JPS6373232A - Detecting and processing method for picture information in photographic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically discriminate the effective detection area of an image sensor by measuring the light by the image sensor before and after movement of a negative film in the actual operating state where the negative film is loaded to a film carrier for printing. CONSTITUTION:Picture information is detected before and after movement of a negative film 2 after the negative film 2 is loaded to a film carrier 1, and only an area where there is a relative change in picture element units in detection data is subjected to picture processing as the effective detection area of an image sensor 11. Consequently, the size of the negative film 2 or the film carrier 1 is not measured with a special means but is surely and automatically discriminated while the negative film 2 is carried and is positioned to a prescribed position of the film carrier 1. Thus, the detection and processing area of the image sensor 11 is automatically set.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Technical Field of the Invention) The present invention efficiently determines the effective detection area of image information on an original film such as a negative film, and performs film advance control and size discrimination by detecting edges of image frames. The present invention relates to a method for detecting and processing image information in a photographic printing apparatus, which facilitates image processing for exposure control and the like.

(Technical background of the invention and its problems) In order to determine the printing exposure amount or correction amount in a photo printing device, it is necessary to measure the frame image density of the original film (for example, negative film). An optical sensor such as a photodiode placed near the optical path of the system measures the average density of the negative film as LATD (La
rge^rea Transmittance Den
city). Image detection using LATD measures the average of the frame images of negative film, and does not accurately measure the image density of negative film by dividing it into pixels along the screen frame. There was a drawback that exposure or correction was not reliable.

As a device that solved this problem, the present applicant proposed Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-1
No. 54244, JP-A No. 5O-1511i31, JP-A No. 60-220325, etc., but in detecting image information using such an image sensor, the size of the negative film is determined by the image sensor. Accordingly, image information corresponding to the size of the negative film is detected by a method such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 151826/1982.

In other words, when printing frame images from negative film onto photographic paper, it is necessary to change the amount of exposure and correction depending on the size of the film due to differences in light diffusion, etc. Conventionally, the size of the negative film was determined visually. In contrast to the conventional method of manually pressing keys on a keyboard or reading the negative size status signal of the negative carrier, the image sensor is now used to automatically determine whether the negative size status signal is read from the negative carrier or the like. However, with this method, a pattern is stored for each film size, and the size of the negative film is determined by comparing the stored pattern with photometric data. The premise is that photometry is performed with the camera unloaded or with a standard film such as a blank film loaded. For this reason, detection cannot be made only by photometry in an actual operating state where a negative film to be subjected to printing is loaded onto a negative film carrier.

(Object of the invention) This invention was made under the above circumstances,
An object of the present invention is to use a relatively simple method to detect the effective detection area of an image sensor even during actual operation when an original film such as a negative film to be subjected to printing is loaded onto a film carrier for printing. An object of the present invention is to provide an image information detection and processing method in a photographic printing apparatus, which can automatically perform image processing for determining the size of an image frame and detecting edges of an image frame according to the determined area.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention relates to an image information detection and processing method in a photo printing apparatus, and when detecting image information of an original film loaded in a photo printing apparatus and subjected to printing using an image sensor, the original film is After loading the film carrier, image information is detected before and after the original film is moved, and only areas where there is a relative change in detected data pixel by pixel are subjected to image processing as effective detection areas of the image sensor. It is something.

(Embodiments of the Invention) First, a photometric method for an original film, which is a premise of the present invention, will be explained for a negative film. Note that detection of negative film using an image sensor is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 80-19.
This method is based on a method proposed by the present applicant, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6740, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 151633/1984, and the like.

In this invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a frame image of a negative film 2 is positioned on a negative carrier 1 loaded in a printing section of a photographic printing apparatus by a negative conveying device 30, and a frame image formed of, for example, a CCD is positioned near the printing section. An image information detection device 1O having a built-in dimensional image sensor 11 is provided, and image information of the entire frame image of the negative film 2 is divided into a large number of aligned pixels and detected. That is, by applying a predetermined drive signal to the image sensor 11 from a drive circuit (not shown), the two-dimensional image sensor 11 receives the transmitted light of the frame image positioned in the printing section via the lens system 12. Therefore, 2
For example, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the dimensional image sensor 11 divides the entire frame image of the negative film 2 into a large number of aligned small pixels 2A, and divides the frame image into J-order numbers according to the scanning line SL. The entire screen can be scanned. The image sensor 11 then scans the entire screen.
The image signals are sequentially output from the output register section of the circuit, and the image signals are sampled and held by the sample and hold circuit.
The hold value is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter. The digital signals from the A/D converter are stored in the memory under the control of the write control circuit in an array corresponding to the pixel 2A as shown in FIG. It will be stored as a density value (concentration value by conversion, etc.).

