Lawrence Welk, the bandleader who entertained millions of Americans over a generation of broadcasting his TV show, once received a patent: for a music-themed design of an ashtray.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8097843 | Photoluminescent markings with functional overlayers A photoluminescent marking that includes at least one functional overlayer is disclosed. The overlayer generally provides for at least one of selective filtration, reflection and absorption of wavelengths that may cause photolytic degradation of underlying photolumi... | 01/17/2012 |
| 7960688 | Photoluminescent markings with functional overlayers Disclosed are photoluminescent markings that contain a photoluminescent layer and one or more functional overlayers wherein the photoluminescent marking has an emission signature that lies partly or fully in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. One f... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7804061 | Method and apparatus for machine-reading markings on/in transparent marking substrates The invention relates to a method for the machine-reading of markings on/in transparent, especially pane-type, marking carriers, especially glass panes, according to which the marking carrier (2) is illuminated with UV light at least during the period of a ma... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7364085 | Identification document with printing that creates moving and three dimensional image effects with pulsed illumination Identification documents have a three dimensional or moving image effect to enable human verification of their authenticity. These effects are created by printing image layers of invisible inks, such as UV or IR fluorescing inks, each depicting an object in varying ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7355614 | Filling an area of an image marked on a material with a laser A system converts graphic images, such as those created by graphics applications, to a format that can be efficiently printed on a material by a laser printing system. An image can be converted to a set of locations by defining progressively smaller contours of the ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7341189 | Spectrally-encoded labeling and reading A spectrally-encoded label comprises a spectrally-selective optical element having a label spectral signature. The label spectral signature is determined according to a spectral-encoding scheme so as to represent predetermined label information within the spectral e... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7286045 | Method for identifying vehicles A method for identifying a vehicle includes receiving a stolen vehicle input at a call center and receiving a confirmation input at a call center. A vehicle code display command is sent from the call center to a telematics unit of the stolen vehicle and a vehicle co... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7262144 | Photostructurable body and process for treating a glass and/or a glass-ceramic The invention relates to a photostructurable body, in particular glass or glass-ceramic, in which the glass is a multicomponent glass and/or the glass-ceramic is a multicomponent glass-ceramic, in each case having a positive change in refractive index Δn as a resul... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7253428 | Apparatus and method for feature edge detection in semiconductor processing A system for identifying a mark or other recess formed in a substrate and at least partially covered by at least one layer of opaque or visibly opaque material. The system includes a radiation source configured and positioned to direct incident electromagnetic radia... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7247851 | Imaging device and an imaging method An optical lens 1 makes three components of visible light and near infrared light in different wavelength regions severally form images at different locations according to their wavelengths. An imaging element 2 has a plurality of pixels, which include... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7248730 | Certified paper discriminating apparatus An apparatus configured to discriminate the genuineness of a certified paper by exposing the paper to a light source and transporting the paper through an environment of an alternating-current electromagnetic field. Light detectors detect the light reflected from th... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7242796 | Certified paper and an apparatus for discriminating the genuineness thereof An apparatus for discriminating the genuineness of a security mark is provided having a first light detecting element for detecting a light emitted from a luminescent ink of the security mark placed in a specified environment and a second light detecting element for... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7209268 | Line illuminating device Two illuminating units 2L and 2R, each having a light guide provided at its one end, with a light-emitting source, are provided. Each illuminating unit is arranged in such a manner that light emitted from its emission plane irradiates the same area of ... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7203367 | Indexing, storage and retrieval of digital images A method and a system for archiving, indexing and retrieving images of persons including the steps of providing image data relating to the images of persons to a suitably programmed computer, employing a first suitably programmed computer functionality to provide fa... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7184569 | Marking articles using a covert digitally watermarked image A marking system that includes forming at least one marking in or on an article, wherein the image formed is not visible to the unaided human observer, and further contains at least one digital watermark. The digitally watermarked image comprises emissive and photoa... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7167194 | Printing a code on a product A method for printing is described. The method includes providing a printing system for printing a code on a product moving in a direction. The code is constructed from a plurality of pixels in a first data set indicating the positions of the pixels and generates a ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7164133 | Delivery device and method for its operation A system of marked medical containers comprises at least two containers having different properties in at least one respect, and at least one machine-readable marking on each of the containers, each marking being designed to allow discrimination between the differen... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7141103 | Photosensitive optically variable ink compositions useful for ink jet printing New photosensitive optically variable inks are capable of printing images having improved resistance to water. The inks produce images which can be viewed with both visible and ultraviolet light to have physically coincident positive and negative images. They contai... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7138903 | Lock module using colored light rays to identify the application of an accurate key A lock module includes a transmitting module to continuously transmit multiple colored light rays, a key adapted to be inserted into the keyhole of the lock and having multiple colored optical lenses each permitting a specific colored light ray to pass therethrough ... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7131589 | Document transport apparatus and method for barcode readers A barcode reader device for processing a plurality of documents having a transport system for transporting the documents along a travel path through a reading area; a blocking member; and a bearing member for pivotally suspending the blocking member along the travel... