JP2004503148A - Photographic film scanning printing apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A stand-alone printer (10) for transferring images from photographic film (64) includes a scanning component (60) that produces a digital image captured on the film, and prints the digital image on a print medium (26). And a printing component (34). Instructions for scanning and image processing are provided to the controller (22) via a user interface (38) having a plurality of activation buttons for initiating various functions. A film developing unit is integrated within the printing component to develop film from the camera.

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a method and system for reproducing a scanned image to an output device, and more particularly, to receiving directly scanned image data from a photographic film scanning source and converting the image data to print data. And a stand-alone printer having a function of reproducing an image on a print medium using the print data.
[0002]
Background of the Invention
The advent of computers has fundamentally changed the way images can be stored, manipulated, and printed. Images can now be captured by digital devices such as digital cameras and scanners and stored digitally. The digitally stored image can then be transmitted through a computer program to enhance and manipulate the image. Furthermore, as digital technology has improved and the associated costs have been reduced, the resolution of images captured by such devices has continually increased, often approaching or decreasing the quality of conventional film photography techniques. Beyond that.
[0003]
Conventionally, a computer was required to use digital images. Computers will be loaded with various programs to transmit, enhance, and manipulate such digital images. To obtain a hard copy of the digital image, the user would manage the computer with an appropriate sequence of commands to send a print job from the computer to a conventional printer. While the conventional model works, it has the attendant disadvantages of being expensive, complex, non-portable, and so on. To address these shortcomings, various manufacturers have begun to provide stand-alone printers designed to print digital images. One example of a stand-alone printer is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. S / N09 / 164,500, filed Oct. 1, 1998, which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0004]
As part of this advent of digital technology, various film scanners have been developed to provide for the conversion of images from photographic film to a digital format. Such devices scan one or more developed film frames, resulting in digital image data files each representing a photographic image appearing on one frame. Once the film image has been converted to digital format, the digital image data can be manipulated using an image processor. For example, a software application running on a personal computer can be used to modify, enhance, crop, or manipulate images.
[0005]
While film scanning systems have provided advantages with respect to the transfer of photographic images to paper media, they are not without their shortcomings. For example, heretofore photographic film scanners have required a separate intermediate processing unit, typically a personal computer, to control the conversion of scanned data to printable data. In other words, to date, photographic film scanners or printers have not provided hardware and / or software to connect the film scanner directly to the printer. Thus, additional cost, space, and computer burden have been required to enable the interface between these two devices. While it is known to connect a printer directly to a digital camera, the ability to interface the printer directly to a photographic film scanner has not been provided.
[0006]
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a stand-alone printing device that can print images directly from a film scanner without the need for intermediate processing by a computer system. What is further desired is to provide a stand-alone printing device in which film development functions, film scanning functions, image processing functions, and printing functions are integrated in a single device. It is also desirable to provide such a stand-alone printing device that can process digital image data from either a scanner, a computer readable medium, or a computer system.
[0007]
Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus and method capable of directly receiving image data from a film scanner without the need for intermediate processing by a personal computer.
[0008]
In particular, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a stand-alone printing apparatus and method in which photographic film images can be scanned, processed, and printed in a single device.
[0009]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a stand-alone printing apparatus and method in which the film scanning component is integrated with a printer.
[0010]
It is yet another object of the present invention to alternatively provide a stand-alone printing apparatus and method wherein the film scanning component is separate from but directly connected to the printer.
[0011]
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stand-alone printing apparatus and method having a controller in the printing apparatus for processing and formatting digital images, alternatively from a film scanner.
[0012]
In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a stand-alone type in which the development, scanning, digital processing, and printing of photographic film can all be performed in a single device without the burden and expense of a separate computer and control unit. A printing device and method are provided.
[0013]
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stand-alone photographic printing device capable of processing and printing images from a variety of sources, including film scanners, computer readable media, or directly from a personal computer. And a method.
[0014]
Additional objects, advantages, and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious to those skilled in the art, having studied the invention. It becomes. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
[0015]
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the intent of the invention set forth above, there is provided a stand-alone printing device for transferring an image from photographic film to a print medium, wherein the printing device is incorporated into a photographic film. A scanning component for producing a digital representation of the resulting image and a printing component for producing a pattern associated with the digital representation on a print medium. The printing component receives and processes the digital image directly from the scanning component. The printing component is preferably a controller that controls the scanning component, processes the digital image data, and generates print commands to drive the plurality of print heads to create an associated pattern on the print medium. including. The scanning component may be integrated within the printing component or, alternatively, may be connected outside the printing component by a suitable communication link. Scanning and image processing instructions may be provided to the controller via a user interface that includes a plurality of activation buttons for initiating various functions.
[0016]
The present invention also provides a method of printing an image captured on photographic film, comprising providing a scanning component, inserting a photographic film medium into the scanning component, and scanning the image. Creating the digital representation of the image on the photographic film media using the component. A printing component is provided and a digital representation of the image is transferred directly from the scanning component to the printing component. The digital representation is processed in a printing component and a plurality of print commands are generated to drive one or more print heads to create a pattern associated with the image on a print medium.
[0017]
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a stand-alone printing device for transferring a latent image on undeveloped photographic film to a print medium. The apparatus includes a developing component for developing the latent image on the photographic film, a scanning component for producing a digital representation of the image developed on the photographic film, and producing a pattern associated with the digital representation on a print medium. A printing component. The printing component receives and processes the digital image representation directly from the scanning component. The printing component is preferably a controller that controls the scanning component, processes the digital image data, and generates print commands to drive the plurality of print heads to create an associated pattern on the print medium. including. The stand-alone printing device can interface directly with a wide variety of digital devices such as computers and digital cameras, as well as various digital storage media such as memory cards and disks.
