Label coding binary information - uses different coloured spherical reflectors for remote automatic read:out by electronic camera

摘要

The label comprises a number of different coloured reflectors, allowing remote automatic read-out of information in binary form. The number of reflectors of each colour and/or the number of different coloured reflectors represents the data bits. The reflectors may comprise spherical lens elements and the label information may be read by using an electronic camera. A wide spectrum light source is positioned concentric to the camera objective, so that the light is reflected back onto it by the different reflectors. The camera has a disc with a number of light-sensitive lines, supplying pulses to a counter or decoder, the number of lines corresponding to the number of different colours of the reflectors.