# US 2017/0254702 A1 · System and method of determining if a surface is printed or a device screen > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0254702 A1 - Document ID: US20170254702A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/600,026 - Filed: 2017-05-19 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-10 - Assignees: Hand Held Products, Inc. - Applicants: Hand Held Products, Inc. - Inventors: Patrick Anthony Giordano; Steven J. Colavito; Timothy Good; Erik Van Horn; Sean Philip Kearney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170254702A1 ## CPC - G01J 3/457: Correlation spectrometry, e.g. of the intensity (G01J3/453 takes precedence) - G01J 3/506: {measuring the colour produced by screens, monitors, displays or CRTs} - G06K 7/1095: {the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like} - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract A system and method of determining if a surface contains print or is a screen of a device is provided. The method is comprised of the steps of: acquiring a spectral wavelength signature of the surface; comparing the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to RGB triple-peak emission spectra; scanning the surface with an image-based scanner in non-illumination mode based upon the spectral wavelength signature of the surface corresponding to the RGB triple-peak emission spectra, and scanning the surface with an image-based scanner in illumination mode based upon the spectral wavelength signature of the surface not corresponding to the RGB triple-peak emission spectra. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: means to acquire a spectral wavelength signature of a surface; means to compare the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to RGB triple-peak emission spectra; a scanner comprising an illumination mode and a non-illumination mode; wherein the system is configured to: acquire the spectral wavelength signature of the surface; compare the spectral wavelength signature to the RGB triple-peak emission spectra; based on the comparison of the spectral wavelength signature to the RGB triple-peak emission spectra, scan the surface with the scanner in the non-illumination mode or the illumination mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the surface contains a barcode, and wherein the scanner has barcode scanning capability. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the means to acquire a spectral wavelength signature of the surface comprises a diffractive element and a sensor element; and the system is configured to acquire the spectral wavelength signature by capturing light from the surface, sending the captured light through the diffractive element, and using the sensor element acquire the spectral wavelength signature. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor element is selected from a linear imager and a two-dimensional sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the means to acquire a spectral wavelength signature of the surface comprises colored-filters and a sensor element; and the system is configured to acquire the spectral wavelength signature by capturing light from the surface, sending the captured light through colored filters, and using the sensor element to acquire the spectral wavelength signature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the means to acquire a spectral wavelength signature of the surface comprises a two-dimensional imaging lens having intentional chromatic aberrations and a sensor element; and the system is configured to acquire the spectral wavelength signature by capturing light from the surface, sending the captured light through the two-dimensional imaging lens, and using the sensor element to acquire the spectral wavelength signature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the means to compare the spectral wavelength signature to RGB triple-peak emission spectra is selected from: Spectral Angle Mapper software, Principal Component Analysis software, and Pearson correlation coefficient software. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, comprising a laser scanner, wherein the system is configured to scan the surface with the laser scanner based upon the spectral wavelength signature not matching the RGB triple-peak emission spectra. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to: compare the spectral wavelength signature to known spectra selected from the spectra of sunlight, incandescent light, white LED light, warm-white fluorescent light, and fluorescent light; and scan the surface with the scanner in the illumination mode based upon the spectral wavelength signature corresponding to the known spectra. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the means to acquire a spectral wavelength signature of the surface and the scanner have a same field of view. ### Claim 11 A method, comprising: acquiring a spectral wavelength signature of a surface; comparing the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to RGB triple-peak emission spectra; if the spectral wavelength signature of the surface does not correspond to RGB triple-peak emission spectra, scanning the surface in an illumination mode; if the spectral wavelength signature of the surface does correspond to RGB triple-peak emission spectra, scanning the surface in a non-illumination mode; and if comparing the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to RGB triple-peak emission spectra cannot determine whether the spectral wavelength signature of the surface corresponds to RGB triple-peak emission spectra, scanning the surface in a 50/50 duty cycle between the illumination mode and the non-illumination mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein acquiring a spectral wavelength signature of a surface comprises: capturing light from the surface; sending the captured light through a diffractive element; and sensing the structure of the spectral wavelength signature with a sensing element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein acquiring a spectral wavelength signature of a surface comprises: capturing light from the surface; sending the captured light through colored filters; and sensing the structure of the spectral wavelength signature with a sensing element. ### Claim 14 A method, comprising: acquiring a spectral wavelength signature of a surface; comparing the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to RGB triple-peak emission spectra; operating a scanner to scan the surface in at least one of an illumination mode or a non-illumination mode based on the comparison of the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to the RGB triple peak emission spectra. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein acquiring a spectral wavelength signature of a surface comprises: capturing light from the surface; sending the captured light through a diffractive element; and sensing the structure of the spectral wavelength signature with a sensing element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein acquiring a spectral wavelength signature of a surface comprises: capturing light from the surface; sending the captured light through colored filters; and sensing the structure of the spectral wavelength signature with a sensing element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein acquiring a spectral wavelength signature of a surface comprises: capturing light from the surface; sending the captured light through a two-dimensional imaging lens having intentional chromatic aberrations; and sensing the structure of the spectral wavelength signature with a sensing element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein comparing the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to RGB triple-peak emission spectra step is accomplished using software selected from Spectral Angle Mapper software, Principal Component Analysis software, and Pearson correlation coefficient software. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the surface contains a barcode, and wherein the scanner has barcode scanning capabilities. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein: comparing the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to RGB triple-peak emission spectra comprises comparing the spectral wavelength signature of the surface to known spectra, the known spectra being selected from the spectra of sunlight, incandescent light, white LED light, warm-white fluorescent light, and fluorescent light; and scanning the surface in illumination mode is based upon the spectral wavelength signature of the surface corresponding to the known spectra.