Facsimile and static presentation processing – Natural color facsimile – Image reproduction
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-10
2001-04-10
Grant, II, Jerome (Department: 2724)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Natural color facsimile
Image reproduction
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215564
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording material and an image recording method, and more particularly relates to a recording material on which an image is recorded thereto and an image recording method for recording an image onto this recording material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photographic paper used to make a color print is conventionally coated with three kinds of emulsions, which are blue, green and red sensitive emulsions, in a layers. When a color image recorded on a negative film is printed, yellow, magenta and cyan components of the color image are exposed on the blue, green and red sensitive emulsion layers, respectively. Thus, the color image is formed on the photographic paper by the images exposed on the respective layers.
In a conventional color print, after the exposed photographic paper is subjected to developing processing, the color image fades and saturation of the color image is reduced as time passes so that so-called fading is caused.
Therefore, in a conventional fading correcting method, the image fading is corrected such that, the saturations of three components which are the yellow, magenta and cyan components of the color image are uniformly increased.
However, when fading characteristics of each of three layers which are the blue, green and red sensitive emulsion layers in the above photographic paper are different from one another, the speed at which fading progresses is different for each color component. Therefore, when the color correction is carried out uniformly as in the above method, there is the concern that the color tone balance of the color print will be changed.
Another fading correcting method has been considered in which an operator visually judges the state of the color tone balance of an image and sets a correcting amount for each of the above three color components. The image discoloration is corrected on the basis of the set correcting amounts which are set for respective color components.
However, a high-level judging ability for suitably setting the correcting amount for each of the three color components is required to execute this method so that only an expert operator can execute this method. Further, since a person subjectively makes this judgment, and sets the correcting amounts, and carries out this fading correction, there is the concern that the qualities of the images which have been subjected to fading correction will vary widely in accordance with the persons (operators) carrying out the fading correction.
Fading also occurs over time in a negative or positive film used in photographing as well in photographic papers. Accordingly, it is also important to suitably carry out fading correction processing with respect to films so as to stabilize the quality of the color prints finally made to a constant level.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording material and an image recording method for stabilizing the quality of color prints to a constant level by suitably carrying out fading correction processing of the color prints.
To achieve the above object, a recording material of a first aspect of the present invention is a recording material on which an image is recorded. A pattern having a predetermined color and a predetermined density is recorded on a region of the recording material outside the region on which the image is recorded.
In a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the predetermined color is cyan, magenta and yellow.
In the recording material of the above first aspect, the pattern having the predetermined color and density is recorded on a region of the recording material outside the image recording region. For example, in a photographic print which is formed by an image being recorded on the recording material by exposure and developing processing or by thermosensitive processing (thermal transfer processing) or the like, when the image fades and deteriorates over time, because the image and the pattern are recorded on the same photograph print, the amount of fading of the pattern can be considered equal.
Accordingly, the color and density of the faded and deteriorated pattern are measured. The amount of fading of the image (e.g., an amount of fading (a saturation correction amount) of each of the three color components of cyan, magenta and yellow and a correction amount of the brightness of the image) can be determined from the measured color and density and the predetermined color and density of the pattern.
Therefore, if the image is corrected to compensate for the amount of fading of the image, the fading of the image can be suitably corrected. Further, since the amount of fading is not judged by the visual sense of a person, no variation in accuracy of the fading correction is caused, and image quality can be stabilized to a constant level.
The above pattern can be formed by using patterns of cyan, magenta and yellow as predetermined colors as in the second aspect.
Namely, the saturation correction amount for correction of each of these colors can be determined by determining the amount of fading of each of the cyan, magenta and yellow patterns. Further, the image brightness correction amount can be determined by determining the amount of fading, i.e., the amount of change in density, of a gray pattern formed by cyan, magenta and yellow.
As an image recording method for recording the above pattern on the recording material, it is possible to adopt the recording method of the third aspect of the present invention in which a pattern having predetermined color and density is additionally recorded onto a region of the recording material outside the image recording region when the image is recorded onto the recording material based on digital image data.
Exposure-developing processing or thermosensitive processing (thermal transfer processing) may be used to additionally record the above pattern.
An image recording method for stabilizing the quality of color prints to a constant level will next be explained.
The following image recording methods of the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention can be used to correct the fading of an image exposed on a negative or positive recording material (e.g., a negative film or a positive film).
In the image recording method of the fourth aspect, before the negative or positive recording material (e.g., the negative film or the positive film) is developed, an image is exposed on the recording material and a pattern having predetermined color and density is exposed on a region of the recording material outside the region at which the image is exposed. The recording material is then developed. Thereafter, digital image data and digital pattern data are obtained by digitally reading from the developed recording material the image and the pattern which have faded and deteriorated over the time. On the basis of the color and density of the pattern based on the obtained digital pattern data density (i.e., the color and density of the discolored and deteriorated pattern) and the predetermined color and density of the pattern, for example, the amount of decrease in saturation and the amount of decrease in brightness are detected for each of the colors of cyan, magenta and yellow. Further, fading correction is carried out on the above obtained digital image data (i.e., the faded and deteriorated digital image data) such that the detected amounts of decrease in saturation and brightness for each of the above colors are compensated for, and the original image (the image at the time of exposure onto the recording material) is reproduced. The image is then newly recorded onto another recording material on the basis of the corrected digital image data.
In the image recording method of the fifth aspect, before the negative or positive recording material is developed, an image is exposed on the recording material and a pattern having predetermined color and density is exposed on a region of the recording ma
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Grant II Jerome
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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