JPH05100323A - Photographic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need of the loop forming device of a paper and to make constitution simple and compact by executing printing and exposure on the color paper by a line printer and executing it at an identical speed to the developing speed of the paper, and to obtain a trimming print with the simple constitution by reading trimming information and executing the printing and the exposure by processing an image based on the read information. CONSTITUTION:The trimming information recorded on a negative film 10 is read by a magnetic head 15 and sent to an image processing part 17. By a line sensor 23, the image of the film 10 is read synchronously with the feeding of the film and sent to the processing part 17. By the processing part 17, image data after trimming is produced based on the trimming information and sent to the color line printer 25. By the printer 25, the trimming image is printed and exposed on the color paper 26 by synchronously with the feeding of the paper 26.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photographic printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a photographic printer, a negative film is set on a film carrier, a frame to be printed is positioned at a print position, and a color paper is exposed by printing. When trimming printing is performed, for example, the film carrier is moved in a two-dimensional direction, an unnecessary image on the negative film is covered by using a variable mask, and printing exposure is performed at a predetermined print magnification.

[0003]

Therefore, a shift device and a variable mask device for moving the film carrier in the two-dimensional direction are required. Therefore, there is a problem that the configuration of the apparatus becomes large, and the apparatus becomes large in size and high in cost. Further, the conventional printer employs surface exposure in which the color paper is exposed by printing with the light transmitted through the negative film. The color paper development process is a continuous process in which the color paper is fed into each processing tank.
For this reason, a loop forming unit for absorbing the difference in processing speed is provided between the paper processor that develops the exposed color paper and the printer to store the color paper of a fixed length. Therefore, there is also a problem that the apparatus cannot be made compact because the loop forming unit is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a photographic printer which can be compactly constructed.

[0005]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a means for inputting trimming information, an image reading section for reading an image recorded on a film, and an image reading section based on the trimming information. A photographic printer is composed of an image processing unit that processes image data from the image processing unit and outputs image data according to the trimming size, and a printing unit that prints and exposes the photosensitive material based on the image data from the image processing unit. is there.

Another invention is to provide a means for reading the trimming information recorded on the film, instead of the means for inputting the trimming information.

[0007]

1 is a schematic diagram showing a photographic printer of the present invention. The negative film 10 after the development processing is fed by the feed roller pairs 11, 12, and 13. Feed roller pair 11,
A magnetic head 15 is provided between the two 12 so as to be in contact with the negative film 10. The magnetic head 15 reads the trimming information recorded on the magnetic recording layer of the negative film 10 while the negative film 10 is being fed. The magnetic reading unit 16 converts the magnetic data from the magnetic head 15 into trimming information and sends it to the image processing unit 17.

A light source 20 is provided below the negative film 10 between the pair of feed rollers 12 and 13. Also,
A slit plate 21, a lens 22 and a CCD line sensor 23 are provided above the light source 20 with the negative film 10 interposed therebetween. A slit 21 a is formed in the slit plate 21 so as to be elongated in the width direction of the negative film 10. The image of the negative film 10 illuminated by the light source 20 is the slit 2
1a, the lens 22 allows the line sensor 23
An image is formed on the element surface of.

The line sensor 23 has R, G, and
It is a color line sensor in which the B color filter is arranged. The image reading circuit 24 takes in the three-color image data of the negative film 10 by the color line sensor 23 in synchronization with the film feeding. The captured image data is sent to the image processing unit 17. The color line sensor 2
Instead of using 3, R,
It is also possible to provide a line sensor dedicated to each color in which G and B color filters are respectively arranged and to perform photometry. An image area sensor may be used instead of the line sensor.

The image processing section 17 sends the trimmed image data to the color line printer 25 according to the trimming information and the image data. The line printer 25 performs main scanning in the width direction of the color paper 26 with laser light, and also performs sub-scanning by feeding the color paper 26 with the feed roller pair 28 at the same speed as the processing speed of the paper processor 27, and the image processing unit. The color paper 26 is printed and exposed based on the image data from 17. The color paper 26 that has been baked and exposed is sent as it is to the paper processor 27, where it is developed. As is well known, the color paper 26 that has undergone the development processing is cut into each frame and discharged to the photo tray 29.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the image processing section 17. The three-color image data from the image reading circuit 24 is digitized through the A / D converter 40, and this is input to the multiplier 41. The multiplier 41 uses a coefficient (1
-K) is multiplied to the image data. This image data enters the adder 43 via the selector 42, is added to the data from the multiplier 44, and is input to the 3-port frame memory 45. The frame memory 45 outputs image data having different transfer rates. By having two systems of output in this way, it is possible to output image data to peripheral devices with different transfer rates (for example, those with extremely different transfer rates such as CRT displays and photo printers) at approximately the same time. You can Here, the slower transfer speed is output 1 and the faster transfer speed is output 2. Output 1
Has two kinds of speed, the same speed as the input of the image pickup system and the transfer speed for outputting to the printer, and the output 2 has the transfer speed for displaying on the CRT.

