Abstract: Methods manufacture an optically variable security element by breaking down a first motif into first motif elements, assigning the first motif elements first directional degrees of reflection that encode the first motif, wherein a relief layer having a multiplicity of single visual elements having a respective single element surface is produced and divided into reflection areas, wherein first reflection areas of different single element surfaces are assigned to the first motif, and the first reflection areas associated with the first motif are provided with the first directional degrees of reflection.

Abstract: Methods manufacture an optically variable security element by breaking down a first motif into first motif elements, assigning the first motif elements first directional degrees of reflection that encode the first motif, wherein a relief layer having a multiplicity of single visual elements having a respective single element surface is produced and divided into reflection areas, wherein first reflection areas of different single element surfaces are assigned to the first motif, and the first reflection areas associated with the first motif are provided with the first directional degrees of reflection.

Abstract: The invention relates to a storage medium comprising a security feature, having a substrate (1, 4, 10), at least one functional layer (2, 5, 11), at least one feature which is written into the functional layer (2, 5, 11) and is visible when reflected and at least one feature which is written into the functional layer (2, 5, 11) and is visible when transmitted, at least one feature being individualized and at least one feature having a diffractive structure. The invention solves the technical problem of providing a larger variety of combinations of different security features. The invention also relates to a method for producing a storage medium comprising a security feature.

Abstract: A reader for reading computer-generated individualized holograms which are written into a storage medium, having a light source for generating a light beam, a recording means for acquiring image data generated by the light beam by illuminating the individualized hologram, and display means for displaying the display data generated from the image data, wherein all the components are combined in a portable handheld unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to holographic storage material (1) comprising at least one polymer film (3) and one metallic first layer (4) which is applied to the polymer film (3). In order to provide a storage material (1) having improved optical properties, a non-metallic second layer (5) and a metallic third layer (6) are provided. The second layer (5) is arranged between the first (4) and the third (6) layers. The total thickness of the first, second and third layers (4,5,6) is less than the wavelength of the radiation used for reading out.

Abstract: A reader for reading computer-generated individualized holograms which are written into a storage medium, having a light source for generating a light beam, a recording means for acquiring image data generated by the light beam by illuminating the individualized hologram, and display means for dispalying the display data generated from the image data, wherein all the components are combined in a portable handheld unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a storage medium, preferably a carrier. The aim of the invention is to make manipulation of data information of the storage medium or of non-authorized copies of the storage medium visible. For this purpose, the storage medium comprises a transparent layer and a layer produced from an opaque material, the layer of the opaque material having a section with a medium transmittance between 0% and 100% which is semi-transparent to electromagnetic radiation and an informative content comprising the value of the medium transmittance being stored in the storage medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to holographic storage material (1) comprising at least one polymer film (3) and one metallic first layer (4) which is applied to the polymer film (3). In order to provide a storage material (1) having improved optical properties, a non-metallic second layer (5) and a metallic third layer (6) are provided. The second layer (5) is arranged between the first (4) and the third (6) layers. The total thickness of the first, second and third layers (4,5,6) is less than the wavelength of the radiation used for reading out.

Abstract: The invention relates to a storage medium comprising a security feature, having a substrate (1, 4, 10), at least one functional layer (2, 5, 11), at least one feature which is written into the functional layer (2, 5, 11) and is visible when reflected and at least one feature which is written into the functional layer (2, 5, 11) and is visible when transmitted, at least one feature being individualized and at least one feature having a diffractive structure. The invention solves the technical problem of providing a larger variety of combinations of different security features. The invention also relates to a method for producing a storage medium comprising a security feature.

Abstract: A reader for reading computer-generated lithograms which are written into a storage medium, having a light source for generating a light beam, having recording means for acquiring the image data generated by the light beam by illuminating the lithogram, and having display means for displaying the display data generated from the image data, wherein all the components are combined in a portable handheld unit. This reader solves the object of specifying a manageable reader which has great variability in reading the information contained in the dot distribution of a computer-generated lithogram.

