Method and apparatus for extracting information from an object that is within a large interrogation zone

A method of sensing and identifying of information having an unknown position and orientation within a large interrogation zone, said method comprising:

• incorporating the information which is to be read on a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence;
• irradiating the zone with electromagnetic radiation by a source having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for the radiation from the source;
• sensing the zone for electromagnetic radiation which is reflected off of objects within the zone;
• locating the sensing means adjacent the known axis of incidence from the irradiation source, thus receiving radiation originating from the irradiation source and reflected by the retroreflective material, but tending to eliminate radiation from the radiation source which is specularly reflected by areas within the zone;
• dividing the reflected radiation thus sensed into a network of individual segments and identifying a separate location for each segment;
• measuring the magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation present within each segment;
• selecting only those segments of the zone having a magnitude for the electromagnetic radiation above a predetermined value which value is a typical maximum for diffuse reflection,
• determining at least one target area consisting of adjacent selected segments, while eliminating from consideration all areas of the zone not within a target area, thereby eliminating from consideration radiation which is reflected from areas within the zone not defined by the retroreflective material;
• identifying any information contained within the target area.

An apparatus for sensing and identifying information having an unknown location and orientation within a large interrogation zone, which information is defined by a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence, said system comprising:

• means for irradiating the zone having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for radiation from the irradiation means to the zone,
• means for sensing radiation which is reflected off of objects located within the zone, including a detector located adjacent said axis of incidence for said irradiation means and thereby positioned to optimally receive retroreflected radiation from said retroreflective material,
• means for dividing the radiation sensed into a network of individual segments and for identifying a separate location for each segment,
• means for measuring the magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation present within each of said segments,
• means for selecting only those segments of the zone having a magnitude for the electromagnetic radiation sensed above a predetermined value which is typical of diffuse reflection, thereby tending to eliminate radiation which is reflected from areas within the zone not defined by the retroreflective material,
• means for identifying information included on said retroreflective material.

In a device for reading information which is moving through a zone, the improvement comprising a system for locating that information within the zone while eliminating from consideration the remainder of the zone, said system comprising:

• means for irradiating the zone having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for the radiation from the irradiation means to the zone,
• means for sensing radiation which is reflected off of objects located within the zone, including a detector located adjacent said axis of incidence for said irradiation means,
• a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation within a predetermined frequency range, in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence, thereby reflecting the radiation from said irradiation means to said detector while reflecting radiation originating from other sources toward the other sources, said retroreflective material including means for incorporating information thereon,
• means for dividing the radiation sensed into a network of individual segments and for identifying a separate location for each segment,
• means for measuring the magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation present within each of said segments,
• means for selecting only those segments of the zone having a magnitude for the electromagnetic radiation sensed above a predetermined value which is typical of diffuse reflection, thereby eliminating radiation which is diffusely reflected from areas within the zone not defined by the retroreflective material.

A method of machine sensing and identifying of information having an unknown position and orientation within a large interrogation zone, which information is defined by a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence, said method comprising:

• irradiating the zone with electromagnetic radiation by a source having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for the radiation from the source;
• sensing the zone for electromagnetic radiation which is reflected off of objects within the zone;
• locating the sensing means adjacent the known axis of incidence from the irradiation source, thus receiving radiation originating from the irradiation source and reflected by the retroreflective material, but tending to eliminate radiation from the radiation source which is specularly reflected by areas within the zone;
• dividing the reflected radiation thus sensed into a network of individual segments and identifying a separate location for each segment;
• measuring the magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation present within each segment;
• selecting only those segments of the zone having a magnitude for the electromagnetic radiation above a predetermined value which value is a typical maximum for diffuse reflection, thus eliminating from consideration diffusely reflected radiation,
• determining at least one target area consisting of adjacent selected segments, while eliminating from consideration all areas of the zone not within the target area, thereby eliminating from consideration radiation which is reflected from areas within the zone not defined by the retroreflective material;
• identifying any information contained within the target area.

A method of sensing and identifying an object having an unknown position and orientation within a large interrogation zone and extracting information therefrom, said method comprising:

• incorporating on the object a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence;
• irradiating the zone with electromagnetic radiation by a source having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for the radiation from the source;
• sensing the zone for electromagnetic radiation which is reflected off of objects within the zone;
• locating the sensing means adjacent the known axis of incidence from the irradiation source, thus receiving radiation originating from the irradiation source and reflected by the retroreflective material, but tending to eliminate radiation from radiation sources which is specularly reflected by areas within the zone;
• selecting sensed radiation that has a magnitude greater than a predetermined value which is typical for diffuse reflection, thereby locating the retroreflective material;
• and
• determining the velocity of the object having the retroreflective material.

