JPH0318168B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for making photocopies and a recording unit for use in connection with the method and apparatus.

Processing additional orders is a particular problem in photography.

Most negative film strips today are cut into pieces with four to six images and paper strips (so-called tabs) are pasted on to mark the desired number of copies of the individual images. In order to make good use of the printer's work, the most modern working methods (Agfa Aliprint Order System and Gretag Computerized Reprint System) are used to prepare the work in which many order centers are established for one printer. In this work preparation, orders from one reception office are assembled, i.e. several film strips are pasted on a perforated belt after separating the tabs,
The order is then recorded on a magnetic disk recorder (floppy disk) or perforated belt. In this case, exposure corrections are made based on the failed copy of the first printer run. The repetition of the copying process, however, presents an organizational problem in terms of loss of time and material. Recording order data on a disk, belt, etc. is complicated and can lead to failure.

Said solution is also unsatisfactory from the customer's point of view. After processing, the orderer is returned with a Seron strip or a film strip with a newly attached tab attached and with a description of the defect. The original order no longer exists. Returned film strips are cut into short pieces, which makes recording and assembling new orders difficult, and especially when individual negatives are magnified due to the possibility of bad handling when loading into the image stage of the magnifier. Excluded from reception for making statues.

Amateur and professional photographers have great difficulty locating and identifying the image content of negatives as well as locating and entering image numbers when assembling work orders. The knowledge gained as much as possible to improve image quality during the first order is essentially lost for additional orders.

The present invention aims to provide a method and a device making it possible to at least broadly eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks. Additional orders should be able to be effectively implemented at little cost. The knowledge gained on optimizing the quality of individual images should be saved for later follow-up orders if necessary.
The original film should be well protected and able to be clearly archived.
For each initial order, an uncut film strip is sent along with a request bag, which is placed in a camera cartridge or camera cassette and carries data such as film format copying formats, positive formats, etc. for the overall order processing. The method of the present invention for producing photocopies of strips is such that during the initial order processing a positive image (a positive strip with corresponding individual image data areas) is produced in a mechanically readable manner suitable for the copy order. created to accommodate working data and connected with a film strip and the combination of film strip and positive strip being assembled together with a file patrone into a permanent recording unit; It is characterized by

A recording unit according to the invention defined for use in this method records the developed film strip and the individual image data areas associated with the film strip associated with the individual positive images, including order data and exposure correction data. It consists of a positive strip and a file patrone (Archivierungspatrone) for the storage of records.

The device according to the invention implementing the novel method includes a device for synchronously transporting the film strip and the positive strip during the initial order processing, a device for detecting exposure measurements from the film strip, and a device for the positive strip. It has a device for ascertaining the exposure correction values carried in the individual image data areas of the strip and a device for automatic control of the exposure depending on the exposure measurement data and the exposure correction values read from the positive strip. Has a printer. In particular for additional orders, another embodiment of the invention includes means for automatically removing from the magazine a recording cartridge filled with film strips and positive strips, and a means for automatically removing from the magazine a recording cartridge filled with film strips and positive strips, and a means for automatically removing from the magazine a recording cartridge filled with film strips and positive strips; means for extracting the film strip from the recording cartridge, a device for automatically controlling exposure and transport in accordance with read order data, exposure measurements and exposure correction values, and winding the film strip and positive strip. Means and means for further processing the magazine are provided.

According to the invention, searching for negatives and their associated numbers is avoided. The positive images are always in the order in which they were taken. Judgment of color quality is essentially facilitated by positive strips. Issues regarding the involvement and limitation of the orderer for processing are eliminated. Orderers know what they are ordering and what kind of processing they expect. An order processing center is not required for additional orders. The recording cartridge contains, in addition to the original film strip, all the data necessary for automatic processing. Mechanical data reading reduces errors in data evaluation. The quality of work remains the same and is improved over the current norm thanks to the modifications recorded during the initial order processing process. Repeating the copying process due to unsatisfactory copy quality is avoided. Clean and beautiful storage and processing of film materials is guaranteed.

The invention will be explained in more detail below by means of implementations shown in the figures.

