*** ABSTRACT 9661475 Kostrzewski This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a unique anticounterfeiting method based on optical correlation techniques whose large number of degrees of freedom will ensure extremely high confidence. The proposed methodology uses high density phase encoded labels with 10^30 code possibilities and is an extension of existing optical correlation technology for label verification. Using phase encoding for label verification poses a significant challenge because labels may be presented for verification with unpredictable scale, shift, and rotation. During Phase I, research will be conducted to develop scale, translation, and rotation invariant phase codes together with a flexible reading/processing head that will allow unrestricted placement of labels during the verification process. Scanning or replicating of phase labels will be impossible because of the high optical density of the phase information. An additional feature of the proposed phase encoded labeling is its compatibility with a variety of substrates, including thin foil and plastic in both reflection and transmission modes of operation. Research conducted during Phase I will develop a new tool to fight counterfeit crime. Phase encoded labeling can applied to many security applications like limited access security, ID cards, credit card verification, product label verification systems, and medical records. The production cost of such labels will be in the range of just a few cents per label. ***
