i think a better method than the "shift-method" is my method ^^...
here it comes:
function convert2bin($string) {
     $finished=0;
     $base=1;
     if(preg_match("/[^0-9]/", $string)) {
         for($i=0; $string!=chr($i); $i++);
         $dec_nr=$i;
     }
     else $dec_nr=$string;
     while($dec_nr>$base) {
         $base=$base*2;
         if($base>$dec_nr) {
             $base=$base/2;
             break;
         }
     }
     while(!$finished) {
         if(($dec_nr-$base)>0) {
             $dec_nr=$dec_nr-$base;
             $bin_nr.=1;
             $base=$base/2;
         }
         elseif(($dec_nr-$base)<0) {
             $bin_nr.=0;
             $base=$base/2;
         }
         elseif(($dec_nr-$base)==0) {
             $bin_nr.=1;
             $finished=1;
             while($base>1) {    
                 $bin_nr.=0;
                 $base=$base/2;
             }
         }
     }
     return $bin_nr;
 }
=====================================================
if you want to reconvert it (from binary to string or integer) you can use this function: 
function reconvert($bin_nr) {
     $base=1;
     $dec_nr=0;
     $bin_nr=explode(",", preg_replace("/(.*),/", "$1", str_replace("1", "1,", str_replace("0", "0,", $bin_nr))));
     for($i=1; $i<count($bin_nr); $i++) $base=$base*2;
     foreach($bin_nr as $key=>$bin_nr_bit) {
         if($bin_nr_bit==1) {
             $dec_nr+=$base;
             $base=$base/2;
         }
         if($bin_nr_bit==0) $base=$base/2;
     }
     return(array("string"=>chr($dec_nr), "int"=>$dec_nr));
 }