EP0456684B1 - Traitement photographique - Google Patents

Traitement photographique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0456684B1
EP0456684B1 EP90902349A EP90902349A EP0456684B1 EP 0456684 B1 EP0456684 B1 EP 0456684B1 EP 90902349 A EP90902349 A EP 90902349A EP 90902349 A EP90902349 A EP 90902349A EP 0456684 B1 EP0456684 B1 EP 0456684B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
processing apparatus
replenishment
signal
photographic
photographic material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP90902349A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0456684A1 (fr
Inventor
Christopher Barrie C/O Kodak Limited Rider
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kodak Ltd
Eastman Kodak Co
Original Assignee
Kodak Ltd
Eastman Kodak Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kodak Ltd, Eastman Kodak Co filed Critical Kodak Ltd
Publication of EP0456684A1 publication Critical patent/EP0456684A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0456684B1 publication Critical patent/EP0456684B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03C—PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIALS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PURPOSES; PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES, e.g. CINE, X-RAY, COLOUR, STEREO-PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES; AUXILIARY PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
    • G03C5/00—Photographic processes or agents therefor; Regeneration of such processing agents
    • G03C5/26—Processes using silver-salt-containing photosensitive materials or agents therefor
    • G03C5/29—Development processes or agents therefor
    • G03C5/31—Regeneration; Replenishers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03C—PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIALS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PURPOSES; PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES, e.g. CINE, X-RAY, COLOUR, STEREO-PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES; AUXILIARY PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
    • G03C7/00—Multicolour photographic processes or agents therefor; Regeneration of such processing agents; Photosensitive materials for multicolour processes
    • G03C7/30—Colour processes using colour-coupling substances; Materials therefor; Preparing or processing such materials
    • G03C7/44—Regeneration; Replenishers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03D—APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03D3/00—Liquid processing apparatus involving immersion; Washing apparatus involving immersion
    • G03D3/02—Details of liquid circulation
    • G03D3/06—Liquid supply; Liquid circulation outside tanks
    • G03D3/065—Liquid supply; Liquid circulation outside tanks replenishment or recovery apparatus

