JPH08146520A - Microfilm scanning method and microfilm - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilely detect the picture image range of a frame without inputting by hand and to make it possible to automatically and efficiently retrieve the picture image range by providing a blip indicating the address of respective frames on respective frames along at least one side edge of a photographic film. CONSTITUTION: A rolled microfilm 10 has frames 12a, 12b, 12c... transferred at suitable intervals. The frame 12a is of a half size and the frame 12b is of a full size having the length of two times of that of the frame 12a. Frame dimension marks 14a, 14b, 14c are transferred on the outside of the respective frames along the side edges on the lower part of the rolled microfilm. This mark 14 is made in the same length as that of the corresponding frame 12 and it also serves as a blip indicating the address of the frame 12. In other words, the address of the frame 12 can be learnt by counting the numbers of the frame 14. Thus because it eliminates the necessity to designate the scanning range by the operator as watching the screen, unmanned and efficient retrieval of the scanning range becomes possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microfilm scanning method using a roll film on which information on the size and position of a photographed frame is recorded, and a microfilm.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image of a frame printed on a roll microfilm is read by a scanner using a CCD line sensor, the read image signal is image-processed and printed out, or recorded as digital data on an optical disk or the like. Alternatively, it is considered that the data is transferred to another image processing device. In this case, the size and position of the frame change depending on the size and position of the document or the reduction ratio of the photographing lens. For this reason, the size and position of the original image are not constant in the film projection image.

Since it is possible to read the entire range of the projected image with a scanner and detect the position of the image (frame), it is possible to extract and output only the required image range.
That is, since the outside of the frame is a region that becomes a black frame when printed out (hereinafter referred to as a black frame region), it is possible to detect the boundary with the black frame and detect the image position of the frame.

[0004]

However, in this case, since it is necessary to scan the entire range of the projected image, there is a problem that it takes time to read the image and process the image.

Therefore, in a microfilm reader for projecting a film projection image on a screen, the operator manually inputs the position of the image (frame) while watching the image of the frame (image of the original document) projected on the screen. Is being done. This is because the scan time can be shortened by scanning only the manually input range. However, in this case, the operation is troublesome and inefficient. Moreover, this method cannot be used when the image is automatically searched for without scanning the screen and the required image is read by the scanner.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can easily detect the image range of a frame without manually inputting it, shortening the scanning time required for image reading, and automatically It is an object of the present invention to provide a microfilm scanning method capable of efficiently searching with. It is another object to provide a microfilm which is used directly for carrying out this method.

[0007]

According to the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a microfilm scanning method in which a blip indicating the address of each frame is provided for each frame along at least one side edge of the film. A frame size mark indicating the frame size depending on the length or position in the film running direction along at least one side edge is attached in advance,
Scanning a microfilm characterized in that the frame size mark is read by the mark reading means during image reading, the image range of the frame is detected using the magnification of the projection lens, and the image range of this frame is scanned to read the image. Method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a micro film, in which a blip indicating the address of each frame is provided for each frame along at least one edge of the film, depending on the length or position of the film in the film running direction. It is achieved by a microfilm having a frame size mark indicating a size.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a flat-bed camera for producing a microfilm used in the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is also a rotary camera, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of this microfilm scanner, and FIG. 4 is a frame size. It is a figure which shows one Example of the microfilm which imprinted the mark.

First, the frame size mark will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 10 is a roll microfilm, and the frames 12 (12
a, 12b, 12c ...) are imprinted. The size of these frames 12 may be arbitrary, but in this embodiment, 12a is a half size and 12b is a full size frame having a double length (length in the film running direction).

Frame size marks 14 (14a, 14b, 1) are formed on the outside of each frame 12 along the lower side edge of the film 10.
4c) is imprinted. This mark 14 has the same length as the length of the corresponding frame 12. The mark 14 also serves as a blip indicating the address of the top 12. That is, the address of the frame 12 can be known by counting the number of the marks 14.

It should be noted that the mark 14 can be configured to display multiple levels of blips. For example 14, 14, 14
Is a small level indicating a page, 14a1, 1
4b1 and 14c1 are medium levels indicating a concept higher than a page, and 14a2, 14b2, and 14c2 are further large levels, and these small, medium, and large levels are distinguished by the number of vertical stripes at the beginning, for example.