The recording unit (Archivierungseinheit) produced in the first order processing in FIG. 1 has a recording cartridge 1 with an uncut developed film strip 3 into an end seam strip 2 as an auxiliary strip of the recording cartridge. In other words, negative film 3 is the first negative image 5 when processing an additional order.
is installed so that it can still reach the exposure stage of the printer. In the film strip 3, in the remaining area 4 after the last negative image 5 of the image area, there is a request bag 16 used for the first order.
The surface of (FIG. 2C) is exposed. From the film strip 3, a small positive strip 8 is produced by a printer 32 (FIG. 8). The positive image of the positive strip shows what automatically sets the printer's exposure and color conditions without a subjective human correction process. A filter setter is able to derive from the positive image of said positive strip 8 corrections which result in the desired color reproduction in the subsequently produced positive image. This modification is recorded in the data area 13 associated with each individual image of the positive strip 8.

In Figure 1a, the first image of the film strip is 7
It is shown in The positive strip 8 is applied as a front seam in front of the film strip 3. A data area form is exposed below each image of the front pager. A positive image 9 is a positive image relative to the negative image of the remaining area 4. Data area 10 below positive image 9
A request sending signal will be attached later. 11 is a positive image of the last negative image 5 of the film strip 3;
On the other hand, 12 indicates a positive image of the first negative image 7.

The data areas 13, one of which is shown enlarged in FIG. 1b, respectively include an entry area 62 for a Dominant O code for processing a film strip without exposure in the printer and an entry area 65 for total exposure correction. , a writing area 66 for blue exposure correction, a writing area 67 for green exposure correction, a writing area 68 for red exposure correction, and a writing area 6 for ordering 10-90 positives.
9 and an entry area 70 for ordering positive prints 1 to 9.

The attachment position between the film strip 3 and the positive strip 8 used as a front seam is indicated at 71. The film strip and the front seam are attached to each other in such a way that the beginning of the film strip is free as a control strip 6 (FIG. 2b). At the front end of the front seam 8 there is a blank image area 15 with an associated data area 14 (FIG. 2d) and an engagement part 87 for the tensile material of the working device (printer).

Wedges are indicated by broken lines in the writing areas 65-68. Exposure modification instructions can be conveniently carried out by affixing dashed line marks on or below this wedge at positions according to the desired modification;
Said dashed line mark is particularly erasable so that it is possible to change the correction values according to the customer's wishes.

Figures 2a to 2d show the beginning of the film strip (the second
Examples of the coding of the front side of the bag (Figure 2c) and the front seam 8 (Figure 2d) are shown.
The coding area, indicated generally at 74, of the request bag 16 has various coding sections. The coding section defined for the first request, e.g. section A,
B, C, F and G are provided with hatched boxes, while the coded compartments are simply indicated by boxed boxes;
For example, D and E are set for additional orders.
Coding sections include, for example, film formation, copying paper dimensions, etc. The work order is qualified by filling in the coding compartment. For the first order, the corresponding data in the form of perforations from the coding section of the request bag 16 is transferred to the control strip 6 at the beginning of the film strip before developing the film in the darkroom 26. The space 78 provided for the control strip is shown in Figure 2a. Finished control strip 6
An embodiment of the invention is shown in enlarged dimensions in FIG. 2b. Positions 81-86 of the first working code, generally designated 72, indicate the number of exposures per shot, image size and paper type, one or more filing strips when working with a working printer. and a binary representation for the task on the front of the request bag 16 which defines or controls the exposure of similar work tasks together.

The data on the control strip 6 is captured by a reader 42 of the printer (FIG. 11). The reading device is actuated by a signal from a delay circuit of the electronic control of the printer, so that the delay of the connection signal taken out by the connection holes or connection recesses 75, 76, 77 (FIG. 2a) corresponds to the image length ( 2nd a
It is set larger than the transport path 79) in the figure.

For example, the input signals have the following meanings: 81 means negative film and positive processing with binary code 11, 82 means Kodatsu film with binary code 01, Agfa CNS film with binary code 10, 11 indicates Fuji Film, binary code 00 indicates Sakura Film, and 83 indicates binary code 0001, image size 7 x 10 cm.
The binary code 0010 makes the image size 9 x 9 cm, the binary code 0011 makes the image size 13 x 18 cm, the binary code 0100 makes the image size 9 x 13 cm, the binary code 0101 makes the image size 10 ×15cm, different sizes with binary code 0111, 84 with binary code 00 for glossy paper, binary code 01 for matte paper, 85 with binary code 01 for each negative with one positive , 2 positives for each negative with binary code 10, 3 positives for each negative with binary code 11, 86 additionally records band 1 with binary code 01
, and additionally indicates recording band 2 by binary code 10.

