Apparatus for recording optical information

An optical information recording apparatus for recording information in an optical information recording medium having reflecting layer and information recording layer in which information is recorded utilizing holography in the form of an interference pattern as a result of interference between information light carrying two dimensional digital pattern information and reference light for recording having a spatial modulation, the apparatus comprising:

• an input means for inputting individual information that is unique to an individual;
• an information light generation means for generating the information light based on the information of the medium, carrying the two dimensional digital pattern information;
• a phase modulation pattern generation means for generating phase modulation pattern information based on said individual information inputted by said input means;
• a recording reference light generation means including phase modulation means for spatially modulating a phase of the light, for generating the reference light for recording having a phase spatially modulated based on said phase modulation pattern information by the phase modulation means;
• and
• a recording optical system, for illuminating the information recording layer on a same side thereof with the information light and the reference light for recording such that the information is recorded in the information recording layer in the form of an interference pattern as a result of using the reflecting layer as a reference plane to generate interference between the information light and the reference light for recording,
• wherein the recording optical system projects the information light and the reference light for recording such that an optical axis of the information light, and an optical axis of the reference light for recording are located on a same line.

An optical information recording method for recording information in an optical information recording medium having reflecting layer and information recording layer in which information is recorded utilizing holography in the form of an interference pattern as a result of interference between information light carrying two dimensional digital pattern information and reference light for recording having a spatial modulation, the method comprising:

• inputting individual information that is unique to an individual;
• generating the information light carrying the two dimensional digital pattern information;
• spatially modulating the reference light for recording based on the individual information;
• illuminating the information recording layer on a same side thereof with the information light and the reference light for recording located on a same line to record the two dimensional digital pattern information in the information recording layer in the form of an interference pattern as a result of using the reflecting layer as a reference plane to generate interference between the information light and the reference light for recording.

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording information in and reproducing information from an optical information recording medium having reflecting layer and information recording layer in which information is recorded utilizing holography, the apparatus comprising:

• an input means for inputting individual information that is unique to an individual;
• an information light generator that generates information light by first modulating a first light based on first information;
• a recording reference light generator that modulates a second light to generate reference light for recording based on the individual information;
• a recording optical system for illuminating the information recording layer with the information light and the reference light for recording, the information light and the reference light for recording illuminating the information recording layer on a same side such that the first information are recorded in the information recording layer as a result of using the reflecting layer as a reference plane to generate an interference pattern between the information light and the reference light for recording, wherein the recording optical system projects the information light and the reference light for recording such that a first optical axis of the information light and a second optical axis of the reference light for recording are located on a first same line;
• a reproduction reference light generator that modulates a light to generate reference light for reproduction based on the individual information;
• a reproducing optical system for illuminating the information recording layer with the reference light for reproduction on the same side of the information recording layer that is illuminated with the information light and the reference light for recording and for collecting reproduction light on the same side of the information recording layer that is illuminated with the reference light for reproduction, wherein the reproducing optical system projects the reference light for reproduction and collects the reproduction light such that a third optical axis of the reference light for reproduction and a forth optical axis of the reproduction light are located on a second same line;
• and
• a detection means for detecting the reproduction light collected by the reproducing optical system.

An optical information recording and reproducing method for recording information in and reproducing information from an optical information recording medium having reflecting layer and information recording layer in which information is recorded utilizing holography in the form of an interference pattern as a result of interference between information light and reference light for recording having a spatial modulation, the method comprising:

• inputting individual information that is unique to an individual;
• generating the information light carrying two dimensional digital pattern information;
• modulating the light to generate the reference light for recording based on the individual information;
• illuminating the information recording layer with the information light and modulated reference light for recording on a same side of the optical information recording medium such that an optical axis of the information light and an optical axis of the reference light for recording are located on a first same line;
• recording the information in the information recording layer as a result of using the reflecting layer as a reference plane to generate an interference pattern between the information light and the modulated reference light for recording;
• spatially modulating the light to generate reference light for reproduction having a spatial modulation in the same manner in which the reference light for recording was modulated when the information was recorded;
• illuminating the information recording layer with the reference light for reproduction on the same side of the information recording layer that is illuminated with the information light and the modulated reference light for reproduction and collecting reproduction light generated at the information recording layer when illuminated with the reference light for reproduction on the same side of the information recording layer that is illuminated with the reference light for reproduction such that an optical axis of the reference light for reproduction and an optical axis of the reproduction light are located on a second same line;
• and
• detecting the collected reproduction light.

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording information in and reproducing information from an optical information recording medium having reflecting layer and information recording layer in which information is recorded utilizing holography in the form of an interference pattern as a result of interference between information light carrying two dimensional digital pattern information and reference light for recording having a spatial modulation, the apparatus comprising:

• an input means for inputting individual information that is unique to an individual;
• an information light generation unit configured to generate plural information lights each of which carries corresponding two dimensional digital pattern information;
• a recording reference light generation unit, including a modulator for spatially modulating a light based on the individual information, configured to generate plural reference lights for recording each of which is spatially modulated by said modulator in response to a unique phase modulation pattern for said each two dimensional digital pattern information;
• an optical recording unit configured to illuminate said information recording layer with said plural information lights and said plural reference lights for recording so that an optical axis of each information light and an optical axis of the corresponding reference light for recording are located on a same line, to perform a multiplex recording to record on a same location of said optical information recording medium information in the form of plural interference patterns as a result of using the reflecting layer as a reference plane to generate interferences between said plural information lights and said plural reference lights for recording;
• a reproduction reference light generation unit, including a modulator for spatially modulating the light based on the individual information, configured to generate plural reference lights for reproduction each of which is spatially modulated by said modulator of the reproduction reference light generation unit in response to a unique phase modulation pattern for said each two dimensional digital pattern information in the same manner in which the reference light for recording was modulated when the information was recorded;
• an optical reproducing unit configured to illuminate the information recording layer with the reference light for reproducing generated by the reproduction reference light generation unit on a same side of the information recording layer that is illuminated with the corresponding information light and the corresponding reference light for recording and for collecting reproduction light generated at the information recording layer when illuminated with the reference light for reproduction on the same side of the information recording layer that is illuminated with the reference light for reproduction so that an optical axis of reproduction light and an optical axis of the corresponding reference light for reproducing are located on a same line;
• and
• a detection unit for detecting the reproduction light collected by the optical reproducing unit.

An optical information recording apparatus for recording information holographically in an optical information recording medium having reflective layer and information recording layer, the apparatus comprising:

• an inputting device that inputs individual information that is unique to an individual;
• an information light source that generates information light carrying two dimensional digital pattern information;
• a recording reference light source that generates recording reference light, including a modulator that spatially modulates the recording reference light based on the individual information;
• and
• a recording optical system projects the information light and the recording reference light for recording the information in the form of an interference pattern as a result of using the reflecting layer as a reference plane to generate interference between the information light and the recording reference light such that an optical axis of the information light and an optical axis of the recording reference light are located on a same line.