Patent ID: 11948039
Assignee: DIAMSAFE S.R.L.
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC G

Claim 7:
8. A method for reading a multipurpose card, wherein the following successive steps are performed:
A. positioning a multipurpose card in a fixed position with respect to a predetermined spatial reference system,
the multipurpose card comprising a first surface, a second surface, arranged in front of said first surface, a layer, arranged between said first surface and said second surface, and a stone, at least semi-transparent to an electromagnetic radiation, in a fixed position and at least partially in a housing at least partially in said layer; wherein:
the first surface comprises:
one or more first frontal areas with a first frontal degree of transparency to said electromagnetic radiation, either positioned in front of or comprising portions of said stone;
one or more first lateral areas with a first lateral degree of transparency to said electromagnetic radiation, positioned outside said one or more first frontal areas;

wherein said first frontal degree of transparency is greater than said first lateral degree of transparency;
the second surface comprises:
one or more second frontal areas with a second frontal degree of transparency to said electromagnetic radiation, positioned in front of said stone;
one or more second lateral areas with a second lateral degree of transparency to said electromagnetic radiation, positioned outside said one or more second frontal areas;

wherein said second frontal degree of transparency is smaller than said second lateral degree of transparency; and
the layer comprises, along a set of electromagnetic paths between said one or more second lateral areas and a surface portion of said housing, interposed means at least semi-transparent to said electromagnetic radiation, configured to allow light to pass into said housing, and wherein at least one univocal card identification is
printed on at least one of said first surface and second surface, and/or
stored in a data storage device incorporated in said multipurpose card;

B. sending an electromagnetic radiation on said one or more second lateral areas;
C. acquiring at least one image of said stone on the basis of an electromagnetic radiation exiting from said one or more first frontal areas;
D. comparing said at least one image with a set of reference images of said stone associated with respective pre-registered multipurpose cards;
E. determining a degree of similarity between said at least one image and the images of said set of reference images; and
F. identifying said multipurpose card in said set of pre-registered multipurpose cards, on the basis of the degree of similarity determined in step E.