Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Identifying – composing – or selecting
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-16
2001-07-24
Mahoney, Christopher E. (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Identifying, composing, or selecting
C358S453000, C358S538000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266129
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a digital photograph processing system, and more particularly to a digital photograph processing system for outputting a photograph while determining a ratio of picture data of a desired range to a whole range of the photograph based on digital picture data.
A digital photograph system using a digital still picture is so constructed that a picture which has been conventionally recorded on a silver salt film by silver salt photograph techniques is converted into an electric signal by a CCD or the like, resulting in being subject to digital conversion and then outputted from a printer. Thus, the digital photograph system permits the picture photographed to be confirmed immediately after the photographing without requiring operation in a dark room and facilitates additional printing of the photograph.
Also, the digital photograph system permits the picture to be edited and stored in the form of digital data, to thereby ensure construction of a data base for customers and the like and facilitate change of a background, change of a dress or the like.
A certification photograph generally has longitudinal and lateral dimensions determined or defined depending on applications thereof. In particular, in a certification photograph for a passport, a length of a head of a subject and a margin above the head are defined as well. A certificate photograph for any other application likewise has a size of the head defined to a degree. Thus, an excessively large or small size of the head on the photograph is not permissible.
In conventional silver salt photograph techniques, it is required to adjust a size of a photograph when photographing or printing takes place. When a negative film is used, enlargement into a required size is carried out during printing onto a developing paper.
Such silver salt photograph techniques require operation in a dark room, much time is required between photographing and completion of a photograph.
On the contrary, techniques of using an instant film permits a photograph to be completed in a short period of time. However, it fails in enlargement of the photograph, so that it is required to adjust a size thereof during photographing. For this purpose, techniques such as a variation in distance of the photographing, employment of any suitable lens or the like are employed to adjust a size of a picture on the film.
The digital photograph system permits a picture to be formed and stored in the form of digital data, so that both enlargement and reduction of the picture may be readily carried out according to a picture processing procedure. For example, when it is desired to obtain an output of 5 cm×5 cm using an output printer of 10 dots/mm in resolution, data 50 dots square are required.
Supposing that picture data are 1600×1200 dots and a region of a subject required for an identification photograph is photographed on an area 1000 dots square, picture data for a region of the subject required may be obtained by feeding the area 1000 dots square to the printer at every second dot.
Enlargement and reduction of a picture by digital picture processing require two data. One of the data relates to a portion of an original picture to be used and the other relates to a portion of an output range to be photographed.
The latter data may be mechanically determined by inputting of information required. For example, when a printer of 8 cm×6 cm in output size and 10 dots/mm in resolution is used, data fed to the printer are 800×600 dots in size, which are represented by X-Y coordinates of which an upper left is (0, 0) and a lower right is (799, 599).
When a photograph size of, for example, 5 cm×5 cm required as an output is inputted, it is found by mechanical calculation that a central region of 500×500 or a region between (150, 50) and (749, 549) is to be used.
The former data is varied depending on the original picture, therefore, it is carried out to display the original picture on a CRT or the like to indicate a region to be cut out. The most typical way is to move an expandable rectangle on a picture plane by means of a mouse or the like, to thereby input upper-left and lower-right coordinates of the rectangle.
Unfortunately, such a way is not necessarily suitable for a certification photograph, because adjustment of rendering a size of a head of a subject constant and positioning of the subject on a central axis are required for the certification photograph. Designation of the rectangle cut which is carried out in the way described above renders such adjustment highly troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a digital photograph processing system which is capable of facilitating editing operation after photographing and outputting a photograph of defined dimensions in a short period of time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a digital photograph processing system which is capable of readily providing a cut range of a picture required for outputting a length or distance between desired two points in picture data as an actual dimension.
In accordance with the present invention, a digital photograph processing system is provided. The digital photograph processing system includes a picture input means for storing picture data of a subject therein and outputting the picture data, an operation means having the picture data inputted thereto and constructed so as to operate positional coordinates of two points on the picture data inputted, a display means for displaying the picture data in the form of an image thereon, and a memory previously stored therein with set items of the picture data during outputting thereof. The set items include an actual dimension between the two points on the picture data and actual longitudinal and lateral dimensions of a photograph to be outputted. The digital photograph processing system also includes a processing means for taking in the picture data outputted from the picture input means and carrying out an operation so that position coordinates of the two points inputted thereto by operation in the operation means are an actual dimension between the two points stored In the memory and a range of picture data which permits the set items stored in the memory to be satisfied are cut and a picture output means constructed so as to permit picture data outputted from the processing means to be outputted in the form of a photograph.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the picture input means is selected from the group consisting of a digital camera and a storage unit having the picture already stored therein and constructed so as to output picture data on a face of a person, so that digital photograph processing system prepares a certification photograph. The operation means inputs position coordinates of two points on a top of a head of the person and a jaw thereof by operation. The memory is stored therein with the set items including a length of the face in the photograph outputted, an upper margin of the photograph, and longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the photograph. The processing means carries out an operation for cutting a range of picture data which permits a distance between the head top of the person and the jaw thereof to be an actual dimension of a length of the face included in the set items stored in the memory and a photograph of actual dimensions which satisfy the set items to be outputted. The picture output means is constituted by a printer which permits the picture data to be outputted in the form of a photograph.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processing means is constructed so as execute a predetermined operation of converting the cut range in correspondence to dot pitches and the number of dots possessed by the picture output means.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4733304 (1988-03-01), Homma et al.
patent: 5018017 (1991-05-01), Sasaki
Hiraga Katsuya
Inoue Yawara
Tajima Koji
Uchiyama Yawara
Uzawa Satoshi
Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Mahoney Christopher E.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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