A device is disclosed for playing prerecorded audio encoded in a fault tolerant
manner as a series of infra-red ink dots printed on a card, in substantially the
same area as an image printed on the card, using a page-width ink-jet printhead,
the device comprising an infra-red scanner for scanning the infra-red (IR) form
of the prerecorded audio; a decoder interconnected to the IR scanner for decoding
the scanned audio encoding to produce a corresponding audio signal; and an audio
emitter interconnected to the processor for emitting or playing the corresponding
audio signal on demand. The encoding can include Reed-Solomon encoding of the prerecorded
audio and can comprise an array of infrared ink dots which are high frequency modulated
to aid scanning. The device can include a wand-like arm having a slot through which
the card may be inserted.
