Method and system for identifying smoking articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12538945-B2
Application number	US-202117927520-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2021
Priority date	May 28, 2020
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

A method for authenticating an aerosol-generating article includes the steps of imaging and processing at least one consumable section of the aerosol-generating article, correlating a current digitalized image with a reference image registered during production of the article, and determining, based on correlation results and a predetermined correlation criterium, if the article is a genuine product. An aerosol-generating system includes an aerosol-generating device having a 2D and/or 3D imager that includes image processing and image correlation means for imaging and analysing the stochastic arrangement of the individual substrate parts of the aerosol-generating article. A machine for producing aerosol-generating articles includes an in-line imaging system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for authenticating an aerosol-generating article, said aerosol-generating article comprising a consumable substrate formed of individual substrate parts arranged in a stochastic arrangement in at least one consumable section of said aerosol-generating article,
wherein the method comprises the steps of:
providing an imager comprising image processing means and image correlation means,
imaging the consumable substrate in said at least one consumable section of the aerosol-generating article to form a base 2D and/or 3D image of the consumable substrate therein by said imager,
processing, by said image processing means, said base 2D and/or 3D image to form a digitalized 2D and/or 3D image representative of the stochastic arrangement of the individual substrate parts of said consumable substrate, said digitalized image comprising characteristic optical information of the stochastic arrangement of the individual substrate parts at said at least one consumable section,
correlating, by said image correlation means, said digitalized image with a reference image of the consumable substrate in said at least one consumable section registered during production thereof, said reference image also comprising characteristic optical information of the stochastic arrangement of the individual substrate parts at said at least one consumable section, and
determining, based on a result of the step of correlating and a predetermined correlation criterium, if the aerosol generating article is a genuine product.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the imager is provided in a cavity of an authentication device, said cavity being defined by a cavity opening and a cavity end opposite to said opening, and wherein the aerosol-generating article is introduced in the cavity such that said at least one consumable section is positioned in proximity of said imager.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the authentication device is an aerosol-generating device and the cavity is a heating cavity of said aerosol-generating device.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating article has an elongated shape with a proximal end and a distal end, said at least one consumable section comprising the distal end, and wherein the base 2D and/or 3D image of the consumable substrate is an image of said distal end of the at least one consumable section of the article.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one consumable section of the aerosol-generating article has an adhesive seam presenting a seam end portion at said distal end, the method comprising the further steps of:
detecting an angular position of said seam end portion, using the detected angular position of said seam end portion to provide an angular corrected image of the distal end of said aerosol-generating article.

6 . The method of according to claim 4 , wherein the consumable substrate comprises an insert, the method comprising a step of identifying a presence and a 2D (X-Y) orientation of said insert at said distal end.

7 . The method of according to claim 6 , wherein said insert is a conductive thread arranged in or on said aerosol-generating article.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said consumable substrate comprises tobacco.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said characteristic optical information of the digitalized image and/or of the reference image comprises UV and/or visible and/or infrared transmission and/or reflection features.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said characteristic optical information of the digitalized image and/or of the reference image comprises intensity and/or optical contrast and/or polarisation distributions.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said characteristic optical information of the reference image and of said digitalized image are detected in at least two different wavelength bands.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said consumable substrate comprises tobacco cut-filler and/or reconstituted tobacco.

13 . An aerosol-generating system, comprising an aerosol-generating device comprising a 2D and/or 3D imager and an aerosol-generating article comprising a consumable substrate formed of individual substrate parts arranged in a stochastic arrangement in at least one consumable section of said aerosol-generating article, said aerosol-generating article having a proximal end and a distal end,
wherein said imager comprises image processing means and image correlation means and is configured to:
form a 2D and/or 3D image of the stochastic arrangement of the individual substrate parts in the consumable substrate at said distal end therein by said imager,
process said 2D and/or 3D image to form a digitalized 2D and/or 3D image representative of the stochastic arrangement of the individual substrate parts of said consumable substrate, said digitalized image comprising characteristic optical information of the stochastic arrangement of the individual substrate parts at said at least one consumable section,
correlate said digitalized image with a reference image of the consumable substrate in said at least one consumable section registered during production thereof, said reference image also comprising characteristic optical information of the stochastic arrangement of the individual substrate parts at said at least one consumable section, and
determine, based on correlation results of the digitalized image with the reference image and a predetermined correlation criterium, if the aerosol generating article is a genuine product.

14 . The aerosol-generating system according to claim 13 , wherein said imager comprises UV and/or visible and/or infrared and/or polarisation detection and/or microwave and/or capacitive and/or thermal detection means.

15 . A consumable package, configured to include a plurality of aerosol-generating articles according to claim 12 , comprising a transparent package bottom layer for aligning the distal ends of said plurality of aerosol-generating articles in contact with said bottom layer, said transparent bottom layer allowing imaging of said distal ends by an imaging system.

16 . A machine for producing aerosol-generating articles comprising a distribution system to guide fabricated articles and a packaging unit for packaging said articles, the machine comprising at least one in-line imaging system configured for carrying out the method of claim 1 , said at least one in-line imaging system being arranged to said distribution system and/or to said packaging unit.

Assignees

• Jt Int Sa

Inventors

• Debergh Patrick

Classifications

• G06T2207/30108

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• G06T7/74

  involving reference images or patches · CPC title

• G06T7/001

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• B65D85/08

  rod-shaped or tubular · CPC title

• B65D75/522

  Inspection openings or windows · CPC title