JP2001005108A - Image exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To moderate an influence by sub-exposure at the time of exposure of plural times and to make restrainable the deterioration of image quality by arranging a dimming means at the periphery part of an area being outside the real image area of an image exposure device. SOLUTION: The dimming means is arranged at the periphery part of the area being the outside of the real image area of this image exposure device. Namely, in the device, a diffusing plate 124 functioning as the dimming means is arranged to be opposed by specified width while setting the inside boundary part of two sides orthogonal to the carrying direction of photographic paper 116 at the periphery part 122 as center. The plate 124 functions to scatter, dim out and project incident light and decreases the sub-exposure. Namely, the sub-exposed area is moderated and the density change is made gentle by arranging the plate 124. Therefore, in the device, by arranging the plate 124 in such a way, sudden density change is reduced and a boundary line is made inconspicuous.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image exposure apparatus to which an image exposure device having a predetermined angle of view is applied and an image having an angle of view larger than the image exposure device is exposed in a plurality of times.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an image is exposed on a photosensitive material using an image exposure device such as a CRT, particularly when an image having an angle of view larger than the angle of view that can be displayed by this image exposure device is exposed, a lens is used. For example, it is conceivable to increase the projection magnification. However, when exposure is performed by enlarging the projection magnification using a lens, the pixel density is reduced, and the sharpness of image quality is deteriorated.

For this reason, the above-mentioned problem has been solved by moving the CRT and the photosensitive material relative to each other and performing exposure a plurality of times.

[0004]

However, the CRT
The portion where the characteristics such as distortion are deteriorated at the peripheral portion with respect to the entire display region is a frame-shaped non-image area, and the inside of this portion is used as the real image display area.

In this non-image area, no image is displayed, of course, but the extinction ratio is 1000 or less, usually about 100.
At the time of the second exposure, weak light of about 1/100 is emitted, and a part of the second exposure area faces the non-image area and is subjected to sub-exposure.

As a result, during the second exposure, the density of the sub-exposed portion becomes high, and this difference in density gives a sense of incongruity at the connection of images, resulting in a decrease in image quality.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an image exposure apparatus capable of reducing the influence of sub-exposure during multiple exposures and suppressing a decrease in image quality.

[0008]

According to the present invention, an image exposure device having a predetermined angle of view is applied, and an image having an angle of view larger than the angle of view of the image exposure device is divided into a plurality of times. An image exposure apparatus for exposing, wherein a dimming unit is arranged at least at a peripheral portion of a region outside an actual image area of the image exposure device.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when an image is exposed on the photosensitive material a plurality of times, the photosensitive material other than the area where the image is actually exposed is opposed to the peripheral portion, whereby the auxiliary material is exposed. Exposure (exposure with weak light). A dimming unit is arranged at a peripheral portion of the sub-exposure area. This allows
At least the difference in the sub-exposure amount at the boundary between the sub-exposed portion and the non-sub-exposed portion is reduced by the dimming means, and as a result, no extreme density difference occurs with respect to the image of the photosensitive material, thereby suppressing deterioration in image quality. can do.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect of the present invention, the extinction ratio of the image exposure device is 1000 or less.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the influence of the sub-exposure changes depending on the extinction ratio. The extinction ratio is the ratio of the weakest light when the intensity of the strongest light, that is, the amount of light that makes the image exposure device white, and the amount B of the light that makes the image device black, (A / B ), And despite the fact that it is actually in the extinction state (black display),
% Is the ratio of light emission to the time of light emission, and the extinction ratio is 1
000 is a fraction of 0.1% light. However, if the photosensitive material is exposed to 0.1% or more of light, the density will be higher in the next actual exposure than in the unexposed portion. Conversely, if the extinction ratio does not exceed 1000, there is almost no sub-exposure effect of the photosensitive material, and there is no problem.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the dimming means is a diffusion plate.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a diffusion plate is used as the dimming means, and edges are blurred by making the density change of a sub-exposure area worse, so that an adjacent image among a plurality of images is obtained. The boundary between them can be made inconspicuous.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or third aspect, the image exposure device is a CRT, and the extinction ratio of the CRT is 1000 or less. .

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when a CRT is applied as an image exposure device, there is a non-light emitting region having an extinction ratio of 1000 or less due to the characteristics of the CRT. Can be fully demonstrated.

[0016]

FIG. 1 shows a digital printer 100 according to the present embodiment.

A scanner unit 102 is connected to the digital printer 100. The scanner unit 102 reads a frame image recorded on a photographic film such as a negative film or a reversal film as a digital signal. That is, the scanner unit 102 includes a CCD 104 for reading the frame image to be read, an A / D converter 106, and an image processing unit 108. After the read image data is A / D converted, the image data is converted to an image processing unit. 108
Output to

The image processing unit 108 receives image data (scanned image data) output from the CCD 106, and also converts image data obtained by photographing with a digital camera and a document (for example, a reflective document) into a scanner (flat document). Image data obtained by reading with a bet type), a floppy disk drive generated by another computer,
External input of image data recorded on an MO drive or a CD drive, communication image data received via a modem, and the like is also possible.

The image processing unit 108 performs image processing such as various corrections and outputs the image data to the digital printer 100 as recording image data. Further, the image processing unit 108 outputs the image data on which the image processing has been performed to an external device as an image file (for example, outputs the image data to a storage medium such as an FD, an MO, a CD, or to another information processing device via a communication line). Transmission, etc.).

