Method and system for creating and reading multi-color co-planar emissive indicia using printable dyes and pigments

Abstract

A method and system for identifying, tracking, and/or authenticating objects that is simple to apply and to use by an intended user, but is extremely difficult to counterfeit or compromise by an unintended user. Also disclosed is a multi-color, co-planar indicium made of a combination of printed patterns of multiple inks. The printed patterns may be modified by software-generated masks to ensure that the patterns are co-planar. The indicium is undecipherable unless irradiated with specified wavelengths of light radiation, filtered through specified spectral filters, and read and decoded by an electronic image reader. The indicium may be visible or covert. The indicium encodes unique true information about the object and may encode nonsensical or intentionally incorrect information as a further deterrent to unauthorized use. The method permits the indicia to be applied to objects at high processing speeds possible with inkjet printing.

1 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A set of masks for generating a co-planar indicium, comprising:
 a first mask having a first software-generated array of addresses; and   a second mask having a second software-generated array of addresses;   wherein the combination of the first addresses and the second addresses have no more than one logical one (1) for an address, wherein the addresses identify the location of pixels within the co-planar indicium.   
     
     
         21 . The set of masks according to  claim 20 , further comprising a third mask having a third software-generated array of addresses, wherein the combination of the first addresses, the second addresses, and the third addresses have no more than one logical one (1) for an address, wherein the addresses identify the location of a pixel within the co-planar indicium. 
     
     
         22 . The set of masks according to  claim 21 , further comprising a fourth mask having a fourth software-generated array of addresses, wherein the combination of the first addresses, the second addresses, the third addresses, and the fourth addresses have no more than one logical one (1) for an address, wherein the addresses identify the location of a pixel within the co-planar indicium. 
     
     
         23 . A method for identifying, tracking, and/or authenticating an object, comprising the steps of:
 (a) applying a co-planar indicium to the object;   (b) irradiating the co-planar indicium with light radiation to cause the co-planar indicium to emit a signal;   (c) passing the emitted signals through one or more spectral filters;   (d) processing the filtered signal using an electronic image reader; and   (e) comparing the processed signals with identifying, tracking, and/or authenticating information.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the co-planar indicium comprises:
 a first printed pattern in a first ink comprising a dye and/or pigment; and   a second printed pattern in a second ink comprising a dye and/or pigment;   wherein the first ink is different from the second ink and the first printed pattern and the second printed pattern are combined to form the co-planar indicium.   
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the co-planar indicium further comprises an at least third printed pattern in an at least third ink comprising a dye and/or pigment, wherein the at least third ink is different from the first ink and the second ink, and the first printed pattern, the second printed pattern, and the at least third printed pattern are combined to form a co-planar indicium. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the processing step further comprises an additional layer of encryption that is decoded before the comparing step. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the co-planar indicium is covert. 
     
     
         28 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the one or more spectral filters are selected from notch filters, color-specific filters, long pass filters, short pass filters, tunable filters, and/or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the one or more spectral filters comprises at least one spectral filter that passes emitted signals encoding true information, and at least one spectral filter that blocks emitted signals encoding false information. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first printed pattern and the second printed pattern encodes true information. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein each of two or more printed patterns encodes a part of the true information. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the printed patterns encodes false information. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 24 , further comprising the step of using one or more masks to produce the first printed pattern and second printed pattern that form the co-planar indicium, wherein the co-planar indicium has no more than 10% overlap of the first ink and second ink in adjacent pixels. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the number of masks equals the total number of inks. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the co-planar indicium is applied to the object by a printer selected from the group consisting of inkjet, thermal, piezo, and laser printers. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the printer is an inkjet printer having one or more inkjet print heads. 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the co-planar indicium is printed at about 300 dots per inch or greater. 
     
     
         42 .- 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A system for authenticating or tracking an object, comprising:
 a co-planar indicium having a first printed pattern in a first ink, a second printed pattern in a second ink, wherein the first ink is different than the second ink, and the first printed pattern and second printed pattern are combined to form the co-planar indicium;   at least one light source;   at least one spectral filter; and   an electronic image reader.   
     
     
         50 . The system according to  claim 49 , wherein the co-planar indicium further comprises an at least third printed pattern in an at least third ink, wherein the at least third ink is different from the first ink and the second ink, and the first printed pattern, the second printed pattern, and the at least third printed pattern are combined to form the co-planar indicium.