[0018]
Still other objects of the present invention are the best mode presently contemplated for the present invention, and preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described, including the best mode solely for the purpose of illustration simplicity. The following description will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different aspects and embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0019]
While this specification ends with claims which point out and distinctly claim the invention, the same will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0020]
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to the drawings in detail, like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views. As can be appreciated, the present invention relates to a stand-alone photographic printing device capable of printing direct images from photographic film. Thus, the photographic printing device is operable independently of and without connection to a computer, and in the preferred embodiment also has the ability to interface with a computer system as desired.
[0021]
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a photographic printer 10. As used herein, the term "photographic printer" refers to a stand-alone device for printing digital photographs on printable media. A "digital photograph" is a photographic image captured by light-sensing electronics (e.g., CCD, CMOS, CID, or the like) and converted to a digital file that can be stored on a computer-readable medium. The term "stand-alone" means that the printer can process and print the digital file independently of an external host device, the processing means being the corresponding digital file (often referred to as ripping; , Generating a print code) to calculate the pixel pattern to be printed on the printable medium. For example, if an external device simply forwards a digital photo to a printer and the printer includes logic for processing and printing the digital photo, the printer is considered to be a stand-alone type. The preceding definition is comprehensive and non-limiting. For example, a stand-alone printer may additionally receive a print code from an external device. As a further example, a photo printer may additionally process and print digital files other than digital photos, such as text files, word processing files, HTML files, and the like.
[0022]
Photo printer 10 operates to print digital photographs on printable media (eg, paper (paper), glossy film or photographic paper, index cards, labels, envelopes, transparency, coated paper, cloth, etc.). I do. In one preferred embodiment, photographic printer 10 operates to transfer ink (eg, toner, dye, pigment, wax, carbon, etc.) onto a printable medium. For example, while photographic printer 10 may utilize conventional thermal inkjet technology, it is contemplated that the present invention may be adapted for use with other types of inkjet technology, such as piezoelectric inkjet. I have. In addition, the present invention may be adapted for other printer technology applications such as electrophotography, dye diffusion, thermal transfer, and the like.
[0023]
Although the photographic printer 10 operates as a standalone printer, it can nonetheless communicate with various external components, only some of which are shown in FIG. In this example, a parallel cable, serial cable, telephone line, universal serial bus port AUSB, firewire, Bluetooth, optical fiber, infrared AIR, radio frequency ARF, network interface card (eg, Ethernet®) The photo printer 10 can communicate with the computer using any one of a variety of communication links, such as, for example, a token ring, and the like. Computer 12 may be any conventional computer, such as a desktop computer, a tower computer, a microcomputer, a minicomputer, a server, a workstation, a palmtop computer, a notebook computer, or the like, or a special purpose computer. It is possible that Through the communication link, photographic printer 10 receives digital photographs from computer 12 for processing and printing. In one embodiment, computer 12 is programmed to generate print codes (e.g., via a locally loaded print driver) and photographic printer 10 outputs externally processed print codes for direct printing. Can receive. As such, the photographic printer 10 is dual-functional, a more conventional printer for receiving commands from external devices, and a stand-alone printer.
[0024]
In this example, photographic printer 10 can also communicate to external display 14 (eg, a television, monitor, LCD, or the like) using a suitable communication link. In such an arrangement, the photographic printer 10 generates and transmits the appropriate signals and provides a user interface to operate the photographic printer 10 or preview the digital photograph on the display 14. Photo printer 10 can also communicate with digital camera 16 using a suitable communication link. Typically, digital camera 16 includes one or more lenses that focus or focus light onto the light-sensing electronics to form an image, and store the image as a digital photograph. In one embodiment, photographic printer 10 is capable of retrieving, processing, and printing digital photographs stored within camera 16.
[0025]
The photographic printer 10 can also communicate with a computer readable medium 18, shown here as a flexible magnetic disk. The computer readable medium stores information such as a computer readable program, data file, and the like. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that computer readable media can take various forms, including magnetic storage devices (eg, hard drives, flexible magnetic disks, tapes, etc.), and optical storage devices (eg, lasers). Discs, compact discs, digital video discs DVD, etc.), electronic storage devices (random access memory RAM, read only memory "ROM", programmable read only memory PROM, flash memory, memory stick, etc.), and the like. . Some types of computer readable media, often described as non-volatile, can retain data without power and that information becomes available upon power recovery.
[0026]
Photographic printer 10 preferably interfaces with a computer readable medium 18 using an internal or external drive. As used herein, the term "drive" is intended to mean a structure that can interface with (e.g., read from and / or write to) a computer-readable medium. ing. Of course, the appropriate drive will vary depending on the special computer readable media 18 being utilized. In a preferred embodiment, a photographic printer includes first and second drives, each of which is adapted for receiving a solid state flash memory card. The first and second drives are preferably both internal drives. Flash memory cards, because of their very small size and light weight, are electronically rewritable and non-volatile, highly portable computer readable media. More preferably, the first and second drives are NAND type flash memory cards (eg, SMART MEDIA ™ developed by Toshiba, Inc.) or PCMCIA type flash memory cards (eg, It is adapted to accept a variety of flash memory cards, such as COMPACTFLASH® developed by SanDisk, Inc.
[0027]
FIG. 2 shows a preferred operational block diagram for the photographic printer 10. One or more film sets 19 are scanned under the control of a scan control 21 located within the photographic printer 10. Scan control 21 scans the image on film 19 and sends the resulting digital photograph to image processing control (or image processing controller) 22.
[0028]
The image processing control 22 is responsible for calculating a pixel pattern to be printed on a printable medium 26 representing a corresponding digital photograph, often referred to as generating a print code. Image processing control 22 may optionally enhance the digital photograph. For example, photo enhancement software such as Digital Intelligence's PICTURE IQ software can be incorporated into the image processing control 22. Further, image processing control 22 may optionally include a variety of different resources to change the printed representation of the digital photograph, such as adding text, frames, templates, scaling, and the like. Enhancements or resources may be embodied before and / or after the conversion of the digital photo into print code. A user interface 23 is provided to allow a user to interact with the image processing control 22 and / or to manage the image processing control 22 (e.g., enhancement and / or resource control). The user interface 23 may be integrated with the photographic printer 10 or located on an external component. However, preferably, the photographic printer 10 includes an LCD display with one or more buttons or other input devices. Optionally, the user interface 23 may take the form of a series of instructions associated with a digital photograph, such as a digital print order format DPOF.
