Apparatus for forming identification marks and method for forming identification marks

Abstract

To provide an identification mark forming apparatus and an identification mark forming method that employ new technologies for forming identification marks on objects to be marked. [Solution] The system includes a marking agent application means 10 that applies a marking agent MA to an object WK to be applied to, and forms an identification mark DM with the applied marking agent MA; a primary information acquisition means 20 that takes in the identification mark DM formed on the object WK as primary information; a confirmation means 30 that confirms the individual recognition of the identification mark DM based on the primary information acquired by the primary information acquisition means 20; and a secondary information acquisition means 40 that takes in the primary information of the identification mark DM whose individual recognition has been confirmed by the confirmation means 30 as secondary information. The confirmation means 30 confirms the individual recognition of the identification mark DM without comparing the primary information and the secondary information before the secondary information is acquired by the secondary information acquisition means 40, but after the secondary information is acquired by the secondary information acquisition means 40, it confirms the individual recognition of the identification mark DM by comparing the primary information and the secondary information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an identification mark forming apparatus and an identification mark forming method.

Background Art

[0002] A technique for forming an identification mark on an application target object is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of forming an anti-counterfeit pattern (identification mark) on a base material 9 (application target object) by plateless printing, but in recent years, new techniques have been demanded for forming identification marks on application target objects.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an identification mark forming apparatus and an identification mark forming method that adopt a new technique for forming an identification mark on an application target object.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention adopts the configuration described in the claims.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, before acquiring secondary information with the secondary information acquisition means, the individual recognizability of the identification mark is confirmed without comparing the primary information and the secondary information. However, after acquiring secondary information with the secondary information acquisition means, the individual recognizability of the identification mark is confirmed by comparing the primary information and the secondary information. Therefore, it is possible to provide an identification mark forming apparatus and an identification mark forming method that employ new technology when forming an identification mark on an object to be marked. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] (A) to (H) are explanatory diagrams of an identification mark forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention and an explanatory diagram of the operation of the apparatus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the X, Y, and Z axes are orthogonal to each other. The X and Y axes are axes within a predetermined plane, and the Z axis is an axis perpendicular to the predetermined plane. Furthermore, in this embodiment, using the view from the front direction in Figure 1(A), which is parallel to the Y axis, as the reference, when directions are indicated without specifying a figure, "up" is the direction of the Z-axis arrow and "down" is the opposite direction, "left" is the direction of the X-axis arrow and "right" is the opposite direction, and "front" is the front direction in Figure 1(A), which is parallel to the Y axis and "back" is the opposite direction.

[0010] The identification mark forming apparatus EA for implementing the identification mark forming method of the present invention includes: a marking agent application means 10 that applies a marking agent MA to an object WK to be applied to, and forms an identification mark DM (see Figure 1(B)) that has individual recognition properties with the applied marking agent MA; a primary information acquisition means 20 that acquires the identification mark DM formed on the object WK to be applied to as a new image as primary information; a confirmation means 30 that performs a confirmation process to confirm the individual recognition properties of the identification mark DM based on the new image acquired by the primary information acquisition means 20; and a secondary information acquisition means 30 that acquires the new image of the identification mark DM whose individual recognition properties have been confirmed by the confirmation means 30 as secondary information The system includes a secondary information acquisition means 40 that performs a secondary information acquisition process to take in the image as a confirmed image, a transmission means 50 that performs a transmission process to transmit a new image of the identification mark DM whose individual recognizability has been confirmed by the confirmation means 30 to another device TA, a lamination means 60 that performs a lamination process to form an object to be applied WK by laminating an adhesive sheet AS as a covering material onto a base material BM, a fixing means 70 that performs a fixing process to forcibly fix the mark agent MA applied to the object to be applied WK by applying ultraviolet irradiation as a predetermined fixing treatment, and a moving means 80 that performs a moving process to move the object to be applied WK. In this embodiment, the marking agent MA employs an ultraviolet-curing liquid ink as a forced-fixing agent that is forcibly fixed to the target object WK by ultraviolet irradiation as a predetermined fixing treatment. Furthermore, the adhesive sheet AS of this embodiment undergoes hardening as a change specific to the heat HA when heat HA is applied as a predetermined energy.

[0011] The marking agent application means 10 includes linear motors 11 as two drive devices that can move each slider 11A in the front-rear direction, linear motors 12 supported by each slider 11A and that can move the slider 12A in the left-right direction, an inkjet nozzle 13 supported by the slider 12A and that acts as an application device for applying the marking agent MA to the object WK, and an ink tank 14 as a storage device that stores the marking agent MA internally and sends the marking agent MA to the inkjet nozzle 13 via a hose 14A. In this embodiment, the mark-forming means 10 uses an inkjet nozzle 13 to form the marking agent MA into fine particles and apply them to the object WK to be marked, forming an identification mark DM consisting of the letters "ABC" as shown in Figure 1(C).

[0012] The primary information acquisition means 20 includes a CCD camera 21 as a primary information acquisition device that captures an identification mark DM to form a new image and acquires the new image, and is capable of communicating with at least the confirmation means 30 among the confirmation means 30, secondary information acquisition means 40, and transmission means 50 via a transmission medium such as electricity or radio waves.