The image data output from the output 1 enters the multiplier 44, is multiplied by a coefficient (K) for noise removal, and enters the adder 43. It goes without saying that the image data read out here is the image one frame before. In this way, the noise component of the image data is removed. Further, the coefficient (K) of the multiplier 44 is set to "1", the data on the input side is forcibly set to "0" by the arbitrary area selector 42, and the selector 46 turns on the output 1 only in that area.
If the read speed is doubled and the read data is thinned out pixel by pixel and input to the adder, an image obtained by reducing the image of the previous frame by half is fitted into the current frame (this is・ In-picture).
Further, the same image can be displayed side by side by controlling only the writing position without thinning.

The image data from the output 2 is subjected to γ correction and the like through look-up table memories 50 and 51 (hereinafter referred to as LUT), and then enters the D / A converter 53 through the selector 52 and is converted into an analog signal. Monitor CRT52
Is output to. Here, the LUT 50 and LUT 51 are LUTs for the current screen and the insertion screen in the picture-in-picture mode, and both LUTs can be independently color-corrected and displayed on the color monitor 54. I have to. By doing so, at the time of color tone adjustment, the image before adjustment (the reduced image) and the image after adjustment can be compared in real time.

The LUTs 50, 51 are composed of high-speed memories, and color tone conversion can be performed by writing data corresponding to each address from the microprocessor 55 in advance. The microprocessor 55 can freely rewrite the coefficient of the color correction matrix, the coefficient of the multiplier, etc. in addition to the rewriting of the LUT data. Also,
Reference numeral 56 indicates a memory and a timing controller.

When transferring frozen image data to the printer, the image data is output from the frame memory 45.
Read from. This image data is sent to the data selector 60 via the selector 46. Data selector 6
A range designation circuit 61 is connected to 0. Trimming information is input to the range designating circuit 61, the range designating circuit 61 designates a range corresponding to the trimming information based on the trimming information, and sends the designated address data to the data selector 60. Data selector 60
Sends the image data in the range designated based on the image data from the frame memory 45 and the designated address data from the range designation circuit 61 to the image complement circuit 62.

The image complement circuit 62 includes a data selector 60.
The image from is complemented and the image is enlarged to correspond to the width of the color paper. The enlarged image data after trimming is stored in the frame memory 63. L for printer
The UT 65 performs gradation conversion on the image data from the frame memory 63. The LUT 65 stores correction data corresponding to the correction value input by the key, and the gradation is converted based on the correction data. The gradation-converted image data is adjusted to the color characteristics of color paper or the like by the color correction matrix circuit 66, and is sent to the line printer 25 via the printer interface 67.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the line printer 25. The line printer 25 is a He-Ne laser 7
0, He-Cd laser 71, Ar laser 72. The laser beams from the lasers 70 to 72 are supplied to the image processing unit 17 by the optical modulators 73, 74 and 75.
Is modulated based on the image data from. Note that reference numeral 76
Is a beam splitter, which feeds back a part of the laser beam to each of the optical modulators 73 to 75.

Each laser beam modulated based on the image data is reflected by the mirror 77 and the dichroic mirrors 78, 7.
The beam is converted into one beam by 9 and is converted into parallel light by a known collimating optical system, and then is guided to a polygon mirror 81 through a cylindrical lens 80. The polygon mirror 81 is rotated at a high speed by a motor 82, and a laser beam is swung in the width direction of the color paper 26 by this rotation, and one main scan is performed on one surface of the polygon mirror 81. The image forming optical system including the fθ lens 83 and the cylindrical lens 84 narrows the laser beam deflected by the polygon mirror 81 on the color paper 26 so that the beam diameter becomes in accordance with the photosensitive density. The paper feed roller pair 85 feeds the color paper 26 in synchronism with the main scanning of the laser beam and performs sub-scanning. The paper feed roller pair 85 is rotated by the motor 86. The motors 82, 86 are drivers 87, 8
The rotation is controlled by the controller 89 via 8. The controller 89 controls the rotation of the motors 82 and 86 based on the synchronization signal from the image processing unit 17. By the sub-scanning by the film feeding and the main scanning by the laser beam, the image after trimming is printed and exposed on the color paper 26. In addition to the image printing exposure, the line printer 25 also prints a cut mark 30 on the blank space between each frame of the color paper 26, as shown in FIG. Based on the cut mark 30, the paper processor 27 cuts the color paper 26 into each frame by a cutter after the paper is dried.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of trimming information and an image of a color paper printed and exposed based on the trimming information. The trimming information is encoded and magnetically recorded on the magnetic recording layer 10a of the negative film 10. The reference numeral 10b is a perforation for positioning the film at the exposure opening or the like at the time of photographing or printing exposure. As the trimming information, in this embodiment, four types of no designation, L size, panoramic size, and cinema size are used. As a result, the image processing unit 17 and the line printer 25 use the trimming information to fill the width of the color paper 26 with the trimming images 26 a, 26 b, 26
Record 26c and 26d.

