which comprises an array of repeating patterns, the patterns of the array exhibiting differences in visual characteristics according to a predetermined code, a majority of said articles carrying an identical said array defining a first code, and a minority of said articles carrying a corresponding said array defining a second code.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.