[0013] The verification means 30 includes an image matching device 31, which is a verification device that compares images and determines whether or not they match. It is capable of communicating with at least the primary information acquisition means 20 and the secondary information acquisition means 40 from among the primary information acquisition means 20, secondary information acquisition means 40, and transmission means 50 via a transmission medium. Before the secondary information acquisition means 40 acquires a verified image, the individual recognition of the identification mark DM is confirmed without comparing the new image with the verified image. However, after the secondary information acquisition means 40 acquires a verified image, the individual recognition of the identification mark DM is confirmed by comparing the new image with the verified image. The image matching device 31 compares the new image with the confirmed image. If no confirmed image matches the new image (including cases where no confirmed image was acquired by the secondary information acquisition means 40), it verifies the individual recognizability of the identification mark DM that was the target of the new image. Conversely, if a confirmed image matches the new image, it denies the individual recognizability of the identification mark DM that was the target of the new image.

[0014] The secondary information acquisition means 40 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 41 as a secondary information acquisition device that acquires new images whose individual recognition has been confirmed by the confirmation means 30 as confirmed images, and is capable of communicating with at least the confirmation means 30 among the primary information acquisition means 20, confirmation means 30 and transmission means 50 via a transmission medium.

[0015] The transmission means 50 is equipped with a LAN (Local Area Network) 51 as a transmission device and is capable of communicating with at least one of the following devices via a transmission medium: a device TA, a primary information acquisition means 20, a confirmation means 30, and a secondary information acquisition means 40.

[0016] The lamination means 60 includes a base plate 61 that directly or indirectly supports the components constituting the lamination means 60, a support roller 62 that supports a raw roll RS on which an adhesive sheet AS is temporarily attached to a strip-shaped release sheet RL, a guide roller 63 that guides the raw roll RS, a release plate 64 as a release means that folds the release sheet RL at the release edge 64A and peels the adhesive sheet AS from the release sheet RL, a pressing roller 65 as a pressing means that presses the adhesive sheet AS onto the object to be laminated WK and laminates it, a drive roller 66 supported on the output shaft (not shown) of a rotary motor 66A as a drive device and sandwiches the release sheet RL between itself and a pinch roller 66B, a recovery roller 67 supported on the output shaft of a drive device (not shown) and constantly applies a predetermined tension to the release sheet RL between itself and the pinch roller 66B while the identification mark forming device EA is in automatic operation and recovers the release sheet RL, and a coil heater 68 as an energy supply means that applies heat HA as a predetermined energy to the adhesive sheet AS.

[0017] The fixing means 70 includes an ultraviolet light emitter 71, which is a fixing device capable of emitting ultraviolet UV light.

[0018] The moving means 80 includes a linear motor 81 as a drive device and a support table 82 supported by a slider 81A of the linear motor 81 and having a support surface 82A that can be held by suction using a depressurization means (holding means) not shown, such as a depressurization pump or a vacuum ejector.

[0019] The operation of the identification mark forming device EA described above will now be explained. First, for the identification mark forming apparatus EA in which each member is arranged at the initial position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1(A), after a user of the identification mark forming apparatus EA (hereinafter simply referred to as "user") sets the original roll RS as shown in the same figure, the user inputs an automatic operation start signal via an unillustrated operation means such as an operation panel or a personal computer. Then, the laminating unit 60 drives the rotation motor 66A to feed out the original roll RS, and as shown in FIG. 1(A), at the folded portion of the release sheet RL folded back by the release edge 64A of the release plate 64, when the leading end portion in the feeding direction of the leading adhesive sheet AS is peeled off from the release sheet RL by a predetermined length, the driving of the rotation motor 66A is stopped. Next, when the user or an unillustrated conveying means such as an articulated robot or a belt conveyor places the base material BM at a predetermined position on the support table 82 as shown in FIG. 1(A), the moving unit 80 drives an unillustrated pressure reducing means to start suction and holding on the support surface 82A, then drives the linear motor 81 to move the support table 82 to the left.

[0020] Thereafter, when the base material BM reaches a predetermined position relative to the laminating unit 60, the laminating unit 60 drives the rotation motor 66A to feed out the original roll RS in accordance with the moving speed of the base material BM. As a result, the adhesive sheet AS is peeled off from the release sheet RL at the folded portion of the release sheet RL, and as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1(A), is pressed by the pressing roller 65 and laminated on the base material BM, so that the application target object WK is formed step by step. Next, after the entire leading adhesive sheet AS is laminated on the base material BM to form the application target object WK, when the leading end portion in the feeding direction of the next adhesive sheet AS following the leading adhesive sheet AS is peeled off from the release sheet RL by a predetermined length at the folded portion of the release sheet RL, the laminating unit 60 stops the driving of the rotation motor 66A.

[0021] Then, when the application target WK reaches the heat application position EP of the coil heater 68 indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1(A), the moving means 80 stops driving the linear motor 81. Next, the laminating means 60 drives the coil heater 68 to apply heat HA to the adhesive sheet AS to cure the adhesive sheet AS. Thereafter, when the adhesive sheet AS is cured, the laminating means 60 stops driving the coil heater 68, and the moving means 80 drives the linear motor 81 to move the support table 82 leftward.

[0022] Next, when the application target WK reaches the mark forming position MP of the marking agent applying means 10 indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1(A), the moving means 80 stops driving the linear motor 81. Then, the marking agent applying means 10 drives the linear motors 11, 12 and the inkjet nozzle 13 to apply the granular marking agent MA to the application target WK, thereby forming the identification mark DM. Next, when the application of the marking agent MA is completed, the marking agent applying means 10 stops driving the inkjet nozzle 13, then drives the linear motors 11, 12 to return the inkjet nozzle 13 to the initial position, and the moving means 80 drives the linear motor 81 to move the support table 82 leftward.

