JPH08146521A - Microfilm scanning method, microfilm, camera and scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To shorten the time required for picture image reading and make it possible to retrieve automatically and efficiently by detecting the picture image of a frame by the use of the magnification of a projection lens and reading the picture image by means of scanning the frame picture range. CONSTITUTION: A rolled microfilm 10 has frames 12a, 12b 12c... transferred at suitable intervals. The frame 12a is of a frame of a half size length "F2 and the frame 12b is of a full size having a length 2P which is two times of the frame 12a. Frame dimension marks 14a, 14b, 14c are transferred on respective frames adjoining to their front edges. One of the ends of the mark 14 is protruded towards bottom edge of the film 10 and this protrusion forms a blip B. When the picture image is read, the frame dimension mark 14 is read by a reading means, the frame picture image range is detected by using the magnification of a projection lens, the picture image range is scanned and the picture image is read. Thus it eliminates the necessity by an operator to designate the scanning range as watching a screen and retrieval can be efficiently performed.

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, a microfilm, a camera, and a scanner, which uses a roll film on which information about the size and position of a photographed frame is printed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image of a frame printed on a roll microfilm is read by a scanner using an image sensor such as a CCD line sensor, the read image signal is image-processed and printed out, or an optical disc as digital data is used. It is considered that the data is recorded in the image recording device or 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 A first object of the present invention is to provide a method for scanning a microfilm that can be searched with high efficiency. A second object is to provide a microfilm directly used for carrying out this method. A third object is to provide a camera for making this microfilm. A fourth object is to provide a scanner using this microfilm.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a first object 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 that indicates the frame size according to the length or position in the film running direction and the film width direction and functions as a blip is attached in advance to the film, and when the image is read, the frame size mark is read by the mark reading means, and the projection lens The method for scanning a microfilm is characterized in that the image range of a frame is detected using the magnification of, and the image range of this frame is scanned to read the image.

A second object of the present invention is to provide 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. This is achieved by a microfilm characterized in that the size of each frame is indicated by a position and a frame size mark functioning as a blip is added.

A third object is a document size detecting means for detecting at least one of a length and a width of a document in a camera for a microfilm film for continuously capturing images of a document on a roll film, and this detection. Frame size detection means for determining the size of the frame to be photographed on the film using the document size and the reduction ratio of the photographing lens, and imprinting means for imprinting the mark indicating the determined frame size on the film together with the blip indicating the address. And a microfilm camera.

A fourth object is to provide a frame size mark indicating a frame size recorded for each frame of the microfilm in a microfilm scanner which reads an image of a frame to be searched from the microfilm by the first image sensor. A mark reading means for reading by a second image sensor is provided, and the detected area of the frame size is set to the first area.
And a reading range of the image sensor of the micro film scanner.

[0011]

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, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a scanner used for searching the microfilm. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a microfilm on which a frame size mark is imprinted.

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 may be arbitrary, but in this embodiment, 12a is a half size having a length p, and 12b is a full size having a length 2p (length in the film running direction) which is twice that. This is the frame.

A frame size mark 14 (14a, 14a) that is long in the film width direction is adjacent to the leading edge of each frame 12, that is, the edge on the film running direction (direction of arrow A in FIG. 4) at the time of retrieval.
b, 14c) are imprinted. This mark 14 has the same length p, 2p as the length p, 2p of the corresponding frame 12. The mark 14 also serves as a blip indicating the address of the top 12. That is, one end of the mark 14 projects toward the lower side edge of the film 10, and this projecting portion serves as a blip B. Therefore, by counting the number of the blips B, the address of the frame 12 can be known.

It should be noted that the mark 14 can be configured to display multiple levels of blips. For example, when B is a small level indicating a page, B1 is a medium level indicating a concept higher than the page, B2 is a further large level, and these small, medium, and large levels are distinguished by the length in the film running direction. To

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 from above by the lamp 26.
A document detecting means 28 is arranged below the document table 22.

The original platen detection means 28 has a large number of optical sensors arranged at appropriate intervals, for example, and has an original platen 2
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 casing 32 are arranged above the original table 22, and a roll film 34 is wound around the reels 36 and 38 in the casing 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. .

