Reader apparatus for upconverting nanoparticle ink printed images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11568161-B2
Application number	US-202016884474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2020
Priority date	Feb 19, 2015
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

An improved system and method for reading an upconversion response from nanoparticle inks is provided. A is adapted to direct a near-infrared excitation wavelength at a readable indicia, resulting in a near-infrared emission wavelength created by the upconverting nanoparticle inks. A short pass filter may filter the near-infrared excitation wavelength. A camera is in operable communication with the short pass filter and receives the near-infrared emission wavelength of the readable indicia. The system may further include an integrated circuit adapted to receive the near-infrared emission wavelength from the camera and generate a corresponding signal. A readable application may be in operable communication with the integrated circuit. The readable application receives the corresponding signal, manipulates the signal, decodes the signal into an output, and displays and/or stores the output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system to read an upconversion response from energy responsive inks, the system comprising:
indicia comprising upconverting nanoparticles printably disposed on a substrate;
a laser comprising a near-infrared excitation wavelength directed at the indicia;
a near-infrared emission wavelength response from the upconverting nanoparticle inks resulting from excitation by the near-infrared excitation wavelength;
a short pass filter comprising an optical element for filtering the near-infrared excitation wavelength and the near-infrared emission wavelength;
a camera comprising an optical lens for collecting the near-infrared emission wavelength, wherein the camera is in operable communication with the short pass filter; and
wherein the camera is adapted to receive the near-infrared emission wavelength through the optical lens from the short pass filter;
an integrated circuit in electronic communication with the camera, wherein the near-infrared emission wavelength of the indicia is received by the integrated circuit from the camera and wherein the integrated circuit generates a corresponding signal;
wherein the camera captures a resulting image from the corresponding signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises
an integrated circuit having an output signal from the near-infrared emission wavelength.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a reader application comprising a signal output decoded from the output signal of the integrated circuit.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a data layer stored on an architecture of the reader application for decoding the indicia.

5. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a display of the signal output from the integrated circuit.

6. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a smartphone comprising a display of the output signal.

7. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
an epoxy disposed in covering relation to the integrated circuit and the indicia.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indicia comprises a quick-response code.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opaque protective layer having one or more fillers non-transmissive of the near-infrared excitation wavelength, wherein the indicia is disposed beneath the opaque protective layer.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a filler free portion of the opaque protective layer transmissive to the near-infrared excitation wavelength.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the upconverting nanoparticles are comprised of lanthanide-ion-doped β-NaYF4.

12. A method for obscuring and reading covert inks, the method comprising:
providing an upconverting nanoparticle ink;
printing the upconverting nanoparticle ink;
exciting the upconverting nanoparticle ink with filtered near-infrared excitation wavelength generated by a laser;
filtering near-infrared emission from the upconverted nanoparticle ink with a short pass filter comprising an optical element adapted to filter the near-infrared emission and near-infrared excitation wavelength;
collecting filtered near-infrared emission from the upconverting nanoparticle ink with a camera through an optical lens of the camera, wherein the camera is in operable communication with the short pass filter; and
decoding the near-infrared emission wavelength from the upconverting nanoparticle ink with a reader application in electrical communication with the camera;
wherein the reader application comprises an integrated circuit in electronic communication with the camera, the integrated circuit adapted to receive the near-infrared emission wavelength of the upconverted nanoparticle ink from the camera.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
a substrate having indicia comprising the upconverting nanoparticle ink.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
passing near-infrared excitation and emission through an optical filtering element of the short pass filter.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
displaying a decoded output of the filtered near-infrared emission on an electronic device.

16. A method for reading an upconversion response from energy responsive inks, the method comprising:
attaching upconverting nanoparticles to a substrate by printing;
directing near-infrared excitation at the upconverting nanoparticles utilizing an aperture in operable communication with the substrate;
collecting near-infrared emission from the upconverting nanoparticle inks by an optical element in operable communication with the substrate, the optical element adapted to receive the near-infrared excitation wavelength, receive the near-infrared emission wavelength;
passing near-infrared excitation and emission through an optical element for filtering the near-infrared excitation wavelength;
reading the near-infrared emission wavelength by a reader application; and
displaying an output of the filtered near-infrared emission wavelength on an electronic device in electrical communication with the reader application.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
displaying decoded near-infrared emission.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the optical element comprises a short pass filter.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
comparing a data layer stored in an architecture of a reader application for decoding near-infrared emission.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
obscuring at least a portion of printed upconverting nanoparticles with an opaque protective layer having one or more fillers non-transmissive of near-infrared excitation.

Assignees

• South Dakota Board Of Regents

Inventors

• Langerman David
• Kellar Jon
• Cross William
• May P Stanley
• Brackins Julian
• Meruga Jeevan
• Baride Aravind
• Rapp John

Classifications

• G06K7/10564 Primary

  Light sources · CPC title

• G07D7/005

  Testing security markings invisible to the naked eye, e.g. verifying thickened lines or unobtrusive markings or alterations · CPC title

• C09K11/7766

  containing two or more rare earth metals · CPC title

• B42D25/29

  Securities; Bank notes · CPC title

• C09D11/037

  characterised by the pigment · CPC title