[0029]
The print code generated during the image processing is advanced to the print control 24. If the print code is generated from an external source (eg, computer 12), such print code can be input 25 directly to print control 24, bypassing image processing. The print control 24 is responsible for managing the physical transfer of the pixel pattern represented by the print code to the printable medium 26. The photographic printer 10 is preferably in the form of a thermal inkjet printer having one or more conventional thermal inkjet printheads. During printing, the print control 24 manages one or more motors to move the printable medium 26 longitudinally with respect to the photographic printer 10, which prints ink patterns or ink swaths. ) Is precisely arranged for deposition or attachment. Once the printable medium 26 is in place, the print control 24 moves the printhead across the length of the conventional printhead carriage along the longitudinal direction while ejecting ink droplets against the surface of the printable medium 26. Managing the print head to move. The printhead may make one or more of these traversal passes or advancements to complete printing on the swath. After the swath is completed, the position of the printable medium 26 is adjusted longitudinally for printing the next swath.
[0030]
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a stand-alone photo printing device 10 formed in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment, photographic printer 10 includes a housing 27 having a rotatable cover 28, a sheet feeder 29 configured to store one or more of printable media 26, and a feed through the printer. An exit tray 30 configured to receive the completed sheet. Sheet 26 may be any of a number of suitable printable substrates, including conventional paper, glossy film, or photographic paper, rigid cardboard, labels, envelopes, transparencies, and the like.
[0031]
In this embodiment, photographic printer 10 includes an integral film scanning component, generally designated by reference numeral 60, which is adapted to accept and process one or more sets of photographic film media. ing. The film media may be, for example, slide films, print films, and professional films of any of a variety of desired speeds and formats, such as 35 mm film strips, 16 mm sleeve films, or the like. May include any type of photographic film having an image developed thereon, such as an Advanced Photo System (APS) film cartridge. In the illustrated embodiment, the film medium is an APS film cartridge 64. The scanning component 60 preferably includes a film scanning chamber 62 for receiving a film cartridge 64 and a slidable door 63 for opening and closing the film scanning chamber.
[0032]
As shown in FIG. 3, photographic printer 10 also includes first and second drives 32 and 33, which are adapted to receive computer-readable medium 18 as described above. Preferably, these drives 32 and 33 are flash memory drives adapted to accept flash memory cards as described above. However, while the invention is described herein to accept flash memory cards, it is contemplated that new, small, lightweight computer readable media adapted for digital devices may replace these flash memory cards. . As such, it is contemplated that drives 32 and 33 may be adapted to accept other types of portable computer-readable media without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0033]
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the photographic printer 10 connects the printer to any of a variety of external components using any one of a variety of communication links as described above. In addition, one or more input / output ports 36 are also provided on the rear surface of the housing 27. As shown, port 36 is used to directly interconnect photographic printer 10 to a third external drive 37 for high performance computer readable media 41 and / or to a computer system (not shown). obtain. In the embodiment shown, the external drive 37 is interconnected with the photographic printer 10 by a cable 39. A suitable high performance storage device that can be utilized as drive 37 is Iomega, Inc. Includes a magnetic disk drive or diskette drive, such as a ZIP parallel drive from the company. In an alternative embodiment that will be described below, port 36 can be utilized as an external scanner port, which allows a commercially available scanner to be directly connected to and controlled by photographic printer 10.
[0034]
Rotating the cover 28 as shown in FIG. 5 allows one or more inkjet printheads 34 (without their ink cartridges) to pass through the printheads 34 within the photographic printer 10. A printing room containing conventional means (not shown) for handling and advancing the sheet 26 is identified. During printing, the sheet 26 is moved longitudinally relative to the photographic printer 10 so that the sheet is properly positioned within the printer for ink pattern or swath deposition across the sheet. Do Once the sheet 26 is in place, the print head 34 moves along a conventional print head carriage (not shown) in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction while ejecting ink droplets onto the sheet surface. The printhead may make one or more of these traversal passes or advancements to complete printing on the swath. After the swath is completed, the paper position is adjusted longitudinally for printing the next swath. These parts of the photographic printer 10 will not be described in further detail here, but additional details can be found on November 4, 1997 in Cseledy et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,516 issued Aug. 26, 1997 to Brandon et al. U.S. Patent No. 5,661,510 issued to Harlington, III et al. No. 5,627,572, which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0035]
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 6, an exemplary photographic printer 10 includes a user 40 having a display 40, such as a liquid crystal display or LCD, and a plurality of input buttons 42-48 for controlling scanning and printing functions. Also includes an interface 38. These buttons may include a select button 42, an index button 44, a print button 46, and an all print button 48. Also, two menu scroll buttons 50 are provided to move through a series of menus shown on the display 40 of the user interface 38, as described more fully below. An indicator light 56 is also provided to indicate the state of the photographic printer 10 in use.
[0036]
In the following, the internal components and operation of the exemplary photographic printer 10 may be described in more detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, a film having one or more developed images, such as an APS cartridge 64, can be inserted into the scanning component 60 through the film scanning chamber 62. The film 64 may be placed in a suitable holder or carrier (not shown) before being placed in the film scanning chamber 62 to facilitate advancement of the film through the scanning component 60. A suitable holder or carrier type depends on the type of film being scanned, for example a flat glass or plastic holder for a 35 mm film strip negative, or a plastic recess for a slide. Holders and the like can be comprised of conventional holders commonly used in commercially available scanners. An adapter assembly (not shown) may also be provided to hold and advance the film sleeve or cartridge. After the film 64 and corresponding holder are positioned in the film scanning chamber 62, a film advancement assembly 72 is utilized to advance the film through the scanning component 60.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 7, the scanning component 60 further includes a light source 74 that illuminates the film 64 advanced by the assembly 72. An optical device (not shown) can be placed between the light source 74 and the film to enhance and / or focus the illumination so as to make the illumination provided more uniform. Preferably, light source 74 provides visible light, such as white light, to film 64. Any suitable light source such as a fluorescent, incandescent, halogen, or direct current gas discharge lamp, or one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) may be utilized for this purpose. A filter (not shown), a wavelength changer, or a limiter may also be included with light source 74 to assist in providing visible light 76 to film 64.
