Method and apparatus for magnetically communicating via a photographic filmstrip with enhanced reliability

Apparatus for use in transferring data from a first stage to a second stage of photographic filmstrip use and processing, the data being susceptible to corruption error during data transfer, the apparatus comprising:

• data recording means at said first stage for magnetically recording data in a longitudinally extending track in a film frame of the photographic filmstrip;
• plural laterally offset magnetic reading means at said second stage for reading said track in parallel and providing plural data signals therefrom;
• and
• data evaluation means located at said second stage and connected to said plural magnetic reading means for examining the data content of said plural data signals and determining therefrom whether an individual data signal contains data free from corruption error.

A method for reading out and evaluating data transferred from a first stage to a second stage of photographic filmstrip use and processing, the data being magnetically recorded in a longitudinally extending track in a film frame of a photographic filmstrip, the data being susceptible to corruption error during data transfer, the method comprising the steps of:

• continually monitoring the track with a plurality of laterally offset magnetic read heads at said second stage;
• generating a plurality of data signals equal in number to the plurality of read heads, each data signal being representative of magnetic readout of a corresponding read head;
• and
• examining the data content of said data signals and determining therefrom whether an individual data signal contains data which has been transferred without corruption error.

A method for enhancing the reliability of data transfer from a first stage to a second stage of photographic filmstrip use and processing, the data being susceptible to corruption error during transfer, comprising the steps of:

• magnetically recording a limited data set repetitively along a longitudinally extending swath in a film frame of the photographic filmstrip with a single wide magnetic recording head at said first stage;
• monitoring said swath in said second stage with a plurality of laterally offset magnetic read heads;
• generating from said plurality of read heads a like plurality of data signals, each data signal corresponding in size to said limited data set;
• and
• examining the data content of said plurality of data signals and determining therefrom whether an individual data signal contains a limited data set which has been transferred without corruption error. .