Appeal No. 2000-1959
Application No. 09/032,928
BACKGROUND
Appellant's invention relates to a compound secure optical identification method
and means. The method uses a first coded original article that can be modified and
customized by a user by obliterating specific diffraction grating elements. An
understanding of the invention can be derived from a reading of exemplary claim 1,
which is reproduced below.
1. A method of providing secure identification for an article,
comprising:
(a) providing on said article a diffraction grating strip comprising
a pattern of a series of diffraction grating elements, each
said diffraction grating element to diffract light, from a light
source, in one of at least first, second, third, and fourth
selected different planes, each of said diffraction grating
elements which diffract light in said first, second, or third
planes being separated from another diffraction grating
element which diffracts light in said first, second, or third
planes by a diffraction grating element which diffracts light in
said fourth plane; and
(b) selectively obliterating selected ones of said diffraction
grating element which diffract light in said fourth plane, such
as to form a binary number consisting of obliterated and
nonobliterated ones of said diffraction grating elements
which diffract light in said fourth plane.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the examiner in rejecting the
appealed claims are:
Horst et al. (Horst) 4,034,211 Jul. 05, 1977
Stanisci 5,331,443 Jul. 19, 1994
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007