[0038]
The light applied to the film 64 transmits and / or reflects on the film 64 and is attenuated by the image on each frame. Sensors 77, 78, 79 are provided to record the amount and / or type of light transmitted through the image. An optical system such as a lens 80 is also provided to focus or direct the light transmitted through the image to the sensors 77, 78, 79. For each part or pixel of the image, the amount of red, green, and blue light transmitted by the sensors 77, 78, and 79 is recorded, respectively. The sensors 77, 78, 79 utilized in this embodiment may be any suitable photosensitive sensor, such as a phototransistor, photoresistor, charge coupled device (CCD), time delay integrated array, or other photosensitive device. May be included. Rather than scanning one pixel at a time, a plurality of individual sensor elements can be arranged in an array so that one illumination scans a region, line, or column of an image. . A film advancement assembly 72 associated with a film holder or film carrier provides movement of the film relative to light source 74 and sensors 77-79. Depending on the type of sensor utilized, processing circuits such as analog-to-digital converters (A / D converters) and / or amplification circuits may be used to convert pixel data from sensors 77, 78, 79 to film. 64 into a digital data representation of the image.
[0039]
Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the photographic printer 10 includes a first scan controller 21 preferably configured with scanner drive software to control the scanning process. Scan controller 21 is programmed to control the application of light 76 from light source 74 and the movement of film 64 by film advance assembly 72. In addition, the scan controller 21 receives the RGB digital image data generated by the sensors 77, 78, 79. Scan controller 21 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, special purpose integrated circuit, or other suitable control circuitry in combination with suitable software, firmware, or microcode. In addition to the controller 21, the scanning component 60 may include additional hardware and software to facilitate the scanning operation, which is incorporated, for example, by reference herein, January 20, 1987. This is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,371 issued to Milch.
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 7, a first controller 21 interfaces with a second image processing controller 22 that transmits digital image data from the sensor and receives commands relating to scanner operation. Image processing controller 22 has image processing capabilities to receive digital data and generate appropriate print commands. In particular, the controller 22 preferably includes image processing software 86 similar to that utilized in personal computers to format digital images. As part of its image processing capabilities, controller 22 also includes a menu routine 70, which will be described in more detail below. If the digital image data is provided to the controller 22 in RGB format, the controller 22 converts the data to CMY or CMYk format using an appropriate conversion algorithm. Such a conversion algorithm is described in, for example, “A Technical Digital Video” by Charles A Poynton, Ch. 7 (John Wiley & Sons, 1996), which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition to the conversion algorithms, the image processing software 86 also includes color correction algorithms, halftoning algorithms, and And / or may include other processing algorithms for handling and refining digital images, for example, suitable algorithms are disclosed in US Patent No. 5,973,803, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0041]
The second image processing controller 22 preferably interfaces with the third print control 24, which moves and operates the associated mechanism 92 for feeding sheets through the print head 34 and photographic printer 10. Control. The second controller 22 sends a print command to the print control 24, which can drive the print head 34 to deposit or deposit ink on the sheet 26 in a pattern corresponding to the digital data image.
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 7, the controller 22 also interfaces with a user interface 38 to provide status through the indicator light 56 and the display 40 and to receive input from the activation buttons 42-50. A user of the photographic printer 10 can enter commands via the user interface 38 to manage the scanning and image processing functions of the photographic printer 10. These commands are processed by the image processing and menu routine of the second controller 22.
[0043]
In addition, the second controller 22 interfaces with drives 32 and 33 that are adapted to accept computer readable media as described above. During operation, the controller 22 can query the drives 32 and 33 to determine if a memory card having a digital image data file is inserted therein. In addition to processing digital photographs from scanning component 60, photographic printer 10 of the present invention processes and prints digital data files captured and stored on computer readable media by other digital devices, such as cameras. It is also intended to gain. These additional digital data files may be input to photographic printer 10 via drives 32 and 33. In addition, the controller 22 interfaces with an external port 36 to receive digital image data files from the mass computer readable medium 41 or, optionally, a computer. Thus, the present invention has the capacity to function as a stand-alone printer for image files from many different sources.
[0044]
The second controller 22 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, special purpose integrated circuit, or other suitable control circuitry, in combination with appropriate software, firmware, or microcode. Further, while photographic printer 10 is illustrated as including three separate controllers, less or more for controlling the scanning, image processing, and printing operations of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is contemplated that a control device may be provided.
[0045]
As shown in FIG. 8, at power-on 202, according to a designated time schedule, a film medium is inserted therein upon detecting a change in drive 32, 33, 37 or scanning component 60. The scanning component 60 is queried by the image processing control 22 to determine if a scan has been performed. For purposes of simplicity of discussion, the scanning component or drive having the media detected by the image processing control 22 disposed therein will be referred to as an active drive. If a film medium is detected in scan component 60, execution proceeds to block 206, where scan control 21 determines the number of images on the film. The images are then indexed, as shown in block 208, and each is assigned a photo number.
[0046]
If no film media is detected in the scanning component 60, the image processing control 22 queries the first drive 32 as indicated by block 210 and a flash memory card or other computer readable media is located therein. Decide what you are doing. If a card is detected in the first drive, execution proceeds to block 212 where the memory card is evaluated to determine the number and type of digital image files on the memory card. If more than one digital image file is located on the active drive, execution proceeds to block 208, where U.S. patent application Ser. No. S / N09 / 164,500, filed Oct. 1, 1998. As described in detail, the digital file or photo is indexed and assigned a photo number. If the card is not detected in the first drive, execution proceeds to block 214, where the second drive 33 is queried to determine if a flash card or other computer readable medium is located therein. . If the flash memory card is located in the second drive 33, execution proceeds to block 212 again as previously described. If a card is not detected, execution proceeds to block 216, where port 36 is queried to determine if a third external drive with a mass computer readable disk 41 is connected to that port. If such drives and disks are detected, execution again proceeds to block 212, where the digital image file is evaluated and read from the disk, otherwise execution is blocked immediately, as shown, or after a predetermined delay. Return to 204. Alternatively, an error code or text message is displayed on the display 40 of the user interface 38 to indicate that a film medium, card, or disc cannot be found.