The digital printer 100 has a CRT 110 as an image exposure device on which an image is displayed. The digital printer 100 controls a driver 112 to control recording image data input from the image processing unit 108 (temporarily stored in the memory 114. ) Is displayed based on the

The same surface including the surface facing the display screen 110A of the CRT 110 is a transport path for transporting the photographic paper 116. When the surface of the photographic paper 116 to be exposed reaches a position facing the display screen 11A of the CRT 110, the photographic paper 116 is stopped from being transported, and is exposed by light (projection light) emitted from the display screen 110A of the CRT 110. ing.

Here, the CRT 110 is adapted to be used for exposure of an index print (L size is twice as long in the longitudinal direction) larger than a normal size (for example, L size). However, CRT110
Since the area of the effective image area 118 (see FIG. 3) of the display screen 110A at L is L size, in order to expose the image in two times, after the exposure in the first stop state, the longitudinal dimension of L size The second exposure is performed after moving by a distance (in the order of and in FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 2, the effective image area 118 of the CRT 110 is a region excluding a peripheral portion 122 (see a hatched portion in FIG. 3) of a displayable area 120 of the CRT 110, and excluding the peripheral portion 122. By displaying the image by using this method, it is possible to reduce lens aberration, defocus, and the like due to shading and the curvature of the display screen 110A of the CRT 110, and to display an appropriate image. Therefore, the area corresponding to the peripheral portion 122 is always in the light-off state.

However, even in this off state, the CR
Due to the nature of T110, it emits some light. This light is
1/100 which is enough light to expose photographic paper 116
0 or more.

For this reason, at the time of the first and second image exposures, the emulsion surface of the photographic paper 116 facing the peripheral portion 122 may be sub-exposed by this slight light. In addition,
In the present embodiment, the peripheral portion 122 in the vertical direction does not face the photographic paper 116 due to the width dimension of the photographic paper 116, so here, only the peripheral portion 122 in the left-right direction is considered.

In the present embodiment, the diffusion plate 124 (light-reducing means) is provided so as to oppose a predetermined width around the inner boundary between two sides of the peripheral edge 122 perpendicular to the direction in which the printing paper 116 is conveyed. 3 (see the lattice design part in FIG. 3). The diffusion plate 124 has a function of scattering incident light and reducing and emitting the light, and can reduce the amount of sub-exposure.

That is, depending on the arrangement of the diffusion plate 124,
The sub-exposure area (the steep rise and fall (without the diffusion plate 124) shown by the graph A (broken line) in FIG. 4) is relaxed (see the graph B (solid line) in FIG. 4), and the density change is moderated (see FIG. In the embodiment, it is possible to make a two-step change.) With the two steps described above, it is possible to obtain a gradual change in density apparently (when viewed macroscopically) as shown in the graph C of FIG. Can be.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below.

When image data for index printing is sent from the image processing unit 108 to the digital printer 100, the image data is divided into image data and image data in the conveying direction of the photographic paper 116 (see FIG. 1). 3
(A)).

Next, the photographic paper 116 is conveyed to the CRT 11
0 is positioned at a predetermined position on the display screen 110A (see FIG. 3B). After the positioning, an image is displayed on the display screen 110A based on the image data, and exposure is performed.

At this time, so-called leakage light is emitted from the peripheral edge 122 (left and right) of the display screen 110A due to an extinction ratio of 1000 or less, and the photographic paper 116 is sub-exposed by being exposed to the leakage light. There was something. However, in the present embodiment, since the diffusion plate 124 is arranged at a part of the peripheral edge 122, the leaked light is diffused, and the light reaching the photographic paper 116 is reduced. Therefore, the light up to the intermediate position of the peripheral portion 122 has an exposure amount that is about 約 of the outer edge of the peripheral portion 122 that is completely sub-exposed.

When the exposure using the image data is completed, the printing paper 16 is transported by a predetermined amount (see FIG. 3C), and the display screen 110A is displayed based on the image data following the image data.
The image is displayed on.

Thus, the image of the image data is exposed on the printing paper 116. At this time, FIG.
At the left end of (C), the same sub-exposure is performed as at the right end at the time of exposing the image data, but the density is changed stepwise (two steps) by diffusion and dimming by the diffusion plate 124.

By the two exposures, the sub-exposed portion has a stepwise density change as shown in the graph B (solid line) of FIG. 4, and the sharp rise and fall are halved. Therefore, apparently (when viewed from a macro perspective)
Indicates that the concentration change becomes gradual as shown in the graph C of FIG.
The change in density due to the sub-exposure becomes less noticeable, so that the connectivity of the two divided images can be improved, and the image quality can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, at the boundary where an image is divided and exposed, a C
The influence on the sub-exposure caused by the extinction ratio of RT of 1000 or less,
By arranging the diffusion plate 124, a sharp change in density can be reduced, and the boundary can be made inconspicuous.

In the present embodiment, the diffusion plate 116 is used as the dimming means, but other dimming means such as an ND filter may be used.

[0037]

As described above, the image exposure apparatus according to the present invention has an excellent effect that the influence of the sub-exposure during multiple exposures can be reduced and the deterioration of the image quality can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a digital laboratory system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a CRT.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are flowcharts of divided exposure.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing a degree of influence of a density change due to sub-exposure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Digital printer 102 Scanner unit 110 CRT (image exposure device) 110A Display screen 118 Effective image area 120 Displayable area 122 Peripheral part 124 Diffusion plate (dimming means)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image exposure apparatus for applying an image exposure device having a predetermined angle of view and exposing an image having an angle of view larger than the angle of view of the image exposure device in a plurality of times. An image exposure apparatus, wherein a dimming unit is arranged at a peripheral portion of a region outside an actual image area of the image exposure device. 2. An extinction ratio of the image exposure device is 100.
2. The image exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the value is 0 or less. 3. An image exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dimming means is a diffusion plate. 4. The image exposure device is a CRT,
4. The image exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extinction ratio of the CRT is 1000 or less.