Photograph printing device, electronic image input device,...

Details Photograph printing device, electronic image input device,... Photograph printing device, electronic image input device,...

1999-01-25

2002-05-28

Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)

Photocopying

Projection printing and copying cameras

Identifying, composing, or selecting

C355S032000, C355S035000, C347S239000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06396565

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to (1) a photograph printing device, for use in, for example, a photograph processing device or photograph printer, which, by projecting light onto a photosensitive material through an information holding medium (such as a film negative recording an original image, or a liquid crystal display element, PLZT exposure head, DMD (digital micromirror device), etc. driven by image signals corresponding to the original image), prints an image corresponding to the original image onto the photosensitive material; (2) an electronic image input device including the foregoing photograph printing device and an image pickup element such as a CCD (charge coupled device); (3) a film scanner, for use in, for example, a digital printing system, which, by scanning light obtained through film recording an original image, registers the original image; (4) a scratch recognition method for recognizing a scratch formed on the foregoing film; (5) a memory medium recording a program for scratch recognition; and (6) an image restoration method for restoring a scratch area of an image obtained by scanning.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past, various photograph printing devices have been proposed in which, for example, a film negative recording an original image is placed in front of a photosensitive material, and an image corresponding to the original image is printed onto the photosensitive material by projecting light onto the photosensitive material through the film negative.
In this type of photograph printing device, a halogen lamp is usually used as the light source for projecting light onto the photosensitive material. Further, by interposing in the light path three different cutoff filters with different respective spectral characteristics, corresponding to red, green, and blue, the light from the halogen lamp is adjusted to light suited to photograph printing.
However, photograph printing devices which use a halogen lamp as the light source have the following problems.
(1) Since halogen lamps produce large amounts of heat, which is unnecessary in photographic printing, forced cooling means such as a cooling fan are necessary. Here, use of a cooling fan is a hindrance to good printing, because surrounding dust is sucked into the optical system.
(2) A stable direct-current power source for stabilizing the spectral characteristics of the halogen lamp, a light-adjusting filter, cutoff filters for cutting out infrared and ultraviolet light, etc. are also necessary, thus increasing the size of the device.
(3) Since a desired light quantity necessary for printing cannot be obtained until a certain time has passed after turning on the halogen lamp, the halogen lamp must be left turned on even when not printing. This increases the power consumption of the halogen lamp. Further, to prevent light from the halogen lamp from reaching the photographic paper (photosensitive material) when not performing printing, a shutter mechanism between the photographic paper and the halogen lamp is necessary, thus increasing the number of structural parts.
(4) Given that light quantity differs greatly between the light axis and surrounding areas, a scattering device is often provided to scatter the light from the halogen lamp to create a planar light source necessary in printing. This increases loss of light quantity.
(5) If the halogen lamp is always left turned on, when printing a large number of photographs, heat from the halogen lamp has an adverse effect on the film negatives.
The problems in (1) through (5) above also arise with film scanners, in which a film negative recording an original image is placed in front of a scanning section, and the scanning section registers the original image by scanning light projected through the film negative. Such a film scanner is connected to a digital printer through, for example, a computer such as a personal computer, and images read by the film scanner are outputted by the digital printer.
A photograph printer and a film scanner disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-22081/1996 (Tokukaihei 8-22081) use as light source a plurality of light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to simply as “LEDs”) having different respective spectral characteristics, thus avoiding the foregoing problems caused by the halogen lamp. The following will explain in outline the structure of an exposure projection section of the photograph printer disclosed in the foregoing publication.
As shown in
FIG. 33
, the foregoing conventional photograph printer includes an LED light source
101
, a scattering plate
102
, and a lens
103
.
The LED light source
101
is made up of a plurality of LEDs
101
a
, each of which projects red, green, or blue light, arranged in matrix form. Here, each of the LEDs
101
a
is provided so that light emitted thereby has directivity in a direction parallel to a light axis L, as shown in FIG.
33
. Further, each LED
101
a
is independently ON/OFF controlled by a light source driving section (not shown), by means of which the duration and/or brightness of illumination of each LED
101
a
is controlled.
The scattering plate
102
is provided on the side of the LED light source
101
from which light exits, and scatters the light projected thereby. The lens
103
focuses an optical image, incident thereon, onto color photographic paper
105
(photosensitive material).
In the foregoing structure, when the LEDs
101
a
of the LED light source
101
are lit, light projected from each LED
101
a
is scattered by the scattering plate
102
, passes through a film negative
104
set in a printing position and the lens
103
, and reaches the color photographic paper
105
. In this way, an image corresponding to the original image recorded on the film negative
104
is focused on and printed onto the color photographic paper
105
.
The film scanner disclosed in the foregoing publication is structured as the foregoing photograph printer, except that the color photographic paper
105
is replaced by an image area sensor
106
. Accordingly, in the foregoing film scanner, when the LEDs
101
a
of the LED light source
101
are lit, light projected from each LED
101
a
is scattered by the scattering plate
102
, passes through the film negative
104
and the lens
103
, and reaches the image area sensor
106
. In this way, an image corresponding to the original image recorded on the film negative
104
is focused on a photoreceptive surface of the image area sensor
106
. Then, if the film scanner is connected to a digital printer through, for example, a computer such as a personal computer, a sheet recording an image corresponding to the original image is discharged from the digital printer.
However, in the photograph printer disclosed in the foregoing publication, since each LED
101
a
is provided so that light emitted thereby has directivity in a direction parallel to the light axis, due to the influence of, for example, aberration arising from the design of the optical system, the light quantity of light projected onto peripheral areas of the color photographic paper
105
is decreased, resulting in unevenness in density and color between central and peripheral areas.
Some methods of avoiding this difficulty are the following. One is a method in which the scattering plate
102
is thicker in the central portion and thinner toward the periphery, thereby further scattering light so as to reduce the light quantity in the central area of the color photographic paper
105
and increase the light quantity in the peripheral areas of the color photographic paper
105
. Another method is one in which the scattering plate
102
is made of frosted glass of a coarseness which can barely be seen through with the naked eye, thereby scattering the light as in the method above.
However, with methods such as these, which scatter light, loss of light quantity is increased, and thus it is necessary, for example, to increase the exposure time of each LED
101
a
, increase the brightness of illumination of each LED
101
a
, e

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Photograph printing device, electronic image input device,... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Photograph printing device, electronic image input device,..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Photograph printing device, electronic image input device,... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2846456