3m Innovative Properties Company

Gemalto Sa

Travis L Potts

Kui Chen-Ho

Caroline M Ylitalo

James W Howard

Guruprasad Somasundaram

Glenn E Casner

Douglas Scott Dunn

Neeraj Sharma

Michael A McCoy

Robert W Shannon

Justin M Johnson

Suman K Patel

John Allen Wheatley

Kenneth L Smith

William Ward Merrill

Steven T Awiszus

Britton G Billingsley

Brian J Gates

Nathan J Anderson

David B Olson

Robert J DeVoe

Wayne Scott Mahoney

Edward J Woo

Kiran S Kanukurthy

Steven H Kong

Jonathan Dale Gandrud

Todd A Ballen

Andrew H Tilstra

Robin Edgar Wright

Joseph D Rule

Ying-Yuh Lu

Dennis G Welygan

Dong-Wei Zhu

Dwight D Erickson

James B Snyder

Gautam Singh

Anne C Gold

Charles Allen Shaklee

Katja Hansen

Silvia Geciova-Borovova Guttmann

Timothy J Gardner

Deepti Pachauri

Thomas J Dahlin

Arash Sangari

Jeffrey D Janovec

Serge Wetzels

Muhammad Jamal Afridi

Paul L Acito

Jonathan T Kahl

Michael R Duoos

Robert T Krasa

Tadesse G Nigatu

Robert J Devoe

Tien Yi T H Whiting

Alexandra R Cunliffe

Andreas M Geldmacher

James L C Werness, Jr

Markus G W Lierse

Maja Giese

Catherine L Aune

Pingfan Peter Wu

James P Endle

Charles A Marttila

Christopher K Haas

Richard J Webb

Randy A Larson

Caitlin E Meree

Joshua M Fishman

Steven Hin-Chung Kong

Scott A Baum

Tamara M Meehan-Russell

Hannah L Mathers

Carla H Barnes

Charles J Iv Studiner

The present disclosure includes in one instance an optical article comprising a data rich plurality of retroreflective elements that are configured in a spatially defined arrangement, where the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties, and where data rich means information that is readily machine interpretable. The present disclosure also includes a system comprising the previously mentioned optical article, an optical system, and an inference engine for interpreting and classifying the plurality of retroreflective elements wherein the optical system feeds data to the inference engine.

Optical articles and systems interacting with the same

Optical articles including a spatially defined arrangement of a plurality of data rich retroreflective elements, wherein the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties and at least two different optical contrasts with respect to a background substrate when observed within an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, a near-infrared spectrum, or a combination thereof.

In general, techniques are described for a personal protective equipment (PPE) management system (PPEMS) that uses images of optical patterns embodied on articles of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to identify safety conditions that correspond to usage of the PPEs. In one example, an article of personal protective equipment (PPE) includes a first optical pattern embodied on a surface of the article of PPE; a second optical pattern embodied on the surface of the article of PPE, wherein a spatial relation between the first optical pattern and the second optical pattern is indicative of an operational status of the article of PPE.

Personal protective equipment management system using optical patterns for equipment and safety monitoring

The present disclosure includes in one instance an optical article comprising a data rich plurality of retroreflective meats that are configured in a spatially defined arrangement, where the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties, and where data rich means information that is readily machine interpretable. The present disclosure also includes a system comprising the previously mentioned optical article, an optical system, and an inference engine for interpreting and classifying the plurality of retroreflective elements wherein the optical system feeds data to the inference engine.

An article includes a substrate having a physical surface, a multi-dimensional machine-readable code embodied on the physical surface, wherein the multi-dimensional machine-readable optical code includes a static data (SD) optical element set and a dynamic lookup data (DLD) optical element set. Each of the SD and the DLD sets are embodied on the physical surface. The DLD optical element set encodes a look-up value that references dynamically changeable data, wherein the SD optical element set encodes static data that does not reference other data. The DLD optical element set is not decodable at the distance greater than the threshold distance.

Multi-dimensional optical code with static data and dynamic lookup data optical element sets

A hearing-protective earplug () with a resilient polymeric foam body () and with a grippable stem () that includes a forward portion () with an annular sleeve () that at least partially defines an open-ended, front-facing cavity () within which a rearward portion () of the resilient polymeric foam body resides.

Earplug with stem comprising a sleeve

In some examples, an optically active article includes a retroreflective substrate; and at least one security element disposed at the retroreflective substrate; an article message disposed at the retroreflective substrate, and wherein the at least one security element comprises validation information that is detectable outside a visible light spectrum, and wherein a combination of the article message and the validation information of the at least one security element indicates whether the optically active article is counterfeit.

Counterfeit detection of an optically active article using security elements

An article includes a substrate with a physical surface, and a hierarchy of parent and child optical element sets embodied on the physical surface, such that a first encoded value represented by the parent optical element set is based at least in part on the visual appearance of a particular optical element in the child optical element set, and a second, different encoded value represented by the particular parent optical element is based at least in part on the visual appearance, and the second encoded value not being decodable from a distance greater than a threshold distance, the first encoded value being decodable from the distance greater than the threshold distance.

Hierarchichal optical element sets for machine-read articles

Disclosed is an identification system to improve safety on roads and allow for the driver or for the vehicle itself, if it is autonomous or semi-autonomous, to have readable and useful information about road signs, roadways, and adjacent roadway information. The disclosed identification system comprises a marker with marker communication information that can be read by a vehicle information system to provide information to the vehicle. Information that the marker communication information may convey would allow the vehicle information system to detect or recognize, or both detect and recognize critical road sign, roadway information, and adjacent roadway information. Then, the vehicle information system could respond to the information received from the marker communication information.

Sign to vehicle identification system

Laser-personalizable security articles include multi-layer security documents. The multi-layer security document includes an optically transparent cover layer, a composite image and an imagable layer adjacent to the cover layer. The first surface of the cover layer is at least partially a microstructured surface, where the microstructured surface forms microlenses or a lenticular surface. The composite image is made by a collection of complete or partial images viewed through the microstructured surface of the cover layer. The composite image is located on or within the second surface of the cover layer. The imagable layer is a laser imagable layer. When imaged, a personalized second composite three dimensional image is created on or in the imagable layer.

Laser-personalizable security articles

A reflective film includes interior layers arranged to selectively reflect light by constructive or destructive interference, the layers extending from a first zone to a second zone of the film. The film has a first thickness and the interior layers provide a first reflective characteristic in the first zone; the film has a second thickness and the interior layers provide a second reflective characteristic in the second zone. The difference between the first and second reflective characteristics is not substantially attributable to any difference between the first and second thicknesses, which difference may be zero. Rather, the difference in the reflective characteristics is substantially attributable to reduced birefringence of at least some of the interior layers in one zone relative to the other zone. The film may also incorporate absorbing agents to assist in the manufacture or processing of the film. Related methods and articles are also disclosed.

Internally patterned multilayer optical films using spatially selective birefringence reduction

Growing community of inventors

Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Travis L Potts