Claims
- 1. A spectrally-encoded label, comprising a spectrally-selective optical element having a label spectral signature, wherein the label spectral signature is determined according to a spectral-encoding scheme so as to represent predetermined label information within the spectral encoding scheme, and the label emits output light in response to input light selected by the label spectral signature of the optical element.
- 2. The label of claim 1, wherein the label spectral signature comprises a plurality of spectral bands, each spectral band having a nominal center wavelength and a spectral bandwidth.
- 3. The label of claim 2, wherein the nominal center wavelengths of the spectral bands are selected according to the spectral-encoding scheme to represent the label information.
- 4. The label of claim 2, wherein the spectral bandwidths of the spectral bands are selected according to the spectral-encoding scheme to represent the label information.
- 5. The label of claim 2, wherein the nominal center wavelengths and the spectral bandwidths of the spectral bands are selected according to the spectral-encoding scheme to represent the label information.
- 6. The label of claim 1, wherein the spectrally-selective optical element has at least one spatially-varying optical property.
- 7. The label of claim 6, wherein the spectrally-elective element includes at least two distinct areal segments each having a corresponding distinct areal spectral signature substantially spatially uniform over the corresponding areal segment.
- 8. The label of claim 7, wherein the areal spectral signatures of all of the areal segments contribute to the label spectral signature.
- 9. The label of claim 8, wherein the label spectral signature comprises a plurality of spectral bands, each spectral band having a nominal center wavelength and a spectral bandwidth, and each areal spectral signature corresponds to one of the spectral bands.
- 10. The label of claim 7, wherein the areal spectral signatures of an active fraction of the areal segments contribute to the label spectral signature, and the areal spectral signatures of a. remaining deactivated fraction of the areal segments do not contribute to the label spectral signature.
- 11. The label of claim 10, wherein the deactivated areal segments are masked by a static mask.
- 12. The label of claim 10, wherein the deactivated areal segments are masked by a controllable dynamic mask, thereby enabling controlled alteration of the label information.
- 13. The label of claim 10, wherein the deactivated areal segments are deactivated by structural alteration of the spectrally-selective optical element.
- 14. The label of claim 10, wherein:
the label spectral signature comprises a plurality of spectral bands, each spectral band having a nominal center wavelength and a spectral bandwidth; each spectral band that may be used to contribute to the label spectral profile within the spectral encoding scheme corresponds to an areal spectral signature of at least one of the areal segments of the optical element; and each spectral band that contributes to the label spectral profile corresponds to an areal spectral signature of at least one of the active areal segments.
- 15. The label of claim 6, wherein the spatially-varying optical property of the spectrally-selective optical element varies substantially continuously over an area of the optical element.
- 16. The label of claim 15, wherein:
the continuously-varying area of the optical element comprises at least two distinct areal segments each having a corresponding areal spectral signature; the areal spectral signatures of an active fraction of the areal segments contribute to the label spectral signature; and the areal spectral signatures of a remaining deactivated fraction of the areal segments do not contribute to the label spectral signature.
- 17. The label of claim 16, wherein the deactivated areal segments are masked by a static mask.
- 18. The label of claim 17, wherein the static mask comprises a spatial barcode formed on a substantially transparent label and applied over the optical element.
- 19. The label of claim 16, wherein the deactivated areal segment are masked by a controllable dynamic mask, thereby enabling controlled alteration of the label information.
- 20. The label of claim 16, wherein the deactivated areal segments are deactivated by structural alteration of the spectrally-selective optical element.
- 21. The label of claim 16, wherein:
the label spectral signature comprises a plurality of spectral bands, each spectral band having a nominal center wavelength and a spectral bandwidth; each spectral band that may be used to contribute to the label spectral profile within the spectral encoding scheme corresponds to an areal spectral signature of at least one of the areal segments of the optical element; and each spectral band that contributes to the label spectral profile corresponds to an areal spectral signature of at least one of the active areal segments.
- 22. The label of claim 1, wherein the spectrally-selective optical element comprises at least one wavelength-dependent transmissive optical filter, and the label further comprises an emitting layer below the optical filter that emits output light in response to input light transmitted through the optical filter.
- 23. The label of claim 22, wherein the emitting layer scatters input light transmitted through the optical filter, and the output light comprises input light scattered from the emitting layer.
- 24. The label of claim 22, wherein the emitting layer reflects input light transmitted through the optical filter, and the output light comprises input light reflected from the emitting layer.
