Information recording method and information reproducing method, recording medium for use in the methods, and information recording apparatus and information reproducing apparatus

An information reproducing method for reading information from a recording medium, the method comprising:

• the step of supplying energy to the recording medium which includes a plurality of light emitting elements that are spatially separate from each other and form a matrix of light emitting materials having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, such that each light emitting element emits light having a characteristic that correlates to a character,
• the step of reading the light emitted by each of the light emitting elements,
• the step of identifying the characteristic of the read light from each of the light emitting elements, and
• the step of identifying the alphanumeric characters indicated by the identified characteristics of the light from the plurality of light emitting elements.

An information recording apparatus for recording desired information onto a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of light emitting material storage devices, wherein each light emitting material storage device is operable to supply a light emitting material which emits light having specific characteristics in response to energy supplied thereto, where different light characteristics correlate to different characters,
• a controller for selecting one of the plurality of storage devices, and
• a discharger for discharging onto a substrate a plurality of light emitting materials that are spatially separated from each other and form a matrix of light emitting materials having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the plurality of light emitting materials supplied by the storage devices as selected by the controller,
• wherein when the desired information to be recorded is supplied, the controller identifies the characteristics of light indicating the desired information, and selects the light emitting material emitting the light having the identified characteristics.

An information reproducing apparatus for reading information from a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:

• an energy supplier which is arranged to supply predetermined energy to the recording medium which includes a plurality of light emitting elements that are spatially separate from each other and form a matrix of light emitting materials having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, such that each light emitting element emits light having a characteristic that correlates to a character,
• a detector means for detecting the light emitted by each of the light emitting elements in response to the energy,
• an identifier for identifying the characteristic of the detected light from each of the light emitting elements, and
• a processor for identifying the alphanumeric characters indicated by the identified characteristics from the plurality light emitting elements.