Disclosed herein are methods and systems for encoding data in composite patterns such that the encoded data is perceptible in one or more infrared spectral ranges while significantly imperceptible in visible light spectral range by encoding the data in one or more first partial patterns and/or in one or more second partial patterns of the composite pattern where the first partial pattern(s) is painted using a first print material and the second partial pattern(s) is painted using a second. The first and second paint materials are characterized by reflecting substantially similar light in the visible light spectral range and significantly different light in the infrared spectral range(s) such that the first and second patterns are indistinguishable in the visible light spectral range while highly distinguishable in the infrared spectral range(s). further disclosed are methods and systems for decoding the composite patterns to decode and extract the encoded data.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for encoding data in composite patterns such that the encoded data is perceptible in one or more infrared spectral ranges while significantly imperceptible in visible light spectral range by encoding the data in one or more first partial patterns and/or in one or more second partial patterns of the composite pattern where the first partial pattern(s) is painted using a first print material and the second partial pattern(s) is painted using a second. The first and second paint materials are characterized by reflecting substantially similar light in the visible light spectral range and significantly different light in the infrared spectral range(s) such that the first and second patterns are indistinguishable in the visible light spectral range while highly distinguishable in the infrared spectral range(s). further disclosed are methods and systems for decoding the composite patterns to decode and extract the encoded data.

Indicia readers may be configured with two illumination light sources: a primary light source for illuminating primary indicia (e.g., a barcode) and a secondary ultraviolet (UV) light source for revealing secondary indicia (e.g., UV fluorescent watermarks) that are used to protect against counterfeit and fraud. Ultraviolet light can be harmful. The present invention embraces methods and a device for controlling the secondary UV light source to limit UV exposure. When an exposure risks is detected, the UV light source is deactivated.

Indicia readers may be configured with two illumination light sources: a primary light source for illuminating primary indicia (e.g., a barcode) and a secondary ultraviolet (UV) light source for revealing secondary indicia (e.g., UV fluorescent watermarks) that are used to protect against counterfeit and fraud. Ultraviolet light can be harmful. The present invention embraces methods and a device for controlling the secondary UV light source to limit UV exposure. When an exposure risks is detected, the UV light source is deactivated.

An aerosol delivery device includes a chamber for receiving an article including an aerosolizable material for delivery by the aerosol delivery device, a transmitter, a receiver spaced apart from the transmitter, and a processor. The processor is configured to: cause the transmitter to transmit a first signal to the receiver at least partially through an article in the chamber in use, so that the receiver receives a second signal, wherein the second signal is the first signal altered by interaction with a signal altering component of the article, and determine article data from the second signal. An article includes an aerosolizable material; and a signal altering component. The signal altering component is configured to alter a first signal transmitted at least partially through the article into a second signal indicative of article data.

An aerosol delivery device includes a chamber for receiving an article including an aerosolizable material for delivery by the aerosol delivery device, a transmitter, a receiver spaced apart from the transmitter, and a processor. The processor is configured to: cause the transmitter to transmit a first signal to the receiver at least partially through an article in the chamber in use, so that the receiver receives a second signal, wherein the second signal is the first signal altered by interaction with a signal altering component of the article, and determine article data from the second signal. An article includes an aerosolizable material; and a signal altering component. The signal altering component is configured to alter a first signal transmitted at least partially through the article into a second signal indicative of article data.

An inspection method is provided for checking the integrity of a combination of a security marking and an identification label, the security marking including at least one contrast field having a comparatively high reflectivity in a first and a second wavelength range, and a security field, having different reflection properties in the first wavelength range compared to the second wavelength range, and the identification label having at least one light background around mark components printed with dark color. The inspection method may include capturing possibly averaged gray values of the contrast field and the identification label background, comparing the gray values, and determining whether the gray value of the contrast field of the security marking deviates from the gray value of the background of the identification label by less than a predefined maximum amount.

An inspection method is provided for checking the integrity of a combination of a security marking and an identification label, the security marking including at least one contrast field having a comparatively high reflectivity in a first and a second wavelength range, and a security field, having different reflection properties in the first wavelength range compared to the second wavelength range, and the identification label having at least one light background around mark components printed with dark color. The inspection method may include capturing possibly averaged gray values of the contrast field and the identification label background, comparing the gray values, and determining whether the gray value of the contrast field of the security marking deviates from the gray value of the background of the identification label by less than a predefined maximum amount.

Material in a supply chain is tracked by a method of applying a DNA taggant set to a first batch of the material produced by a first supplier of the material. The DNA taggant set corresponds to a tag string corresponding to the first supplier. The first batch is aggregated with a second batch to create an aggregated lot. A sample is selected from the aggregated lot and tested to determine a DNA taggant set of the sample. After selecting a sample from the aggregated lot, the sample may be labeled with a grade and then placed in a receptacle corresponding to the grade.

Material in a supply chain is tracked by a method of applying a DNA taggant set to a first batch of the material produced by a first supplier of the material. The DNA taggant set corresponds to a tag string corresponding to the first supplier. The first batch is aggregated with a second batch to create an aggregated lot. A sample is selected from the aggregated lot and tested to determine a DNA taggant set of the sample. After selecting a sample from the aggregated lot, the sample may be labeled with a grade and then placed in a receptacle corresponding to the grade.