Concealed identification symbols and nondestructive determination of the identification symbols
AssigneeSavannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
InventorsThomas A. NANCE, Kenneth M. GIBBS
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Abstract
The concealing of one or more identification symbols into a target object and the subsequent determination or reading of such symbols through non-destructive testing is described. The symbols can be concealed in a manner so that they are not visible to the human eye and/or cannot be readily revealed to the human eye without damage or destruction of the target object. The identification symbols can be determined after concealment by e.g., the compilation of multiple X-ray images. As such, the present invention can also provide e.g., a deterrent to theft and the recovery of lost or stolen objects.
Claims20
A method of concealed identification, the steps comprising:
- embedding one or more identification symbols into the target object such that the one or more identification symbols are not visible to the human eye from the outside of the object, cannot be revealed without disassembling the object, and cannot be identified using a single X-ray image;
- obtaining multiple X-ray images of the one or more identification symbols in the object;
- applying one or more algorithms to multiple X-ray images from said step of obtaining;
- and,
- determining the identification symbols from said step of embedding using the results of said step of applying.
A system for concealed identification, comprising:
- a target object;
- and,
- one or more identification symbols embedded into said target object such said one or more identification symbols are not visible to the human eye from the outside of said target object, cannot be revealed without disassembling said target object, and cannot be identified using a single X-ray image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.