Television – Special applications – Film – disc or card scanning
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-28
2001-02-27
Le, Vu (Department: 2713)
Television
Special applications
Film, disc or card scanning
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195120
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image reader and more specifically to an image reader for digitizing images recorded on photographic films.
As is well known, an image reader, such as a film scanner, is generally used to digitize images recorded on photographic films with high quality.
With a photographic film which, like IX240, has a magnetic recording section, film images can be digitized easily by the use of shooting information recorded on the magnetic recording section of the film at the time of shooting, such as trimming information, image size information, light source information, etc., as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-98092.
In general, a solid-state imaging device, such as a CCD, is used to read in images recorded on photographic films.
Thus, in many cases, the range of gradation of read images is narrower than that of on-film images; mere information recorded at the time of shooting is not enough to provide satisfactory digitized images.
In order to provide digitized images as users desire, it is required to change the integration time (charge storage time) or the gradation conversion characteristic (characteristic of output relative to input) of the solid-state imaging device each time an image is read and digitized.
In particular, it is almost impossible to digitize an image again under the same conditions as when it was digitized.
Similarly, same can be said with respect to information such as trimming information set by a user.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reader which permits images recorded on a photographic film to be digitized at all times as a user desires and which thereby permits an on-film image which was digitized once to be digitized again under the same conditions.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reader for use with a film having a magnetic information recording section comprising: image entry means for reading a photographic image recorded on the film and converting it into a digitized image; setting means for setting information used to control the image entry means; and magnetic writing means for writing the information set by the setting means onto the magnetic information recording section of the film.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an image reader for use with a film having a magnetic information recording section comprising: image entry means for reading a photographic image recorded on the film and converting it into a digitized image; setting means for setting information used to control the image entry means; magnetic writing means for writing the information set by the setting means onto the magnetic information recording section of the film; magnetic reading means for reading the information written by the magnetic writing means from the magnetic information recording section of the film; and imaging control means responsive to the information read by the magnetic reading means for controlling the image entry means.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided an image reader for use with a film having a magnetic information recording section comprising: image entry means for reading a photographic image recorded on the film and converting it into a digitized image; reading condition setting means for setting conditions concerning a trimming area of the image recorded on the film and a resolution at which the image is read imaging condition setting means for setting at least one of an integration time and a gradation conversion characteristic of the image entry means as an imaging condition; magnetic writing means for writing information concerning the conditions set by the reading condition setting means and the imaging condition setting means onto the magnetic information recording section of the film; magnetic reading means for reading the information written by the magnetic writing means from the magnetic information recording section of the film; and imaging control means responsive to the information read by the magnetic reading means for controlling the image entry means.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided an image reader comprising: image entry means for reading a photographic image on a developed film and converting it into a digitized image; setting means for setting information for controlling the image entry means; and writing means for writing the information set by the setting means onto an area of the film other than an area where the photographic image is recorded.
In the image reader of the first aspect, the user sets through the setting unit image reading conditions in reading and digitizing a photographic image on a film by means of the image entry means and the magnetic writing means records information concerning the reading conditions, such the integration time, gradation conversion characteristic, resolution, trimming range, etc., on the magnetic recording section of the film.
In the image reader of the second aspect, the user sets through the setting unit image reading conditions in reading and digitizing a photographic image on a film by means of the image entry means and the magnetic writing means records information concerning the reading conditions, such the integration time, gradation conversion characteristic, resolution, trimming range, etc., on the magnetic recording section of the film.
When the image is read and digitized again, the magnetic reading means reads the information recorded on the magnetic recording section of the film and the imaging control means controls the image entry means according to the read information.
In the image reader of the third aspect, the imaging control means controls the image entry means to digitize a film image in accordance with the image reading conditions set by the user, such as the integration time, gradation conversion characteristic, resolution, trimming range and the magnetic writing means records the image reading conditions on the magnetic recording section of the film.
When the image is read and digitized again, the magnetic reading means reads the information recorded on the magnetic recording section of the film and the imaging control means controls the image entry means according to the read information.
In the image reader of the fourth aspect, the user sets through the setting unit image reading conditions in reading and digitizing a photographic image on a film by means of the image entry means and the magnetic writing means records information concerning the image reading conditions, such the integration time, gradation conversion characteristic, resolution, trimming range, etc., on the magnetic recording section of the film.
Additional object and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The object and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5204851 (1993-04-01), Kawada et al.
patent: 5555047 (1996-09-01), Tsuji
patent: 5633977 (1997-05-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 5852503 (1998-12-01), Kawaoka
patent: 5883729 (1999-03-01), Miyazawa
patent: 5895135 (1999-04-01), Funaki
patent: 6-98092 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 7-240839 (1995-09-01), None
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Le Vu
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
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