JP2822078B2 - Film processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film processing apparatus, and more particularly to a film processing apparatus for facilitating collation between an image frame on an original film and photographic paper on which the image is printed. .

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a color print printing process, an image frame recorded on an original film such as a developed negative film is printed on photographic paper by an automatic photographic printing apparatus. In this case, the developed original film is loaded into an automatic photographic printing apparatus, the original film is conveyed, stopped at the image frame portion, positioned at the printing position, and the average transmission obtained by photometry of the image is obtained. Exposure is controlled by the density (LATD), and exposure is performed with an exposure amount obtained based on the LATD. However, it is generally known that there are scenes in which a satisfactory print cannot be obtained only by exposing at an exposure amount obtained based on LATD, and image frames of such scenes are taken by some means. LATD
Needs to be corrected. In this regard, the operator makes a visual judgment using a negative film inspection device in advance, and uses the correction amount recorded on a storage medium, for example, a magnetic tape, or the operator directly applies the image frame to the automatic printing apparatus. An input of an exposure correction amount is used, or an exposure amount or an exposure correction amount determined by an automatic negative determination device (scanner) is used. However, these determinations cannot always be made completely, and therefore, printing and development of some image frames may fail (for example, insufficient exposure, poor color balance, etc.). In such a case, it is necessary to reprint, but when image frames similar to the original film are continuously shot, the frame corresponding to the image frame that failed to It is a very difficult task to find out in the image frame of the image. In particular, when a large number of original films are processed by connecting a plurality of films with a splice tape, the efficiency of the reprinting operation for each order is very poor.

On the other hand, when customers order photographic film development, many will also order prints for the film at the same time, and customers will also receive the original film and one print for each screen of the film. . If the customer wants additional printing or enlargement, the customer selects the screen desired by the printing described above, compares the print screen with the screen of the original film, and determines the desired screen with the frame number attached beside the screen of the original film. Specify the number of prints and the size of the print, specify the original film, and place an order for reprint. The color lab receiving this reprint order searches for the designated frame number from the frame numbers of the original film provided and performs it so that it matches the number of prints and size specification of the screen at that frame number position, and obtains it. Handed over the original print film and the original film to the customer.Before handing over, the user is asked to check the print screen and the original film screen to confirm that the obtained print is of the specified frame number. Or
The collation of the print screen with the original film screen and the confirmation of the frame number of the original film on the customer side or the color laboratory side are quite troublesome and troublesome work.

For this reason, attempts have been made to read the frame number of the original film and display and record the corresponding screen on a printed print. That is, a main number and a sub-number alternately displayed at intervals of one frame of a half-size image on an original picture film, and a bar code (frame number code) corresponding thereto.
Reading the display and printing the image frame on photographic paper is realized by associating the frame number with the printed photographic paper. However, the density of the unexposed portion of the original film after the development may cause so-called fogging due to light leakage in one portion of the original film due to processing accuracy of a camera, a patrone or the like or inadequate handling of the original film. The code cannot be read. As described above, it is technically difficult to always reliably read the barcode information. Therefore, there is a need for a means for determining a frame number corresponding to a barcode that cannot be read.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the prior art, the present invention provides a film processing apparatus having means for correctly determining all frame number information of an original film if at least one bar code of one original film can be correctly read. The purpose is.

[Means for solving the problem]

The purpose is to transport the developed original film,
Reference position detection means for detecting a certain reference position on the original film, measurement means for measuring a transport distance from the reference position, and a bar code representing information corresponding to the frame number of the original film. Bar code reading means to be read, checking means for checking the output of the bar code reading means to check whether or not reading was performed normally, and storage means for storing at least one output of the bar code reading means. In the film processing apparatus provided, when at least one bar code is successfully read from the original film, the bar code information, the film passing direction information of the original film, and the length of the original film Film number information determining means for determining frame number information by using film length information indicating It is achieved by the device.

〔Example〕

In the present invention, when processing the original film, the film length information of the original film is determined in advance. To give an example of a preferred embodiment, an apparatus upstream of the film processing step determines how many frames of the original film are taken by measuring the transport distance from the leading end to the end of the original film, and determines the film length information. The film length information is stored in a cassette tape as a storage medium, and the film processing apparatus according to the present invention can set the cassette tape together with the original film and read out the film length information from the cassette tape to obtain the film length information. The film processing apparatus according to the present invention may perform the processing itself. Furthermore, the method of determining the film length is, for example,
It may be obtained by transporting while detecting the end, and measuring the transport distance from the front end to the end. Further, the form of the film length information may be physical length information, or information on the number of films taken. When the leading end of the original film being processed is detected by the film detecting means, the leading pulse is detected by counting the driving pulse of a stepping motor (pulse motor) or the output pulse of an encoder attached to a roller rotating with the original film. Measure the transport distance from the reference position. Next, a bar code on which information corresponding to the frame number is recorded is read by bar code reading means.
The reading unit checks whether the reading has been performed, and the result of the determination that the reading has been correctly performed is stored in the storage unit in pairs with the transport distance from the reference position.