[0023] Here, the marking agent MA sprayed onto the application target WK flows along the surface of the application target WK or flows so as to penetrate into the surface layer of the application target WK, and as shown in FIG. 1(D), it is connected to the adjacent marking agent MA, or as shown in FIG. 1(E), it is deformed to stretch and spread independently. In addition, part of the marking agent MA scatters due to the impact of adhering to the application target WK, the shape of the ink ejection port of the inkjet nozzle 13, etc., and as shown in FIG. 1(F), part MA1 of the scattered marking agent MA adheres to the application target WK, accompanied by various morphological deformations. In this way, since the marking agent MA is applied to the application target WK with various morphological deformations, as shown in FIGS. 1(G) and (H), the identification marks DM having the same appearance will not be formed, or the formation of identification marks DM having the same appearance will be extremely rare, and the individual identifiability of the identification marks DM will be ensured.

[0024] Subsequently, when the object WK to be marked reaches the ultraviolet irradiation position UP of the fixing means 70, indicated by the dashed line in Figure 1(A), the moving means 80 stops driving the linear motor 81. Next, the fixing means 70 drives the ultraviolet light emitter 71 and irradiates the marking agent MA with ultraviolet UV to forcibly fix the marking agent MA to the object WK, and stops driving the ultraviolet light emitter 71 when fixing is complete. Then, the primary information acquisition means 20 drives the CCD camera 21 to capture an image of the identification mark DM and acquire a new image, and the verification means 30 and the secondary information acquisition means 40 drive the image matching device 31 and RAM 41 to compare the new image acquired by the CCD camera 21 with the verified image already acquired by the RAM 41 and perform a verification process. In this verification process, once the individual recognition of the identification mark DM is confirmed, the secondary information acquisition means 40 drives the RAM 41 to acquire the new image used in the verification process as a verified image in preparation for subsequent matching, and the transmission means 50 drives the LAN 51 to transmit the new image to another device TA. When the other device TA receives the new image transmitted from the LAN 51, it drives the tertiary information acquisition means T3 to acquire the new image as a received image for tertiary information. Next, the moving means 80 drives the linear motor 81 to move the support table 82 to the left. Furthermore, if the individual recognition of the identification mark DM is denied during the above verification process, a drive start signal such as an electrical signal or radio wave signal may be output to a warning means (not shown) such as a light emitter or sound emitter to inform the user that individual recognition has been denied by light or sound, or a drive start signal may be output to a rejection means (not shown) such as a rejection device or drive device to remove the object WK that was the subject of verification in the verification process from the identification mark forming device EA.

[0025] Subsequently, when the object to be attached WK reaches the transfer position TP shown by the dashed line in Figure 1(A), the moving means 80 stops driving the linear motor 81. Next, the moving means 80 stops driving the depressurization means (not shown) and releases the suction holding on the support surface 82A. After the user or a transport means (not shown) transports the object to be attached WK, the moving means 80 drives the linear motor 81 to return the support table 82 to its initial position, and the above operation is repeated thereafter. Furthermore, the other device TA drives the 4th-order information acquisition means T1 before, during, or after the predetermined processing of the object WK to be assigned, and acquires the identification mark DM formed on the object WK as a processed product image as 4th-order information. It then performs a comparison process in which the processed product image is compared with the received image acquired by the 3rd-order information acquisition means T3 using the comparison means T2. In this comparison process, if there is a received image that matches the processed product image, the other device TA performs the predetermined processing on the object WK that was the subject of comparison in the comparison process, continues the predetermined processing, or discharges the object WK that has undergone the predetermined processing through the regular route. On the other hand, if there is no received image that matches the processed product image in the above comparison process, the other device TA does not perform the predetermined processing on the object WK that was the subject of comparison in the comparison process, stops the predetermined processing midway, or removes the object WK that was the subject of comparison from the other device TA. This makes it possible to prevent the production of counterfeit products or products that have been processed with the prescribed method on inappropriately designated items such as WK.

[0026] According to the embodiments described above, before the confirmed image is taken in by the secondary information acquisition means 40, the individual recognizability of the identification mark DM is confirmed without comparing the new image with the confirmed image. However, after the confirmed image is taken in by the secondary information acquisition means 40, the individual recognizability of the identification mark DM is confirmed by comparing the new image with the confirmed image. Therefore, an identification mark forming apparatus EA and an identification mark forming method employing new technology can be provided for forming the identification mark DM on the object WK to be marked.

[0027] The means and processes in the present invention are not limited in any way as long as they can perform the operations, functions, or processes described for those means and processes, and are certainly not limited in any way to the components or processes of a single embodiment shown above. For example, the means for applying the marking agent can be anything that applies the marking agent to an object to be applied to and is capable of forming an individually recognizable identification mark with the applied marking agent, and is not limited in any way as long as it is within the scope of the common technical knowledge at the time of filing (the same applies to other means and processes).