Such a microfilm 10 can be photographed by the camera shown in FIGS. In the flatbed camera 20 shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 22 denotes a flat platen, which is made of a translucent glass plate. The manuscript 24 is the manuscript table
And is illuminated by a lamp 26 from above.
A document detecting means 28 is arranged below the document table 22.

The original platen detecting means 28 has a large number of optical sensors arranged at appropriate intervals, for example,
2 is configured to receive the light of the lamp 26 that has passed through 2. Then, depending on the positions of the optical sensor in which the light of the lamp 26 is shielded by the original 24 and the light sensor in which the light is not shielded, the original
It is possible to detect the size and the position of 4.

A photographing lens 30 and a housing 32 are provided above the original table 22, and a roll film 34 is wound around the reels 36 and 38 in the housing 32 to run. The image of the original 24 is taken by the taking lens 30 to form the roll film
4 is imaged. The take-up reel 38 for the roll film 34 is driven by a servomotor 40.

Also inside the housing 32 is a roll film 34.
The imprinting means 42 facing the back side is provided. The imprinting means 42 is, for example, one in which light emitting diodes are linearly arranged, and imprints an arbitrary figure, mark or the like on the film 34 by selectively causing the light emitting diodes to emit light in synchronization with the traveling of the film 34. .

A CPU 44 has various functions such as a frame size detecting means 46, an address designating means 48, an imprinting control means 50, etc. by software. When information such as the document size detected by the document size detecting means 28 and the reduction ratio of the photographing lens 30 is read into the CPU 44,
The frame size detecting means 46 calculates the size of the original image projected on the film 34, that is, the frame size.

The frame size thus obtained and the address output from the address designating means 48 are imprinting controlling means 50.
Is input to the predetermined frame size mark 14 described in FIG. 4 while making the motor 40 and the imprinting means 42 cooperate with each other.
And the blip is printed on the film 34.

Next, the rotary camera 20A shown in FIG. 2 will be described. In this camera 20A, the document 24 continuously moves at a constant speed by the conveying means, while the roll film 34 is wound around the rotating roller 52 and travels in the direction opposite to the document 24. The image of the original document 24 passes through the taking lens 30 and the slit 54, and is focused on the roll film 34 which runs in close contact with the rotating roller 52.

A light emitter 56 and a light receiver 58 are provided in the conveyance path of the original 24, and the passage of the original 24 is detected by blocking the original 24 from passing therethrough. Manuscript 2
The traveling distance of 4 is detected by the rotary encoder 60. The outputs of the light receiver 58 and the rotary encoder 60 are input to the document size detecting means 28A, which is one of the functions of the CPU 44A, and the document size is obtained.

The frame size is obtained from the obtained document size and the reduction ratio of the photographing lens 30, and the frame size mark 14 (see FIG. 4) indicating the frame size is imprinted on the film 34 together with the blip indicating the address. This is the same as the case of the flat-bed camera of FIG. Therefore, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

Next, a microscanner using the roll film 10 on which the frame size mark 14 is imprinted will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the micro roll film 10 in which the frame size mark 14 is imprinted together with the blip.
Runs while being wound from one of the two reels 70, 72 to the other 72. Light from a light source 74 is guided to the film 10 from below, and transmitted light from the film 10 is projected by a projection lens 76, an image rotation prism 78, and reflection mirrors 80, 8.
It is guided from the back side to the screen 86 via 2, 84.

A vertically movable plate 8 is provided on the back surface of the screen 86.
8 is provided so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, and the servo motor 90
Is moved horizontally by. This movable plate 88 has a CCD
A line sensor 92 is attached. Therefore, the movable plate 88 is read while reading the image incident on the line sensor 92.
The horizontal direction is moved by the servo motor 90, so that the projected image on the screen 86 can be scanned and read.

On the supply reel 70 side of the projection lens 76, a mark reading means 94 and a light source 96 which face the roll film 10 are arranged. On the other hand, the running amount of the roll film 10 is detected by the rotary encoder 98. The CPU 100 uses this mark reading means 9
Based on the output of 4 and the output of the rotary encoder 98, the frame size / address detecting means 102 detects the frame size and the blip. The blips are counted here, and the film 10 is controlled by the film feed control means 104 so that the frame to be searched is projected on the screen 86.
Control the feed. The mark reading means 94 can be formed by a phototransistor facing the side edge of the film 10. This means 94 may be composed of a CCD image sensor.

