UV Fluorescing Product Codes for Machine Vision on Color Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial printing systems face challenges in printing product codes on packaging with high contrast to ensure readability by both humans and machine vision systems, especially when the background colors change, as existing technologies struggle to maintain readability across varying backgrounds.
Innovation Solution
The use of ultraviolet (UV) fluorescing ink combined with a non-fluorescing substance in a single ink, which is designed to be readable under ambient lighting and machine vision processing, utilizing UV illumination to enhance contrast for machine vision systems, allowing for accurate and quick code reading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional printing ink is used, then the code is readable by humans under ambient lighting, but the contrast is insufficient for machine vision systems to read quickly and accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies fluorescent color change by incorporating UV-reactive fluorescent ink that appears dark under ambient lighting for human readability but emits bright visible light under UV illumination for machine vision detection, effectively changing the code's optical properties based on the light source
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the ink by using fluorescent materials that have different emission characteristics under different wavelengths of light, specifically appearing dark under visible light but emitting bright light under UV illumination, thereby optimizing contrast for machine vision systems
2Productivity
If high contrast ink is used for machine vision readability, then machine vision systems can read codes quickly, but the code becomes difficult for humans to read under ambient lighting
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescent ink changes its apparent color and brightness based on the illumination source, appearing dark under ambient lighting for human readability but emitting bright light under UV illumination for rapid machine vision reading, thus resolving the readability conflict
Solution Approach 2:
The ink's optical properties are made dynamic by using fluorescent materials that respond differently to different wavelengths of light, allowing the code to adapt its visibility characteristics based on whether it is being viewed by humans or scanned by machine vision systems
3Measurement precision
If white background with black code is used, then high contrast is achieved for machine vision reading, but the system cannot adapt when background colors change
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescent ink provides universal readability across different background colors by emitting its own light under UV illumination, making the code detectable regardless of the packaging background color, thus eliminating the need for white backgrounds and enabling adaptability to various packaging designs
Solution Approach 2:
The UV light source acts as an intermediary that activates the fluorescent ink, creating a consistent high-contrast signal between the code and the background regardless of the background color, thereby enabling reliable code detection across diverse packaging scenarios
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
This solution enables the printing of high-contrast product codes that can be accurately read by machine vision systems, even on colorful backgrounds, without requiring changes to the printing process, ensuring consistent readability and efficiency in product code verification.
Implementation Method 1
a single ink including a combination of a non-fluorescing substance and a UV fluorescing substance
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for printing and verifying product codes using ultraviolet (UV) fluorescing ink include, in at least one aspect, a system including: a UV light source configured and arranged to illuminate, with UV light, product codes printed on products; a camera configured and arranged to capture visible light emitted by a single ink of the product codes responsive to the illumination with the UV light, where the single ink includes a combination of a non-fluorescing substance and a UV fluorescing substance; and a controller coupled with the camera and configured to perform machine vision processing on the captured visible light to identify and confirm the product codes printed on the products.