[0047]
After the active drive has been determined and the images have been indexed, execution proceeds to block 126 of FIG. At block 126, the user may enter commands via the user interface 38 to manage the operation of the photographic printer 10 (e.g., select an image, print an image, format an image, etc.). For example, once execution has proceeded to block 126, buttons 42-48 may be activated and the user of photographic printer 10 may perform a particular operation by activating a single button. Index button 44 preferably scans each image on the film and displays a thumbnail sized image (ie, substantially) for each image on the film media or for each image input from computer readable medium 18. Image of the reduced size). This set of thumbnail images can be printed on one or more sheets 26, depending on the number. Preferably, adjacent to each thumbnail image, an associated photo number is printed to identify the photo according to the order in which it was scanned or read. Thus, the activation of the indexing function 128 allows the user of the photographic printer 10 to quickly identify each image stored on the film or card and to handle based on the assigned photographic number. And a specific image can be selected for printing.
[0048]
The print all button 48 initiates the printing of a snapshot size (e.g., 4x6 inch) photo for each photo image scanned from the film 64, as indicated by block 130. The select button 42 allows selection from among specific images based on the photo number assigned as shown in block 132, while the print button 46 allows the selected image to be scanned from film media and It is intended to be printed on print media 26 using the current active format parameters as shown.
[0049]
As shown in block 126 of FIG. 9, in addition to selecting one or more of the one-button functions 128, 130, 132, 134, the user of the printer 10 may activate a menu routine 70. Can also be used to select from a number of submenus to control image scanning, formatting, and printing. Buttons 50 on the user interface 38 can be used to scroll through and select from these menus. The menu can be selected by an appropriate selection method, for example, by pressing the selection button 42 or the like.
[0050]
In particular, the print options submenu illustrated in block 138 is a selectable option for the size of the sheet 26 on which the image is to be printed (eg, A4, A6, 8.5 × 11 inches, 4 × 6 inches, etc.), ie, sheet. It provides the number of images per copy, the number of copies to be printed, the type of sheet to be used, the quality and resolution of the print, etc. The cartridge submenu of block 140 may be used to initiate installation, alignment, and cleaning of the ink cartridges used by the printhead. In addition, the setup options submenu of block 142 can be used to configure general operating parameters, such as the language of the text displayed on display 40 of user interface 38. The selected photo submenu of block 144 can be used to select one or more images from film 64. For example, previously described thumbnail images can be used to correlate each image with a photo number, and the photos of interest can be selected by those photo numbers. This option is similar to the one-touch selection function 132.
[0051]
Further, the storage options submenu shown at block 148 can be used to copy and store the scanned image on a computer readable medium in drives 32, 33, 37. This option is shown in more detail in FIG. At block 222, the user of the photographic printer 10 is prompted whether to copy the file from the scanning component 60 (or a file read from another computer readable medium) to a storage disk in the drive. Preferably, the storage disk is in the third external drive 37. If the copy option is selected, the image on film is scanned and copied to a computer readable medium, as indicated by block 224. Following this copy operation, execution returns to the menu selection block 148 of FIG. 9 as shown in block 230. If the copy option is not selected, execution returns directly to menu selection block 148.
[0052]
The special format submenu of block 146 provides the format of the scanned image to be printed. For example, a pre-defined margin and text may be selected and will be printed with the image. In addition, multiple areas of the image are selected and expanded to fill the entire print image area. For example, each scanned image may be divided into approximately nine equally sized quadrants. A special format submenu 146 is available to select one of these areas for expansion. This feature provides a simple means of implementing an image enhancement or zooming function using buttons on the user interface 38. This special format submenu 146 can also be used to select one of five predefined panoramic views, such as upper panorama, upper center panorama, center panorama, lower center panorama, lower panorama.
[0053]
The menu routine 70 of FIG. 9 also includes a scan options submenu shown at block 141 for defining parameters for the scan process. An exemplary scan options submenu 141 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. Preferably, this scan options submenu 141 is accessed and the one that is preferred prior to the scanning operation is selected so that the scanner has the proper setup for the film type and the desired image format. Become. Alternatively, the scan options submenu may be located under the setup options submenu of block 142, in which case the parameters may be set once at startup and remain the same for the next scan operation I can do it. In the exemplary scanning options submenu, the following options are provided to control the operation of the printer. That is, options are provided for a selected resolution option 150, a selected focusing option 152, a selected film format option 154, a selected film type option 156, an image adjustment option 158, and an image orientation option 160. More specifically, the select resolution option 150, if selected, displays a selection of available resolutions for performing the scanning operation. In the example of FIG. 11, the 2800 dpi (dots per inch) option 162 or the 1200 dpi option 164 can be selected.
[0054]
If the user selects the selective focus option 152, the user can select either the autofocus option 166 or the manual focus option. These options control the optics in the scanner, which in turn determines the sharpness of the scanned image. Selecting the autofocus option 166 causes the scanner 60 to focus on the center of each frame of the film 64. Selecting the manual focus option 168 allows the user to select a different portion of each frame to focus. For example, the user is prompted to select from the following focusing options: upper option 170, lower option 172, left option 174, and right option 176.
[0055]
Selecting the select film format option of FIG. 11 allows the user to scroll through the available formats that can be scanned by the scanner and select one of those formats. . For example, the user can select between APS film option 178 and 35 mm film option 180. Other options may be displayed according to the capabilities provided by the scanner.