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the replenishment of chemical solutions used in the processing of photographic materials.
  • GB-A-2111726 describes a system for controlling the addition of replenisher to a bath in which light-sensitive media are being processed.
  • the signal controlling the rate of addition of replenisher chemicals is derived from the area of the light-sensitive media which has been scanned by a laser exposing device.
  • EP-A-0 348 512 discloses a method for replenishing photographic processing solutions. The method comprises the steps of determining the amount of exposure required for copying an image on to photographic material, using the determined exposure to calculate the replenishment requirements, and then actually exposing the material to form an image on the photographic material.
  • DE-A-1 522 884 describes a method for replenishing processing solutions in the field of reprographic technology.
  • the method includes the determination of a coefficient of replenishment as the product of the film area and its "expected degree of density" prior to processing. This coefficient is entered into the processing apparatus to control the replenishment rate of the processing solutions.
  • US-A-0 030 123 discloses apparatus for controlling the make-up and addition of replenishment solution for a photographic processor, the replenishment is determined by taking into account operating variables such as film size, replenishment rate, and percent exposure, as well as the cumulative effect of any additions and aerial oxidation of the solution while not in use.
  • a method of controlling the rate of replenishment of chemical solutions used in photographic processing apparatus including photographic printing apparatus for copying an object on to a photographic material, the method being characterized by the steps of measuring the actual exposure given to the photographic material during copying, deriving a signal from the measured actual exposure given to the photographic material which is related to the amount of image-producing substances formed on the photographic material after development of an image of the object, and using the derived signal to control the replenishment rate of the processing solutions.
  • the derived signal produces a replenishment rate which exactly balances the chemicals depleted in processing the photographic material.
  • Photographic processors are normally set up so that the replenishment rate exactly compensates for the chemicals used in processing paper which has been exposed to an predefined average grey level.
  • This grey level is intended to simulate the amount of dye produced on a print made from the average (population centre) customer negative. It is usual to calibrate the printer with such a population centre negative which is printed to produce a grey print at the average grey level. The printer is adjusted so that the correct density is produced on the grey print.
  • a colour photographic material has three image forming layers: the cyan, magenta and yellow. Light is projected through the film on to the paper to form a latent image which is rendered visible by the processing solutions.
  • Dye is formed by the reaction of developer molecules which have been oxidised by the reduction of silver halide to silver metal with couplers incorporated into the paper.
  • the efficiency of dye formation is the average amount of developer molecules which are used up in forming one molecule of the dye.
  • typically one oxidised developer molecule is used to form a dye molecule.
  • the number of developer molecules used up may be more than this because not all oxidised developer molecules are converted to dye. Some molecules are lost due to other reactions and processes.
  • the amount of oxidised developer molecules that are lost may vary according to the amount of dye which has already been formed on the paper at any point in the development cycle.
  • a '+3 button' correction increments the time by 1.19 x 1.19 x 1.19 or 1.68.
  • a '-4 button' change decreases the time by 1.19 x 1.19 x 1.19 x 1.19 or 2 (a halving of the time).
  • the exact increment is usually variable and can be set up by the user.
  • More sophisticated printer algorithms may permit much smaller increments in density and colour balance. In these cases, it may be possible to perform a calculation to get values for ⁇ R rather than having to perform many experimental determinations. Again, the exact details of the calculation will vary from machine to machine so the general outline will be explained below, where the assumption is made that an average measurement of the negative transmittance has been made (rather than discrete measurements at many places on the negative).
  • the next step is to convert from reflection density to transmission density using another well known relation (see Williams and Klapper, Journal of the Optical Society of America, 1953, volume 43, page 595). It is now possible to obtain relative dye amounts on the print to a good approximation by taking the ratio of the transmission densities of the print in question, T Di , to the transmission density of the calibration print, T° Di .
  • Photofinishing printers work in one of three ways. Some expose one print at a time and immediately send each exposed print to a processing machine. Others expose small batches of prints (typically between five and thirty prints) which are sent in one long length to the processing machine. These first two types of printer are normally found in minilabs where the printer is directly connected to a processor. There are still other types of printer which expose very large batches of prints, typically many hundreds, on to long rolls of paper before being taken uncut to a separate processing machine. These types of printers are normally found in high volume photofinishing establishments.
  • the replenishment data would need to be recorded on a magnetic storage medium, such as a floppy disc.
  • a magnetic storage medium such as a floppy disc.
  • the floppy disc would then be loaded into the paper processor's own floppy disc drive.
  • the paper processor equipped with a microprocessor controlled replenishment system, would access the replenishment data via its microprocessor as the roll of photographic paper is being processed in a developer. After a fixed number of prints have entered the developer, for example ten, an amount of replenisher would be added to the developer bath and an equal amount of developer drained off. The amount added would correspond to the sum of the replenisher amounts for the particular ten prints in the developer.
  • the replenishment information for each print may also be recorded on the print itself by means of a machine-readable code applied to the back of the print.
  • the information may be encoded as a series of punched holes between prints.
  • Photographic printers which only use discrete photocells for determining exposure measure only the average transmittance of a negative.
  • a subject comprising a white spot against a black background would print as a black spot on a white background.
  • the black spot would have reached the maximum density the photographic paper could give.
  • the amount of dye in the spot would therefore be less than that expected from a calculation based on the average transmittance of the negative. Consequently, the calculated amount of replenishment required for that print would be too great.
  • a scanning device for example a charge-coupled device having a 30 by 20 array, would yield 600 measurements of the transmittance of the negative. Areas of low density on the negative which would give an area of D max on the print could be recognised as such, by using the paper's R D - log(E) curve. The dye amounts formed at each of the 600 areas could be added together to give an accurate calculation of the total dye amount formed on the print.
  • the present invention has the advantage that it overcomes the problem of incorrect chemical replenishment, thus reducing sensitometric drift, maintaining quality and therefore saving money.
  • the present invention would be particularly suited to a small photofinishing operation such as a mini-lab where small chemical volumes in the processing tanks increase the susceptibility of the photographic processor to the effects of incorrect replenishment. Furthermore, for the small photofinishing operation, the relatively low hardware cost required to incorporate the present invention in a printer-processor pair is an added advantage. In addition, the need for a storage medium on which to retain the dye amounts calculated for the prints from a given roll of negatives during printing would be eliminated as the microprocessors in both the printer and the processor would be able to transfer the data between them.
  • the invention is particularly suited to the replenishment of photographic developers, but could be used with any apparatus where the replenishment rate is a function of the exposure given to the material.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Photographic Processing Devices Using Wet Methods (AREA)
  • Silver Salt Photography Or Processing Solution Therefor (AREA)
  • Nitrogen Condensed Heterocyclic Rings (AREA)
  • Photographic Developing Apparatuses (AREA)
  • Control Of Exposure In Printing And Copying (AREA)
  • Color Image Communication Systems (AREA)
  • Photosensitive Polymer And Photoresist Processing (AREA)