In this embodiment, a full-size screen is burned as it is, and a high-definition television (HDTV) size (89 × 1
In addition to the unspecified print that obtains an image 26a of 58 mm and an aspect ratio of 1.46), the image surrounded by the frame B is printed and exposed on the color paper 26, and the conventional L size (89
L size print to obtain an image 26b of × 130 mm and aspect ratio 1.46, and an image surrounded by a frame C are printed and exposed on a color paper to produce a panoramic size (89 × 254 m).
Panorama size print to obtain image 26c of m, aspect ratio 2.85), and image of frame size D is printed and exposed on color paper to produce image 26d of cinema size (89 × 205 mm, aspect ratio 2.30). I am trying to get a cinema size print. In addition to this, square size (89 x 89 mm, aspect ratio 1.0)
The square print may be performed to obtain the print photograph of.

In the above embodiment, the trimming information is recorded on the magnetic recording layer 10a of the negative film 10 at the time of photographing or when the DP is received, and the trimming print is automatically performed based on this. Alternatively, trimming information may be input by a keyboard (see FIG. 1) at the time of negative verification and the like, and trimming printing may be performed. In addition to magnetic recording, the trimming information may be optically recorded on a photosensitive emulsion surface other than the image recording area by a bar code, a Carla code or the like, and may be electrically recorded on an IC card or the like. ..

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the color paper is scanned by the laser beam for printing exposure. However, in addition to this, a flat CRT or a liquid crystal line printer may be used for printing exposure. Further, although a color printer is used in the above embodiment, it may be a monochrome printer. Further, in the above embodiment, the gas laser is used as the laser light source, but a semiconductor laser may be used instead.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the center of the trimming frame is fixed to the center of the screen for trimming printing, but in addition to this, the center of the trimming frame is also designated for performing the slimming printing. You can In this case, as the trimming information, the center position information of the trimming frame is also recorded in addition to the designation of each size.
Then, the range designation circuit 61 of the image processing unit 17 determines the trimming range based on the center position information of the trimming frame.

Further, in the above embodiment, the negative film was wound into a roll after the developing process and the roll was set in the image reader to read the image data of each frame. However, in addition to this, the film processor is used. It may be read during the water washing step, or between the water washing step and the drying step. As a result, the rest of the water washing step during the film developing process and the drying step, and the printing and paper developing steps can be performed in parallel, and the overall time from the DP reception to the finish of the printed photograph can be shortened. Therefore,
In the minilab, the urgent DP processing can be performed in a shorter time, and the waiting time for the customer can be shortened.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the line printer prints and exposes the light-sensitive material based on the image data of the negative film, by printing and exposing the color paper at the same speed as the paper development speed, the loop of paper required by the conventional surface exposure method is used. No forming device is required, and the structure can be easily and compactly integrated. Further, the trimming print can be obtained with a simple configuration by reading the trimming information, performing image processing based on the trimming information, and performing printing exposure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a photographic printer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an image processing unit.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a line printer.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a negative film and a trimming print obtained by the negative film.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Negative Film 15 Magnetic Head 17 Image Processing Unit 23 Line Sensor 25 Color Line Printer 26 Color Paper 27 Paper Processor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A unit for inputting trimming information, an image reading unit for reading an image recorded on a film, image data from the image reading unit processed based on the trimming information, and image data corresponding to a trimming size is obtained. A photographic printer comprising: an image processing unit for outputting; and a line printer for printing and exposing a photosensitive material based on image data from the image processing unit. 2. A unit for reading trimming information recorded on a film, an image reading unit for reading an image recorded on the film, and image data from the image reading unit is processed based on the trimming information to adjust the trimming size. A photographic printer, comprising: an image processing unit for outputting image data obtained from the image processing unit; and a line printer for printing and exposing the photosensitive material based on the image data from the image processing unit.