At this time, the film passing direction can be determined based on information such as the direction of the edge of the film where the barcode exists or the direction of the start bit / stop bit which is a part of the element constituting the barcode. . Alternatively, the processing may be performed in advance by limiting the film passing direction to only one direction.

Thus, since the film length information and the film passing direction are known, at the time when at least one piece of frame number information has been successfully read along with the processing of the film, the frame number position corresponding to the successfully read frame number information is obtained. Based on the transport distance from the reference position and the film passing direction information, it is possible to determine the frame number information on the downstream side where the reading has failed until then.

That is, a frame number continuous to the frame number exists at a position downstream of the bar number pitch from the frame number position, and a next frame number exists at a position further downstream by another pitch. Can be estimated. In this manner, the frame number information for the frame number can be determined using the barcode pitch.

If the film passing direction is the reverse direction, the last frame number is E. Therefore, based on the film length information of the film, the number of frames of the film is obtained, and the value of the frame number that has been successfully read and its appearance The position where the last frame number E should appear is determined from the position. By this operation, the frame number E can be estimated, and the frame number toward the beginning of the film can be determined. The frame number is determined
It is not always necessary to perform the reading immediately after the frame number is successfully read for the first time, and it may be after reading a plurality of predetermined frame numbers successfully, or after reading the frame number over the entire original film. It may be after. Preferably, a plurality of frame number information is used, and a reliable position and frame number are used.

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of a film processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the determination operation. The original film 2 is conveyed, the leading end of the original film is detected by the splice detector 21, and the control unit 13 starts counting the conveying distance, and stores it in a memory in the control unit. At the same time or in advance, the film length information stored in the storage medium (cassette recorder) is read. Next, the notch 7 is detected by the notch detector 1 to detect the distance to the image frame 6 whose position is specified, and this data is stored in the storage unit.

Next, the barcode information is read by the barcode reading sensor 4 and sent to the barcode arithmetic processing unit 17 to check whether or not the barcode information has been read correctly, thereby making a determination. Therefore, the barcode operation processing unit 17 constitutes an inspection unit. And
When it is determined that the barcode has been read correctly, the frame number indicated by the barcode is stored in a pair with the transport distance, and one of the following two operations is selectively performed according to the film passing direction. Do. That is, (1) in the case of the forward direction, the frame number information from the top frame number (00) to the correctly read frame number is determined. (2)
In the reverse direction, the number of films taken is calculated from the transport distance from the leading end of the film, and frame number information from the correctly read frame number to the last frame number E is determined. Next, when the end of the film is detected and the end is detected, one of the following two operations is selectively performed according to the film passing direction. That is, (1) In the case of the forward direction, the transport distance from the leading end of the film is interpreted as substantially the entire length of the film, and the number of shots of the film is calculated. The frame number information up to E is determined.

(2) In the case of the reverse direction, refer to the film length information to determine how many original pictures are taken, and determine the frame number information from the correctly read frame number to the last frame number E. Next, when the end of the film is detected and the end of the film is detected, one of the following two operations is selectively performed according to the film passing direction. (1) In the case of the forward direction, how many frames of the film are taken from the film length information, and the frame number information up to E after the last correctly read frame number is determined. (2) In the case of the reverse direction, the frame number information from the last correctly read number to the first frame (00) is determined in reverse order.

〔The invention's effect〕

With this configuration, according to the present invention, if at least one frame number can be correctly read, the film 1
It is possible to correctly determine the frame number information over the entire main body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

 FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of a film processing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a determination operation. 1 ... Notch detector 2 ... Original film 4 ... Barcode reading sensor 5 ... Film barcode 6 ... Image frame

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-1-277226 (JP, A) JP-A-56-128933 (JP, A) JP-A-56-162736 (JP, A) JP-A-1-267627 (JP) , A) JP-A-1-102539 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03B 27/32 G03B 27/46

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A conveying means for a developed original film, a reference position detecting means for detecting a certain reference position on the original film, a measuring means for measuring a conveying distance from the reference position, Bar code reading means for reading a bar code representing information corresponding to a frame number; checking means for checking the output of the bar code reading means to check whether the reading has been performed normally; Means for storing at least one output of the means, when at least one bar code is successfully read from the original film, the bar code information and the original film are read. The frame number information is determined by using both the film passing direction information of the above and the film length information indicating the length of the original film. Film processing apparatus comprising: a broadcast determination means. 2. The film according to claim 1, further comprising storage reading means, wherein the storage reading means reads the film length information of the original film stored in a storage medium in advance and uses the film length information as the film length information. Processing equipment. 3. The film processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information on the number of shots of said original film is used as said film length information.