Method, apparatus and software for processing photographic image data using a photographic recording medium

A method for processing photographic image data recorded on a photographic recording medium, the method comprising:

• scanning the photographic recording medium to identify a first image frame comprising a first optical image;
• recording the first optical image in a first image data file;
• scanning the photographic recording medium to identify a first metadata frame, the first metadata frame contained within an inter frame gap on the photographic recording medium located between the first image frame and a second image frame such that the first metadata frame is outside of a region of the first image frame and second image frame and interleaved between the first and second image frames, the metadata frame comprising a set of metadata associated with the first optical image;
• retrieving the set of metadata;
• and
• recording the set of metadata in a first metadata file associated with the first image data file.

An image capture device comprising:

• a photographic recording medium wound about a carriage, the photographic recording medium comprising:
• a series of discrete image frames for capturing successive optical images, adjacent image frames separated by inter frame gap;
• and
• a series of metadata frames, each metadata frame contained within the inter frame gap between adjacent optical image frames, such that metadata frames are located outside of a region of the image frames and interleaved between optical images captured on the photographic recording medium, each metadata frame for storing a set of metadata associated with the optical image preceding the metadata frame;
• and
• a recorder for recording the set of metadata associated with each optical image captured on the recording medium and for exposing the series of metadata frames on the recording medium, the recorder comprising:
• the recorder recording the set of metadata associated with each optical image captured on the photographic recording medium;
• a converter for converting each set of metadata into data representing an optical barcode;
• and
• a light array for exposing each metadata frame with a set of metadata associated with the optical image preceding the metadata frame on the photographic recording medium, the light array exposing each metadata frame as the photographic recording medium is wound about the carriage so that each set of metadata is exposed as a two dimensional optical barcode in each metadata frame, such that each metadata frame contains data representative of the set of metadata associated with the optical image preceding the metadata frame.

An apparatus for processing photographic image data recorded on a photographic recording medium, the apparatus comprising:

• a scanner for scanning the photographic recording medium to identify a first image frame comprising an optical image and recording the image in an image data file;
• the scanner scanning the photographic recording medium to identify a metadata frame, the metadata frame contained within an inter frame gap on the photographic recording medium located between the first image frame and a second image frame, such that metadata frames are located outside of a region of an image frame and interleaved between image frames, the metadata frame comprising a set of metadata in the form of an optical barcode;
• and
• a recorder for decoding the barcode to retrieve the set of metadata and to record the metadata in a metadata file associated with the image data file.