Facsimile and static presentation processing – Natural color facsimile – Color photography previewer
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-10
2001-06-19
Nguyen, Madeleine (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Natural color facsimile
Color photography previewer
C358S509000, C358S001900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249362
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image read apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and a system constituted therewith and, more particularly, to an image read apparatus which reads an image together with information relating to the image and processes the image by using the information, and an information processing apparatus which controls a display device to display the read image, and a system constituted with the image read apparatus and the information processing apparatus.
A film scanner is known as an embodiment of an image processing apparatus for inputting an image recorded on a film to a device which displays the input image. A conventional film scanner has been developed for a 35 mm film. As a cartridge film conforming to an advanced photo-system (APS™) (referred to as “APS™ film” hereinafter) has been developed for practical use, a film scanner capable of reading image recorded on the APS™ film, as well, has been developed.
On the APS™ film, an image can be recorded in three different sizes: an H-type (high-vision type; length: breadth=9:16); a P-type whose length is shorter than that of the H-type (panoramic type; length:breadth=1:3), and a C-type whose breadth is shorter than that of the H-type (so-called Leica size; length:breadth=2:3). A user can select the desired size out of the three, then photographs an object. Further, various information (IX (information exchange) information), such as image sensing conditions, can be recorded on the APS™ film magnetically or optically.
An example of a conventional film scanner is explained. The conventional film scanner first scans an image in a low resolution at high speed, and after the scanned image is displayed on an external device (this processing is called “previewing” and the displayed image is called “preview image”), an area of the image to be read in a high resolution (main scan area) is designated on the preview image. Then, image data, read in the high resolution, of the image in the designated desired area is applied with predetermined image processes and transmitted from the film scanner to the external device.
FIG. 49
is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional film scanner 1001 capable of reading an image recorded on an APS™ film.
In
FIG. 49
, reference numeral
1008
denotes a film holder for holding an APS™ film (simply called “film” hereinafter) as a transparent original image. The film holder
1008
is configured movable in the sub-scanning direction (shown by an arrow a) by being driven by a sub-scanning motor
1012
. The film holder
1008
has a protuberance (not shown), and an initial position of the film holder
1008
in the sub-scanning direction is detected by the sub-scanning position detector
1013
by detecting the protuberance. Then the detection signal is inputted to a system controller
1004
. In turn, the system controller
1004
operates the sub-scanning motor
1012
via a sub-scanning motor driver
1011
, thereby the film holder
1008
is moved back and forth in the sub-scanning direction shown by the arrow a.
When a light source
1007
turns on in accordance with the operation by a light-source on/off circuit
1006
in response to an instruction from the system controller
1004
, an optical image which passed through the film further passes through a lens system
1009
, and incidents on a CCD linear image sensor (referred to as “CCD” hereinafter)
1010
where the optical image is converted into an analog electric signal. Then, the analog electric signal is amplified by a predetermined gain and applied with clamping processing in an analog image processing unit
1453
. The processed analog signal is converted into a digital image signal by an analog-digital (A/D) converter
1031
. Thereafter, the digital image signal is applied with various image processes by an image processing unit
1033
at high speed. Thereafter, the processed digital image signal is temporarily stored in a line buffer
1035
for a while, and it is transmitted to an external device
1005
via an interface (I/F)
1036
.
The system controller
1004
, the image processing unit
1033
, the line buffer
1035
, the I/F
1036
and the system controller
1004
are connected to each other via a system bus
1038
, and the system controller
1004
controls these units.
Note, the image processing unit
1033
provides an operation signal for operating the CCD
1010
, and provides a sample-and-hold control signal for sampling and holding an input signal to the A/D converter
1031
.
FIG. 50
is a flowchart showing an operational sequence of the film scanner
1001
and the external device
1005
.
First in step S
1001
, previewing processing is designated. More specifically, the external device
1005
initiates a driver software stored in the external device
1005
in advance, and transmits various control information, such as type of film, area to be read, and resolution to be used, to the system controller
1004
. In the previewing processing, the area to be read is an entire image recorded on the film and the resolution is set low.
Next, the system controller
1004
prepares for the previewing processing by setting the information provided from the external device
1005
in step S
1002
. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S
1003
where the system controller
1004
receives information from the sub-scanning position detector
1013
and controls the sub-scanning motor driver
1011
so that the film holder
1008
is moved to a predetermined initial position. Then, the system controller
1004
issues an instruction to turn on the light source
1007
to the light-source on/off circuit
1006
in step S
1004
. In the proceeding step S
1005
, the system controller
1004
issues an instruction to output timing signals, such as a CCD operation signal for reading one line of an image, to the image processing unit
1033
.
Next in step S
1006
, scanning is performed. More specifically, the image is read line by line by exposing the CCD
1010
for a predetermined period of time while driving the sub-scanning motor
1012
at a predetermined speed, and predetermined image processes are performed on the obtained image data by the image processing unit
1033
. Then, the image data is temporarily stored in the line buffer
1035
, and transmitted to the external device
1005
via the I/F
1036
.
After scanning the designated area of the image, the system controller
1004
drives the sub-scanning motor
1012
so as to move the film holder
1008
back to the initial position, turns off the light source
1007
in step S
1007
, thereby the scanning processing is completed. After that, the system controller
1004
is in stand-by state until a next command is received.
In turn, the external device
1005
receives the image data from the line buffer
1035
via the I/F
1036
and sequentially displays it on its display screen, thereby providing a preview image to a user in step S
1008
.
The process proceeds to step S
1009
where the user sets image read (scanning) conditions while watching the preview image on the display screen. Here, similarly to a case where the previewing processing was designated in step S
1001
, various information, such as type of the film, area to be read, and resolution to be used, is transmitted to the system controller
1004
. However, in this case, control information for main scanning operation, namely, area to be read designated by the user, and resolution to be used also designated by the user, and so on, is transmitted to the system controller
1004
.
In turn, the system controller
1004
receives the image read conditions from the external device
1005
and performs the main scanning processing under the received image read conditions in step S
1010
by repeating the processes in steps S
1002
to S
1007
as described above.
Thereafter, image data which is transmitted from the line buffer
1035
to the external device
1005
via the I/F
1036
is displayed on its display screen as well as stored in a predetermined storage medium (e.g
Amikura Takashi
Sato Hidekage
Suzuki Ryoichi
Tamekuni Yasuhiro
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
Nguyen Madeleine
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