Based on the frame size obtained by the frame size / address detection unit 102, the scan range detection unit 106 determines the size / position of the image of the frame within the screen 86. That is, the mark 1 attached to the frame 12 of the film 10
After the mark 4 is read by the mark reading unit 94, the frame 12 is a projection lens 76 in which the frame 12 is separated from the unit 94 by a predetermined distance.
The image is conveyed to a position on the optical axis of and is projected on the screen 86. The range of the image of the frame (image of the original) appearing on the screen 86 at this time is obtained by the scan range detecting means 106. The movable plate 88 is moved by the motor 90 so that the line sensor 92 moves and scans in this scanning range.

Based on the frame size obtained by the frame size / address detection unit 102, the scan range detection unit 106 determines the size / position of the image of the frame within the screen 86. That is, the mark 1 attached to the frame 12 of the film 10
After the mark 4 is read by the mark reading unit 94, the frame 12 is a projection lens 76 in which the frame 12 is separated from the unit 94 by a predetermined distance.
The image is conveyed to a position on the optical axis of and is projected on the screen 86. The range of the image of the frame (image of the original) appearing on the screen 86 at this time is obtained by the scan range detecting means 106. The movable plate 88 is moved by the motor 90 so that the line sensor 92 moves and scans in this scanning range.

An image of a frame (original) is read by scanning the scanning range of the line sensor 92, that is, the range of the frame (original). This image signal is subjected to predetermined processing by the image processing means 108 and output to the printer 110. As a result, the printer 110 prints out a frame (original) image. The signal processed by the image processing means 108 may be stored in a memory means such as a magneto-optical disk device or sent to another image processing device.

Next, another embodiment of the frame size mark will be described with reference to FIGS.
12 will be described. The embodiment of FIG. 5 is used when the size of the top 12 is predetermined to be a half size 12a and a full size 12b. Frame size mark 14A (14Aa, 14Ab, 14Ac) used here
Is also a blip. When the mark 14A has a small level, the medium level mark and the large level mark are 14Aa1 and 14a2, respectively, so that the marks can be distinguished by their lengths. For example, when the length of the small level mark 14Aa for the half size frame 12a is p, the medium and large level marks 14Aa1 and 14Aa2 are 2p and 3p, respectively. And full-size piece 1
2b small, medium and large level marks 14Ab, 1
The lengths of 4Ab1 and 14Ab2 are 4p, 5p and 6 respectively.
p.

The mark 14B shown in FIG. 6 is used together with a blip B similar to the conventional one. That is, Blip B is frame 1
2, the mark 14B indicates the rear end, and the distance between them indicates the length of the top 12 in the film running direction. The mark 14B is composed of a plurality of vertical lines in order to distinguish it from the prep B. When the blip B is divided into small, medium, and large levels, its length may be changed as shown by the medium and large level marks B1 and B2.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the trailing edge of the mark 14B is made to coincide with the trailing edge of the top 12.
However, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the mark 14C (14
The leading edge of Ca, 14Cb) may be aligned with the trailing edge of the top 12. Further, the blip B is not limited to the one in which the front edge thereof coincides with the front edge of the top 12 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. For example, the trailing edge of the blip B may be matched with the leading edge of the top 12.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the frame size mark 14D (14Da, 14Db, 14Dc) is continuously formed on the blip B.
Is attached. The mark 14D indicates a frame size (length) by a bar code, for example. It should be noted that the top 12 is a half size 12a and a full size 12b.
When there are only two species, it is sufficient that the mark 14D can identify two species. When the blip B includes small, medium, and large levels, the length is changed like B, B1, and B2.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the marks 14E (14Ea, 14Eb, 14) are formed along both side edges of the microfilm 10.
Ec) and blip B are attached separately. That is, it has an A channel along the lower side edge and a B channel along the upper side edge, and the B channel has the mark 14 shown in FIG.
Similar to a, 14b, and 14c, a frame size mark 14E having the same length as the length of the frame 12 is attached, and a blip B or B1, B2 is attached to the lower A channel.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the blip B provided in the A channel indicates the tip of the top 12, and the top dimension mark 14F (14Fa, 14Fb) attached to the B channel indicates the rear end of the top 12. Place the trailing edge of mark 14F here on top of frame 1.
Instead of being aligned with the trailing edge of No. 2, the leading edge of the mark 14F 'may be aligned with the trailing edge of the top 12, as shown by the phantom line in FIG.

In the embodiment of FIG. 11, it is distinguished that the frame 12b having the mark 14G on the B channel is full size and the frame 12a without the mark 14G is half size. In this case, the front edge of the top 12 is obtained by the blip B. Note that the B channel may be provided with marks 14H (14Ha, 14Hb, 14Hc) aligned with the front edge of the top 12, and the length of the top 12 may be indicated by the length of each mark 14H. For example, marks 14Ha and 14Hb
And can indicate half size and full size, respectively.

FIG. 12 shows marks 14 (14a, 1) similar to those of FIG. 4 showing the dimension of the top 12 in the lengthwise direction on the lower A channel.
4b, 14c), and marks 14I (14Ia, 14Ib, 1) indicating the widthwise dimension of the top 12 in the upper channel.
4Ic) is added. The mark 14I has the same length as the width q of the frame 12, for example. It is assumed that the top 12 of this embodiment is always photographed with its lower side on the A channel side brought closer to the A channel side. In the case of the normal flatbed camera 20 (see FIG. 1), one of
Since one corner is used as a reference point and the original 24 is photographed while being aligned so that one corner thereof is always on this reference point, the frame 12 is inevitably as shown in FIG.

[0037]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a mark indicating a frame size is provided along at least one side edge of the microfilm, and when the image is read by the scanner, the image of the frame, that is, the original document is read from the mark. The scan range is determined by detecting the size and position of the image.

Therefore, it is not necessary to scan the entire projected image, and only the necessary range including the image of the original can be scanned, and the image reading time can be shortened. Therefore, it is not necessary for the operator to specify the scan range while looking at the screen, so that the search can be performed unattended or efficiently.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a microfilm directly used for carrying out the method of the present invention is obtained.
In this case, it is possible to integrate the frame size mark with the blip (claim 3). However, the frame size mark and the blip may be separately provided in different channels along both side edges of the microfilm (claim 4). Further, the blip may display different levels of large, medium and small depending on the length (claim 5). Further, when the frame size changes not only in the film running direction but also in the film width direction, marks indicating the size in the length direction and the size in the width direction of the frame may be provided separately (claims). 6).

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a flat-bed camera

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a rotary camera.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a microfilm scanner.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a microfilm.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the microfilm.

FIG. 6 is a view showing another embodiment of the microfilm.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the microfilm.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the microfilm.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the microfilm.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the microfilm.

FIG. 11 is a view showing another embodiment of the microfilm.

FIG. 12 is a view showing another embodiment of the microfilm.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 micro film with a frame size mark 12 frames 14, 14A to 14I frame size mark 20 flatbed camera 20A rotary camera 22 platen 24 document 28, 28A document size detecting means 30 taking lens 34 roll film 42 imprinting means 44, 44A, 100 CPU 46 Frame size detecting means 48 Address designating means 50 Imprinting control means 86 Screen 92 CCD line sensor 94 Mark reading means 102 Frame size / address detecting means 106 Scan range detecting means 110 Printer

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method of scanning a microfilm in which a blip indicating an address of each frame is provided for each frame along at least one side edge of the film, and a blip is provided along at least one side edge of the microfilm. A frame size mark indicating a frame size is attached in advance depending on the length or position in the film running direction, the frame size mark is read by the mark reading means at the time of image reading, and the image range of the frame is detected using the magnification of the projection lens. Then, the scanning method of the microfilm is characterized by scanning the image range of this frame and reading the image. 2. A microfilm in which a blip indicating the address of each frame is provided for each frame along at least one side edge of the film, and the size of each frame is indicated by the length or position in the film running direction. A microfilm characterized by being provided with frame size marks along at least one side edge. 3. The microfilm of claim 1, wherein a frame size mark is integrated with the blip. 4. The microfilm according to claim 1, wherein the frame size mark and the blip are separately provided along different side edges of the film. 5. The microfilm according to claim 1, wherein the blip displays a plurality of levels that differ depending on the length in the film running direction. 6. Two kinds of frame size marks indicating the respective sizes of the frame in the film running direction and the film width direction are separately provided along both side edges of the film, and at least one of the marks also serves as a blip. Item 1. A microfilm according to item 1.