Claims (18)

  1. Procédé de commande du taux de renouvellement de solutions chimiques utilisées dans un appareil de traitement photographique, l'appareil comportant un appareil de tirage photographique permettant de reproduire un objet sur un matériau photographique, le procédé étant caractérisé par les opérations consistant à mesurer l'exposition réelle donnée au matériau photographique pendant l'opération de reproduction, à déduire de l'exposition réelle mesurée qui a été donné au matériau photographique un signal qui est lié à la quantité de substances de production d'image formée sur le matériau photographique après développement d'une image de l'objet, et à utiliser le signal ainsi déduit pour commander le taux de renouvellement des solutions de traitement.
  2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, où les substances de production d'image sont des colorants.
  3. Procédé selon la revendication 1, où les substances de production d'image sont des métaux.
  4. Procédé selon la revendication 3, où le métal est l'argent.
  5. Procédé selon la revendication 1, où le signal est déduit de mesures du facteur de transmission moyen de l'objet à reproduire.
  6. Procédé selon la revendication 1, où le signal est déduit de mesures du facteur de transmission moyen de plusieurs petites aires différentes de l'objet à reproduire.
  7. Procédé selon la revendication 5 ou 6, où le signal est déduit de la moyenne de mesures du facteur de transmission moyen d'un important échantillon, choisi au hasard, de tous les objets à reproduire sur le matériau photographique.
  8. Procédé selon la revendication 7, où le signal est en outre déduit de données se rapportant aux caractéristiques sensitométriques du matériau photographique.
  9. Procédé selon la revendication 1, où le signal déduit est lié au taux de renouvellement par une fonction empirique.
  10. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 9, où on ajuste le taux de renouvellement par pas discrets qui sont directement liés à des niveaux discrets de correction de densité et, ou bien, de couleur utilisés dans le processus de reproduction de l'objet.
  11. Procédé selon la revendication 10, où la correction de densité et, ou bien, la correction de couleur sont directement liées à des incréments ou des décréments du taux de renouvellement appliqué à la solution de développement dans l'appareil de traitement photographique.
  12. Appareil de traitement photographique comportant un appareil de tirage permettant de reproduire un objet sur un matériau photographique couleur et un appareil de traitement permettant de traiter le matériau photographique exposé, caractérisé en ce qu'un signal lié à l'exposition mesurée qui a été donnée au matériau photographique est utilisé pour commander le taux de renouvellement des solutions utilisées dans l'appareil de traitement.
  13. Appareil selon la revendication 12, où le signal est transmis à l'appareil de traitement par une liaison directe de transmission de données.
  14. Appareil selon la revendication 12, où l'appareil de tirage est doté d'un moyen permettant d'enregistrer des données de renouvellement sur le matériau photographique, et où l'appareil de traitement est doté d'un moyen permettant de lire les données enregistrées.
  15. Appareil selon la revendication 12, où l'appareil de tirage et l'appareil de traitement sont dotés de moyens de mémorisation, et où des données se rapportant au signal sont d'abord enregistrées sur un support de mémorisation contenu dans l'appareil de tirage, pour être ensuite transmises à l'appareil de traitement.
  16. Appareil selon la revendication 15, où le support de mémorisation est un support de mémorisation magnétique.
  17. Appareil selon la revendication 12, où l'appareil de tirage possède plusieurs boutons de correction de densité et de couleur qui sont directement associés à des incréments et des décréments du taux de renouvellement appliqué à la solution de développement dans l'appareil de traitement.
  18. Appareil selon la revendication 12, où l'appareil de tirage est doté de moyens de balayage permettant d'obtenir des mesures du facteur de transmission moyen d'une pluralité de petites aires différentes d'un objet à reproduire.
EP90902349A 1989-02-01 1990-02-01 Traitement photographique Expired - Lifetime EP0456684B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8902186 1989-02-01
GB898902186A GB8902186D0 (en) 1989-02-01 1989-02-01 Photographic processing
PCT/GB1990/000162 WO1990008979A1 (fr) 1989-02-01 1990-02-01 Traitement photographique

