Importance

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Abstract

There is disclosed herein an improved automated photofinishing packaging system for receiving film, processing it into the final prints, and packaging the film with the associated prints. The improvement pertains to a technique for encoding identification data onto the roll of prints which data can key the prints to the associated film during packaging. If more prints are in a particular order than are necessary to encode the identification data, the encoding of the identification data is repeated until substantially all prints in the order have been encoded. In addition, in one embodiment, each encoding of the identification data is followed by the encoding of distinguishable synchronization data, which can be used to distinguish between the repeated encodings of the identification data. The encoding of all prints in an order, particularly a large order, enables the prints to be divided up into separate groupings destined for separate packaging and still be associated with the same order, and also allows the prints for such an order to be packaged beginning with the last print in the order.

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First Claim