[0056]
In addition, the select film type option 156 may be selected from a scan options submenu to control the scan performed. The user may select between a slide option 182 and a color negative option 184. The scanner can adjust its optics and lenses depending on the film selected from options 154 and 156 to achieve maximum resolution.
[0057]
The last two scanning options shown in the exemplary menu of FIG. 11 are an image adjustment option 158 and an image orientation option 160. Image adjustment option 158 allows a user to adjust the scan contrast 186 and / or brightness 188 to one of a plurality of discrete levels, indicated at 189.
[0058]
Image orientation option 160 allows the user to manipulate the scanned image data as desired. For example, a number of image handling options can be provided to change the way an image appears. In the example of FIG. 11, a rotate left option 190 is provided to rotate the image 90 degrees counterclockwise, a rotate right option 192 is provided to rotate the scanned image 90 degrees clockwise, and a flip left and right option. 194 is provided to flip the image about its central horizontal axis, a flip upside down option 196 is provided to flip the image about its central vertical axis, and a paper enlargement option 198 enlarges the printed image to Are provided to expand across the selected paper size. A variety of algorithms are known in the art for performing image handling on film scanners, any of which can be incorporated into the present invention and are desired without departing from the scope of the present invention. Achieve the results.
[0059]
FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for operating the printer 10 of the present invention. Beginning at block 100, a film cartridge, as identified by reference numeral 64, is inserted into the scanning chamber 2 of the printer 20. As noted above, the film is preferably placed in a suitable holder, carrier, or adapter to maintain the film in the proper position as the film advances through the scanner. . When queried by the image processing control 22 to indicate the active drive, the film drive assembly 72 moves the film relative to the light source 74 for scanning, as indicated by block 102.
[0060]
At block 104, the frame on film 64 is illuminated by light source 74. At block 106, RGB intensity signals for the various pixels that make up the scan frame are produced by sensors 77-79 in response to light transmitted through and / or reflected from the film image. The RGB signals for the various pixels are converted to digital signals, such as by an A / D converter, to create a digital data representation of the image, and then proceed to the controller 22 at step 108.
[0061]
A number of different formatting options may be applied to the digital representation of the image, as indicated by block 110, based on criteria selected through menu routine 70. For example, appropriate color correction, image rotation, image enlargement, or image enhancement routines can be applied to the digital image. Once ready for printing, the digital image data can be converted to a format suitable for driving one or more print heads 34. For example, in the case of a color inkjet printer, digital data will be converted to CMY or CMYk format. This step is indicated by block 112.
[0062]
The print format can then be used to drive print head 34 to print control 24 to deposit or deposit ink or another substance on a paper sheet or other print media. For example, if binary inkjet printing is used, the C, M, and Y values can be converted to binary ones and zeros by using an appropriate halftoning algorithm. As a result, 1 and 0 determine whether a C, M, or Y dot is located at the corresponding pixel.
[0063]
FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein the scanning component 260 is separate from, but directly connected to, the photographic printer 220. In this embodiment, scanning component 260 is any commercially available film scanner such as, for example, Kodak Advantage's “film drive FD300” or Fujifilm's “AS-1 Filmscan-it”. obtain. Scanning component 260 is coupled to printer 220 by cable 39 extending from the scanner to external printer port 36. Attachment to the printer may be via a parallel cable, a Universal System Bus (USB) port, as in the exemplary embodiment, or any of the other communication links described above. Can be done. The scanning component 260 and the cable 39 can be attached to the printer 220 in the same manner as a scanner is conventionally attached to a personal computer. Once the attachment to printer 220 has been made, a film medium such as cartridge 64 may be loaded into scanner 260 in a conventional manner.
[0064]
FIG. 14 illustrates the major components of the printer 220 for an alternative embodiment in which the scanning component 260 is bonded to the exterior of the printer housing 27. As shown in FIG. 14, scanning component 260 interfaces with controller 22 through cable 39 and port 36. As in the first embodiment, the controller 22 processes the digital image data from the scanning component, as well as image processing software, menu routines 70, and other hardware for controlling the scanning component 260, and the like. Software, as well as microcode. In particular, the controller 22 preferably includes scanner driver software for operating the attached scanner 260. This particular drive software depends on the film scanner being utilized, and the drive software can be loaded into controller 22 by selecting the scanner type from a menu routine. Alternatively, controller 22 may connect to port 36 to determine whether a scanning component is tied to it, and if so, to determine the particular type of scanner tied. It may include the processing power to query. Controller 22 may then upload the appropriate driver software for the scanner from memory storage or from a computer readable medium on drive 32 or 33.
[0065]
Controller 22 initiates a command to scanner 260 upon receipt of the appropriate command (or instruction) from user interface 38. During an interrogation loop for the active drive, the controller interrogates port 36 to determine if the scanner is attached and if so, whether a film medium is being provided in the scanner. Will be. The controller 22 instructs the scanner 260 to scan each image on the film in the scanner and transmit the RGB digital image data to the controller. The controller 22 then assigns a corresponding photo number to each of the digital images for indexing as in the first embodiment. Each specific format option for those images can be selected through menu routine 70. Similarly, controller 22 formats print commands for print control 24, manages print heads 34, and creates images on print media. The RGB signals from scanner 260 are also stored on computer readable media in drives 32, 33, or 37 for subsequent processing and printing in the same manner as described above for the first embodiment. Can be done.
[0066]
Therefore, the film scanner in the second embodiment of the present invention is directly connected to the printer device, and the printer controls the operation of the scanner. The printer can instruct the scanner to upload the digitized image directly to the printer, where the image is input using a menu and the image processing capabilities of the printer, as if the image was input from a memory card or data storage disk. Can be formatted as well. Thus, the present invention provides the user with a choice of printing images from a film media source through the scanner 260 or from either the memory card through the drive 32 or 33. Similarly, the present invention allows images scanned through scanning component 260 to be stored on a computer readable medium in drives 32, 33, or 37.
