Photochromic optically keyed dispenser
AssigneeGotohti.com Inc.
InventorsHeiner Ophardt, Andrew Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A removable and replaceable keying component which is required for operation of a mechanism and which component includes a waveguide having a photochromic portion. A method of controlling operation of a mechanism, preferably a dispenser, having a removable component comprising the steps of measuring electromagnetic radiation passing through a waveguide carrying at least in part on the removable component and permitting operation of the mechanism only when the measured electromagnetic radiation corresponds with one or more pre-selected parameters. Preferably, the method involves directing emitted electromagnetic radiation with pre-selected input parameters selected from a plurality of input parameters.
Claims20
A removable and replaceable keying component which is required for operation of a mechanism,
- the keying component including an electromagnetic radiation waveguide,
- the waveguide having an inlet for electromagnetic radiation and an outlet electromagnetic radiation,
- the waveguide providing a path for transmission of electromagnetic radiation from the inlet to the outlet,
- the waveguide includes a photochromic portion which contains a photochromic dye which has an inherent unactivated state and an activated state,
- on radiating with a dose of activation electromagnetic radiation in a range of activation wavelengths the photochromic dye changing from the unactivated to the activated state,
- with the photochromic dye in the unactivated state the photochromic portion having an inherent first transmission characteristic of electromagnetic radiation in a range of test wavelengths, and
- with the photochromic dye in the activated state the photochromic portion having a second transmission characteristic of electromagnetic radiation in the range of test wavelengths different than the first transmission characteristic,
- the keying component serving a function in the operation of the mechanism in addition to the function of providing the waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.