Abstract: An optical data storage device has a number of storage strata (1, 2, 3) arranged one above the other, each of which has a reflection layer, preferably a metal layer (12, 22, 32), which, in a predetermined optical wavelength range, has an initial absorption of at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, and an initial transmission of at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, and the transmission or reflection of which can be varied selectively by thermal treatment. In a method for writing information to such an optical data storage device, the information is introduced into a respective storage stratum (1, 2, 3) by means of a writing laser (40) by local variation of the optical properties, to be precise preferably initially at the storage stratum (1) lying closest to the focusing optical system of the writing laser (40) and progressing from there from storage stratum to storage stratum, the transmission or reflection being set in a respective storage stratum (1, 2, 3) by thermal treatment (41).

Abstract: In a method of entering information into an optically writable and readable data storage medium having a polymer film which can be changed locally by heating in order to store information and to which there is assigned an absorber dye (34) which is set up to absorb a write beam (36), at least partly, and to transfer the heat produced in the process, at least partly, locally to the polymer film, first of all the absorber dye is heated locally in a predetermined region of the polymer film in accordance with the information to be entered, specifically by means of a pulsed write beam (36). After that, the absorption properties of the absorber dye (34) are changed by means of light, to be specific preferably by means of a fixing beam (37) which bleaches (38) the absorber dye (34) in the written region of the polymer film.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calculating a computer-generated hologram, in which the pixel distribution of the computer-generated hologram is calculated, in which the pixel distribution of a macroscopic superstructure is calculated and in which the pixel distribution of at least one computer-generated hologram is interconnected with the pixel distribution of the macroscopic superstructure to form a pixel distribution to be written in a storage medium. Similarly, the invention relates to a method for writing the hologram, a storage medium and also a reading device. Therefore, both a computer-generated hologram and a macroscopic superstructure which can contain directly readable information can be brought together in a pixel distribution.

Abstract: The invention relates to a commonplace object with an outer surface (4) that encircles the commonplace object (2) and with at least one cylindrical section (6) of the surface (4), in which the technical problem of specifying a commonplace object to whose surface a relatively large amount of information can be applied is solved in that the cylindrical section (4) of the surface (6) consists of a material which can be changed optically, and in that a data bit sequence is written along at least one track (8) on the cylindrical section (4).

Abstract: A reader for reading computer-generated lithograms which are written into a storage medium, having a light source for generating a light beam , having recording means for acquiring the image data generated by the light beam by illuminating the lithogram, and having display means for displaying the display data generated from the image data, wherein all the components are combined in a portable handheld unit. This reader solves the object of specifying a manageable reader which has great variability in reading the information contained in the dot distribution of a computer-generated lithogram.

Abstract: The invention relates to a commonplace object with an outer surface (4) that encircles the commonplace object (2) and with at least one cylindrical section (6) of the surface (4), in which the technical problem of specifying a commonplace object to whose surface a relatively large amount of information can be applied is solved in that the cylindrical section (4) of the surface (6) consists of a material which can be changed optically, and in that a data bit sequence is written along at least one track (8) on the cylindrical section (4).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calculating a computer-generated hologram, in which the pixel distribution of the computer-generated hologram is calculated, in which the pixel distribution of a macroscopic superstructure is calculated and in which the pixel distribution of at least one computer-generated hologram is interconnected with the pixel distribution of the macroscopic superstructure to form a pixel distribution to be written in a storage medium. Similarly, the invention relates to a method for writing the hologram, a storage medium and also a reading device. Therefore, both a computer-generated hologram and a macroscopic superstructure which can contain directly readable information can be brought together in a pixel distribution.

Abstract: In a method of entering information into an optically writable and readable data storage medium having a polymer film which can be changed locally by heating in order to store information and to which there is assigned an absorber dye (34) which is set up to absorb a write beam (36), at least partly, and to transfer the heat produced in the process, at least partly, locally to the polymer film, first of all the absorber dye is heated locally in a predetermined region of the polymer film in accordance with the information to be entered, specifically by means of a pulsed write beam (36). After that, the absorption properties of the absorber dye (34) are changed by means of light, to be specific preferably by means of a fixing beam (37) which bleaches (38) the absorber dye (34) in the written region of the polymer film.