Reference numeral 44 denotes a CPU, which has various functions such as a frame size detecting means 46, an address designating means 48, an imprinting control means 50 and the like by software. The document size and position detected by the document size detecting means 28,
When information such as the reduction ratio of the taking lens 30 is read by 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 imprint control 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 document 24, and the original document 24 passes through between them to shield the original document 24 to detect the passage of the original document 24. 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 and document position are obtained.

The frame size is obtained from the obtained document size and position and the reduction ratio of the photographing lens 30, and the frame size mark 14 (see FIG. 4) indicating the frame size is printed on the film 34 together with the blip indicating the address. The thing is
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 (see FIG. 4) 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 1 in which the frame size mark 14 is imprinted together with the blip B is shown.
0 is from one of the two reels 70, 72 to the other 72
It is wound up and runs. This film 10 has a light source 74
Light is guided from below, and the transmitted light of the film 10 has a projection lens 76, an image rotation prism 78, a reflection mirror 80,
It is guided to the screen 86 from the back via 82 and 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. A CCD line sensor 92 as a first image sensor is attached to the movable plate 88. Therefore, by moving the movable plate 88 in the horizontal direction by the servo motor 90 while reading the image incident on the line sensor 92, 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. This mark reading means 94 is a CCD as a second image sensor.
Formed by a line sensor, the shape of the frame size mark 14 is read at high speed. On the other hand, the running amount of the roll film 10 is detected by the rotary encoder 98.

The CPU 100 is the mark reading means 94.
Based on the output of and the output of the rotary encoder 98,
The frame size / address detecting means 102 detects the frame size and the blip. The blip is counted here, and the film feed control means 104 controls the feed of the film 10 so as to project the frame to be searched on the screen 86. Reference numeral 108 is a film feeding motor.

The mark reading means 94 may be composed of a CCD line sensor as the second image sensor and a light receiver such as a phototransistor for detecting a blip. That is, the line sensor detects the length of the frame size mark 14 in the film width direction, and the light receiver detects the blip B. In this way, only the blip B is detected at high speed by the light receiver at the time of search, and the line sensor determines the length of the mark 14 for the target frame, so that the detection speed by the line sensor is slow. Does not cause any inconvenience.

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 34
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 34
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.

By scanning the scan range of the line sensor 92, that is, the range of the frame (original), the image of the frame (original) is read. 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.

The scanner described here has a line sensor 92 as a second image sensor in the mark reading means 94 in addition to the line sensor 92 as a first image sensor for image reading. However, the second image sensor can also be used as the first image sensor. In this case, the moving table 8 while the film 10 is running
8 is made to stand still, the projected images sequentially and successively read by the line sensor 92 are read, the frame size mark 14 is discriminated, and the length in the film width direction is detected.

Next, another embodiment of the frame size mark will be described with reference to FIGS.
8 will be described. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a blip B is provided in the A channel along the lower edge of the film 10 so as to be aligned with the front edge of the frame 12, while the frame size mark 14A (which is long in the film width direction at the rear edge of the frame 12). 14Aa, 14
Ab and 14Ac) are provided. Mark here 1
The length of 4A is matched with the length of the top 12 in the film running direction.

The length of the mark 14A can be matched with the width of the frame. In this case, it is desirable that the interval between the blip B and the mark 14 indicates the length of the frame. The blips B, B1 and B2 have different lengths in order to distinguish between the small, medium and large levels as in the embodiment of FIG.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 has A along the lower edge of the film.
The mark 14B (14
Ba, 14Bb, 14Bc) and a mark 14C (14Ca, 14C) attached to the front edge of the top 12 and having the same length as the front edge.
Cb, 14Cc). In this case, the frame 12 can be correctly detected by the position of the mark 14C even if the position in the film width direction is changed.

In FIG. 6, the top 12c is displaced in the width direction, but since the mark 14Cc is also displaced by the same amount, the mark detecting means 94 (FIG. 3) of the scanner also detects this displacement amount. By doing so, it is possible to determine the scan range and further the print output range.

In FIG. 6, the mark 14B also has a blip function, but when the blip is divided into small, medium, and large levels, it is possible to distinguish the mark 14B by attaching a vertical stripe. That is, it can be determined that the mark 14Ba1 having one vertical stripe indicates a medium level and the mark 14Ba2 having two vertical stripes indicates a large level.

