Method and apparatus for photographically recording digital audio and a medium having photographically recorded digital sountracks

Claim 1

An apparatus for photographically recording digital audio bits in bit areas of a photosensitive medium, wherein each of the bit areas has a length U along a first axis, and a width V along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, including: a means for continuously translating the medium in a direction parallel to the first axis in a plane at a rate R; and radiation projection means for projecting coherent radiation encoded with said digital audio bits for a duration T onto a row of spots on the plane, wherein the row of spots is oriented substantially parallel to the second axis, wherein each of the spots has a width V along the second axis and a length C along the first axis, wherein C is less than U, and wherein RT, the product of the duration T and the rate R, is substantially equal to the length U, wherein the radiation projection means includes: laser means for generating a beam of the coherent radiation and directing the beam along a beam path; and a linear shutter array positioned in the beam path, for encoding the beam with at least some of said digital audio bits as said beam propagates therethrough, wherein the medium is a motion picture film, wherein the bit areas are located within three elongated soundtrack regions of the film, wherein the elongated soundtrack regions are oriented substantially parallel to the first axis, and wherein the row of spots extends substantially parallel to the second axis across all of the three elongated soundtrack regions, wherein the film defines a first column of sprocket holes and a second column of sprocket holes, wherein the film has a picture area between the first column of sprocket holes and the second column of sprocket holes, and wherein a first one of the elongated soundtrack regions extends substantially parallel to the first axis between the picture area and the first column of sprocket holes, a second one of the elongated soundtrack regions extends substantially parallel to the first axis between the picture area and the second column of sprocket holes, and a third one of the elongated soundtrack regions extends substantially parallel to the first axis between the second one of the elongated soundtrack regions and the second column of sprocket holes, wherein the laser means includes means for generating a second beam of coherent radiation and a third beam of coherent radiation, and wherein the linear shutter array generates from the beam a first encoded beam that is encoded with a first subset of the digital audio bits, as the beam propagates therethrough; and wherein the radiation projection means also includes: a second linear shutter array for receiving the second beam, and generating from the second beam a second encoded beam that is encoded with a second subset of the digital audio bits as the second beam propagates therethrough; a third linear shutter array for receiving the third beam, and generating from the third beam a third encoded beam that is encoded with a third subset of the digital audio bits as the third beam propagates therethrough; a first lens means for receiving the first encoded beam and generating therefrom a first compressed beam, and projecting the first compressed beam on a row of spots coinciding with the first one of the elongated soundtrack regions; and a second lens means for receiving the second encoded beam and the third encoded beam and generating therefrom a second compressed beam and a third compressed beam, and projecting the second compressed beam on a row of spots coinciding with the second one of the elongated soundtrack regions, and projecting the third compressed beam on a row of spots coinciding with the third one of the elongated soundtrack regions.

Claim 2

An apparatus for photographically recording digital audio bits in bit areas of a photosensitive medium, wherein each of the bit areas has a length U along a first axis, and a width V along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, including: a means for continuously translating the medium in a direction parallel to the first axis in a plane at a rate R; and radiation projection means for projecting coherent radiation encoded with said digital audio bits for a duration T onto a row of spots on the plane, wherein the row of spots is oriented substantially parallel to the second axis, wherein each of the spots has a width V along the second axis and a length C along the first axis, wherein C is less than U, and wherein RT, the product of the duration T and the rate R, is substantially equal to the length U, wherein the radiation projection means includes: laser means for generating a beam of the coherent radiation and directing the beam along a beam path; and a linear shutter array positioned in the beam path, for encoding the beam with at least some of said digital audio bits as said beam propagates therethrough, wherein the medium is a motion picture film, wherein the bit areas are located within three elongated soundtrack regions of the film, wherein the elongated soundtrack regions are oriented substantially parallel to the first axis, and wherein the row of spots extends substantially parallel to the second axis across all of the three elongated soundtrack regions, wherein the film defines a first column of sprocket holes and a second column of sprocket holes, wherein the film has a picture area between the first column of sprocket holes and the second column of sprocket holes, and wherein a first one of the elongated soundtrack regions extends substantially parallel to the first axis between the picture area and the first column of sprocket holes, a second one of the elongated soundtrack regions extends substantially parallel to the first axis between the picture area and the second column of sprocket holes, and a third one of the elongated soundtrack regions extends substantially parallel to the first axis between the second one of the elongated soundtrack regions and the second column of sprocket holes, wherein the laser means includes means for generating a second beam of coherent radiation and a third beam of coherent radiation, and wherein the linear shutter array generates from the beam a first encoded beam that is encoded with a first subset of the digital audio bits, as the beam propagates therethrough; and wherein the radiation projection means also includes: a second linear shutter array for receiving the second beam, and generating from the second beam a second encoded beam that is encoded with a second subset of the digital audio bits as the second beam propagates therethrough; a third linear shutter array for receiving the third beam, and generating from the third beam a third encoded beam that is encoded with a third subset of the digital audio bits as the third beam propagates therethrough; a first lens means for receiving the first encoded beam and generating therefrom a first compressed beam, and projecting the first compressed beam on a row of spots coinciding with the first one of the elongated soundtrack regions; and a second lens means for receiving the second encoded beam and the third encoded beam and generating therefrom a second compressed beam and a third compressed beam, and projecting the second compressed beam on a row of spots coinciding with the second one of the elongated soundtrack regions, and projecting the third compressed beam on a row of spots coinciding with the third one of the elongated soundtrack regions.