Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Post imaging processing – Developing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-20
2003-07-08
Le, Hoa Van (Department: 1752)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Post imaging processing
Developing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06589721
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an improved silver halide color negative photographic recording material and a method of chemical processing. The element is intended for scanning and digital image processing rather than optical printing. The element is especially suitable for an associated method of accelerated color development during color processing to reduce access time to image acquisition without sacrificing compatibility with conventional color development methods.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
The term “E” is used to indicate exposure in lux-seconds.
The term “Status M” density indicates density measurements obtained from a densitometer meeting photocell and filter specifications described in
SPSE Handbook of Photographic Science and Engineering,
W. Thomas, editor, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1973, Section 15.4.2.6 Color Filters. The International Standard for Status M density is set out in “Photography—Density Measurements—Part 3: Spectral conditions”, Ref. No. ISO 5/3-1984 (E).
The term “gamma” is employed to indicate the incremental increase in image density (&Dgr;D) produced by a corresponding incremental increase in log exposure (&Dgr; log E) and indicates the maximum gamma measured over an exposure range extending between a first characteristic curve reference point lying at a density of about 0.15 above minimum density and a second characteristic curve reference point separated from the first reference point by about 0.9 log E.
The term “exposure latitude” indicates the exposure range of a characteristic curve segment over which instantaneous gamma (&Dgr;D/&Dgr; log E) is at least about 70 percent of gamma, as defined above. The exposure latitude of a color element having multiple color recording units is the exposure range over which the characteristic curves of the red, green, and blue color recording units simultaneously fulfill the aforesaid definition.
In referring to blue, green and red recording dye image-forming layer units, the term “layer unit” indicates the hydrophilic colloid layer or sub-unit layers that contain radiation-sensitive silver halide grains to capture exposing radiation and dye image-forming couplers that react upon development of the grains. The grains and couplers are usually in the same layer, but can be in adjacent layers.
The term “dye image-forming coupler” indicates a compound that reacts with oxidized color developing agent to produce a dye chromophore capable of rendering an image.
The term “absorption half-peak bandwidth” indicates the spectral range over which a dye exhibits an absorption equal to at least half of its maximum absorption.
The term “colored masking coupler” indicates a coupler that is initially colored and that loses its initial color during development upon reaction with oxidized color developing agent.
The term “substantially free of colored masking coupler” indicates a total coating coverage of less than 0.05 millimole/m
2
of colored masking coupler.
The term “development inhibitor releasing compound” or “DIR” indicates a compound that cleaves to release a development inhibitor during color development. As defined DIR's include dye-forming couplers and other compounds that utilize anchimeric and timed releasing mechanisms.
The term “gamma ratio” when applied to a color recording layer unit refers to the ratio determined by dividing the gamma of a cited color layer unit after an imagewise color separation exposure and process that enables development of primarily that layer unit by the gamma of the same color layer unit after an imagewise white light exposure and process that enables development of all layer units. This term relates to the degree of color correction and color saturation available from that color layer unit generally provided by interlayer interimage effects directed towards conventional optical printing. Larger values of the gamma ratio indicate enhanced degrees of color saturation under optical printing conditions.
In referring to grains and emulsions containing two or more halides, the halides are named in order of ascending concentrations.
In referring to grains, “ECD” indicates mean equivalent circular diameter and, in describing tabular grains, “t” indicates mean tabular grain thickness.
The term “average aspect ratio” when used in reference to tabular emulsion grains, refers to the ratio of mean tabular grain equivalent circular diameter to mean tabular grain thickness.
The terms “blue spectral sensitizing dye”, “green spectral sensitizing dye”, and “red spectral sensitizing dye” refer to a dye or combination of dyes that absorb blue, green, or red light and sensitize silver halide grains by transferring the absorbed photon energy to silver halide grains when adsorbed to their surfaces and, when adsorbed, have their peak absorption in the blue, green and red regions of the spectrum, respectively.
The term “one-time-use camera” or “OTUC” is used to indicate a camera supplied to the user preloaded with a light sensitive silver halide photographic element and having a lens and shutter. The terms “single-use camera,” “film-with-lens unit,” “disposable camera” and the like are also employed in the art for cameras that are intended for one use, after which they are recycled, subsequent to removal of the film for development.
Research Disclosure
is a publication of Kenneth Mason Publications Ltd., Dudley House, 12 North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire PO10 7DQ England (or Emsworth Design Inc., 121 West 19th street, New York, N.Y. 10011).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The basic image-forming process of color photography comprises the exposure of a silver halide photographic recording material such as a color film to visible electromagnetic radiation, which forms a latent image, and the chemical processing of the exposed recording material to provide a useful intermediary dye image for printing or a directly viewable dye image. Chemical processing involves two typical steps. The fundamental first step is the treatment of the exposed silver halide material with a developing agent wherein some of or all of the silver ion is reduced to metallic silver, and a dye image is formed by the reaction of oxidized color developer with a dye image-forming coupler. For color materials, the second usual step is the removal of silver metal and residual silver halide by one or more steps of bleaching and fixing so that only a dye image remains in the processed material. In the traditional color negative/positive print system, the chemically processed film is used as a mask in front of a lamp house in an optical printer to expose silver halide color paper to provide a printed image, after the latter's analogous processing. The complete procedure of development, clearing and optical printing is commonly referred to as film photofinishing. Historically, the color negative/positive print system has relied on the film color development step to provide color signal processing for both film and color paper by an elegant and delicate group of chemical technologies incorporated in the film. Colored masking couplers and development inhibitor-releasing (DIR) couplers are carefully placed in particular layer units at precise levels to imagewise adjust the formation of density in the other layer units and to correct thereby the unwanted absorptions of the image dyes. This sensitive step of chemical color correction is required to produce the accurate color reproduction and increased color saturation necessary to pleasing renditions of photographed scenes.
Digital minilab and wholesale laboratory photofinishing is beginning to spread rapidly in the market place, in part as a means to provide access to network imaging services by scanning color negative and reversal films, and also to fulfill the printing needs of the growing base of consumer digital still cameras. Film scanning creates an electronic record of the image dye record of photographed scene, and the image-bearing electronic signals are transformed and adjusted in a number of steps of electronic signal processing, before rendering them into a viewable
Arcus Robert A.
Sowinski Allan F.
Wildman Nigel R.
Eastman Kodak Company
Le Hoa Van
Meeks Roberts Sarah
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