- 25. The label of claim 22, wherein the emitting layer retro-reflects input light transmitted through the optical filter, and the output light comprises input light retro-reflected from the emitting layer.
- 26. The label of claim 22, wherein the emitting layer absorbs input light transmitted through the optical filter, and the output light comprises resultant fluorescence from the emitting layer.
- 27. The label of claim 22, wherein the optical filter comprises an interference filter.
- 28. The label of claim 22, wherein the optical filter comprises a gradient filter.
- 29. The label of claim 22, wherein the optical filter comprises an absorptive filter.
- 30. The label of claim 1, wherein the spectrally-selective optical element comprises at least one wavelength-dependent optical reflector, and the output light comprises input light reflected from the optical reflector.
- 31. The label of claim 30, wherein the optical reflector comprises a gradient reflector.
- 32. The label of claim 30, wherein the label includes a diffusing layer over the optical reflector.
- 33. The label of claim 30, wherein the label includes an absorbing layer below the optical reflector.
- 34. The label of claim 1, wherein the spectrally-selective optical element comprises a diffraction grating.
- 35. The label of claim 34, wherein diffractive elements of the grating are circular.
- 36. The label of claim 34, wherein the grating surface is curved.
- 37. The label of claim 34, wherein the grating is a chirped grating.
- 38. The label of claim 1, wherein:
the spectrally-selective optical element comprises at least one wavelength-dependent transmissive optical filter; the label further comprises at least one optical detector positioned for detecting input light transmitted through the optical filter; and at least one light source for emitting output light in response to detected input light.
- 39. The label of claim 38, wherein the label comprises a single detector and a single light source.
- 40. The label of claim 38, wherein the label comprises multiple detectors and a single light source.
- 41. The label of claim 38, wherein the label comprises multiple detectors and multiple corresponding light sources.
- 42. The label of claim 38, wherein the light source comprises an LED.
- 43. A spectrally-encoded label system, comprising:
at least one spectrally-encoded label, the label comprising a spectrally-selective optical element having a label spectral signature, wherein the label spectral signature is determined according to a spectral-encoding scheme so as to represent predetermined label information within the spectral encoding scheme, and the label emits output light in response to input light selected by the label spectral signature of the optical element; an optical detector sensitive to the output light emitted from the label; and a decoder operatively coupled to the detector for extracting the label information from detected output light according to the spectral encoding scheme.
- 44. The system of claim 43, wherein:
the optical detector comprises a spectrally-resolved detector spanning the label spectral signature and having resolution sufficient to resolve the label spectral signature; and the input light is provided by ambient light.
- 45. The system of claim 43, further comprising a light source providing the input light for illuminating the label.
- 46. The system of claim 45, wherein:
the light source is spectrally sufficiently narrow to resolve the label spectral signature, and is tunable across the label spectral signature; and the optical detector is sensitive simultaneously to the entire label spectral signature.
- 47. The system of claim 46, wherein the light source comprises a tunable laser.
- 48. The system of claim 45, wherein:
the optical detector comprises a spectrally-resolved detector spanning the label spectral signature and having resolution sufficient to resolve the label spectral signature; and the light source provides input light simultaneously over the entire label spectral signature.
- 49. The system of claim 48, wherein the light source comprises an LED.
- 50. The system of claim 48, wherein the light source comprises an amplified spontaneous emission source.
- 51. The system of claim 48, wherein the light source comprises a lamp.
- 52. The system of claim 43, wherein the optical detector generates a temporal waveform in response to detected output light, and the decoder extracts the label information by analysis of the temporal waveform.
- 53. The system of claim 43, wherein the decoder extracts the label information by direct analysis of a wavelength-dependence of detected output light.
- 54. The system of claim 43, wherein the spectral encoding scheme is based on a spatial barcode encoding scheme.
- 55. The system of claim 54, wherein the spatial barcode encoding scheme is a recognized spatial barcode encoding scheme.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of prior-filed co-pending provisional App. No. 60/452,010 entitled “Spectral labeling for remote identification” filed Mar. 04, 2003 in the names of Thomas W. Mossberg, Christoph Greiner, and Dmitri Iazikov, said provisional application being hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. This application claims benefit of prior-filed co-pending provisional App. No. 60/453,115 entitled “Spectral labeling for remote identification II” filed Mar. 6, 2003 in the names of Thomas W. Mossberg, Christoph Greiner, and Dmitri Iazikov, said provisional application being hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60452010 |
Mar 2003 |
US |
|
60453115 |
Mar 2003 |
US |