In one aspect of the invention for which protection is sought there is provided reader apparatus for reading an identification code carried by a surface feature device, the surface feature device having a plurality of respective surface feature portions each provided at respective lateral locations over a lateral surface at one of a plurality of predetermined distances from a lateral reference plane, the apparatus comprising a light source and a light detector, the apparatus being configured to direct light from the light source onto the respective surface feature portions of the surface feature device and to detect by means of the detector light scattered by the respective surface feature portions, the detector being configured to output a detector signal indicative of the intensity of light incident thereon, the apparatus being configured to generate a reader signal responsive to the distance of each of the respective surface feature portions of the surface feature device from the reference plane in dependence on the detector signal.

A medical implant includes a body and an identification assembly. The body includes a first material that is biocompatible, an inner portion, and an external surface made form the first material. The external surface completely contains the interior portion of the body such that the external surface is the only portion of the body exposed to an external environment. The identification assembly is fixed relative to the body. The identification assembly includes a radiopaque material forming a datamatrix. The identification assembly stores a readable data associated with the medical implant. The identification assembly may transfer the readable data to a scanning system.

The present disclosure relates to identification labels (105). Described herein are designs for 3D identification labels on objects (100), and methods and systems for designing and manufacturing such objects (100) with 3D identification labels (105).

An information processing system includes an information bearing medium and an information reading unit. The information bearing medium has a two-dimensional array of unit data zones. Marks are provided on some of the unit data zones so as to form a digital code. Mark patterns of any two Y-directional adjacent unit data zone strings based on the arrangement of marks in an X-direction differ from each other. The information reading unit generates a data string on the basis of a unit signal formed from a plurality of signals output from a group of detection units that detect the marks in synchronization and recognizes the digital code of the information bearing medium on the basis of a group of the data strings sequentially obtained from the array of the unit data zones.

A method for inserting information into a 3D structure and recognizing information in a non-destructive method is provided. A 3D printing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: generating a tag having specific information recorded thereon to be inserted into a 3D structure, and printing the tag on the inside of the 3D structure while printing the 3D structure. Accordingly, since the tag having information recorded thereon is printed on the inside of the 3D structure when the 3D structure is printed by a 3D printer, it is impossible to forge/falsify information.

According to one embodiment, a recording medium is a recording medium in a card form. The recording medium includes a substrate, and a color development layer laminated on the substrate, and provided with a line for security that extends along a lamination surface of the substrate from an end face of the recording medium, such that presence or absence of the line for security is optically identifiable at the end face. It is thus provided a recording medium that can easily prevent falsification with a simple structure, and allows authenticity determination to be performed relatively easily.

A container may include a tubular sidewall defining interior and exterior surfaces of the container, and including first and second regions disposed relative to one another along a major axis of the tubular sidewall. The container further may include an identification mark embedded within the tubular sidewall at a plurality of sectors about the tubular sidewall within the first region. Each sector may have a width, and the identification mark is machine readable by a reader viewing any arbitrary one or more of the sectors. An exemplary method for preparing such a container is also provided.

Disclosed herein is an authenticating mark formed on the surface of a product or package. The said mark comprising: at least an overt portion of visible 3D random image in the form of physically unclonable function (PUF) characterized in that the said PUF is random cracks or colors. Additionally, phosphor particles might be added to this pattern as covert features. It further disclose a system and method for identifying genuine or counterfeited products by analyzing the image of a 3D-PUF and its encrypted image using a commonly held scanning device.

A structural three-dimensional code and an anti-counterfeiting method. The structural three-dimensional code includes an anti-counterfeiting feature layer (11); the anti-counterfeiting feature layer (11) has one or more convex or concave coding patterns (12, 22); and in the anti-counterfeiting feature layer (11), regions with different heights are identified by different colors.

A method of manufacturing a metal product comprise forming a base region on a surface of a metal member by repeatedly scanning along a predetermined first direction while irradiating the surface of the metal member with a base laser beam over a first set of rows. The method further comprises forming a marking by repeatedly scanning along a predetermined second direction while irradiating the surface of the metal member with a marking laser beam over a second set of rows. The second direction is different from the first direction. An identification code having a predetermined pattern comprises a combination of the base region and the marking.