Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Memory
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-02
2003-10-28
Wallerson, Mark (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Memory
C358S001800, C358S001900, C358S296000, C355S040000, C355S055000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06639690
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technical field of a print system for outputting mainly a print (photography) in which an image taken on a film is reproduced.
Currently, images recorded on photographic film such as negative film, reversal film and the like (hereinafter referred to simply as film) have been commonly printed on light-sensitive material (photographic paper) by means of direct (analog) exposure in which a film image is projected onto the light-sensitive material.
In recent years, a digital photo printer using digital exposure has been developed to a practical application level. According to this new technology, an image recorded on a film is read photoelectrically and the read image is converted to digital signals and subjected to various image processing to produce output image data for recording purpose. A light-sensitive material is scanned and exposed by a recording light modulated depending on this image data so as to record an image (latent image), which is subsequently developed to produce a (finished) print.
In the digital photoprinter, images are handled as digital image data so that an exposure condition for print can be determined by image data processing. Therefore, it is possible to carry out effective image processing operations such as the correction of washed-out highlights or dull shadows caused by photographing with backlight or an electronic flash or the like, sharpness processing, the correction of color or density failure and the like. As a result, a high quality print which has never been realized by a conventional direct exposure can be obtained. Further, composition of plural images, splitting an image to plural image sections, composition of characters or the like can be achieved by image data processing and freely edited/processed print corresponding to a purpose can be output.
Further, in the digital photoprinter, not only an image can be output as a print (photography) but also image data can be supplied to a computer or the like and recorded in such a recording medium as a floppy disk. Therefore, the image data can be used for various purpose other than photography.
The digital photoprinter having such features basically comprises a scanner (image reading apparatus) for reading an image recorded on the film photoelectrically by projecting a reading light to a film and reading its projection light, an image processing apparatus for carrying out a specified image processing on an image data read by the scanner or an image data supplied from a digital camera or the like so as to obtain an output image data for image recording, that is, exposure condition, a printer (image recording apparatus) for recording the image as a latent image by exposing a light-sensitive material by, for example, scanning with light beam corresponding to an image data output from the image processing apparatus, and a processor (developing apparatus) for carrying out development processing on a light-sensitive material exposed by the printer so as to produce a (finished) photographic print in which an image is reproduced.
In the photographic print relying upon the film, there often occurs an opportunity that an image (frame) printed once is output again as a reprint to meet a request for the reprinting. In this case, it is demanded that the color and density of the image coincide with a previously output print (usually, print output at the time of the simultaneous printing that is carried simultaneously with developing the photographed film). However, there often occurs a case in which the color and density of the image differ between the preceding print and the reprint because of an error in judgment or operation of an operator, so that such a complaint from a customer is often heard.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been achieved to solve the problems of such conventional technology and therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a print system for outputting a print in which an image recorded on a photographic film or an image recorded with a digital camera is reproduced, the print system being capable of reproducing an image whose color and density are equal to a previous print or a preceding print stably on a reprint or at a following print to meet a request therefor or the like.
In order to attain the object described above, the invention provides a print system for performing image processing on an original image and outputting a print in which said original image is reproduced as a visible image, comprising:
image processing means for performing the image processing on said original image or image data thereof;
setting means for setting the image processing in said image processing means with said original image as image data, in accordance with at least one of the image data and an instruction input from outside;
storage means for storing image processing information of said original image processed by said image processing means and retrieval information for retrieving the original image with correspondence therebetween; and
retrieval means for retrieving the image processing information of the original image of interest in accordance with supplied retrieval information,
wherein when said storage means reprocesses the original image storing the image processing condition and the retrieval information, said setting means sets the image processing by said image processing means in this reprocessing by adding the image processing information retrieved by said retrieval means.
The invention also provides a print system, comprising:
image processing means for performing image processing on an original image or image data thereof; and
image outputting means for outputting a photographic print in which said original image is reproduced as a visible image;
wherein image processing information of said original image at preceding printing can be used again at following printing; further comprising:
storage means for storing said image processing information of said original image at the preceding printing and retrieval information used for retrieving an original image information corresponding to said image processing information at the following printing;
retrieval means for retrieving a relevant original image information among a plurality of the original image information stored by the storage means, based on the retrieval information used for retrieving the original image information at the following printing;
setting means for setting the image processing information of said original image at the following printing, based on said relevant original image information retrieved by retrieval means;
where in said image processing means subjects said original image or said image data thereof to the image processing in accordance with the image processing information set by said setting means and then, said image outputting means outputs a following photographic print based on the original image or the image data thereof subjected to said image processing by said image processing means.
The invention further provides a photographic printer (print system) capable of utilizing print preparation condition of an original image at preceding printing for following printing again, comprising:
print preparation information storage means for storing the print preparation condition of the original image at said preceding printing and retrieval information to be used for retrieving, at said following printing, an original image information corresponding to said print preparation condition of the original image;
retrieval information inputting means for inputting retrieval information to be used for retrieving said original image information at said following printing;
original information retrieval means for retrieving a relevant original image information from among a plurality of said original image information stored in said print preparation information storage means based on said retrieval information inputted by said retrieval information inputting means;
print condition determination means for det
Lamb Twyler
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Wallerson Mark
LandOfFree
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