Gas sensing identification

Inventors

Deans, Robert • Goods, John Benjamin • Petty, Alexander Robertson • Schnorr, Jan Markus • Swager, Timothy Manning • Theis, Travis Matthew • Tschiegg, Laura Jane • WALISH, Joseph J. • Keller, Nicole Katheryn

Assignees

C2Sense Inc

Abstract

Components, systems, and methods for gas sensing identification are generally disclosed. In some embodiments, a characteristic of an article (e.g., identity, authenticity, property, product associated information such as age or quality, etc.) may be determined by determining the presence (e.g., an amount) or absence of a chemical compound (or compounds) emanating from the article. For example, the presence or absence of the compound (or compounds) emanating from the article identifies a characteristic of the article. In some embodiments, the chemical compound(s) has been proactively added to the article. That is to say, in some embodiments, the chemical compound is not inherently associated with the article but is added in order to, for example, identify a characteristic of the article.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a label associated with an article that includes a chemical tag comprising a plurality of identifiable analytes. The chemical tag is not inherently associated with the article, and a vapor signature of the plurality of identifiable analytes identifies a characteristic of the article. The identifiable analytes are constrained to exclude fluorocarbon.

The disclosure further describes that the label can include markers that provide additional identifiable information associated with the article. In some implementations, the chemical tag is applied at a plurality of spatially distinct locations on the label, and the identifiable analytes include two or more types of functional groups within one or multiple molecules.

The disclosure also encompasses a system for identifying an article using a detector that includes a gas-sensing component. The detector determines whether the chemical tag is present, and the detector signals a characteristic of the article when exposed to the chemical tag. A second identifiable component can be present on the label, including specified identification/security markers and optional biological binding materials.

Claims Coverage

The partial content provides two independent inventive features. Overall, the coverage is built around a label having a non-inherently associated chemical tag with a vapor signature that identifies an article characteristic, and an article-identification system using a gas-sensing detector to determine presence of that chemical tag and signal the article characteristic.

Across the independent-claim coverage available in the partial content, identification is driven by a chemical tag whose vapor signature encodes an article characteristic while the tag is not inherently associated with the article, and by a detector having a gas-sensing component that determines tag presence and signals the article characteristic.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications