Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Recording apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-08
2003-02-25
Grant, II, Jerome (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Recording apparatus
C382S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06525840
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method.
In the conventional image forming wherein a light-sensitive material is exposed to light for obtaining a print, when a narrow photographic paper is exposed to light, it is impossible that all portions of an exposure area are used, which worsens exposure efficiency and causes a decline of processing capacity. If a plan is made for the narrow width from the beginning, to overcome the aforesaid problems, it is impossible to make large prints. It has therefore been proposed a technology wherein plural light-sensitive materials are exposed to light simultaneously in a single image exposure section, as disclosed in TOKKAIHEI No. 6-347914, for example.
However, when conducting exposure for plural rows as those stated above as plural light-sensitive materials, by cutting out a part of a series of light-sensitive material which is a roll of light-sensitive material in many cases, and by distributing it, there is hardly caused a problem. However, when conducting exposure for plural rows for each light-sensitive material from different rolls as plural light-sensitive materials, there have sometimes been caused slight differences in shade, density and gradation.
In particular, differences are conspicuous when the same scene is exposed on plural rows (in the case of making plural prints, which is also called printing for the number of prints when making photographic prints, in particular). This is considered to be caused by a slight difference in characteristics of a light-sensitive material which is caused despite the same type of light-sensitive material (light-sensitive materials having the same product name), by differences of the date of manufacture, place of manufacture and conditions for storage.
The problems stated above are naturally caused when the types of light-sensitive materials are different, and simultaneous exposure can not be conducted for a combination of a color light-sensitive material and a monochromatic light-sensitive material, and a combination of a reflection type light-sensitive material and a transmission type light-sensitive material, thus, there has been obtained no improvement in processing capability.
The present invention has been achieved in view of the problems mentioned above, and its object is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming method which make it possible to obtain an excellent print wherein a difference of types of light-sensitive materials and a slight difference of light-sensitive characteristics of light-sensitive materials are eliminated, even when light-sensitive materials in plural rows are exposed simultaneously.
The invention is structured as follows to solve the problems stated above and to attain the object mentioned above.
Item 1. An image forming apparatus having therein an exposure section which conducts exposure on plural light-sensitive materials arranged in parallel with a single exposure system, a memory section which stores a plurality of correction amounts established in accordance with an exposure area in the direction perpendicular to the direction of rows of the light-sensitive materials and established based on characteristics of the light-sensitive material, and a correction-processing section which corrects so that quantity of light of the exposure section may be influenced in accordance with an exposure area based on the aforesaid correction amount.
Due to the structure of Item 1, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus wherein exposure on plural rows of light-sensitive materials makes it possible to correct for each row while keeping high efficiency of an image forming apparatus such as a printer even when a different type of light-sensitive material in each row is exposed, and thereby to obtain an excellent print in each row, and wherein it is possible to obtain a print with stable print quality wherein, when a slight difference in light-sensitive coloring characteristics exists despite the same type of light-sensitive materials, or when a slight difference is caused, the slight difference is eliminated.
A single exposure system mentioned in the invention means a system having the structure for exposure that is necessary for image forming from a light-sensitive material such as one to project an image formed on a photographic film on a light-sensitive material for exposure, and one to divide image information into many pixels to expose a light-sensitive material to the pixels, and an example thereof in the case of exposure to a color light-sensitive material is an exposure system having light sources capable of conducting exposure respectively for blue, green and red.
However, it is not always necessary to have the structure having plural amounts of correction for exposure of all colors, and for example, the structure having plural amounts of correction for exposure of only green can offer the effect of the invention.
Incidentally, an exposure area mentioned in the invention means a range of exposure in the direction crossing the direction of rows necessary for exposure to a light-sensitive material in each row and for image forming, and its size is established in accordance with a width in the direction crossing the direction of rows of a light-sensitive material in each row.
A size of the exposure area does not necessarily be established to be the same as a width of a light-sensitive material, and it can be set either slightly greater or slightly smaller, and each exposure area can further be overlapped each other to the extent having no influence on image forming.
When an exposure system is a scanning type exposure system, the aforesaid exposure area is set as a block which is formed by dividing the direction crossing the direction for conveying light-sensitive materials in plural rows, namely the so-called scanning direction into a block with a unit of prescribed number of pixels.
Item 2. The image forming apparatus according to Item 1, which has a means in which the aforesaid correction processing section converts image data based on the amount of correction, and corrects so that the quantity of light is influenced.
Owing to the structure of Item 2, it is possible to simplify the structure of the image exposure section more than correcting a quantity of light of a light source directly, and even when a size and the number of exposure areas to which different amounts of correction are to be applied, it is possible to cope with it without changing the structure of the image exposure section.
Item 3. The image forming apparatus according to Item 1 or Item 2, wherein plural magazines each housing therein the light-sensitive material are provided, and the exposure area is determined in accordance with the position of the mounted magazine.
Owing to the structure of Item 3, it is not necessary to detect the width of a light-sensitive material each time and thereby to establish an exposure area to which an amount of correction is to be applied, and it is possible to simplify the apparatus by employing the structure wherein when two magazines are set for the maximum area where exposure is possible at the image exposure section, for example, the exposure section is divided into two exposure areas and an amount of correction can be applied to each exposure area.
Item 4. The image forming apparatus according to either one of Item 1-Item 3 having therein plural magazines each housing therein the light-sensitive material and having discrimination information with which each magazine can be discriminated and a discrimination information reading means which reads the discrimination information, wherein the discrimination information and the amount of correction are stored in the memory section to be corresponded each other, and the amount of correction is established to correspond to the exposure area based on the discrimination information read by the discrimination information reading means.
The structure of Item 4 makes it possible to set the prescribed exposure area to the prescribed amount of correction
Haraguchi Tsuyoshi
Kurimoto Tetsuya
Ohkoshi Yasuo
Yamanaka Yoshiaki
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Grant II Jerome
Konica Corporation
Worku Negussie
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