Film information exchange system using dedicated magnetic tracks on film

A method of recording data relating to different photographic parameters in a magnetic layer of an elongate photographic film strip, comprising the steps of:

• assigning a different identification code to each of said different photographic parameters;
• determining the photographic parameter particular data to be recorded relates to;
• and
• recording the assigned identification code for the determined photographic parameter along with the particular data in the magnetic layer.

A photofinisher magnetic writing and reading system for use in a photofinishing system in which an elongate film strip having a magnetic layer and successive frames, is developed and printed after exposure of said film strip by a camera, comprising:

• means for sensing whether data has previously been recorded in said magnetic layer, and for reading such data;
• means for storing instructions specifying a universal symbol dictionary of allowed characters representative of data and further specifying a universal dictionary of ID codes, each ID code uniquely defining a particular information type;
• and
• means for writing and reading data in said magnetic layer so as to create one or more longitudinal photofinisher-dedicated tracks in such a manner that each of said photofinisher-dedicated tracks is confined within a corresponding one of said frames with a predefined start sentinel character and a stop sentinel character recorded in said track at respective beginning and end points of said track, each track being divided into individual fields and each field being preceded by one of said ID codes corresponding to the type of data recorded in said field.