Image analysis – Applications
Utility Patent
1998-05-22
2001-01-02
Johns, Andrew W. (Department: 2721)
Image analysis
Applications
C396S655000
Utility Patent
active
06169815
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present relates to an improved method of correcting a photograph by scanning the photograph and storing it in a computer as digital data, correcting and storing the picture on the monitor by operations through the computer, and then preparing a corrected photograph by the corrected digital data and to materials used only for efficiently performing that work.
BACKGROUND ART
When developing and processing a photographic film to prepare a print, both professional photographers and nonprofessional photographers correct the photograph when necessary by the use of filters, adjustment of the printing time, etc. This correction work had mainly been to adjust the color of the image, correct the brightness, and sometimes correct the sharpness of the image. The recent rapid advances made in computer image processing technology, however, have had a major impact on the correction of photographs as performed in the past and have led to revoluntary advances in correction of photographs. They have expanded the range of utilization of photographs to fields in which entry had previously been impossible such as paintings and have contributed greatly to the improvement of the efficiency and quality of work in fields such as advertising and architecture in which photographs had already been actively used. Computer image processing can also be expected to be used as innovative technology in the field of general documentary photographs by nonprofessional photographers.
Computer image processing is for example well known from computers developed by Macintosh of the U.S. used with the software of Adobe Systems Inc. When all the peripherals are included, however, the system cost becomes considerably high. When considering the capital cost required for ensuring a high quality of corrected photographs, the general photographer would find it impossible to obtain the equipment and use the technology directly.
Further, when trying to apply computer image processing to actual correction of photographs, considering the time required and consequently the substantive cost, it may be well understood that there are actually great limitations in use of this technology for correcting the tone and composition of a photograph. On the other hand, it is known to express colors quantitatively based on a chromaticity diagram or the RGB system or YMCK system, but it may be said without exaggeration that few if any can judge from these quantitative indications what a color will turn out to be when viewed by the naked eye. In the case of the above mentioned computer image processing, work is performed while checking by the naked eye the changes in color of the photograph scanned into the computer and shown on the monitor, so the problem can be solved here, but when the person desiring to correct a photograph and the person actually performing the computer image processing differ, specifically when entrusting the correction of a photograph to a professional image processing company (third party), there is a problem in how to designate the correction work when one is not able to directly assist in the work of the computer image processing company.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above practical problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for considerably enhancing the efficiency of work when using computer image processing for correction of a photograph and thereby enabling the easy use of the superior effects of computer image processing and materials used only for effectively working this method.
To attain this object, there is provided a method of correction of a photograph by scanning the photograph and storing it as digital data in a computer and preparing a corrected photograph by operations on the computer, comprising not scanning the original picture and storing it as digital data in the computer, but being able to scan a picture corrected by the photographer himself and storing in the computer the digital data obtained by scanning in accordance with the color or composition of the corrected picture, and for example making further corrections to the picture displayed on the monitor by a known method of computer image processing. This is far more efficient than the conventional method and enables preparation of a photograph of a content corrected as desired by the photographer with a high precision. This is the basic technical idea behind the present invention. To realize this basic technical idea, a sheet of a transparent plastic film of a size able to sufficiently cover the photograph is prepared, this sheet is affixed to the picture side of the original photograph to prepare a composite picture sheet, desired corrections are made using a coloring instrument from the top of the composite picture sheet to prepare a corrected composite picture sheet, the picture of the corrected composite picture sheet is scanned from the surface of the transparent sheet and stored in a computer as digital data, known computer image processing is used to make further corrections to the picture on the monitor, the corrected digital data is stored in the computer, and a corrected photograph is prepared from the stored corrected digital data by a known technical method. This is the means for achieving the object (method) of the present invention.
Here, “correction of the photograph” includes partial or full correction of the colors of the photograph, partial change or erasure of the composition of the photograph, and addition and synthesis of parts of other photographs. The “original photograph” may be either a print or a positive film.
In the above work for correction of the photograph, preparation of the corrected composite picture sheet requires the transparent plastic film for covering the picture side of the original photograph and coloring instruments for drawing the corrected image on the surface. A coloring agent is required which does not deform the plastic film and which enables gradations of color like when brushing paint on paper. The set of materials comprised of the two can be achieved by use of the materials of the configurations explained below.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for the efficient and effective correction (erasure, addition, or correction of color of some elements) of a picture by computer image processing and materials for use for that method.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method of computer image processing enabling easy handling of a request for correction of a silver salt photograph from a third party of a location unrelated with the work place and materials for use for that method.
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Aoki Akira
Tanioka Akihiko
Johns Andrew W.
Kenyon & Kenyon
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