A method of sensing an object within a large interrogation zone and determining its velocity, said method comprising:

• incorporating on the object a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence;
• irradiating the zone with electromagnetic radiation by a source having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for the radiation from the source;
• sensing the zone for electromagnetic radiation which is reflected off of objects within the zone;
• locating the sensing means adjacent the known axis of incidence from the irradiation source, thus receiving radiation originating from the irradiation source and reflected by the retroreflective material, but tending to eliminate radiation from the radiation source which is specularly reflected by areas within the zone;
• dividing the reflected radiation thus sensed into a network of individual segments and identifying a separate location for each segment;
• measuring the magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation present within each segment;
• selecting only those segments of the zone having a magnitude for the electromagnetic radiation above a predetermined value which value is a typical maximum for diffuse reflection;
• determining at least one target area consisting of adjacent selected segments, while eliminating from consideration all areas of the zone not within a target area, thereby eliminating from consideration radiation which is reflected from areas within the zone not defined by the retroreflective material;
• and
• determining the velocity of the target area and thereby the velocity of the object containing the target area.

An apparatus for sensing object within a large interrogation zone and determining its velocity, which object includes a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence, said apparatus comprising:

• means for irradiating the zone having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for radiation from the irradiation means to the zone,
• means for sensing radiation which is reflected off of objects located within the zone, including a detector located adjacent said axis of incidence for said irradiation means and thereby positioned to optimally receive retroreflected radiation from said retroreflective material,
• means for dividing the radiation sensed into a network of individual segments and for identifying a separate location for each segment,
• means for measuring the magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation present within each of said segments,
• means for selecting only those segments of the zone having a magnitude for the electromagnetic radiation sensed above a predetermined value which is typical of diffuse reflection, thereby tending to eliminate radiation which is reflected from areas within the zone not defined by the retroreflective material,
• means for determining the velocity of the object including said retroreflective material.

In a device for determining the velocity of an object moving through a zone, the improvement comprising an apparatus to be used in conjunction with means for determining the velocity of an object for locating that object within the zone while eliminating from consideration the remainder of the zone, said apparatus comprising:

• means for irradiating the zone having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for the radiation from the irradiation means to the zone,
• means for sensing radiation which is reflected off of objects located within the zone, including a detector located adjacent said axis of incidence for said irradiation means,
• a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation within a predetermined frequency range, in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence, thereby reflecting the radiation from said irradiation means to said detector while reflecting radiation originating from other sources toward the other sources,
• means for dividing the radiation sensed into a network of individual segments and for identifying a separate location for each segment,
• means for measuring the magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation present within each of said segments,
• means for selecting only those segments of the zone having a magnitude for the electromagnetic radiation sensed above a predetermined value which is typical of diffuse reflection, thereby eliminating radiation which is diffusely reflected from areas within the zone not defined by the retroreflective material.

A method of machine sensing an object which has an unknown position and orientation within a large interrogation zone and determining its velocity, which object is defined by a retroreflective material designed to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation in a concentrated cone surrounding the axes of incidence, said method comprising:

• irradiating the zone with electromagnetic radiation by a source having a predetermined location with respect to the zone, thereby establishing a known axis of incidence for the radiation from the source;
• sensing the zone for electromagnetic radiation which is reflected off of objects within the zone;
• locating the sensing means adjacent the known axis of incidence from the irradiation source, thus receiving radiation originating from the irradiation source and reflected by the retroreflective material, but tending to eliminate radiation from the radiation source which is specularly reflected by areas within the zone;
• dividing the reflected radiation thus sensed into a network of individual segments and identifying a separate location for each segment;
• measuring the magnitude of the electromagnetic radiation present within each segment;
• selecting only those segments of the zone having a magnitude for the electromagnetic radiation above a predetermined value which value is a typical maximum for diffuse reflection, thus eliminating from consideration diffusely reflected radiation,
• determining at least one target area consisting of adjacent selected segments, while eliminating from consideration all areas of the zone not within the target area, thereby eliminating from consideration radiation which is reflected from areas within the zone not defined by the retroreflective material;
• determining the velocity of the object defined by the retroreflective material.