Encoding scheme for articles

Claim 1

A method of decoding the code located on an article which comprises (i) irradiating said article with a primary beam composed of x-rays to locate a first material contained at an unknown predetermined position on said article, said first material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said first material having a predetermined size of area of deposition on said article, and said first material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, (ii) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths and intensity or intensities thereof for said first material, said wavelengths and said intensities being a predetermined coded indication of the location of a second material positioned on said article in or at a predetermined position (iii) irradiating the predetermined position on said article where said second material is located with a primary beam composed of x-rays, said second material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said second material having a predetermined size of area of deposition on said article, and said second material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, and (iv) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths and intensity or intensities thereof for said second material, said wavelengths and intensities being a predetermined identification or vertication code.

Claim 2

A method of decoding the code located on an article which comprises (i) irradiating said article with a primary beam composed of x-rays to locate a first material contained at an unknown predetermined position on said article, said first material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said first material having a predetermined size of area of deposition on said article, and said first material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, (ii) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths and intensity or intensities thereof for said first material, said wavelengths and said intensities being a predetermined coded indication of the location of a second material positioned on said article in or at a predetermined position (iii) irradiating the predetermined position on said article where said second material is located with a primary beam composed of x-rays, said second material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said second material having a predetermined size of area of deposition on said article, and said second material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, and (iv) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths and intensity or intensities thereof for said second material, said wavelengths and intensities being a predetermined identification or vertication code.

Claim 4

A method of decoding the code located on an article which comprises (i) irradiating said article with a primary beam composed of x-rays to locate a first material contained at an unknown predetermined position on said article, said first material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said first material having a predetermined position in a real or theoretical grid on said article, and said first material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, (ii) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths thereof for said first material, said wavelengths being a predetermined coded indication of the location of said grid positioned on said article, (iii) irradiating the grid positioned on said article where at least one other material is located with a primary beam composed of x-rays, said other material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said other material having a predetermined position in said grid, and said second material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, and (iv) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths, said wavelengths being a predetermined identification or verification code.

Claim 5

A method of decoding the code located on an article which comprises (i) irradiating said article with a primary beam composed of x-rays to locate a first material contained at an unknown predetermined position on said article, said first material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said first material having a predetermined position in a real or theoretical grid on said article, and said first material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, (ii) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths thereof for said first material, said wavelengths being a predetermined coded indication of the location of said grid positioned on said article, (iii) irradiating the grid positioned on said article where at least one other material is located with a primary beam composed of x-rays, said other material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said other material having a predetermined position in said grid, and said second material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, and (iv) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths, said wavelengths being a predetermined identification or verification code.

Claim 7

A method of decoding the code located on an article which comprises (i) irradiating a known predetermined position on said article which has a first material located thereon, said first material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said first material having a predetermined size of area of deposition on said article, and said first material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, (ii) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths and intensity or intensities thereof for said first material, said wavelengths and said intensities being a predetermined coded indication of the location of a second material positioned on said article in or at a predetermined position, (iii) irradiating the predetermined position on said article where said second material is located with a primary beam composed of x-rays, said second material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said second material having a predetermined size of area of deposition on said article, and said second material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, and (iv) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths and intensity or intensities thereof for said second material, said wavelengths and intensities being a predetermined identification or verification code.

Claim 8

A method of decoding the code located on an article which comprises (i) irradiating a known predetermined position on said article which has a first material located thereon, said first material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said first material having a predetermined size of area of deposition on said article, and said first material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, (ii) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths and intensity or intensities thereof for said first material, said wavelengths and said intensities being a predetermined coded indication of the location of a second material positioned on said article in or at a predetermined position, (iii) irradiating the predetermined position on said article where said second material is located with a primary beam composed of x-rays, said second material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said second material having a predetermined size of area of deposition on said article, and said second material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, and (iv) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths and intensity or intensities thereof for said second material, said wavelengths and intensities being a predetermined identification or verification code.

Claim 10

A method of decoding the code located on an article which comprises (i) irradiating a known predetermined position on said article which has a first material located thereon, said first material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said first material having a predetermined position in a real or theoretical grid on said article, and said first material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, (ii) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths thereof for said first material, said wavelengths being a predetermined coded indication of the location of said grid positioned on said article, (iii) irradiating the grid positioned on said article where at least one other material is located with a primary beam composed of x-rays, said other material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said other material having a predetermined position in said grid, and said second material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, and (iv) detecting said emitted fluroescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths, said wavelengths being a predetermined identification or verification code.

Claim 11

A method of decoding the code located on an article which comprises (i) irradiating a known predetermined position on said article which has a first material located thereon, said first material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said first material having a predetermined position in a real or theoretical grid on said article, and said first material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, (ii) detecting said emitted fluorescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths thereof for said first material, said wavelengths being a predetermined coded indication of the location of said grid positioned on said article, (iii) irradiating the grid positioned on said article where at least one other material is located with a primary beam composed of x-rays, said other material containing a member of the class consisting of at least one element, at least one compound and a mixture thereof, said other material having a predetermined position in said grid, and said second material having the property of emitting fluorescence x-rays when subjected to x-rays, and (iv) detecting said emitted fluroescence x-rays by means of a detector which detects and measures the wavelength or wavelengths, said wavelengths being a predetermined identification or verification code.