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0456684A1 EP0456684A1 (fr) 1991-11-21
EP0456684B1 true EP0456684B1 (fr) 1994-06-08

Family

ID=10650943

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90301062A Pending EP0381502A1 (fr) 1989-02-01 1990-02-01 Traitement photographique
EP90902349A Expired - Lifetime EP0456684B1 (fr) 1989-02-01 1990-02-01 Traitement photographique

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90301062A Pending EP0381502A1 (fr) 1989-02-01 1990-02-01 Traitement photographique

Country Status (12)

Country Link
EP (2) EP0381502A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2930407B2 (fr)
KR (1) KR920701866A (fr)
AT (1) ATE107050T1 (fr)
AU (1) AU627551B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2046626A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69009741T2 (fr)
DK (1) DK0456684T3 (fr)
ES (1) ES2054339T3 (fr)
GB (1) GB8902186D0 (fr)
MY (1) MY104823A (fr)
WO (1) WO1990008979A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3034644B2 (ja) * 1990-10-24 2000-04-17 富士写真フイルム株式会社 撮影用写真カラーネガフィルム処理方法
US5780189A (en) * 1991-08-01 1998-07-14 Eastman Kodak Company Apparatus and method for controlling the chemical activity of processing solution in a photographic processing apparatus
GB9116625D0 (en) * 1991-08-01 1991-09-18 Kodak Ltd Improvements in or relating to photographic processing
GB9116624D0 (en) * 1991-08-01 1991-09-18 Kodak Ltd Improvements in or relating to photographic processing
EP0585792B1 (fr) * 1992-09-04 1999-11-24 Agfa-Gevaert N.V. Procédé pour le recyclage d'un développateur photographique usagé et un développateur photographique recyclé
US5436118A (en) * 1994-03-31 1995-07-25 Eastman Kodak Company Method of processing silver halide photographic elements using a low volume thin tank processing system
GB9509111D0 (en) * 1995-05-04 1995-06-28 Kodak Ltd Method of processing photographic silver halide materials
GB9509039D0 (en) * 1995-05-04 1995-06-28 Kodak Ltd Photographic processing
GB9509040D0 (en) * 1995-05-04 1995-06-28 Kodak Ltd Photographic processing
GB9509036D0 (en) * 1995-05-04 1995-06-28 Kodak Ltd Method of processing black-and-white photographic silver halide materials

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1522884A1 (de) * 1966-05-17 1969-10-16 Klimsch & Co Verfahren und Einrichtung zur Steuerung des Regenerierungsvorgangs bei automatischen Entwicklungsmaschinen fuer die Reproduktionstechnik
EP0348512A1 (fr) * 1987-11-04 1990-01-03 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Procede et dispositif de reapprovisionnement en fluide de traitement

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USRE30123E (en) * 1972-09-11 1979-10-23 E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company Apparatus for controlling addition of replenishment solution to a photographic processor
EP0082628A3 (fr) 1981-12-17 1985-04-10 Vickers Plc Traitement de milieux sensibles à la lumière, par exemple plaques d'impression lithographiques

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1522884A1 (de) * 1966-05-17 1969-10-16 Klimsch & Co Verfahren und Einrichtung zur Steuerung des Regenerierungsvorgangs bei automatischen Entwicklungsmaschinen fuer die Reproduktionstechnik
EP0348512A1 (fr) * 1987-11-04 1990-01-03 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Procede et dispositif de reapprovisionnement en fluide de traitement

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1990008979A1 (fr) 1990-08-09
JPH04503121A (ja) 1992-06-04
MY104823A (en) 1994-06-30
KR920701866A (ko) 1992-08-12
GB8902186D0 (en) 1989-03-22
EP0381502A1 (fr) 1990-08-08
DK0456684T3 (da) 1994-07-11
JP2930407B2 (ja) 1999-08-03
DE69009741D1 (de) 1994-07-14
CA2046626A1 (fr) 1990-08-02
ATE107050T1 (de) 1994-06-15
ES2054339T3 (es) 1994-08-01
AU627551B2 (en) 1992-08-27
AU5021890A (en) 1990-08-24
DE69009741T2 (de) 1995-01-12
EP0456684A1 (fr) 1991-11-21

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