Method for identifying an object

US6741360B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The European Community · BE

Inventors

• Bertrand Causse D'Agraives · Laveno, IT
• Michel Chiaramello · Laveno, IT

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 28, 2003
• Grant date: May 25, 2004
• Expiry date: Mar 28, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07D7/1205
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for identifying an object comprising the following steps: (a) selecting an intrinsic surface of an object to be identified; (b) illuminating at least an identification zone in the intrinsic surface of the object to be identified with a coherent light and intercepting at least part of the light reflected by the identification zone, so as to obtain an interference figure in specific illuminating and intercepting conditions; (c) preserving said interference figure as reference interference figure of the object to be identified; (d) placing a candidate object which could possibly be the object to be identified in similar illuminating and intercepting conditions as those used to obtain the reference interference figure and obtain from said candidate object an interference figure; (e) comparing the reference interference figure with the interference figure of the candidate object; and (f) assessing the probability of identity between the object to be identified and the candidate object based on the degree of correspondence between the reference interference figure and the interference figure of the candidate object.