At the end of processing the first order, the control strip 6 ceases to function. For additional orders, this information is retrieved from the data area 14 of the predecessor 8, and the data corresponding to this data area is retrieved, in particular automatically, by reading the request bag. The coding 73 of this data area is shown enlarged in FIG. 2d. Additional order coding 91-96 corresponds to initial order coding 81-86. The data section above positions 97-100 of the data area 14 relates to the range of the request bag 16, which in the case of the first order has a diastreifen in the formats 24/36 and 32/45; It is not suitable for automation, such as for producing forms such as program strips and especially recording strips. This work request is submitted by the customer or the reception location. The reception location can therefore guarantee perfect working efficiency with regard to color quality and the correct implementation of requests.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the course of the work program control. In work steps a, b and c, the first work program for the control strip 6 is taken from the request bag 16. Connection hole (control hole) 75, 76,
After drilling 77 with the image mark punch 29 (step d), the front seam 8 is exposed in the printer 32 together with the image strip and the data strip (step e) and developed (step f). control desk 3
7, exposure correction values are input into the data area 13 as long as necessary. In case of a shooting error, a dominant 0 code is recorded to avoid unnecessary losses (step g). In the production printer 44, the spools 33 and 39 are loaded with a number of custom film strips 3 or positive strips 8 as modified precursors placed next to each other. A product copy is produced according to the data of strips 3 and 8 (step h,
i, j). After exposure and development, the film strip 3 and the front seam 8 are applied to the seam strip 2 of the cartridge 1 and wound up. The positive image is cut and the order is sorted (step k).

The work steps generally shown in a sketch based on FIG. 3 will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 14.

In Figure 4, firstly, unorganized order bag 1
A basket 17 with 6 goes to an entrance sorting station 18, where the new orders arriving are sorted, ie the order bags are divided according to the work order and then transported to a basket 19 to the work place.

In the darkroom 26 (FIG. 5), the photographic cartridge or camera cartridge 20 is removed from the bag 16 containing the first order. Patrone 20 will be held. The starting end of the film strip is introduced into the pasting machine 23,
Meanwhile, the now empty order bag 16 is inserted into the slit 21' of the reading device 21. The order instructions entered in the command area outlined by the hatching are mechanically read, the correspondence with the work program is considered, and the starting end of the film strip is transferred to the preceding film strip, which has already been partially wound onto the spool 25. Parallel to the application to the rear end of the strip, a perforator 22 perforates the beginning of the film strip as a control strip 6. The corresponding order bag 16 is made of this film strip 3 at the same time as the pasting process and the perforation process.
from the reading device 21 to the exposure unit 24 in order to expose the front side of the order bag 16 to the corresponding (last at that time) remaining area 4. The order bag is then moved into the basket 90.

The full spool 25 is transferred to the developing machine 27 (6th
(Fig.) and the film strip start end is hooked onto the tension belt of the machine. After passing, the arranged film strip leaves the darkroom 26 in a dry state and is wound onto a spool 28, with the beginning of the film strip on the outside. The film strip unwound from the spool 28 is subsequently loaded into an image mark perforator 29 (FIG. 7) where control holes (connection holes) 75, 7
6, 77, etc. are perforated, while the film strip is wound onto the spool 30 with the ends facing outward.
The film strip is rewound onto spool 28 and subsequently loaded into printer 32 (FIG. 8). Additionally inserted into the printer is a cassette containing an unexposed 35 mm wide repository paper band. The positive strip 8 removed from the cassette 31 has dimensions 24x36.
At the same time, the exposure device 64 exposes the form of the data area 13 under each positive image. The film strip 3 is wound onto the spool 33 with the end facing out, while the photographic paper band is wound onto the spool of the winding cassette 34 with the end facing out.

The exposed 35mm photographic paper band is placed in positive paper developing machine 3.
5 and is wound onto a take-up spool 36 (FIG. 9) with the starting end facing outward.

The spool 36 carrying the positive strip is loaded into a control or correction desk 37 (10th
), the desk is equipped with a monitoring and entry device 38. At the control desk, the image of the positive strip is examined. Exposure corrections and color corrections as well as dominant 0 marks for useless photographs that should not be worked together are input into the individual image data area 13 on request. The last image of each order with the order bag 16 exposed in area 4 then has an order delivery mark in data area 10. During the inspection and correction steps, the positive strip that was first wound onto the spool 39 is wound back onto the spool 36 with the starting end facing outward.