[0028] In the marking agent applying means 10, an articulated robot as a drive device may be adopted in place of at least one of the linear motors 11 and 12, the marking agent MA may be applied to at least one of the base material BM and the covering material to form the identification mark DM, the marking agent MA may be applied to form the identification mark DM in any notation, such as characters like "ABCDEF", "あいう", and "壱弐参", numbers including Chinese numerals like "12345", "一二三四", and "百千万", symbols like "!#%&", "+-×÷", and "、。· / ", and patterns like "●■▲" and "◎▽◇", the marking agent MA may be applied to form the identification mark DM in a single notation such as only "A", only "1", only "#", or only "●", the marking agent MA may be applied to form the identification mark DM in a notation combining a plurality of items from the same format, such as "いろは", "AAA", "56298", "#$%!?", and "●▽◇▲", the marking agent MA may be applied to form the identification mark DM in a notation combining one or more items from different formats, such as "あA1●#", "KをC3●▲!&", and "%38語AA▲□+ / ", the marking agent MA may be applied to form the identification mark DM as only one point without forming a collective shape, the marking agent MA may be applied to form the identification mark DM in a notation such as a barcode or a two-dimensional barcode obtained by converting information such as numbers, characters, and symbols into a specific code according to a certain rule, the marking agent MA may be applied to form the identification mark DM such that the notation differs for each of the application objects WK, the marking agent MA may be applied to form the identification mark DM such that the notation is entirely the same or partially the same for all the application objects WK or a plurality of the application objects WK, and the marking agent MA may be applied to the application object WK in any form such as a mist form, a cube form, a cylindrical form, a prismatic form, a spherical form, or an ellipsoidal form to form the identification mark DM, and for example, in addition to a letterpress printing machine, an intaglio printing machine, a planographic printing machine, a silk printing machine, a screen printing machine, or the like that applies the marking agent MA to the application object WK using a plate, an inkjet printer, a dot impact printer, a thermal printer, a thermal transfer printer,The identification mark DM may be formed by applying the marking agent MA using a laser printer or the like. Any marking agent MA can be used as long as it allows for the formation of an individually recognizable identification mark DM, taking into consideration its characteristics, properties, materials, composition, and structure. Alternatively, the identification mark DM may be formed by moving the application device while moving the object WK, or while restricting the movement of the application device, or by restricting the movement of the application device while moving the object WK. The marking devices may be arranged in multiples along a single straight line, or one or more may be arranged along each of multiple straight lines, or a marking agent MA may be applied to an object WK that is moving relative to the line in a direction perpendicular or oblique to the line in which multiple marking devices are arranged, thereby forming an identification mark DM.

[0029] The primary information acquisition means 20 may be any type of primary information acquisition device, such as an infrared camera, ultraviolet camera, ultrasonic camera, X-ray camera, optical sensor, ultrasonic sensor, area sensor, line sensor, image sensor, digital camera, microscope camera, film camera, etc. For example, a primary information acquisition device may be used that receives reflected waves such as electromagnetic waves or sound waves irradiated onto the object to be assigned WK or the identification mark DM, and acquires the identification mark DM as primary information such as a reflected wave spectrum diagram or reflected wave analysis diagram, or the object to be assigned A primary information acquisition device may be employed that measures the mass distribution and temperature distribution of WK and the identification mark DM, and incorporates the identification mark DM as primary information such as a mass distribution map or temperature distribution map, or a primary information acquisition device may be employed that incorporates images, diagrams, data, etc. of the identification mark DM, enlarged by 2x, 1000x, etc., reduced by 1 / 2x, 1 / 15x, etc., or at 1x size, as primary information, or a primary information acquisition device may be employed that incorporates part or all of the identification mark DM as primary information in the form of an image, diagram, data, etc., and A primary information acquisition device may be employed that sees through the object WK from the side of the object to be assigned, sees the identification mark DM, and takes in the identification mark DM as primary information in the form of an image, diagram, data, etc. Alternatively, one primary information acquisition process may be performed for one object WK to acquire one piece of primary information, and the verification means 30 may perform a verification process using that one piece of primary information. Alternatively, multiple primary information acquisition processes may be performed for one object WK to acquire multiple pieces of primary information, and one of those pieces of primary information, or not all of those pieces of multiple pieces of primary information, or The verification means 30 may perform the verification process using all of that primary information, and communication with the verification means 30 etc. may be by any communication method such as digital communication, radio communication, optical communication, magnetic communication, etc., and may be converted to digital or magnetic, or taken in as primary information without converting to digital or magnetic, etc., and may the primary information taking device be moved while the object to be assigned WK is being moved or while the movement of the object to be assigned WK is being suppressed, and the primary information of the identification mark DM may be taken in while the object to be assigned WK is being moved or while the movement of the object to be assigned WK is being suppressed,The primary information acquisition device may be restricted from moving to acquire the primary information of the identification mark DM, or it may or may not be equipped with a primary information acquisition device. If a primary information acquisition device is not equipped, images, figures, data, etc., acquired by an external device other than the identification mark forming apparatus EA of the present invention may be acquired as primary information.

[0030] The verification means 30 may verify the individual recognizability of the identification mark DM by any means, such as an information processing device, an image analysis device, an image comparison tool, or an AI tool; it may verify the individual recognizability of the identification mark DM formed by a notation consisting of numbers, symbols, or patterns; it may verify the individual recognizability of the identification mark DM by comparing it with a diagram or data; the verification process may be performed only once or multiple times; communication with the primary information acquisition means 20 and the secondary information acquisition means 40 may be by any communication method, such as digital communication, radio communication, optical communication, or magnetic communication; the primary information and secondary information may be converted to digital or magnetic, or they may be compared without conversion to digital or magnetic, to verify the individual recognizability of the identification mark DM; at least one of the primary information acquisition means 20, the secondary information acquisition means 40, and the transmission means 50 may be configured as an integral unit; or at least one of the primary information acquisition means 20, the secondary information acquisition means 40, and the transmission means 50 may have the function of at least one of them.

[0031] The secondary information acquisition means 40 may employ any of the following as a secondary information acquisition device: flash memory, ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, magnetic tape, photosensitive material, etc. It may also acquire figures, data, etc., as secondary information. Alternatively, one secondary information acquisition process may be performed for one assigned object WK to acquire one piece of secondary information, and the verification means 30 may perform a verification process using that one piece of secondary information. Alternatively, multiple secondary information acquisition processes may be performed for one assigned object WK to acquire multiple pieces of secondary information, and verification may be performed using one of those pieces of secondary information, some but not all of those pieces of secondary information, or all of those pieces of secondary information. Means 30 may perform a verification step, and communication with verification means 30 etc. may be by any communication method such as digital communication, radio communication, optical communication, magnetic communication, etc., and primary information may be converted to digital or magnetic, or incorporated as secondary information without conversion to digital or magnetic, etc., and the incorporated secondary information may be in the same form as the primary information or in a different form, and a secondary information acquisition device may or may not be provided, and if a secondary information acquisition device is not provided, images, figures, data, etc. acquired by an external device other than the identification mark forming apparatus EA of the present invention may be acquired as secondary information.

[0032] The transmitting means 50 may transmit secondary information acquired by the secondary information acquisition means 40 to another device TA, or primary information acquired by the primary information acquisition means 20 to another device TA, or primary or secondary information may be transmitted to another device TA by any means, including wired or wireless connections, such as digital exchanges, analog exchanges, WANs (Wide Area Networks), VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), routers, optical fibers, and communication satellites, or primary or secondary information such as diagrams and data may be transmitted to other devices, or communication with other devices TA may be by any means, such as digital communication, radio communication, optical communication, or magnetic communication, or primary or secondary information may be converted to digital or magnetic, or transmitted to other devices TA without conversion to digital or magnetic, or the information transmitted to other devices TA may be in the same form as the primary or secondary information, or in a different form, or it may be provided in the identification mark forming apparatus EA of the present invention, or it may not be provided.

[0033] The lamination means 60 may perform the lamination by forming a closed loop-shaped or entire width-length cut in the strip-shaped adhesive sheet substrate temporarily attached to the strip-shaped release sheet RL, thereby peeling the adhesive sheet AS from the roll RS into an adhesive sheet AS and laminating it onto the base material BM; or it may employ a strip-shaped adhesive sheet roll in which a strip-shaped adhesive sheet substrate is temporarily attached to the strip-shaped release sheet RL, and while the roll is being fed out, a closed loop-shaped or entire width-length cut may be formed in the adhesive sheet substrate with a cutting blade as a cutting means, thereby peeling the adhesive sheet AS from the roll RS into an adhesive sheet AS in an adhesive sheet AS Lamination tension control may be performed to control the tension so that a predetermined tension is applied to the adhesive sheet AS, or so that tension is not applied. Alternatively, the adhesive sheet AS may be peeled off from a raw material RS that has been fan-folded, for example, without being wound, and laminated onto the base material BM. Alternatively, a pressing means may be employed in which the adhesive sheet AS is held by a holding member supported on the output shaft of a linear motor as a drive device and can be held by adsorption by a depressurization means (not shown) such as a depressurization pump or a vacuum ejector, and the adhesive sheet AS held by the holding member is pressed onto the base material BM for lamination. Alternatively, a recovery means may be employed to recover the release sheet RL without winding, for example by fan-folding, shredding, or haphazardly accumulating it. Alternatively, no recovery means may be employed, or an adhesive sheet AS that is not temporarily attached to the release sheet RL may be used. The lamination means 60 may laminate the coating material on only one surface or only the other surface of the base material BM, or on both the one surface and the other surface, or as shown in Figure 1(C), it may laminate the coating material on a part of one surface of the base material BM, or on the entire surface of one surface of the base material BM, or on all or part of all surfaces of the base material BM, or it may laminate the coating material on the base material BM by spraying or coating the coating material, or any method that can form the object WK to be applied by laminating the coating material on the base material BM, or the base plate 61 may be moved while the base material BM is being moved or while the movement of the base material BM is being suppressed and the movement of the base plate 61 is being suppressed and the coating material on the base material BM may be laminated, or it may be provided in the identification mark forming apparatus EA of the present invention or not. The energy-transferring means may transfer a predetermined energy to the entire coating material or a part of the coating material. Any energy-transferring means may be used, such as electromagnetic wave-transferring devices that transfer electromagnetic waves such as ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, visible light, radio waves, X-rays, or gamma rays, heating devices that transfer heating media such as hot water or hot air, or cooling devices that transfer cooling media such as cold water or cold air. Any means that can cause a change in the coating material specific to that energy, taking into consideration the characteristics, properties, materials, composition, and structure of the coating material, may be used. For example, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1(A), it may be placed inside the support table 82 or on the support surface 82A and transfer heat as a predetermined energy. A coil heater 69 capable of providing energy may be used, both coil heaters 68 and 69 may be used, or either coil heater 68 or coil heater 69 may be used, or the coil heater 68 or coil heater 69 may be moved while the object WK to be heated is moved, or while the movement of the object WK to be heated is suppressed, the movement of the coil heater 68 or coil heater 69 may be suppressed while the object WK to be heated is moved, or the movement of the coil heater 68 or coil heater 69 may be suppressed, and the identification mark forming apparatus EA of the present invention may or may not be provided with this.