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7126124 | Marking determining method and marking determining apparatus The present invention realizes accurate determination on marking without using an infrared sensor having high responsiveness and high precision. An infrared sensor is disposed such that a region of a predetermined range on the downstream side in the feed direction o... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7118620 | Inkjet inks with particulate additive To reduce show through, particularly for color pigments, a particulate negative metal oxide. Specifically in an anionic ink, tin oxide of primary particle size in the range of about 10 to 30 nm, is incorporated in inkjet inks in amount of less than 2 percent by weig... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7108183 | Verification system for the purchase of a retail item and method of using same The present invention provides a system and method for the verification of the purchase of a retail item wherein an encoding device provides a machine-readable post-purchase indicia on the label for a retail item at the point of sale of the retail item. When a custo... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7095033 | Multi-sided die with authenticating characteristics and method for authenticating same A system and method for authenticating a multi-sided die by viewing the die under invisible ultraviolet light. A die body has a plurality of sides of substantially equal area. A plurality of visible markings for indicating a roll of the die are disposed on the die s... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7079230 | Portable authentication device and method of authenticating products or product packaging A portable authentication device and method of authenticating products or packaging by analyzing key ingredients on products or on product packaging is disclosed. Light-sensitive compounds can be used to identify the product or product packaging. The product or prod... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7076084 | Methods and objects employing machine readable data A tangible object (such as a microprocessor, wristwatch, pharmaceutical, compact disc, vehicle part, etc) is surface-textured to encode a plural-bit code thereon. In one arrangement, this encoding conveys date information. In use, the object can be imaged by a scann... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7063260 | Spectrally-encoded labeling and reading A spectrally-encoded label comprises a spectrally-selective optical element having a label spectral signature. The label spectral signature is determined according to a spectral-encoding scheme so as to represent predetermined label information within the spectral e... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7055746 | Postage indicia including color bar sequence to aid in authentication The present invention includes apparatus and methods for printing and verifying postage stamps on demand via a personal postage stamp printer. The indicia by which the stamp is printed includes a color bar sequence and a data field including data that corresponds to... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7050603 | Watermark encoded video, and related methods Watermarks in video signals or the accompanying audio track are used to associate video objects in a video sequence with object specific actions or information. A video object refers to a spatial and temporal portion of a video signal that depicts a recognizable obj... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7034927 | System and method for identifying an object using invisible light An object is identified with a camera that is sensitive to both visible and invisible light. An invisible light illuminator attached to the object may project a target of invisible light, which may either be generated by the illuminator or reflected from a separate ... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7030371 | Luminescence characteristics detector Security documents or articles carrying luminescent marker compounds which show a time-deferred emission characteristic are authenticated by a method and device which allows for rapid extraction of characteristic luminescent parameters, such as emission intensity an... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6994254 | Tape indicia on clear film media A print medium is encoded with information bearing indicia. A transparent layer or substrate which receives the printed information during printing has a first surface, a second surface and a leading edge. A strip of tape is applied to the first surface. A machine r... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6996252 | Low visibility watermark using time decay fluorescence A physical object is embedded with a first digital watermark component and a second digital watermark component. The first component is printed using a first ultraviolet (UV) ink. The first UV ink includes a first fluorescence decay time. The second component is pri... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6978035 | Information hiding system, method, and printed matter into which information is hidden An information hiding system that hides information-data in the printing-data according to steganography using an embedding means, and produces printed matter by printing out the printing-data on printable media. A scanner is used to read the data, such as image or ... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6969549 | Techniques to prevent leakage of fluorescing signals through print media or indicia tape A substrate structure encoded with information bearing indicia includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface. Formed on the first surface is a first information bearing indicia defined by a fluorescent material. A second information bearing indici... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6964374 | Retrieval and manipulation of electronically stored information via pointers embedded in the associated printed material A method of retrieving and manipulating electronic information that relates to a printed document. Each printed document contains an initialization marking that is recognizable by an external sensory device and unique to the printed document. When a reader of the pr... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6961078 | Method for putting color to glass The invention relates to a method for putting color to glass. This method includes the steps of (a) introducing a laser beam into an interferometer such that the laser beam is split into at least first and second laser beams in the interferometer and that the at lea... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6938335 | Electronic component mounting method A component mounting method recognizes reference marks on a printed circuit board and an electronic component, and uses these reference marks to determine a shift between a position of the circuit board and a position of the electronic component. This shift is corre... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6926456 | Guiding device for a marking arrangement A device for guiding a continuous strip past a marking unit, which is arranged to non-mechanically provide markings on at least one strip surface, includes a longitudinal channel for receiving the strip. The channel is at least partly defined by guiding elements tha... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6926487 | Method and apparatus for manufacturing marked articles to be included in cans In a method and apparatus for manufacturing articles (e.g., opening tabs) to be included in cans, a metal strip is fed into an article forming unit in which the metal strip is punched and stamped to form the articles. Before the article forming operation, the strip ... | 08/09/2005 |