Abstract: A storage medium carries symbols representing digital information encoded in two dimensions. A method and apparatus recovers the symbols using oversampling in two dimensions and derives the information represented by the symbols. In one embodiment, the symbols are carried on motion picture film between the sprocket holes.

Abstract: A storage medium carries physically distinct blocks of symbols representing digital information. The symbols are arranged in the blocks such that the digital information represented by the symbols can be determined from only the two-dimensional position of the symbols relative to one another and any other differentiable characteristic intrinsic to the symbols. A method and apparatus recovers the symbols using oversampling in two dimensions and derives the information represented by the symbols. Blocks having two or more two-dimensional alignment patterns with good auto-correlation properties are used in some embodiments to facilitate recovery of the digital information. In one embodiment, motion picture film carries a conventional analog soundtrack and a digital soundtrack for a plurality of channels; the digital soundtrack is represented by symbols carried on the film in the areas between sprocket hole perforations.

Abstract: An apparatus recovers audio information from analog and digital motion picture film soundtracks using a single optical sensor that senses across the widths of both soundtracks. Symbols representing audio information in the digital soundtrack are encoded in two dimensions and are recovered by oversampling the symbols in two dimensions. The two-dimensional encoding of digital information can be used with a variety of recording media; however, in one embodiment, the symbols are carried on motion picture film between the sprocket holes.