[0034] The fixing means 70 may be an electromagnetic wave irradiation device such as an infrared irradiation device or an X-ray irradiation device if the marking agent MA is a forcibly fixable agent that is fixed by, for example, an electromagnetic wave irradiation treatment in which electromagnetic waves are irradiated; a heating device such as a coil heater or an infrared irradiator may be used as the fixing device if the marking agent MA is a forcibly fixable agent that is fixed by, for example, a heating treatment in which a heating medium such as hot air or hot water is applied; a cooling device such as a blower or a Peltier element may be used as the fixing device if the marking agent MA is a forcibly fixable agent that is fixed by, for example, a cooling treatment in which a cooling medium such as cold air or cold water is applied; a drying device such as a coil heater or a blower may be used as the fixing device if the marking agent MA is a forcibly fixable agent that is fixed by, for example, a drying treatment such as blowing air or heating; or a fixing device such as an oxygen sprayer or a hardener application device may be used as the fixing device if the marking agent MA is a forcibly fixable agent that is fixed by, for example, a fixing agent application treatment in which other fixing agents such as oxygen or a hardener are applied. It is also possible to use any fixing device that can forcibly fix the forcibly fixing agent to the object WK, taking into consideration the characteristics, features, properties, material, composition, and structure of the forcibly fixing agent, and it is also possible to use any device that can forcibly fix the forcibly fixing agent to the object WK, and it is also possible to use a fixing device that can be installed in a location other than the location shown in the above embodiment, and it is also possible to install it anywhere as long as it can forcibly fix the forcibly fixing agent to the object WK, and a predetermined fixing treatment may be performed on the forcibly fixing agent immediately after the forcibly fixing agent is applied to the object WK, or after a predetermined time has elapsed, or the fixing device may be moved while the object WK is being moved or while the movement of the object WK is being suppressed, and the fixing device may be moved while the movement of the object WK is being suppressed, and it may or may not be installed in the identification mark forming apparatus EA of the present invention.

[0035] The moving means 80 may be a support table 82 that cannot be held by suction on the support surface 82A, or the support table 82 may be supported by the slider 81A without the flow promoting means 20, or it may or may not be provided in the identification mark forming apparatus EA of the present invention.

[0036] The identification mark forming apparatus EA may have marking agent application means 10, primary information acquisition means 20, confirmation means 30, secondary information acquisition means 40, transmission means 50, lamination means 60, fixing means 70, moving means 80 and other apparatus TA directly or indirectly connected, or not directly or indirectly connected, and the marking agent application means 10, primary information acquisition means 20, confirmation means 30, secondary information acquisition means 40, transmission means 50, lamination means 60, fixing means 70, moving means 80 and other apparatus TA arranged in appropriate positions, and the marking agent application process, primary information acquisition process, confirmation process, secondary information acquisition process, transmission process, lamination process, fixing process Alternatively, the moving process and processing process may be carried out in an appropriate order. For example, the operation may be modified while maintaining the arrangement configuration of the above embodiment, so that after the marking agent application process, the energy application means applies a predetermined amount of energy to the coating material. This can be done by applying the marking agent MA to the object WK with the marking agent application means 10, then the moving means 80 transports the object WK to the right, and the energy application means applies a predetermined amount of energy to the adhesive sheet AS. Alternatively, the arrangement of the above embodiment may be modified so that the energy application means is placed between the marking agent application means 10 and the fixing means 70, or between the fixing means 70 and the handover position TP, etc. The identification mark forming apparatus EA may perform a verification process before performing the fixing process. If individual recognition is not confirmed in the verification process, a retry operation may be performed, repeating the verification process after a predetermined time has elapsed until individual recognition is confirmed in the verification process. Alternatively, if individual recognition is not confirmed in the verification process even after repeating the retry operation a predetermined number of times, a drive start signal may be output to a warning means or a rejection means, and the object WK to be marked that was the subject of verification in the verification process may be removed from the identification mark forming apparatus EA.

[0037] Other devices TA and external devices may be any devices, such as cleaning devices, etching devices, immersion devices, cutting devices, oxide film forming devices, nitriding devices, grinding devices, sandblasting devices, polishing devices, painting devices, lamination devices, sheet bonding devices, surface treatment devices, drilling devices, bending devices, inspection devices, verification devices, irradiation devices, plating devices, counterfeit detection devices, etc. They may be directly or indirectly connected to the identification mark forming device EA, or they may not be directly or indirectly connected to the identification mark forming device EA. For example, they may be located in the same building or on the same premises as the identification mark forming device EA without being directly or indirectly connected to the identification mark forming device EA, or they may be located in a different building or on a different premises than the same building or on the same premises as the identification mark forming device EA, or they may be located in the building or on the premises of the shipping destination to which the object to be marked WK was shipped. They may be located anywhere, and they may or may not be equipped with the identification mark forming device EA of the present invention. Other devices TA may configure a quaternary information acquisition means T1 with something equivalent to or different from the primary information acquisition means 20, and acquire quaternary information in a method equivalent to or different from the primary information acquisition means 20; or configure a matching means T2 with something equivalent to or different from the confirmation means 30, and perform the matching process in a method equivalent to or different from the confirmation means 30; or configure a tertiary information acquisition means T3 with something equivalent to or different from the secondary information acquisition means 40, and acquire primary and secondary information transmitted from the transmission means 50 as tertiary information in a method equivalent to or different from the secondary information acquisition means 40; the quaternary information acquisition means T1 can be anything as long as it can acquire quaternary information that can be matched by the matching means T2; the matching means T2 can be anything as long as it can perform the matching process; and the tertiary information acquisition means T3 can be anything as long as it can acquire primary and secondary information transmitted from the transmission means 50 as tertiary information.