The spool 36 with the positive strip and the spool 33 carrying the film strip are connected to the production printer 44.
(Fig. 11). Both strips pass through the printer and are wound onto spools 45 or 46. In this step, the film strip is scanned by a reader 42. The program recorded on the control strip 6 is stored in the storage device of the printer's computer. Scanner 4
1 measures and stores the color density of the film strip during its passage. At the same time, the data field of the positive strip is followed by the reading device 43 and the corresponding values are likewise provided to the storage device of the computer. Both values define the position of the exposure color control of the printer's filter mirror cylinder 89. In the first working order currently considered, the control strip 6 of the film strip 3 is also taken out of the film strip formation instruction, so that the selection of the corresponding color storage device for exposure control is automatically performed. Can be switched. In the case of a follow-up order, this instruction is read from the data area 14 of the predecessor 8, which is, for example, transferred to the predecessor 8 during the assembly of the first order.
and a suitable cord before winding the film strip 3 onto the cartridge 1. The printer 44 is equipped with a simultaneous exposure device. The printer has, for example, a cassette 31 with unexposed 35 mm wide positive paper and a cassette with a 90 mm spool of copy material. The positive strip is wound up in a winding cassette 48 or 47, optionally after simultaneous exposure.
A spool 45 with a front end 8 and a front end 8
and a container with a spool 46 with the film strip 3 terminated outward, a copy 8/13 with an end mark outward, and a container with a spool 47 and a copy 32/45 with the termination outward; Spool 48
leaves the printer 44 after passing through.

The contents of spools 47 and 48 are positive developing machine 35
(Fig. 12). The strips leave the machine onto spools 49, 50 with their starting ends facing outwards. The contents of spools 49 and 50 are wound onto spools 51 or 52 (FIG. 13) and then come to assembly station 55 (FIG. 14) for final processing.
The film strip of the spool 46 is then applied to the seam strip 2 of the cartridge 1 removed from the box 53 and separated from the spool 46. Spool 4
The front seam 8 unwound from 5 is applied to the starting end of the film strip 3 by means of an adhesive machine 56. An end mark signal and a corresponding memory are input into the predecessor 8. The paper web from spool 51 passes to cutter 57 for cutting. The order box 88 stores photographic paper in a predetermined manner. The 35 mm record copies withdrawn from the spool 52 are wound and placed in an order bag along with other copies and the assembled record unit (FIG. 1a), and the order bag is placed in a basket 54 for shipping sorting. This completes the initial order processing.

For additional orders, the customer or the reception place can enter the desired image size, paper type, and image area for each image area or for the entire image area of the film strip 3 in the data area provided for additional orders on the order bag 16 or the front piece 8. number of copies of,
In some cases, instructions regarding changes to subjective exposure corrections, etc. are entered. The entries are made in particular in an erasable manner, at least in the predecessor 8, in such a way that the corresponding data can be changed again for subsequent additional orders.

The order is transferred from the basket 19 to a preparation table 59 (FIG. 15) for additional orders. Patrone 1 with a film strip 3 and a positive strip 8 with a cord
is placed in the magazine 60, and the magazine serves for automatic cartridge exchange within the printer. Sorting is then carried out in such a way that all orders of one magazine advantageously consist of producing images of the same size of the same material. Magazine 60 is printer 44
(FIG. 16), which printer is advantageously the same printer that was used during the initial order processing (FIG. 11). In this case, however, the spools 33 and 46 are not used for winding and unwinding the film strip. first patrone 1
is captured by the printer 44 and sent to the cartridge receiver, where the tension belt of the device is connected to the engaging portion 87 of the front piece 8. Front seam 8 and film strip 3
is drawn from the patrone. The front splice is positioned in the reading device 43. The successor data area is read. First of all, the data is retrieved from the data area 4, controlled and stored, and then the transport sends the next data area 13, the corrected values of which are read out to the computer, while the associated film strip is transferred by the scanner 41. be measured. Exposure is determined based on both reading steps. The scanner computer sets the color filters in the exposure cylinder 89 according to the calculated exposure. Exposure is released. Meanwhile, the next data field 13 is already being read and the next film strip is being measured. A suitably controlled exposure is repeated periodically until the command feed signal in the data area 10 causes the unwinding of the film strip 3 and the front seam 8 and the ejection of the cartridge 1. The pivoting roll 102 serves as a length compensation between the forerunner and the relevant part of the film strip, so that the reading device 43 reads the data area of the respective form, which is directly captured by the scanner 41. It belongs to the negative image that is used. The tension belt and front piece come from the cartridge 1 and are wound onto a small take-up roll 103.

The exposed positive strip is developed by a developing machine 35 (No. 9
), in which, for example, 4 to 6 strips of different width can be processed in a continuous manner.

Order bag 1 is placed at Chogoi assembly place 55 (Fig. 17).
6, the cartridge 1, the custom copy and, if necessary, the exposed recording strip together. The recording strips are stored in the form of small rolls 61 during transport. Orders are placed in baskets 58 for shipping sorting and delivery.

Particularly for infrequent dimensional and/or material handling, the entire recording unit can also be completely assembled already before the finishing of the product copy (FIG. 11). For this purpose, in FIG. 18, the film strip 3 and the front splice 8 are assembled together with the cartridge 1 and placed in the magazine 60 at the assembly station. The printer 44 then exposes the given program as in FIG. 16 (FIG. 19). The development (Fig. 20) is carried out using the developing machine 35 corresponding to Fig. 12.
It will be held in The first assembly (FIG. 21) corresponds to each of FIG.

This processing variant avoids long waiting times for processing infrequent order types. This is because it is not necessary to collect enough orders of the same type to fill spool 33.

Many further variations and developments are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, using the newly appeared multi-grade photographic papers on the market, it is possible to produce individual copies or enlargements with printers which, with today's methods, are also no better than manual work.

FIG. 22 shows a format 101 suitable for recording the cartridge 1, which can be attached to the camera body or camera case during shooting, and which includes information such as the date and address of the photograph. The data will be filled in.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1a shows a recording unit according to the invention, FIG. 1b is an enlarged view of the data area of the positive strip,
Figure 2a shows how the film strips are connected before development; Figure 2b is an enlarged view of the control strip perforated in the film strip; Figure 2c is a reduced schematic view of the front of the order bag; Figure 2d 3 is a schematic representation of the steps of the method according to the invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the delivery distribution of the first order; FIG. 5 shows an apparatus for perforating control strips and custom bag exposure for film strips; FIG. 6 shows a developing apparatus for film strips; FIG. 7 shows an apparatus for perforating control marks; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a printer for exposing positive strips, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a developing device for positive strips,
Figure 10 shows a correction desk that determines image quality based on positive strips; Figure 11 shows a production printer during the processing of an initial order; and Figure 12 relates to the printer of Figure 11. 13 is a diagram showing the winding device; FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the final processing of the first order at the assembly location;
Figure 5 is a diagram showing the processing of additional orders, Figure 16 is a diagram showing the manufacturing printer during the processing of additional orders, and Figure 1 is a diagram showing the processing of additional orders.
Figure 7 shows the assembly location for additional orders, Figure 18~
FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of a variant embodiment for processing additional instructions, and FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a data carrier defined as a recording aid. 1...Record cartridge, 2...Connection strip, 3...Film strip, 4...Image area, 5...
Negative image, 7... film strip, 8... positive strip,
10...Data area, 13...Data area, 14
...Data area, 16...Order bag.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An uncut film strip that is sent together with a request bag that is stored undeveloped in a camera cartridge or camera cassette and filled with data corresponding to the overall request processing at the time of the first request. In the process of producing photocopies, during the initial order processing a positive strip with individual image data areas associated with each positive image is used to accommodate the mechanically repeatable working data appropriate for the copy request. the data area form is exposed along with the positive images to form a data area at a location beneath each image of the positive strip, and the developed positive strip is inspected; Exposure correction instruction data and image-specific instruction data are selectively filled into the data area of the positive strip based on A method characterized in that the assembly of strips is assembled together with a record cartridge into a permanent record unit. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data content of the request bag is exposed to the film strip before development. 3. Before the data field of the individual images of the positive strip, an additional data field for the input of general request data is formed, and after the last positive image a data field for the end of request mark is formed. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in: 4. In the course of reordering, the general order data is read from the additional data area of the positive strip as well as the image characteristic data from the individual image data area of the positive strip to produce the individual copies, and this data is aggregated and 4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that exposure, transport, and loading within the printer are automatically controlled by data. 5 having a developed film strip and a positive strip that is a copy of the film strip, the positive strip receiving an individual unenlarged positive image and associated film processing data readable by a data area device; The positive strip is connected to one end of the film strip, the end of the auxiliary strip provided on the cartridge is connected to the other end of the film strip, and the positive strip is connected to the other end of the film strip. when you need to
Characteristic in that it is sufficient that only the positive strip with the individual positive image and the machine-readable data area is withdrawn from the cartridge, and that the film strip is withdrawn from the cartridge only to produce a positive image in response to a reorder. Film units used for reordering for positive photocopy manufacturing. 6. The recording unit according to claim 5, wherein each cartridge is provided with a photographic data form that can be removably attached to the camera body or camera bag during image photographing.