A security element is applied to a document or an object in the form of a directly printed marking or in the form of a tag made of paper or another material, with or without an identifier. A user can take a picture of the marking or tag with a smartphone and then send the picture to a device including software provided with a recognition algorithm including neural networks. The device visualizes the fingerprint of the tag or marking, thus making it possible to ascertain the authenticity of the document or object. In order to establish the authenticity of the product protected by the device, the image, stored in a cloud or blockchain database, of the tag obtained after printing same or of the marking is compared with a new description.

Provided is an information display medium that can enhance a forgery prevention effect. An information display medium (100) includes a light reflection layer (20) made of a metal or a metallic oxide and partially or fully placed on one surface of a substrate, and the light reflection layer (20) includes a first region (30) where first information is displayed by either of or a combination of an outline shape and a shape of an uneven region, and a second information display region (21a) where identification information formed by partial material removal of the light reflection layer (20), the second information display region being set to partially or fully overlap with the light reflection layer (20) where the first information is displayed in the first region (30).

Provided is an information display medium that can enhance a forgery prevention effect. An information display medium (100) includes a light reflection layer (20) made of a metal or a metallic oxide and partially or fully placed on one surface of a substrate, and the light reflection layer (20) includes a first region (30) where first information is displayed by either of or a combination of an outline shape and a shape of an uneven region, and a second information display region (21a) where identification information formed by partial material removal of the light reflection layer (20), the second information display region being set to partially or fully overlap with the light reflection layer (20) where the first information is displayed in the first region (30).

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 a laser, and a camera. The laser is configured to direct laser 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.

A secure item including a first optical structure and a second optical structure, or an assembly comprising a secure item and another object. The first optical structure including a plurality of blocks and being one of a revealing screen and a combined image. The second optical structure being the other one. Each of the combined image blocks being made up of a plurality of interlaced images. The combined image or each combined image block including a periodic alternation of interlaced image elements. The elements of the interlaced images of a single interlaced image being the same color, but a different color from that of the other interlaced images. At least two blocks of the first optical structure each allowing the observation of a revealed image in each block of a first optical structure, showing different proportions of the interlaced images.

A security element comprising a first and a second pattern formed in or on a substrate is described, the first pattern (105; 205) being formed by discrete elements (105a-105g; 205a-205c) of a first material that are distributed over a first region (101) of the substrate (100; 200), the second pattern (106; 206) being formed by discrete elements (106a-106i; 206a-206c) of a second material that are distributed over a second region (102) of the substrate (100; 200), said second material being different from said first material, said first and second regions of the substrate overlapping, wherein the discrete elements of at least one of the first and second patterns are distributed randomly, a part of the discrete elements of the first pattern (105; 205) overlap with a part of the discrete elements of said second pattern (106; 206), and the security element is defined by the first pattern (105; 205), the second pattern (106; 206) and a third pattern (107; 207) associated with the overlap of some or all of the discrete elements of said first and second patterns.

An optical display body (1) is provided with: a stripe mask (10) that includes a transmission part (T) and a reflection part (R) that is wider than the transmission part, a transmission part and a reflection part which are alternately arranged so as to form a stripe pattern; and a printed body (20) that includes a flattened design (21A) which is a visible image (21B) flattened in a Y direction and which is printed two or more times repeatedly in an X direction. The stripe mask, upon being superimposed on the printed body such that a stripe direction of the stripe mask will be coincident with the X direction of the printed body, allows a visible image to be displayed through the stripe mask.

A method of manufacturing a first security document, the security document including a first periodic array of image elements applied to a first surface of a transparent substrate and extending in a first direction; and a first periodic array of revealing elements applied to an opposing surface of the substrate and extending in a second direction, the first periodic array of revealing elements being superposed with the first periodic array of image elements, such that an optical variable effect can be observed between at least a first viewing angle and a second viewing angle. The method includes the steps of (a) determining one or more characteristics of moir bands that would be or are observed to transition across the first periodic array of image elements during movement of the security document relative to an observer between, at least, the first viewing angle and the second viewing angle as a result of the first direction being different from the second direction; (b) constraining at least one dimension of the first periodic array of image elements and/or the first periodic array of revealing elements to be smaller than the width of at least one of the moir bands; and (c). causing the first periodic array of image elements and the first periodic array of revealing elements, constrained as set out in step (b), to be manufactured as part of the security document.

A moir magnification device including a transparent substrate carrying: an array of micro-focusing elements, the focusing elements defining a focal plane; a first array of microimage elements in a first colour and a second array of microimage elements in a second colour, the first and second arrays of microimage elements are located in a plane substantially coincident with the focal plane of the focusing elements, the second array of microimage elements being laterally offset from the first. The pitches of the micro-focusing elements, first and second arrays of microimage elements and their relative locations are such that the array of micro-focusing elements cooperates with each of the first and second arrays of microimage elements to generate respective magnified versions of the microimage elements due to the moir effect. An interruption zone is perceived between the magnified versions of the first and second microimage arrays, respectively, and exhibits no magnified versions.

A moir magnification device including a transparent substrate carrying: an array of micro-focusing elements, the focusing elements defining a focal plane; a first array of microimage elements in a first colour and a second array of microimage elements in a second colour, the first and second arrays of microimage elements are located in a plane substantially coincident with the focal plane of the focusing elements, the second array of microimage elements being laterally offset from the first. The pitches of the micro-focusing elements, first and second arrays of microimage elements and their relative locations are such that the array of micro-focusing elements cooperates with each of the first and second arrays of microimage elements to generate respective magnified versions of the microimage elements due to the moir effect. An interruption zone is perceived between the magnified versions of the first and second microimage arrays, respectively, and exhibits no magnified versions.