JPH02153339A - Photographic film and its frame number reading method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely confirm a final code by providing a special bar code expressing the number of frames before or after or before and after the bar code of the final frame number in a photographic film where the bar code expressing the frame number is printed on its side. CONSTITUTION:Ordinary frame numbers such as the frame number expressing the final frame 12 and 12A, 20 and 20A, and 24 and 24A, are provided in the photographic film such as 12 exposures, 20 exposures and 24 exposures and the special frame numbers 12' and 12A', 20' and 20A', and 24' and 24A' are newly added before or after or before and after the numbers respectively besides to them. At such a time, these numbers are constituted of the bar code where a bar, a space and a pattern are specified, so that the final code is confirmed by utilizing the bar code even when the regular number can not be read.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a photographic film on which a bar code representing a frame number is recorded and a method for reading the frame number.

[Conventional technology]

A DX barcode indicating the film type (manufacturer, film sensitivity, etc.) is printed as a latent image on the side edge of the 135 type roll film.

This DX barcode is read by a barcode reader during photo printing, and the obtained film type data is used to set exposure conditions.

In addition, on photographic film, a main frame number of arithmetic numerals and a subframe number of arithmetic numerals with alphabets added are printed on the side at some pitches, and are used to identify the frames recorded on the photographic film. It is used for.

In order to enable automatic reading of this frame number,
It is also known to side print a bar code representing the frame number next to the frame number. This frame number barcode can be used to search for frames that have been ordered for reprints and automatically place them in the print position, or by recording the frame number on the printed photo, it is possible to match the printed photo with the negative when ordering reprints. Used to omit etc.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

With roll photographic film, if you pull the leading end of the film out of the cartridge when setting it in the camera, the unexposed portion will be reduced.

Even in such a case, in order to be able to take a specified number of frames, the rear end of the photographic film is longer, and rB, which represents the final frame number, is recorded in this portion. For example, in a photographic film with 12 shots, the final frame number "E" is recorded next to the frame number r12A, and in a photographic film with 20 shots, "E" is recorded next to the frame number r20AJ. For 24 shots, frame number is r24.
After AJ, rE is recorded, and similarly, in 36-shot photographic film, "E" is recorded after r36A,1.

On a photographic film on which the final frame number "E" has been recorded, if the barcode representing this is scratched, dusty, or fogged, a reading error will occur in the barcode sensor. In this case, with a 12-shot photographic film, it is difficult to tell whether it is "13" or rB, and with a 20-shot photographic film, it is difficult to tell whether it is "13" or "rB".
1” or “E”. Similarly,
For 24-shot photographic film, it is "25" or "E"
I don't know what it is. Note that the camera with the largest number of shots is 36 shots, so [36AJ is followed by "E"]
By making the device remember that, even if a reading error occurs for a barcode with frame number "E", it can be determined that this frame number is "E".

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a photographic film and a frame number reading method thereof, which can correctly read the final frame number barcode even if a reading error occurs. .

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, in the photographic film of the present invention, a unique barcode is recorded before or after the barcode of the final frame number, or before and after the barcode of the final frame number, indicating that the frame number is before or after the final frame number. There is. For example, for 12-shot photographic film, a barcode with a different pattern from the regular barcode representing frame number "12A" is used. Also, after the final frame number 7 Har E J, the frame number "EA"
A barcode representing the information may be added.

Further, a bar code indicating the number of frames may be recorded on a part of the photographic film. With this photographic film, the arrangement of all frame numbers can be known from the number of frames, so even if a reading error occurs with the barcode of the final frame number, this frame number can be read as the final frame number. Can be done.

In the reading method of the present invention, when an error occurs when reading the barcode of the final frame number, the frame number where the reading error occurred is the final frame number based on the unique barcodes recorded before or after this. It is characterized by determining that

[Effect]

In the present invention, since a barcode different from the regular barcode is recorded before or after the barcode of the final frame number, or before or after the barcode of the final frame number, by reading this, it is possible to read the barcode of the final frame number. Even if an error occurs, this is the final frame number “E”.
” can be determined.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows 24 photographic films according to the present invention. On both sides of the photographic film 2, perforations 3 are formed at a partial pitch, and between the perforations 3 and the film edge, frame numbers 4 are formed at a partial pitch. It is recorded in A. Further, on one side of the photographic film 2, a frame number barcode 5, which encodes the frame number 4, is partially recorded with pitch A, and on the other side, a DX barcode 6 is partially recorded with pitch A. These barcodes 5.6 and frame number 4 are recorded as latent images when the photographic film 2 is manufactured, and are converted into visible images by photographic development. In addition, the photographic film 2 has a hole 7 formed in a part of the trailer that is inserted into the cartridge (
(not shown) is wound around the winding shaft while being engaged with the pawl of the winding shaft, and the leader is housed in the cartridge with a part of the leader pulled out.

