Authentication Apparatus Visual Guide Brightness Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current authentication devices with digitally coded security patterns face challenges in obtaining high fidelity images, which are essential for reliable verification, as they are prone to counterfeiting and require precise reproduction.

Innovation Solution

An authentication apparatus and method that includes an image capturing device, a light emitting device, and a processor, with a visual guide to assist users in capturing images of authentication devices, ensuring sufficient content and quality of fidelity by aligning the image capturing device with the target authentication device, and processing the image to verify authenticity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a built-in light emitting device is added to illuminate the authentication device, then image quality and brightness uniformity are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the light emitting device and image capturing device into a single authentication apparatus, merging illumination and imaging functions into one integrated system. This resolves the contradiction by consolidating components rather than adding separate external equipment, thereby improving image quality while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The light emitting device is positioned and configured to illuminate the authentication device before the image capturing device takes the picture. This preliminary illumination action ensures that the authentication device is properly lit before capture, improving image quality and brightness uniformity without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms during image acquisition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Volume of moving object

If the image capturing device is positioned close to the light emitting device, then device compactness is improved, but image fidelity deteriorates due to shadowing and uneven illumination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice compactnessVSAvoidimage fidelity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent positions the image capturing device and light emitting device at different lateral offsets from the optical axis, creating local quality differences in their illumination and capture zones. The light emitting device illuminates from one lateral position while the image capturing device captures from a different lateral position, ensuring that the captured image is not shadowed by the light emitting device structure while maintaining overall device compactness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent resolves the spatial conflict by utilizing the lateral dimension (perpendicular to the optical axis) rather than only the longitudinal dimension. By offsetting the light emitting device and image capturing device in the lateral direction, the patent achieves proper spatial separation for image fidelity while maintaining compact longitudinal profile, effectively using dimensional redistribution to solve the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of operation

If the authentication device is placed within the light projection axis, then ease of operation is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to over-exposure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates local quality differentiation by positioning the image capturing device at a lateral offset from the light emitting device's optical axis. This causes the image capturing device to capture light reflected from angles other than the direct projection axis, avoiding over-exposure of the authentication device while maintaining ease of operation through the visual guide alignment system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces the visual guide as an intermediary element that mediates between the light emitting device projection axis and the image capturing device optical axis. The visual guide provides alignment reference marks that guide the user to position the authentication device correctly, ensuring that while the device appears centered for ease of operation, the actual capture geometry avoids direct axial illumination that would cause over-exposure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables the capture of images with sufficient data quantity and quality, facilitating reliable verification of authentication devices by ensuring the captured images are within predetermined brightness thresholds, thus preventing over-exposure or under-exposure, and maintaining accurate representation of the authentication features.

Implementation Method 1

a light emitting device to project light for illuminating an object to be captured by the image capturing device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

an image capturing device to take an image of an object

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImage capture: Photography

Data Source

PatentEP2856409B1Article authentication apparatus having a built-in light emitting device and camera
Publication Date: 2024.02.14 INFOTOO INT LTD
  • EP2856409B1 patent drawingFigure 1~1B
  • EP2856409B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2856409B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

An apparatus (100, 1001) comprises an image capturing device (110), a light emitting device (112) for illuminating an object to be captured by the image capturing device (110), a visual guide (114) to guide a user to aim the apparatus (100, 1001) at a target authentication device (140), and a processor (102). The visual guide (114) is devised such that when the apparatus (100, 1001) is aimed at the target authentication device (140) following guidance of the visual guide (114), the brightness levels on an image of the target authentication device (140) captured by the image capturing device (110) while under illumination of the light emitting device (112) are within a predetermined range of brightness levels to facilitate verification of authenticity with reference to the captured image of the target authentication device (140).