Modified two-dimensional codes, and laser systems and methods for producing such codes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9269035-B2
Application number	US-201414194455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

Each black square within a two-dimensional code can be represented by a distribution of spots. Each spot can be made small enough to be invisible to the human eye so that the two-dimensional code can be invisible on or within transparent or nontransparent materials. The spots can be spaced at a large distance to increase the signal-to-noise ratio for an optical code reader. A laser can be used to produce the spots.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for marking a substrate with a two-dimensional identification code represented by an array of designated and undesignated geometric areas, comprising:
generating laser pulses; and
directing the laser pulses at the substrate to form a distribution of spots on or within the substrate, wherein the distribution of spots represents the two-dimensional code and comprises multiple groups of spots, including first and second groups that each include multiple spaced-apart spots, wherein each of the first and second groups of spots is representative of a designated geometric shape, such that the distribution of spots forms an array of multiple rows and columns of geometric areas, wherein some of the geometric areas include one group of spots and some of the geometric areas are devoid of spots such that the geometric areas that include one group of spots represent the designated geometric areas and such that the geometric areas that are devoid of spots represent the undesignated geometric areas.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the designated geometric shape is a rectangular geometric shape, and wherein the first and second groups of spots are positioned to represent corners of the rectangular geometric shape.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of spots each contain an odd number of spots.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distribution of spots representing the two-dimensional code is invisible to a human eye at a distance of greater than or equal to 25 mm from the human eye.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array has an array dimension that is larger than 50 microns.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array has an array dimension that is larger than 500 microns.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array has an array dimension that is smaller than or equal to 1 mm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of spots are invisible to the human eye at a distance of greater than or equal to 25 mm from the human eye.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the array presents a pitch between groups that is in a range of 10 to 100 microns.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the array is greater than or equal to 600 microns by 600 microns.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein each spot of the first and second groups is invisible to the human eye at a distance of greater than or equal to 25 mm from the human eye.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the spots of each of the first and second groups are spaced-apart, wherein each of the first and second groups of spots is representative of a filled-in designated geometric shape, wherein the geometric areas that include one group of spots designate one of a light geometric area or a darkened geometric area, wherein the geometric areas that are devoid of spots designate one of the light geometric area or the darkened geometric area, and wherein the geometric areas that include one group of spots and the geometric areas that are devoid of spots designate different ones of the light and dark geometric areas.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second groups contains less than or equal to five spaced-apart spots.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spots of the first and second groups each have a dimension for a major spatial axis that is smaller than 35 microns.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the spots each have a dimension for a major spatial axis, and wherein the spots are separated by a distance that is greater than or equal to four times the dimension of the major spatial axis.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pattern of spots provides a signal to noise ratio of greater than or equal to 5.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spots each have a dimension for a major spatial axis, and wherein the spots are separated by a distance that is greater than or equal to four times the dimension of the major spatial axis.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geometric areas represent squares in a QR code.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein each spot is formed by a single laser pulse having a pulsewidth that is shorter than 50 ps.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spots are dark and the substrate is light.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spots are dark, and wherein the substrate is substantially transparent to visible light.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a glass, a metal, or a plastic.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises sapphire or anodized aluminum.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein a beam-positioning system and a substrate support system cooperate to position the spots of the laser pulses with respect to locations on the substrate, and wherein positioning accuracy of some spots to location is worse than 10 microns.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the group of spots provides a signal to noise ratio of greater than or equal to 5.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein a beam-positioning system and a substrate support system cooperate to position the spots of the laser pulses with respect to locations on the substrate, and wherein positioning accuracy of some spots to location is worse than 10 microns.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein each spot of the first and second groups is invisible to the human eye at a distance of greater than or equal to 25 mm from the human eye.

28. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array comprises at least 50 geometric areas in a row or a column.

29. A laser micromachining system for marking a substrate with a two-dimensional identification code on or within a substrate of a workpiece, wherein the two-dimensional code includes an array of geometrically-shaped areas, wherein some the geometrically-shaped areas are designated and some of the geometrically-shaped areas are undesignated, the laser micromachining system comprising:
a laser for generating laser pulses along a beam axis;
a workpiece support system for moving the workpiece;
a beam-positioning system for directing the beam axis toward the workpiece, such that one or more laser pulses are operable to mark a spot on the substrate; and
a controller for coordinating relative movement of the workpiece support system and the beam-positioning system, and for implementing conversion of each designated geometrically-shaped area of the two-dimensional code into prospective locations on the substrate for laser pulses to form a pattern of multiple spaced-apart spots representative of the designated geometrically-shaped area.

30. The laser micromachining system of claim 29 , wherein the beam-positioning system and the substrate support system cooperate to position the spots of the laser pulses with respect to locations on the substrate, and wherein positioning accuracy of some spots to location is worse than 10 microns.

31. The laser micromachining system of claim 30 , wherein the pattern of spots provides a signal to noise ratio of greater than or equal to 5.

32. A two-dimensional identification code represented by an array of designated and undesignated geometric areas, comprising:
a distribution of spots on or within a substrate having a contrasting background, wherein the distribution of spots comprises multiple groups of spots, including first and second groups that

Assignees

• Electro Scient Ind Inc

Inventors

• Redd Justin D

Classifications

• G06K19/06037 Primary

  multi-dimensional coding · CPC title

• G06K19/06084

  the marking being based on nanoparticles or microbeads · CPC title

• B41J3/01

  for special character, e.g. for Chinese characters or barcodes · CPC title

• B41J2/442

  using lasers · CPC title

• G06K19/06178

  the marking having a feature size being smaller than can be seen by the unaided human eye · CPC title