[0067]
FIG. 15 illustrates a further embodiment of a stand-alone printer device 10 formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In this embodiment, an automatic film development unit 302 is provided to allow the user to digitally print the film directly exposed from the camera, rather than having to collect or send the film to be developed. Doing In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the film 64 can be removed from the camera and inserted into the film chamber 304. A film advance or transport system may be provided to move the film 64 via the development unit 302. Such a system would include a drive roller 306 driven by a motor or other actuator.
[0068]
Preferably, automatic film development unit 302 includes a development tank 308, a fusing tank 310, and a rinse tank (or rinse tank) 312. The developer or developer 309 is provided in a developer tank 308 and the film 64 is immersed in the developer 309 to form a visible or visible latent image. In this embodiment, the electrons in developer 309 combine with the exposed silver ions to form a visible latent image. The film 64 may then move to a fixing tank 310 containing a fixer 311 to remove any remaining silver from the film. Finally, the film is immersed in a rinsing liquid 313 held in a rinsing tank 312 to remove the chemical.
[0069]
After passing through these three tanks 308, 310, 312, the film 64 is dried. A drying blower 315 can be used to expose the film 64 to a stream of air to facilitate the drying process.
[0070]
After being developed, the film 64 is then scanned to produce a digital or electronic representation of the developed image on the film 64. A digital representation can then be used to control print head 34 to apply print material to print medium 26. Accordingly, a printed image representing the developed image on film 64 can be created on print medium 26. Suitable methods and components for obtaining a digital image from the developed film and driving the printhead with the digital image have been described above and relate to such methods and components available for the apparatus of FIG. See the preceding discussion for the specifics.
[0071]
In general, the stand-alone printer device 10 of FIG. 15 preferably includes a film scanner unit 60 that receives the developed film 64 and directs the film with a source 74 of radiation such as light 76. Sensors 77, 78, 79 are provided to record the amount and / or type of light transmitted through the film. An optical system such as a lens 80 is also provided to focus or direct the light transmitted through the image to the sensors 77, 79, 79. The first scan controller 21 is preferably configured by scanner driver software and controls the scanning process and can also be used to control the automatic development unit 302. The scanning controller 21 receives the digital image data generated by the sensors 77, 78, 79, and interfaces with the second image processing controller 22. The image processing controller 22 includes image processing capabilities to receive digital data and generate appropriate print commands. In particular, the controller 22 preferably includes image processing software 86 similar to that used on personal computers to format digital images.
[0072]
The second image processing controller 22 preferably interfaces with a third print controller 24, which controls the operation of associated mechanisms 92 for supplying the sheet 26 passing through the print head 34 and photographic printer 10. Control the operation. The second controller 22 sends a print command to the print controller 24 which causes the print controller 34 to deposit a printhead 34 on the sheet 26 in a pattern corresponding to the digital data image. Can drive. Preferably, the printer device 10 uses inkjet printing technology and the print head 34 is an inkjet print head, although other printing technologies and related components may be utilized.
[0073]
As shown in FIG. 15, the second controller 22 preferably interfaces with the user interface 38 to receive inputs and commands as described above from the user. In addition, the second controller 22 includes drives 32 and 33 adapted to receive a computer readable medium, such as a memory card, or to connect to a digital device, such as a digital camera, as described above. Interface. Further, the controller 22 interfaces with an external port 36 to receive digital image data files from an external drive or computer. The photographic printer 10 includes three individual controllers as illustrated in FIG. 15, but without deviating from the invention, fewer or more controllers may be used to develop, scan, image, and process the invention. It can be provided for controlling the printing operation.
[0074]
Other technologies and components are available for the exemplary stand-alone printer device of FIG. In particular, other film development techniques and components may be utilized in film development module 302 in addition to or in place of those shown, and any suitable method and apparatus for developing film 64 Is available. Further, although separate units 302 and 60 are shown for developing and scanning film 64, these units can be combined and digital images can be acquired while the film is being developed. Thus, any technology and component for providing a digital image from undeveloped film can be used as an alternative to units 302 and 60.
[0075]
FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method of developing a film, creating a digital image from the developed film, and printing the digital image using a single stand-alone printer device. The film with the latent image exposed at block 350 is inserted into a stand-alone printer. The film is then moved through a stand-alone printer and developed as indicated by blocks 352 and 354 to reveal the latent image. The type of film development is not critical to the invention. For example, the film can be developed by wet or dry techniques as known in the art. The developed film is scanned using a film scanner as shown in block 356 to create a digital representation of the image on the developed film. The digital image is then advanced into a stand-alone printer where image processing is applied to the digital image. These steps are shown in blocks 358 and 360. Finally, a printhead, such as an inkjet printhead, is driven using the imaged digital image as shown in block 362.
[0076]
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Numerous alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the amended claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG.
FIG. 1 shows a photographic printer communicating with various external components.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2 is an operational block diagram for the photographic printer of FIG.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a photographic printing device formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the exemplary photographic printer of FIG. 3, showing an external third drive.
FIG. 5
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the exemplary photographic printer of FIG. 3, with the cover raised to expose certain lower details.
FIG. 6
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the user interface of the exemplary photo printer of FIG.
FIG. 7
FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of the exemplary photographic printer of FIG.
FIG. 8
FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram of an exemplary routine for detecting a startup drive.
FIG. 9
FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram of an exemplary one-step function and exemplary menu routine.
FIG. 10
FIG. 10 is a more detailed conceptual diagram of the exemplary storage options submenu illustrated in FIG.
FIG. 11
FIG. 11 is a more detailed conceptual diagram of the exemplary scan options submenu illustrated in FIG.
FIG.
FIG. 12 is a flow chart of the steps by which the exemplary method of the present invention may be accomplished.
FIG. 13
FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of a photographic printing device formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 14
FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram of the embodiment of the photo printing apparatus in FIG.
FIG.
FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram of a third embodiment of the photo printing apparatus formed according to the principle of the present invention.
FIG.
FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps by which the exemplary method of the present invention will be accomplished.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Photo Printer
12 Computer
14 display
16 digital camera
18 flexible magnetic disk (computer readable medium)
21, 22, 24 ° controller
26 print media
32,33 drive
36 input / output port
34 Printing component (print head)
38 User Interface
60 ° film scanning component
62mm film scanning room
64mm photographic film
72 ° film advance assembly
74 ° light source
77, 78, 79 sensor

Claims (29)

A stand-alone printing device for transferring an image from a photographic film to a printing medium,
A scanning component for producing a digital representation of the image captured on the photographic film medium;
A print component for receiving the digital representation of the image directly from the scan component and producing a pattern associated with the image on the print medium, and a drive component for receiving a computer-readable medium;
Formatting the digital representation according to one or more user instructions, generating a plurality of print commands corresponding to the formatted digital representation, and forming the pattern on the print medium according to the print command. At least one controller in the printing component for driving one or more print heads in the component;
A stand-alone printing device comprising: The stand-alone printing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller controls storage of the digital representation of the image on a computer readable medium in the drive component. The stand-alone printing device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface for initiating instructions to the controller to operate the scanning component and the printing component. 4. The controller of claim 3, wherein the controller includes image processing software for formatting the digital representation of the image prior to generating the print command, wherein the digital representation can be formatted according to a user option at the interface. 5. Stand-alone printer. The stand-alone printing device of claim 1, wherein the scanning component is integral with the printing component within a printing device housing. The stand-alone printing of claim 1, wherein the printing component is contained within a housing, and the scanning component is external to the housing and directly connected to the printing component via a communication link. apparatus. 7. The stand-alone printing device according to claim 6, wherein the communication link is a wireless link. 7. The stand-alone printing device according to claim 6, wherein the communication link is a universal system bus. The stand-alone printing device according to claim 6, wherein the scanning component is controlled by the printing component. The stand-alone printing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one controller in the printing component includes processing power to determine whether a scanning component is tied to the printing component. The at least one controller is a processing capability to determine a particular type of scanning component attached to the printing component, and the at least one controller is configured to control the attached scanning component type. The stand-alone printing device according to claim 10, further comprising a processing capability to cause the printing device to perform the processing. The controller may interface with the drive component and receive and format a digital representation of an image from either the scan component or a computer readable medium located within the drive component. Item 2. A stand-alone printing device according to Item 1. The user interface further includes a first activation component, wherein activation of the first activation component scans each image such that the scanning component produces a digital representation of each image on the photographic film. 4. A stand-alone printing device according to claim 3, wherein the printing component is instructed to print a pattern associated with the digital representation of each image on the print medium. A stand-alone photo scanning and printing system,
A scanning mechanism for receiving a photographic film medium and producing a digital data representation of an image on the film medium;
A drive component for receiving a computer readable medium;
A printing component that directly receives the digital data representation of an image from the scanning component and creates a pattern associated with the image on a print medium;
A user interface associated with the printing component and the scanning component;
Controlling the printing component and the scanning component, processing the digital data representation in response to options entered through the user interface, and generating a plurality of print commands from the processed digital data representation. One or more controllers for driving one or more printheads to produce the pattern on the print media;
A stand-alone photo scanning and printing system comprising: The printing component of claim 14, wherein the scanning component, the drive component, the user interface, and the one or more controllers are integrated with the printing component. Standalone photo scanning and printing system. 15. The stand-alone photographic scanning and printing system of claim 14, wherein the scanning component is external to and directly connected to the printing component. At least one controller interfaces with the drive component and receives and formats a digital representation of an image from either the scan component or a computer readable medium located in the drive component. 16. The stand-alone photographic scanning and printing system of claim 15, wherein the system is capable of: 15. The stand-alone photographic scanning and printing system of claim 14, wherein the user interface further comprises a plurality of activation buttons for initiating commands to the scanning component and the printing component. 19. The stand-alone photographic scanning and printing system of claim 18, further comprising a series of menu routines accessible through the user interface for defining parameters for the scanning component and the printing component. A method of printing an image captured on a photographic film medium, comprising:
Providing a scanning component;
Inserting the photographic film medium into the scanning component;
Creating a digital representation of the image on the photographic film using the scanning component;
Providing a printing component;
Transmitting the digital representation of the image directly from the scanning component to the printing component;
Processing the digital representation of the image to generate a plurality of print commands;
Using the print command to drive one or more print heads to create a pattern associated with the image on a print medium;
Method comprising the steps of: One or more in the printing component for managing the generation of the digital representation by the scanning component, formatting the digital representation produced by the scanning component, and generating the print command. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing said controller. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving one or more instructions from a user interface to manage and process the processing of the digital representation. A stand-alone film developing and printing apparatus for transferring an image from a photographic film to a printing medium,
A development component for receiving a photographic film medium and developing an image on the photographic film medium;
A scanning component for producing a digital representation of the image developed on the photographic film medium;
A printing component that receives the digital representation of the image directly from the scanning component and creates a pattern associated with the image on the print medium;
A drive component for receiving a computer readable medium;
Formatting the digital representation according to one or more user instructions, generating a plurality of print commands corresponding to the formatted digital representation, and creating the pattern on the print medium according to the print commands. At least one controller in the printing component for driving one or more print heads;
A stand-alone film developing and printing device comprising: 24. The stand-alone film development and printing apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one controller controls storage of the digital representation of the image on a computer readable medium in the drive component. 24. The stand-alone film development and printing apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a user interface for initiating instructions to said controller to operate said scanning component and said printing component. 26. The stand of claim 25, wherein the controller includes image processing software that formats the digital representation of the image prior to generation of the print command, wherein the digital representation can be formatted according to a user option at the interface. Alone film developing and printing equipment. 24. The stand-alone film development and printing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the development component, the scanning component, and the printing component are integrated within a printing device housing. 24. The stand-alone film developing and printing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said developing component and said scanning component are controlled by said printing component. The controller may interface with the drive component and receive and format a digital representation of an image from either the scan component or a computer readable medium located within the drive component. 24. A stand-alone type film developing and printing apparatus according to 23.

Images