Here, the frame number barcode pattern will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

Although various types of frame number barcodes that have been proposed so far can be used as the frame number barcode 5, rcode 3 of 9J is used in this embodiment. In this rcode 3 of 9 J, bars and spaces are arranged alternately, making it wide! ■The bar or space represents the binary digit "1", and the narrow width i! ,2
(11/2) represents "0".

Five data pars are recorded in the data code area, and a start code area and an end code area are provided on both sides of the data code area, so that the most significant bit and the least significant bit of the bar code data can be identified. I have to. In this start code area, a wide start par 5a is recorded, and in the end code area, a narrow end code 5b is recorded.

The barcode of frame number r12A shown in FIG. 4 represents "rloooloooolloo", and "rooloooll" is recorded in the data code area. Figures 5A to 5D show frame numbers and their barcode patterns.

If the barcode 53 of the final frame number "E" is scratched or has dust, a reading error will occur when the barcode sensor optically reads the barcode 53. In this case, the final frame number is "E" or "1".
Therefore, in this embodiment, the barcode of at least one frame number before the final frame number 1 [, is different from the regular barcode. This is the record.

In the 12-shot photographic film 2 shown in FIG. 1, the frame numbers r12J and r12AJ are not the regular barcodes shown in FIG. 5B, but the frame numbers r12'J shown in FIG. 5D.

A unique barcode 51.52 representing r12A'J is recorded respectively. These frame number barcodes 51 and 52 represent information on the number of frames of the photographic film (number of shots) in addition to information on the frame number. So, if you read any one of these, 12
Since you can tell that the film is a single-shot photographic film, by making a table of the frame number arrangement of a 12-shot photographic film, even if the barcode 53 of frame number rB cannot be read, this It can be determined that the frame number in which the reading error occurred is frame number "E." Therefore, when a frame (negative image) with frame number "E" is printed, the frame number "E" will be printed on this printed photograph, so the frame number "E" will not exist on the 12-shot photographic film. 13" can be reliably prevented from being printed.

FIG. 2 shows a 24-shot photographic film. In this photographic film 201, the frame number is r24.
, '24AJ', barcode 54., representing the frame number "24"J, '24A' shown in FIG. 5D.
55 are used respectively. It goes without saying that '24J and '24AJ are recorded as frame numbers.

Figure 3 shows a photographic film with 36 shots.
In this photographic film 202, frame number r36
", r36A" barcode 56.5 corresponding to ", r36A" respectively.
7, the regular barcode shown in FIG. 5c is used. This is because the maximum number of frames among the currently commercially available photographic films is 36 (the maximum number of frames).
This is because it can be determined that the next one after "36" is rE. Therefore, 36-shot photographic film 2
02 may be left as is. If a photographic film with a larger number of frames than a 36-shot photographic film is commercially available, unique barcodes different from regular barcodes are used for the barcodes 56 and 57 as well. Also, 2
Since 0-shot photographic film is already commercially available, the frame number shown for the 5D bacteria [20° J, r2
A barcode representing "OA" is used.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a photographic printing apparatus for printing the photographic film of the present invention. The white light emitted from the light source 12 is passed through a cyan filter 13 and a magenta filter 14.
．． After passing through the yellow filter 15, it enters the diffusion box 16. These color filters 13 to 15 are
7 adjusts the amount of insertion into the optical path 18, thereby adjusting the color balance and light amount of the printing light. The diffusion box 16 is a rectangular cylinder whose inner surface is a mirror surface, with diffusion plates attached to both ends thereof, and sufficiently diffuses the printing light that has partially passed through the color filters 13 to 15.

A film carrier 20 is placed at a printing position, a photographic film 2 is set thereon, and the film carrier 20 is illuminated with light transmitted through a diffusion box 16. The photographic film 2 is fed frame by frame in the direction of the arrow by a pair of feed rollers 21 and 22 arranged on both sides of the printing position. This feed roller pair 21.
22 is interlocked by a toothed belt or the like, and is rotated forward or reverse by a pulse motor 23. To ensure the flatness of the photographic film 2, place a mask 2 over the print position.
4 is provided.

A barcode sensor 25 is disposed on the path of the frame number barcode 5 and optically reads the barcode. A printing lens 26 is arranged above the print position, and enlarges and projects the frame set at the print position onto color paper 27. Between the printing lens 26 and the color paper 27, there is a shutter 29 whose opening/closing is controlled by a shutter drive unit 28, and a paper mask 30.
and are arranged. The color paper 27 is pulled out one frame at a time from the paper roll 31, and the color paper 27 is pulled out one frame at a time from the paper roll 31.
After passing through step 2, it is set to the exposure position. The exposed portion is then sent to a development processing section 36 by a pair of pull-out rollers 34 driven by a pulse motor 33. The exposed color paper that has been photographically processed is cut frame by frame by a canter 37 and discharged onto a tray 38.

A printing device 40 is arranged next to the exposure position,
It is driven by a signal from the controller 41, and prints the same number as the frame number 5 of the photographic film 2 on the back side of the exposed color paper 27, for example, in a dot pattern. Instead of this printing device 40, a character inserting device composed of a liquid crystal panel or a light emitting diode array or the like may be attached to the paper mask 3o, and a frame number in a dot pattern, for example, may be printed into the white frame at the same time as printing the image.

The rotation direction and rotation amount of the pulse motors 23 and 33 are controlled by a controller 41 via drivers 42 and 43. Additionally, this controller 41 controls the filter adjustment section 17. In addition to controlling the shutter drive unit 28 and the like, it also controls the transfer of the photographic film 2 and the like. Note that the reference numeral 46 is a keyboard.

The counter 47 measures the feed amount of the start par 5a of the read frame number barcode 5. As this counter 47, an up/down counter is used,
Depending on the rotation direction of the pulse motor 23, the pulse motor 2
3 drive pulses, or pulses obtained by dividing this drive pulse, are counted up or down. In order to deal with frame number barcode reading errors, two counters are actually used and are reset alternately in synchronization with the reading of the start par 5a, but if the data cannot be read correctly, It is reset again by reading the start par 5a of the next frame number barcode. This makes it possible to reliably measure the feed amount of the start code 5a of the latest read frame number barcode. In addition, a perforation sensor that detects perforation 3 and a counter that counts the detection signal of this perforation sensor are used, and the feed amount between perforation 3 is counted by counter 47, and these two types of counters are used to calculate the starting perforation. The amount of feed may also be measured. Furthermore,
The amount sent by the end par 5b may be measured.

Next, the operation of the photographic printing apparatus shown in FIG. 6 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. If the keyboard 46 is operated after the photographic film 2 is passed through the pair of feed rollers 22, the pulse motor 23 rotates the pair of feed rollers 21 and 22, so that the photographic film 2 is nipped by them and the arrow line transported in the direction. During this transportation, the barcode sensor 25 optically reads the frame number barcode 5 printed on the side of the photographic film 2 and sends the obtained signal to the controller 41. This controller 41 decodes the read frame number barcode 5 and writes the obtained frame number into memory. At the same time, the controller 41 resets the counter 47 to start counting drive pulses.

This counter 47 counts the drive pulses and measures the feed amount of the start par 5a of the latest read frame number barcode 5.

When the barcode sensor 25 reads the next frame number barcode 5, the frame number obtained by decoding that frame number is stored in the memory instead of the previously read frame number. In this way, the latest frame number is stored in memory.

Photographic film 2 has fixed feed and frame detection.

The frame to be printed is placed in the printing position in a known manner by means of a notch detection formed on the centerline of the frame. When the print key on the keyboard 46 is operated, frame number 5 of this frame is calculated. This is because the distance between the barcode sensor 25 and the center of the print position is known, part of the frame number barcode 5 is recorded at pitch A, and the movement position of the read frame number barcode 5 is Since we know this, we can calculate it using these numbers. This calculation will be omitted since it is not directly related to the present invention, but it is described in Japanese Patent Application No. 63-45563.
No. 45564 describes in detail the structure of the barcode sensor and the method of reading the barcode, in addition to the formula for determining the frame number.

After the frame number is calculated, the amount of insertion of the color filters 13 to 15 into the optical path is adjusted according to the exposure amount, as is well known. After this filter adjustment, the shutter 29 is opened and a frame is printed and exposed on the color paper 27.

When printing is completed, the controller 41 rotates the pulse motor 33 to transport the color paper 27 by one frame, sets the unexposed part to the exposure position, and transfers the exposed part to the development processing section 36. Transfer towards. After this color paper is fed, the printing device 40 is activated and prints the frame number of the printed frame behind the photoprinted frame. Thereafter, photo printing and back printing of the frame number are performed in the same manner.

FIG. 8 shows a method for determining the frame number. Since the memory of the controller 41 stores a table showing the relationship between frame numbers and barcodes as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D, the data read by the barcode sensor 25 and the corresponding frame number bar are stored in the memory of the controller 41. Search code. If a matching frame number barcode is not found, it is determined that a reading error has occurred.

On the other hand, if no reading error has occurred, it is determined whether the read frame number barcode fJ<7 frame number r12A'J, r20A'J, or '24A''. If any one of these applies, the regular frame number bar r12Aj
, r20AJ, or "24A", output as a determined frame number, and store it in the memory of the controller 41.

Also, frame numbers r12A'J, '20A'J
, r24A'' is a regular frame number, and in this case, it is output as is.