[0038] The marking agent MA can be any kind of marking agent such as oil-based or water-based inks, paints, varnishes, coatings, adhesives, etc. It can also be molten metal, molten solder, molten resin, molten rubber, etc. that are molten before fixing, or it can be a thermosetting, energy ray curing, drying curing, or mixed curing type resin or adhesive that has not hardened before fixing, or it can be a marking agent that flows even without any load applied when applied to the object WK, or it can flow when a load is applied when applied to the object WK, or it can flow when energy is applied to the object WK, such as electromagnetic waves, heating such as hot water or hot air, or cooling such as cold water or cold air, or it can be a marking agent that does not flow when applied to the object WK. The marking agent MA may be one whose flow is promoted by the application of gas, vibration, tilting, contact of contacting members, etc., or it may be one whose flow is not promoted. The marking agent MA may be any forcibly fixable agent that is forcibly fixed to the target object WK by any predetermined fixing treatment, such as electromagnetic wave irradiation, heating, cooling, drying, or application treatment. Examples of forcibly fixable agents that are forcibly fixed to the target object WK by electromagnetic wave irradiation include ultraviolet-curing inks and paints, infrared-curing resins and adhesives, etc. Examples of forcibly fixable agents that are forcibly fixed to the target object WK by heating include thermosetting resins, adhesives and toners, etc. Examples of forcibly fixable agents that are forcibly fixed to the target object WK by cooling include molten metal, molten solder, molten resin and molten rubber, etc. Examples of forcibly fixable agents that are forcibly fixed to the target object WK by drying include paints, varnishes and adhesives, etc. Examples of forcibly fixable agents that are forcibly fixed to the target object WK by application treatment include oxygen-bonding inks and resins, two-component mixed resins and paints, etc. The marking agent MA may adhere to the target object WK by means of natural cooling, natural drying, natural oxidation, etc., even without a predetermined fixing treatment. Examples of materials that adhere to the target object WK by natural cooling include molten metal, molten solder, molten resin, molten rubber, etc. Examples of materials that adhere to the target object WK by natural drying include paint, varnish, coating, adhesive, etc. Examples of materials that adhere to the target object WK by natural oxidation include resins, adhesives, etc., that harden by bonding with oxygen present in the atmosphere. The marking agent MA is one that adheres to the object WK by natural cooling, natural drying, natural oxidation, etc., even without a predetermined fixing treatment, and may also be a forcibly fixable agent that adheres to the object WK by a predetermined fixing treatment. Examples of forcibly fixable agents that adhere to the object WK by natural cooling and adhere to the object WK by a predetermined fixing treatment include molten metal, molten solder, molten resin, molten rubber, etc. In this case, the fixing means 70 can employ a blower or a Peltier element as fixing equipment. Furthermore, examples of forcibly fixable agents that adhere to the object WK by natural drying and adhere to the object WK by a predetermined fixing treatment include paint, varnish, coating, adhesive, etc. In this case, the fixing means 70 can employ a coil heater or a blower as fixing equipment. Furthermore, while some agents are fixed to the target object WK by natural oxidation, examples of forcibly fixable agents that are forcibly fixed to the target object WK by a predetermined fixing treatment include resins and adhesives that harden by bonding with oxygen present in the atmosphere. In this case, the fixing means 70 can employ oxygen spraying equipment, blowers, etc., as fixing equipment. The marking agent MA, which is forcibly fixed by a predetermined fixing treatment, may be an agent that does not permanently fix to the object WK simply by being applied to it, and is forcibly fixed to the object WK by a predetermined fixing treatment, or it may be an agent that will eventually fix to the object WK simply by being applied to it, and is forcibly fixed to the object WK by a predetermined fixing treatment to accelerate the fixing time to the object WK. The marking agent MA can be any color, such as black, white, red, green, or yellow, and can also be colorless or colored and transparent.

[0039] The identification mark DM may be a representation formed by a collective shape consisting of marking agent MA applied to multiple locations, or it may be a representation formed by marking agent MA applied to only one location. The identification mark DM may be used for determining whether an object WK is counterfeit, genuine, or tampered, or for determining whether it is acceptable or unacceptable, or for determining whether an object WK is acceptable or unacceptable, or for determining whether it is a factual determination or a qualification, and may be used for any purpose whatsoever.

[0040] The object WK to be coated may have the coating material laminated on both one and the other surface of the base material BM, or it may consist only of the base material BM, or it may not have the coating material laminated on it, or it may be supported by an adhesive sheet different from the adhesive sheet AS, or it may be supported by an adhesive sheet and said adhesive sheet may be supported by a support member such as a ring-shaped member or a rod-shaped member.

[0041] The coating material can be anything that can cover the base material BM, such as adhesive sheets, adhesive tapes, adhesives, adhesives, resins, rubbers, metals, solder, wax, varnish, etc. It can be a solid, a liquid, or a gel, and it can be larger, smaller, or the same size as the object WK to be coated. The predetermined energy can be any energy that causes a change specific to that energy, such as electromagnetic waves, heating energy such as hot water or hot air, or cooling energy such as cold water or cold air. The specific change caused by the application of the predetermined energy can be any change, such as hardening, softening, shrinking, expanding, vaporizing, liquefaction, solidification, discoloration, oxidation, penetration, fixing, decrease in adhesive strength, or increase in adhesive strength. It can also be a material that does not cause a change specific to the predetermined energy when the predetermined energy is applied, and it does not have to be laminated onto the object WK to be coated.

[0042] The materials, types, shapes, etc., of the object to be marked WK, the base material BM, the marking agent MA, and the coating material in this invention are not particularly limited. For example, the object to be marked WK, the base material BM, and the coating material may be circular, elliptical, polygonal (such as triangle or square), or other shapes. The coating material may also be of a pressure-sensitive adhesive or heat-sensitive adhesive type. If a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet AS is used, it can be bonded by an appropriate method, such as providing a suitable heating means to heat the adhesive sheet AS, such as a suitable coil heater or the heating side of a heat pipe. Furthermore, such adhesive sheets AS can be any type, such as a single layer consisting only of an adhesive layer, a two-layer sheet with a substrate and an adhesive layer laminated together, a three-layer or more-layer sheet with one or more intermediate layers laminated between the substrate and the adhesive layer, a three-layer or more-layer sheet with one or more cover layers laminated on the upper surface of the substrate, a sheet in which the substrate, intermediate layer, or cover layer is provided in a peelable manner, a single-layer double-sided adhesive sheet consisting only of an adhesive layer, or a double-sided adhesive sheet with adhesive layers laminated on both outermost surfaces of one or more intermediate layers. In addition, the base material BM or the object to which the adhesive is applied WK can be, for example, a semiconductor wafer such as a silicon semiconductor wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, or a diamond semiconductor wafer, as well as individual items such as food, a resin container, an information recording substrate such as a circuit board or optical disc, a glass plate, a steel plate, a ceramic, a wooden board, or a resin, or a composite object formed from two or more of these, and any form of component or article can also be targeted. The adhesive sheet AS may be any sheet, film, tape, etc., such as information labels, decorative labels, protective sheets, dicing tapes, die attach films, die bonding tapes, or recording layer forming resin sheets.

[0043] The drive equipment in the above embodiment may be electric motors such as rotary motors, linear motors, single-axis robots, and so-called articulated robots with two or three or more joints, or actuators such as air cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, rodless cylinders, and rotary cylinders, either individually or in combination directly or indirectly. Furthermore, the drive equipment may be capable of or incapable of torque control or speed control of the output section of the electric motors or actuators.

[0044] In the above embodiment, an object (hereinafter referred to as "object A") and an object moving relative to object A (hereinafter referred to as "object B"), that is, object A and object B moving relative to object A, object B may move relative to object A which does not move, object A may move relative to object B which does not move, or both object A and object B may move, and either object A or object B may move as long as the result achieved by the movement is the same. If a rotating member such as a roller is used, a drive device for rotating the rotating member may be provided. The surface of the rotating member or the rotating member itself may be made of a deformable material such as rubber or resin, or the surface of the rotating member or the rotating member itself may be made of a non-deformable material. Other members such as rotating or non-rotating shafts or blades may be used instead of rollers. If a means or member for pressing an object to be pressed, such as a pressing roller or pressing head, is used, in addition to rollers, round bars, blade materials, brush-like members, a method of blowing gas such as air or gas may be used instead of or in combination with those exemplified above. The object may be made of a deformable material such as rubber, resin, or sponge, or it may be made of a non-deformable material such as metal or glass. If a means or member for peeling off the object to be peeled off, such as a peeling plate or peeling roller, is used, then a plate-shaped member, a round bar, a roller, or other member may be used instead of or in combination with those exemplified above. The object to be peeled off may be made of a deformable material such as rubber or resin, or it may be made of a non-deformable material. If a means or member for supporting (holding) the supported (held) member is used, then... In such cases, a configuration may be adopted in which the member to be supported is supported (held) by gripping means such as a chuck motor or chuck cylinder, Coulomb force, adhesive (adhesive sheet, adhesive tape), adhesive agent (adhesive sheet, adhesive tape), magnetic force, Bernoulli adsorption, suction adsorption, drive equipment, etc., or if a cutting means or cutting member is used to cut the member to be cut or to form a cut incision or cutting line in the member to be cut, a cutting method using a cutter blade, laser cutter, ion beam, thermal power, heat, water pressure, electric heating wire, spraying of gas or liquid, etc. may be used instead of or in combination with the examples given above.It may also be possible to move the object to be cut by combining it with appropriate drive devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] EA...Identification mark forming device 10...Method for applying marking agent 20…Means of acquiring primary information 30...Method of verification 40...Methods for acquiring secondary information 50...Transmission method DM…Identification mark MA... Marking agent WK... Items to be awarded

Claims

1. A marking agent application means for applying a marking agent to an object to be marked, and for forming an identification mark having individual recognizability with the applied marking agent, A primary information acquisition means for acquiring the identification mark formed on the object to be assigned as primary information, A verification means for confirming the individual recognizability of the identification mark based on the primary information acquired by the primary information acquisition means, The system includes a secondary information acquisition means that takes the primary information of the identification mark whose individual recognizability has been confirmed by the confirmation means as secondary information, The identification mark forming apparatus is characterized in that, before the secondary information is acquired by the secondary information acquisition means, the individual recognizability of the identification mark is confirmed without comparing the primary information and the secondary information, while after the secondary information is acquired by the secondary information acquisition means, the individual recognizability of the identification mark is confirmed by comparing the primary information and the secondary information.

2. The identification mark forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission means for transmitting the primary information of the identification mark whose individual recognizability has been confirmed by the confirmation means, or the secondary information acquired by the secondary information acquisition means, to another device.

3. A marking agent application step involves applying a marking agent to an object to be marked, and forming an identification mark with individual recognizability using the applied marking agent. A primary information acquisition step in which the identification mark formed on the object to be assigned is taken as primary information, A verification step to confirm the individual recognizability of the identification mark based on the primary information acquired in the primary information acquisition step, The process involves a secondary information acquisition step in which the primary information of the identification mark whose individual recognizability has been confirmed by the above-mentioned verification step is incorporated as secondary information. The identification mark formation method is characterized in that, in the verification step, before the secondary information is acquired in the secondary information acquisition step, the individual recognizability of the identification mark is confirmed without comparing the primary information and the secondary information, while after the secondary information is acquired in the secondary information acquisition step, the individual recognizability of the identification mark is confirmed by comparing the primary information and the secondary information.

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