JPS6332533A - Discriminating method for characteristic of film image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an optimum exposure condition by comparing and deciding an image characteristic by plural deciding methods. CONSTITUTION:A negative reading part 8 is positioned in the pre-stage of a negative printing part 4, and a transmission density of a film 2 is read at every separate frame, and also, by a picture element unit. A negative discrimination processing part 9 inputs an image signal from the reading part 8, and decides an optimum printing condition. As for a deciding means, plural deciding means such as a means 91 by a statistical method, and a means 92 by a pattern recognitory method, etc. are provided. A condition determining means 94 discriminates a result of decision by the means 91, 92, etc. by the statistical method or an evaluating expression, and executes printing by one decided value. In case it has been decided that printing is impossible, an operator executes a decision. Not only an exposure correction value selected from plural negative decision result, but also a summing exposure correction quantity can be determine. In this way, the most desirable printing condition can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for characterizing film images in a photographic printer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Optical printers are known for photographic printing in which a developed film image is formed onto color paper using an optical system. Photo printing with this optical printer is a process in which the negative image on the developed film is not necessarily printed under the proper conditions, and may be overexposed or underexposed.9 Various photographic light sources, out of focus, and It is necessary to find optimal printing conditions for images depending on various factors such as color sensitivity.

For this reason, in photographic printing, the characteristics of each frame of a negative image are sometimes determined, and the amount of correction for the printing conditions is determined. Currently, to determine the optimal printing level of a negative image, the average transmission density of each frame of the negative image and the transmission density of multiple divided areas are measured, and the subject scene is classified and classified based on the size of the density difference and C degree distribution. Photo printing conditions are determined using statistical methods depending on the scene.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention - Conventional methods for determining the amount of exposure compensation are based on a statistical method based on the density distribution of each part of the negative image area. Conditions may be set, and several percent of photo printing is reprinted in business.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining the characteristics of a film image in a negative photographic printing method to determine whether or not the determined conditions are compatible with the photographic printing conditions.

-Means to solve problems- In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has the following features.

In a photographic printer that prints a negative image onto a sensitive material, 1
Image characteristics are determined using a plurality of mutually different characteristic determination methods for image reading information, and by comparing these determination results, the exposure conditions for the image or whether or not to perform printing are determined. be.

-Embodiment- The figure is an apparatus configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. The negative film section 1 includes a roll film in which a large number of negative films are connected and wound together, and its rollers, and the film 2 is wound up by frame feeding from the unwinding tip to the film winding section 3. The negative printing section 4 is configured to print a negative image frame by frame onto photographic paper 5 while the negative film 2 is being transported. The photographic paper 5 is taken out as a roll paper from a paper unwinding section 6, and is wound up into a paper winding section 7 after passing through the negative printing section 4.

A negative reading section 8 is located before the negative printing section 4 and reads the transmission density of the film 2 for each station and for each pixel. The negative discrimination processing section 9 takes in the image signal from the image reading section 8, and determines the optimum printing conditions for the negative printing section 4 from the image ψ.

For example, the negative discrimination processing unit 9 performs negative discrimination (for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1983-1990) on a given negative image using a statistical method.
2est publication), and a statistical discrimination means 91 that stores patterns of typical negative scenes and determines which pattern a given negative image is similar to. Negative judgment using the exposure compensation amount (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-8752
8) is provided with a plurality of different negative determination means such as a pattern recognition determination means 92. Then, the printing condition determining means 94 uses the judgment results of the different negative judgment methods by these means 91 and 92 to determine whether or not the photographic printing is a possible negative judgment value, using a statistical method or an evaluation formula.
If photo printing is possible, one of the judgment values or a new judgment value is calculated from these judgment values and photo printing is performed.If it is determined that photo printing is not possible, the operator is requested to make a negative judgment. Now, assuming that the exposure correction amount determined by the negative determination means 91 is X and the exposure correction amount determined by the negative determination means 92 is Y, the evaluation value Z is determined from the following relational expression. A and B are coefficients for calculating the evaluation value.

Z=A-X-B-Y Now, when the following relationship exists for the standard evaluation value αβγ, α × β × γ The following relationship holds for the valence of the evaluation value Z, Z is less than or equal to α or γ If it is more than that.

The printing condition determining means 94 determines that the exposure correction amount determined by the negative determining means 91 and 92 is inappropriate for photographic printing, and requests the operator to make a judgment. Further, when Z is in the relationship α<2<β, the judgment result of the negative judgment means 91 is used. On the other hand, when the relationship β<2<γ holds, the photo printing is performed using the judgment result of the negative judgment means 92.

Although two negative determination means are used in the embodiment, the same process can be performed even when three or more negative determination means are used.

In addition, in the example, if the amount of exposure compensation was determined to be inappropriate, the operator was required to make a decision, but by processing it with a scanner printer system that can automatically process the image, the photo print can be automatically reprinted. You can also do

Further, in the embodiment, the exposure correction amount is not limited to one selected from a plurality of negative determination results, and the total exposure correction amount may be determined from a plurality of determination results.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention determines the image characteristics from a plurality of mutually different characteristic determination methods for the read information of the film image, and determines the exposure conditions or whether or not to perform printing. Since this is determined, there is an effect that printing is performed according to the most preferable printing conditions for complex and various images without performing unnecessary photo printing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a configuration diagram of an apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. 2... Film, 4... Optical printer, 5...
...Sensitive material, 8. Image reading section, 9. Negative discrimination processing section, 91. Statistical judgment means, 92. Pattern recognition judgment means, 94. .

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In a photographic printer that prints an image on a developing film onto a sensitive material, image characteristics are determined using a plurality of mutually different characteristic determination methods based on image reading information, and these determinations are performed. 1. A method for determining characteristics of a film image, the method comprising determining the exposure conditions for the image or whether or not to print the image by comparing the results.