If the above-mentioned reading error occurs, it is determined whether the previously read frame number barcode is fixed. If it has not been determined, it is determined that the frame number barcode in which the reading error occurred is unknown. On the other hand, if it is confirmed, it is the frame number "12A' J, r2OA' J, r24A"
” barcode. If it is either one, it is determined that the frame number barcode in which the reading error occurred is frame number "E." Also, if none of these are the case,
Determine whether the frame number is r36AJ,
In the case of rYES, the number L/-4-1- is determined as "E". If it is not the barcode of frame number r36AJ, the one in which the reading error has occurred is determined to be the frame number barcode next to the previously determined frame number barcode.

In the embodiment described above, unique barcodes are used for two frame numbers, but a unique barcode may be used for only one frame number.

In addition, the full method of frame numbers shown in Fig. 8,
Although this is an example in which a photograph is printed with the smallest frame number first, the present invention can also be used when printing a photograph with the largest frame number first.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the invention.

In the photographic film 203 of this embodiment, after the final frame number "E", an additional frame number rEA is added.
, and a bar code representing 5 days are recorded.

Note that the regular barcodes shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C are used as each frame number barcode.

In this example, the final frame number barcode 53
Even if an error occurs in reading the additional barcode 58
By reading this, it can be determined that the frame number where the reading error occurred is "E".

Note that no frame (image) can be recorded in this additional frame number rEAJ. In addition, in this embodiment, when the film is set in a photo printing device with the trailing edge leading, the additional barcode 58 is read first, so there is no possibility that a reading error will occur in the final frame number barcode 53. , we can confirm this immediately.

FIG. 10 shows yet another embodiment.

In this photographic film 204, the final frame number r
Before and after E, unique barcodes 54, 55.58 shown in Figs. 2 and 9 are recorded, and the final frame number "
E" is read more reliably.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which a bar code indicating the number of frames is recorded. In this photographic film 205,
The number of frames r12EXP and a barcode 59 representing this are recorded at the beginning and end of the frame. The number of frames can be determined from this barcode 59, and it can therefore be known which frame number the final frame number "E" follows, so even if a reading error occurs in the final frame number barcode 53, the final frame number "E" can be determined correctly.

Also, there is a barcode 59 in the middle of the photographic film 205.
It is desirable to record.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 can also be used for photographic films with a number of frames other than those shown.

In addition to printing frame numbers, the method of the present invention can also be used to automatically set frames at print positions during reprints or reprints. Further, the method of the present invention can be used not only in photo printing equipment but also in film inspection equipment. This film verification device performs image verification after positioning the frame, and uses empirically determined exposure correction data.
The automatically read frame number is stored on paper tape or magnetic floppy disk. Then, at the time of printing, the storage medium and photographic film are set in a photographic printing device, and the photographic printing and frame number printing are performed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, the barcode of the final frame number - is displayed before, after, or before and after the final frame number, or indicates the number of frames of the photographic film. Since a unique barcode representing the final frame number is recorded, even if an error occurs when reading the KW of the final frame number barcode, it is determined that the barcode in which the reading error occurred is the final frame number barcode based on the unique barcode. be able to.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a 12-shot photographic film embodying the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the rear end side of a 24-shot photographic film according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the rear end side of a 36-shot photographic film. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the frame number r12AJ and its barcode pattern. FIGS. 5A to 5D show patterns of frame number barcodes. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a photographic printing apparatus equipped with a frame number printer. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the photographic printing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the frame number determination procedure. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the rear end side of the photographic film of the present invention in which an additional bar code is recorded after the final frame number bar code. Figure i10 is a plan view showing the rear end side of the photographic film of the present invention in which unique barcodes are recorded before and after the final frame number barcode. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a photographic film of the present invention in which bar codes indicating the number of films are recorded at the beginning and end. Barcode 53...Final frame number barcode 54.55
...Barcode 58 exclusively for 24-shot photographic film...Additional barcode 59...Barcode indicating the number of frames. 2 ・ ・ 4 ・ ・ 5 ・ ・ 5 a ・ 5 b ・ 6 ・ ・ 25 ・ 40 ・ 51゜Photographic film frame number Frame number barcode Start bar End bar DX barcode Barcode sensor Frame number printer...12 Figure 7 for single-shot photographic film

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) In photographic film with side-printed barcodes representing frame numbers, at least one frame number barcode before the final frame number barcode must be different from the regular frame number barcode. A photographic film characterized by the use of (2) A photographic film having a side-printed barcode representing a frame number, characterized in that a barcode representing a frame number "EA" is recorded after the final frame number "E". (3) For photographic film with a side-printed barcode representing the frame number, at the beginning of the photographic film,
Or, a photographic film characterized in that a bar code indicating the number of frames of the photographic film is recorded in the middle or at the end. (4) If an error occurs when reading the barcode of the final frame number, determine that the frame number where the reading error occurred is the final frame number from the unique barcodes recorded before or after this. A frame number reading method featuring: