Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Identifying – composing – or selecting
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-09
2001-05-08
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Identifying, composing, or selecting
C355S027000, C358S487000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229592
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a negative film with an identification number affixed thereto for distinguishing it from other negative films, and a photographic printing apparatus for making photographic prints from such a negative film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a negative film (one negative film being hereinafter called a strip negative also) used in taking pictures with a camera is brought to a photo processing agent for simultaneous printing. At a developing laboratory, a plurality of strip negatives usually are joined with splicing tape to form an elongate negative film prior to a developing process. Subsequently, image frames rendered visible on the negative film are printed on printing paper. The negative film is cut into piece negatives each having four or six frames. The piece negatives are placed in negative sheet holders, and are collated with prints cut frame by frame from the developed printing paper. The prints and piece negatives are handed over through the photo processing agent to the customer. When ordering additional prints of frame images formed on the piece negatives, the customer, at the processing agent's, writes a desired number of prints to be made of each selected image frame on an order slip, and gives the negative sheet holders containing the piece negatives. At the developing laboratory having received such an order from the agent, the frame images must be printed on printing paper by using the piece negatives. At the laboratory, it is necessary to apply identification numbers to the negative films, which may be strip negatives or piece negatives, to distinguish the negative films from other films. These identification numbers are used in collating the negatives with prints made afterward.
Conventionally, a check tape having, printed thereon, an identification number expressed by characters, numerals and/or signs is pasted to a leading end of each negative film. In a collating operation, the operator refers to this identification number to determine whether the negative film corresponds to printing paper, i.e. prints. Japanese Patent Laying-Open Publication H4-123056 discloses a technique in which a magnetic store is formed on a check film instead of an identification number printed on the check tape, the check tape is pasted to a leading end of a negative film, and information on the negative film is written into the magnetic store on the check film. Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open Publication H9-22073 discloses a technique in which an identification number in the form of a bar code is recorded as a latent image between perforations in each negative film at a film factory, the latent image becoming readable upon development.
Where a check sheet having an identification number in some form or other recorded thereon is pasted to a negative film, a check sheet pasting operation is itself troublesome. Moreover, since the check sheet has a larger area than what is occupied by the identification number, only a limited position is allowed for its application, particularly on a piece negative. Where an identification number is recorded as a latent image on a negative film at a film factory, a different identification number cannot be given to the negative film at a developing laboratory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a negative film with an identification number, which does not require a troublesome pasting operation and which allows a separate identification number to be given at a developing laboratory, and a photographic printing apparatus for processing such a negative film with an identification number.
The above object is fulfilled, according to this invention, by a negative film with an identification number printed directly on a film surface of a non-frame image area other than frame image areas with photographic images formed therein. That is, the identification number is printed directly on the film surface of the non-frame image area of the negative film having both the frame image areas with photographic images formed therein and the non-frame image area other than the frame image areas. This dispenses with an operation to apply a sheet having the identification number recorded thereon to the negative film, and minimizes an area occupied by the identification number. Only by inputting print data to a printing device, the identification number may be printed in the form of characters, numerals and/or signs selected at a developing laboratory.
A thermal printer may be cited as a preferred printing device. In that case, white ink may be used to secure a sufficient difference in density between a printed portion and other portions, whether the negative film on which the identification number is printed is undeveloped or developed, or wherever on the film surface the identification number is printed. Thus, the identification number may be recognized with ease both visually and optically.
The negative film may be an elongate strip negative (usually having one full film length) having a fogged portion formed in a non-frame image area in a leading end region thereof. Then, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, the identification number is printed in the fogged portion formed in the leading end region. The leading end region of the strip negative is used for winding the film on the spool of a camera. Thus, the fogged portion formed in the leading end region has a certain length. This fogged portion may be used to print a bar code and numerals which will not be obstructive to an image printing operation.
The negative film may be a piece negative cut from an elongate film (usually having one full film length) and having several frames. Then, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, the identification number is printed between perforations formed in the piece negative. Generally, a piece negative, unlike a strip negative, has no fogged portion in a leading end region thereof, and therefore provides limited locations for printing the identification number. Thus, positions between the perforations formed along an edge of the film are adopted as locations for printing the identification number. In order that, despite the narrow locations, the printing device may print the identification number reliably, and that a reading device may read the printed identification number reliably, a preferred embodiment of this invention uses a region between each adjacent pair of perforations for writing one bit of the identification number written in bits, Where six positions between the perforations are allocated for writing the bits, the identification number may be provided in six bits. In this case, positions with prints between the perforations are regarded as “1”, and those with no prints as “0”. The positions between the perforations have sufficiently large areas for printing simple solid prints. Thus, the identification number may be printed and read reliably.
A photographic printing apparatus in one embodiment of this invention, which uses a negative film with an identification number as noted above, comprises an identification number reader for reading the identification number from the negative film, and a printer for printing the identification number read by the identification number reader, on a back of printing paper having, printed thereon, frame images of the negative film with the identification number. In this construction, the identification number is used inside the photographic printing apparatus in time of a printing process for linking the negative film with order information such as numbers of prints and print sizes. Moreover, the identification number is used in a collation between finished photo prints and the negative film.
A photographic printing apparatus for automatically processing both strip negatives and piece negatives may comprise a first identification number reader for reading an identification number printed on each strip negative, and a second identification number reader for reading an identification number
Adams Russell
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP
Kim Peter B.
Noritsu Koki Co. Ltd
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