Patent ID: 8706288

Claim:
A method for processing an article with a laser processing system having a controller, wherein the article has opposing first and second surfaces, wherein one of the first and second surfaces is a processing surface intended to be processed by the laser processing system, wherein the article has a coating applied to at least a region of one of the first or second surfaces, the method comprising: providing the laser processing system with a laser range measuring device, wherein the range measuring device utilizes a wavelength, wherein the article has a material that is transparent to the wavelength, and wherein the coating is reflective or partly reflective to the wavelength; directing laser light at the wavelength onto the applied coating; measuring a relative distance between the article and the laser range measuring device by employing the laser range measuring device to detect laser light reflected by the coating, wherein the relative distance is indicative of whether the first surface or the second surface is the processing surface; communicating the relative distance to the controller; and deciding whether or not to process the article depending upon the relative distance communicated to the controller.