Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Identifying – composing – or selecting
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-17
2001-05-15
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Identifying, composing, or selecting
C355S038000, C355S035000, C358S527000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233037
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image frame selector system for a photographic printing apparatus for selecting a particular simulated image frame from among a plurality of simulated image frames displayed on a monitor screen.
Description of the Related Art
The photographic printing apparatus makes prints by exposing developed image frames of photographic film on printing paper. The printing operation requires the steps of selecting image frames to be printed, correcting exposing conditions, and inputting the number of prints. In particular, the step of selecting image frames must be carried out frequently. For printing image frames of photographic film on printing paper, the photographic printing apparatus recognizes reference positions for the image frames of the photographic film with an optical sensor, for example. A transport mechanism sets the image frames to be printed to a printing opening disposed in an intermediate position on a film transport path. Then, a required number of each frame is printed on printing paper with exposing conditions corrected as necessary. Various methods of selecting image frames to be printed are known today.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open Publication H2-103027 discloses one such method. The technique disclosed therein provides selector keys corresponding in number and arrangement to image frames formed on piece film. When selecting image frames to be printed from the piece film, the selector keys are used for collation with the positions of the image frames to be selected. According to the conventional technique, the selector keys are arranged in a corresponding relationship to the image frames on the piece film. This enables an improved selecting efficiency where the positions on the piece film of the image frames to be selected are known. However, if the positions on the piece film of the image frames to be selected are uncertain, the operator must detach the piece film from a negative carrier once, in order to look closely at the piece film and confirm the positions.
Further, in a method employed for selecting image frames while visually confirming the image frames, a scanner disposed on a film transport path reads image frames, and resulting image signals are processed for display on a monitor. A cursor also displayed on the monitor is moved by operating cursor keys to select the simulated image frames. However, it is a troublesome operation for a skilled operator to move the cursor successively with the cursor keys. Where a pointing device such as a mouse or touch panel is used in place of the cursor keys, the selecting operation may be easy to an unskilled operator. However, a skilled operator attempting to select simulated image frames promptly would feel that a long time is taken to move from one simulated image frame to another, remote image frame. Moreover, it may be contrary to simplification and low cost of the photographic printing apparatus to provide a pointing device such as a mouse or touch panel besides input keys on a keyboard for operating the apparatus.
The prior art noted above may contribute to some extent toward a reduction of errors in selecting image frames. However, the operation to feed image frames successively by operating the keys remains troublesome. Certain image frames may require a manual operation to vary exposing conditions automatically set in time of simultaneous printing. Less than 10 such image frames may occur on a photographic film of 36 exposures. It is therefore undesirable from the viewpoint of operating efficiency to feed image frames by operating the keys even when no correction is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art noted above, and to provide an image frame selector system for a photographic printing apparatus which enables an efficient operation to check whether image frames require correction or not while visually confirming the image frames.
The above object is fulfilled, according to this invention, by an image frame selector system for a photographic printing apparatus comprising image processing means for successively displaying a plurality of simulated image frames in a particular multiple frame display pattern on a monitor screen, the simulated image frames representing images read from image frames on photographic film in one unit, input means for inputting commands to manipulate the simulated image frames displayed on the monitor screen, and screen display change means for switching the monitor screen to a view including next simulated image frames unless the commands are inputted through the input means within a predetermined time.
With this construction, unless commands such as for correcting exposing conditions are applied to the simulated image frames displayed on the monitor, next simulated image frames are automatically displayed upon lapse of a predetermined time after the first simulated image frames are put on display. Thus, the operator may concentrate on the monitor screen, to achieve improved working efficiency.
With regard to monitor display switching, i.e. rewriting on the monitor screen, one preferred embodiment of this invention provides that the screen display change means is operable, unless the commands are inputted through the input means within a predetermined time, to move the simulated image frames page by page, thereby to eliminate all of these simulated image frames from the monitor screen and to display next simulated image frames corresponding in number to the multiple frame display pattern. That is, the monitor screen is rewritten in units of the number corresponding to the multiple frame display pattern. Since display switching is made page by page, with each page presenting a plurality of simulated image frames, fatigue of the operator's eyes is alleviated, compared with the case of rewriting on the screen in units of image frame.
It is of course possible, unless the commands are inputted within a predetermined time, to scroll the simulated image frames frame by frame on the monitor screen, thereby to eliminate a leading one (usually at the right end) of the simulated image frames and additionally display a new simulated image frame (usually at the left end). This mode provides an advantage of allowing the operator to observe successively the images formed on photographic film in one order. This facilitates checking by the operator whether the exposing conditions should be corrected or not.
As noted above, typical monitor screen rewriting modes include a page moving mode and a scroll mode. A selection between these modes may be made as the operator pleases. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the predetermined time set to one of the automatic monitor screen rewriting modes to determine timing of the monitor screen rewriting is automatically adjustable to the other automatic monitor screen rewriting mode. The predetermined time need not be adjusted every time the automatic monitor screen rewriting modes are switched as necessary.
In a further preferred embodiment of this invention, a plurality of multiple frame display patterns are made available, and the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time set for a standard one of the multiple frame display patterns are automatically adjustable according to the number of frames displayed in a selected one of the multiple frame display patterns. The predetermined time for determining timing of the monitor screen rewriting may be set as desired. Where a plurality of multiple frame display patterns are available for displaying different numbers of image frames, as in this construction, the predetermined times are adjustable according to the number of frames displayed in a selected multiple frame display pattern. For example, where four seconds are set to a four-frame display pattern, six seconds are set to a six-frame display pattern. Thus, the predetermined times need not be adjusted every time the multiple frame display patterns are switched as necessary.
An op
Nagamatsu Atsushi
Taniguchi Masayuki
Ueda Shigeki
Adams Russell
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP
Kim Peter B.
Noritsu Koki Co. Ltd
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