Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Identifying – composing – or selecting
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-11
2001-07-17
Mathews, Alan A. (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Identifying, composing, or selecting
C396S006000, C396S311000, C396S319000, C355S038000, C355S041000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06262790
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing method for a lens-fitted photo film unit, and a printer for the printing method, wherein a test frame is photographed on a filmstrip to control printing conditions of other pictures with reference to image conditions of the test frame after development.
2. Background Arts
It is known in the art that photo films in general have more or less different coloring characteristics even between those having the same film speed, according to the film manufacturer, the environments on manufacture and so forth. Besides, coloring densities of photo films vary depending upon development conditions. Therefore, in order to get adequate quality of prints from any photo films, it is necessary to compensate for the variations in the coloring characteristics. As one method for this purpose, a test frame or check pattern is optically recorded on the film at a photo-lab before the development, and correction values are derived from three color densities of the test frame measured after the development. The correction values are used for correcting three color exposure values on printing.
Such test frames have conventionally been used only for correcting the variation in the coloring densities of the film.
On the other hand, most of lens-fitted photo film units preloaded with a photo film cartridge and inexpensive cameras use a single element lens as a taking lens to cut their production cost. Because of aberrations of the single element taking lens, pictures taken by the lens-fitted photo film units are apt to have geographical distortions, obscured contour in peripheral areas, tonal distortions, density unevenness and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing method for improving print quality made from pictures taken by the inexpensive cameras or the lens-fitted photo film units.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer and a lens-fitted photo film unit for use with the printing method of the invention.
To achieve the above objects, a printing method of the present invention consists of the following steps: recording a test frame photographically on a filmstrip of a lens-fitted photo film unit through a taking lens of the film unit in factory; picking up image data from the test frame after developing the filmstrip; detecting differences of the image data of the test frame from ideal characteristic value data assigned to the test frame; producing correction data from the differences; correcting image data of picture frames photographed on the filmstrip by customers by use of the correction data; and printing the picture frames by use of corrected image data.
The correction data is determined to correct at least one of tonal distortion, geometrical distortion, density unevenness and obscurity.
A lens-fitted photo film unit of the present invention is provided with a test frame photographed on a filmstrip of a preloaded photo film cartridge through a taking lens of the film unit in factory.
According to the present invention, a printer for making prints from picture frames of a photo filmstrip that is provided with a test frame, is provided with a device for picking up image data from the test frame; a device for detecting differences of the image data of the test frame from ideal image data of the test frame, and producing correction data from the differences; a device for picking up image data of picture frames photographed on the filmstrip; a device for correcting the image data of the picture frames by use of the correction data; and a device for printing the picture frames by use of corrected image data.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4260245 (1981-04-01), Hujer
patent: 4274732 (1981-06-01), Thurm et al.
patent: 5223891 (1993-06-01), Fierstein et al.
patent: 5773205 (1998-06-01), Szajewski et al.
patent: 5864387 (1999-01-01), Reed et al.
patent: 5968719 (1999-10-01), Nakamura
patent: 5974190 (1999-10-01), Maeda et al.
patent: 6018381 (2000-01-01), Vanderbrook et al.
patent: 6021277 (2000-02-01), Sowinski et al.
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Mathews Alan A.
LandOfFree
Printing method, printer and lens-fitted photo film unit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Printing method, printer and lens-fitted photo film unit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Printing method, printer and lens-fitted photo film unit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2452062