The embodiment of FIG. 7 has a frame dimension mark 14D (14Da, 14Db, 14D) having a length equal to the length of the frame 12 in the A channel along the lower edge of the film.
c) is attached. This mark 14D has a blip function and is small depending on the width in the film width direction,
Distinguish between medium and large levels. That is, the mark 14Da having the smallest width indicates a small level, and the marks 14Da1 (14Db1, 14Dc1), 1 are increased by increasing the width.
It is assumed that 4Da2 (14Db2, 14Dc2) respectively indicate medium and large levels.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, as in the case of FIG. 7, a frame size mark 14E having the same length as the frame is provided on the A channel.
(14Ea, 14Eb, 14Ec) is attached, but the way of attaching the blip B is different. That is, mark 14E
Blip B at the front edge of the so that it projects toward the film side edge.
Is attached. And by changing the length of this blip B (length in the film running direction), small, medium,
I tried to distinguish between large levels. Blip B attached to 14Ea is a small level, Blip B1 attached to 14Ea1
Indicates a medium level, and the blip B2 attached to 14Ea2 indicates a large level.

[0041]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a mark that indicates the frame size and functions as a blip is attached so as to indicate the length or position of the microfilm in the running direction and the width direction, and the image is scanned by the scanner. When reading, the size and position of the frame image, that is, the image of the original is detected from this mark to determine the scan range.

Therefore, it is not necessary to scan the entire projected image, and it is possible to scan only the required range including the image of the original, 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, the frame size mark can be provided in the film width direction along the front edge or the rear edge of the frame (claim 3). One end of the mark may be projected to one side edge of the film, and the projecting portion may be a blip (claim 4).

Further, the frame size mark is provided along one side edge of the film, the length thereof indicates the frame size, and the width thereof can distinguish the level of the blip (claim 5). According to the invention of claim 6, a camera for producing this microfilm is obtained.

The camera may be a flat type or a rotary type. According to the invention of claim 7, a scanner using this microfilm can be obtained. In this case, the second image sensor can also be used as the first image sensor (Claim 8), and a light receiver for blip detection may be added to the mark reading means (Claim 9).

[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.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 micro film with a frame size mark 12 frames 14, 14A to 14E frame size mark 20 flatbed camera 20A rotary camera 22 platen 24 document 28, 28A document size detecting means 30 photographing 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 as first image sensor 94 Mark reading means 102 Frame size / address detecting means 106 Scan range detecting means 110 Printer B Blip

Claims (9)

[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, wherein the microfilm has a length in a film running direction and a film width direction. The frame size mark indicating the frame size depending on the size or position is added in advance, and 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, wherein each frame is determined by the length or position in the film running direction and the film width direction. A microfilm having a frame size mark that indicates the size of the above and functions as a blip. 3. The microfilm according to claim 2, wherein the frame size mark is formed long in the film width direction along the front edge or the rear edge of the frame, and the frame size is indicated by the length in the film width direction. 4. The microfilm according to claim 3, wherein the frame size mark has at least one end protruding toward one side edge of the film, and the protruding portion is a blip. 5. The micro according to claim 2, wherein the frame size mark is formed along one side edge of the film, has a length of the frame in the film running direction, and indicates the blip level by the width in the film width direction. the film. 6. A camera for a microfilm film, which continuously captures images of a document on a roll film, document size detecting means for detecting at least one of the length and width of the document, and the detected document size and image capturing. It is characterized by comprising frame size detection means for determining the size of the frame to be photographed on the film using the reduction ratio of the lens, and imprinting means for imprinting a mark indicating the determined frame size on the film together with a blip indicating the address. And a camera for microfilm. 7. A microfilm scanner for reading an image of a frame to be searched from a microfilm by a first image sensor, wherein a frame size mark indicating a frame size recorded for each frame of the microfilm is provided with a second image sensor. Equipped with mark reading means to read by
A microfilm scanner, wherein the detected frame size region is set as a reading range of the first image sensor. 8. The microfilm scanner according to claim 7, wherein the first image sensor also serves as the second image sensor of the mark reading means. 9. The microfilm scanner according to claim 7, wherein the mark reading means has a light receiver for reading a blip provided along a side edge of the microfilm, in addition to the second image sensor.