An image producing device that produces an image by thermally transferring an image pattern from a transfer ribbon to a transfer medium. The device includes take-up means for taking up the transfer ribbon, supply means for supplying the transfer ribbon according to the taking up of the transfer ribbon performed by the take-up means, thermal transfer means for thermally transferring an image to the transfer medium by bringing the transfer ribbon that is between the supply means and the take-up means into contact with the transfer medium, and a regulating means for regulating the supply of the transfer ribbon performed by the supply means.

A light modulation element reproduces a light image in a specific color other than iridescence where white light is incident, without a layer that selectively transmits or reflects a specific wavelength band, and clearly reproduces a desired light image by reducing an influence of 0th-order diffracted light, and an information recording medium including the same. The light modulation element includes a factor element that reproduces a light image by modulating a phase of incident reproduction light, and has an uneven surface. A maximum diffraction efficiency Dmax in a wavelength band of between 380 nm and 780 nm in wavelength distribution of first-order diffracted light and of negative first-order diffracted light with respect to diffraction efficiency for the factor element has a local maximum value with a full width at half maximum FWHM of 200 nm or less in wavelength distribution with respect to diffraction efficiency having the maximum diffraction efficiency.

A method of forming a security device includes selectively providing a high refractive index (HRI) layer to a first outwardly facing surface of a security device substrate, the HRI layer having a substantially transparent host material and particles having a dimension along at least one axis less than 200 nm, such that they are substantially non-scattering to visible light and the HRI layer is substantially transparent to visible light, and wherein; the particles have a refractive index of at least 1.8 and are present within the host material in a proportion such that the resultant refractive index of the HRI layer is at least 1.6. A corresponding security device, as well as security articles and security documents, are also disclosed.

An optical security device (1) comprising a recorded or encoded representation of an optically variable image (40), the image (40) being reconstructable and viewable for security, authentication or identification purposes, the device (1) comprising: an optical structure (30) in which there is recorded or encoded a representation of the optically variable image (40) in the form of a plurality of discrete portions (e.g. 50) of the complete image (40) to be reconstructed, wherein the respective said plurality of portions (e.g. 50) of the optically variable image (40) can, when reconstructed, only be viewed in their totality by viewing the said image (40) at or over a plurality of different viewing angles or angle ranges (70) relative to the optical structure (30) and/or at or over a plurality of different angles or range of angles of illumination of the optical structure (10), and wherein the size, in at least one dimension, direction, axis or plane, of the complete image (40), when reconstructed, is greater than the corresponding size, in the same, or the respective same, dimension, direction, axis or plane, of a part of the optical structure (30) having the said plurality of portions (e.g. 50) of the image (40) collectively recorded or encoded therein.

An optical film including a recording surface on which a plurality of unit blocks is disposed at regular intervals. For these unit blocks, phase components of light from a reconstruction point are calculated. The recording surface includes a calculated element region provided with an array of the unit blocks for which phase components of light from the reconstruction point are calculated for reproduction of an image. A first image is a monotone reconstruction image having even brightness, and a second image is a grayscale image having brightness gradation.

An integrated three-dimensional display includes a recording surface which includes a calculated element region in which phase components of light from light converging points of a holographic reconstructed image are calculated, and a phase angle recorded area for recording a phase angle calculated based on the phase components. The phase angle recorded area includes a plurality of monochromatic regions having a uneven structure surface. The phase angle is recorded in an overlap area in which the calculated element region and the phase angle recorded area overlap each other. Light converges on the light converging points at specific distances from the recording surface, the specific distances being determined for the respective light converging points even when light reflected from the plurality of monochromatic regions converges.

Disclosed are a virtual barrier gate system (10) and a virtual barrier gate control method. The system comprises a control apparatus (100) and a holographic projection apparatus (200) connected to the control apparatus (100), wherein the control apparatus (100) is configured to generate a first control signal on the basis of a starting signal and send the first control signal to the holographic projection apparatus (200); and the holographic projection apparatus (200) is configured to project, according to the first control signal, a three-dimensional holographic image with a specified shape to a preset position to serve as a virtual barrier gate. By using air holographic projection technology, a physical barrier gate is virtualized into an air holographic projection image, thereby improving the safety of the barrier gate and reducing labor costs.

A computerized system for uniquely tagging and verifying authenticity of an article comprising: an object having a curvature; a computer system adapted to: receive a three-dimensional predetermined image, create a holographic interference pattern created according to the three-dimensional predetermined image and the curvature wherein the holographic interference pattern is applied to the object, project a three-dimensional resulting image projected on a planar surface in response to the holographic interference pattern being illuminated wherein the computer system receives the three-dimensional resulting image, create validation information according to a comparison of the three-dimensional predetermined image and the three-dimensional resulting image

A system includes a plurality of optical identifiers and a reader for the optical identifiers. Each optical identifier has an optical substrate and a volume hologram (e.g., with unique data, such as a code page) in the optical substrate. The reader for the optical identifiers includes an illumination source (e.g., a laser), and a camera. The illumination source is configured to direct light into a selected one of the optical identifiers that has been placed into the reader to produce an image of the associated volume holograms at the camera. The camera is configured to capture the image. The captured image may be stored in a digital format by the system.

An optical device is formed by hot stamping a demetallized hologram to an optically variable foil or to a coating of optically variable ink. In another embodiment a hologram is hot stamped to a banknote or document printed with a color-shifting ink.