Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Radiation sensitive product – Structurally defined
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-09
2001-08-28
Van Le, Hoa (Department: 1752)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Radiation sensitive product
Structurally defined
C430S403000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280914
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to photography, and more particularly to a photographic element having reference calibration data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of reference calibration patches exposed on a roll of film to enable better exposure control during optical printing is known in the art. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,983 issued Jun. 16, 1998 to Terashita entitled Color Copying Apparatus for Determining Exposure Amount from Image Data of an Original Image and a Reference Image. The use of reference calibration patches has also been shown to be useful in determining correction values for scanned film data used in digital printing. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,944 issued Sept. 16, 1997 to Reem et al. entitled Digital Process Sensitivity Correction; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,260 issued Jul. 15, 1997 to Wheeler et al. entitled Automated Photofinishing Apparatus.
The film format known as the Advanced Photo System (APS) as designated in the System Specifications for the Advanced Photo System, referred to as the APS Redbook, reserves specific areas on an APS format film strip for use by photofinishing apparatus. These areas can be used for exposing reference calibration patches and other data used in the photofinishing process. Referring to
FIG. 4
, an APS format photographic element
10
with a geometry as specified in
FIGS. 200-1
,
200
-
2
,
210
-
1
,
400
and
600
of the APS Redbook is shown. The photographic element includes a first area
12
reserved for use in photofinishing apparatus, a first imaging frame
14
1
, a last imaging frame
14
1
, and a second area
16
reserved for use in photofinishing apparatus. Anticipation perforations
20
1
-
20
n
and metering perforations
22
1
-
22
n
are provided for each imaging frame on the photographic element
10
. One additional end of roll perforation
23
is provided in a position corresponding to an anticipation perforation. For film strips intended for use in one-time use cameras, an additional end of roll perforation (not shown) is provided in a position corresponding to a metering perforation after the end of roll perforation
23
.
The reserved areas
12
and
16
are wider (in the direction of the length of the photographic element
10
) than exposed image areas (not shown) and printed or projected image areas (also not shown) that are located within frames
14
1
-
14
n
. Dimensions of these areas are noted in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Frame
Width (mm)
Height (mm)
Reserved area 12
37.7
16.7
Reserved area 16
32.45
16.7
Exposed image area of Frames 14
30.2
16.7
Printed or projected image area of Frames 14
27.4
15.6
Some problems are encountered when utilizing reference calibration data applied to the reserved areas
12
and/or
16
on APS format photographic elements. One problem occurs when scanning the extra width in the reserved areas
12
and/or
16
using conventional scanning devices developed for scanning APS imaging frames
14
. These devices are designed to scan images of size equal to or smaller than the exposed image area within the frames
14
. Extra scanning hardware and software is required to scan the full width of the reserved areas
12
and
16
. Also, additional memory may also be required to store the extra pixel information from the scanned reserved areas if the entire areas are scanned. Another problem occurs in locating the calibration data so that existing scanners can accurately and readily retrieve the data. A further problem exists with some existing scanners in that they are physically unable to access the second reserved area
16
. A still further problem exists in that variations in placement of the calibration data during recording or the location of the photographic element during scanning can result in the failure to read portions of the data.
There is a need therefore for an improved method of recording calibration data on an APS format photographic element that avoids the problems noted above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The need is met according to the present invention by providing a method of recording a reference calibration target on an APS format photographic element having a reserved area for use by photofinishing apparatus, and a perforation located relative to the reserved area, that includes the steps of: generating a reference calibration target having a width no greater than 30.2 mm and a height no greater than 16.7 mm; locating the reserved area of the photographic element relative to the perforation; and recording the reference calibration target within the reserved area.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reference calibration target is recorded in the first reserved area.
ADVANTAGES
The present invention has the advantage that the reference calibration target placed on an APS format photographic element can be read by conventional film scanners used to scan image frames on APS format photographic elements in photofinishing operations. It has the further advantage that all of the data derived by scanning the target in a standard photofinishing apparatus can be stored in existing memory designed to hold scanned image data.
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Bigelow Donald O.
Keech John T.
Shafer Mark E.
Spence John P.
Close Thomas H.
Eastman Kodak Company
Le Hoa Van
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