Here, the frame images of the negative film 2 are sequentially conveyed by the negative conveying device 30 to the position of the negative carrier 1 in the printing section.
The rectangular upper guide IB and the lower guide IC arranged below engage, and the negative film 2 held between the upper guide IB and the lower guide IC is printed frame by frame. It looks like this. The size of the opening IA of the upper guide 1B completely corresponds to the frame size of the negative film 2, and the blank edge of the frame image is partially eclipsed from the U edge of the opening IA of the upper guide 1B. It will never come out. The area where the two-dimensional image sensor 11 receives light is not only the frame image of the negative film 2, but also the upper guide IB so that it can handle large-sized negative films with plenty of time.
The image information of the area detected by the two-dimensional image sensor 11 is, for example, 1.
35 size is as shown in FIG. 4(A).

Here, the area of the two-dimensional image sensor-1 is, for example, the fifth
i rows (0 to 30) as shown in Figure (A).

In the case of pixel area MA in column j (0 to 40), the measured pixel density of the reference pixel (row i, column j) is set to DS in the sequence of transporting the negative film 2 by the negative transport device e30, and the comparison pixel ( The measured density of the pixel in row i and column j of the same pixel data after feeding the negative film 2 over an arbitrary range is 0CI.
j, the density difference ΔD in each pixel is ΔDIJ = DSIJ - oc, . . .
...(1). Then, the target pixel (in units of pixel rows perpendicular to the negative feed direction: for example, 20 in FIG. 5(A))
) is the absolute value DB of the density data at the photometric sampling point of
” ・・・■ ・・・・・・・・・(2) After graphing or calculating this as shown in Fig. 5 (B), it is extremely determined that ΔD = 0 considering the noise component. Data ΔDI above near threshold level 78
J is used as pixel data in the effective area.

That is, after the negative film 2 is loaded into the negative carrier 1 and image data is photometered, the negative film 2 is moved within an arbitrary range and photometered again using the two-dimensional image sensor 11, and the amount of change in the data is detected. In this case, the data of the part corresponding to the opening of the negative carrier 1 is 8 of the negative film 2.
The data changes depending on the image information, but the data does not change because the other peripheral parts remain fixed. Therefore, in the detection area MA of the image sensor 11 shown in FIG. It is determined that the negative mask area does not change. Therefore, among the data detected before and after movement of the negative film 2 by the two-dimensional image sensor 11, the area NP corresponding to the screen area of the negative film 2 where the relative change is large in the same pixel difference data is determined. Only the data in the area NP is set as the valid data range, and the data detected within that range is used as exposure calculation based on size discrimination and frame advance data based on image frame edge detection. The exposure calculation based on the data of the image sensor may be carried out by, for example, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-177337 by the present applicant, and the method for stopping the detection of image frames is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-19674.
No. 0 etc. may be used.

Next, the present invention will be described using a specific example of photometric data of the image sensor 11.

For example, when loading 135 size negative carrier 1,
Two-dimensional image sensor 11 for frame images of negative film 2
When the photometric data of the two-dimensional image sensor 11 is as shown in FIG. It changes to what is shown in (B). Then, when the absolute value data of the difference for each pixel between these two 1ffll light data is determined, the data is as shown in FIG. 4(C). Therefore, the area where the difference data is 0'' or a value close to it (for example, 3° or less) is taken as fixed data based on negative carrier 1, and the area DM where the difference is large is taken as the area of the frame image of negative film 2. can be determined. In this way, the size of the negative film 2 or the negative carrier 1 can be measured while transporting the negative film 2 and positioning the frames at predetermined positions on the negative carrier 1, without using any special method to measure the size of the negative film 2 or the negative carrier 1. Automatic fishing can be reliably determined, and the detection processing area of the image sensor 11 can be set to automatic fishing.

If the size of the negative film 2 is changed, the negative carrier 1 must also be replaced according to the size. In such a case, replace the negative carrier and place the negative film 2 on it. Frame image data immediately after loading,
The area NP may be determined by determining the difference in frame image data when the negative film 2 is conveyed a predetermined distance. Alternatively, frame images may be detected while the negative film 2 is being conveyed, and differences in frame image data may be determined.

By the way, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a case was explained in which the two-dimensional image sensor 11 was used as the image sensor, but the same effect can also be obtained by detecting image information using a line sensor as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-151631. It is possible to apply it to Furthermore, the photometric data is not limited to true numerical values, and similar processing can be performed using density values as well. Furthermore, in order to increase the reliability of the determination, the number of photometry may be increased and the difference in image data may be integrated to perform the determination.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the image information detection and processing method of the present invention, photometry by an image sensor is performed in an actual operating state when an original film to be subjected to printing is loaded in a film carrier for printing. By performing this for around 9 motions of the original film, the effective detection area of the image sensor can be automatically determined, and the image information is used for image processing such as controlling the transport of the original film by detecting edges and controlling exposure by determining the size. This makes it possible to realize efficient photo printing processing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the image information detection method to which this invention is applied, Figs. 2 (^) and (8) are diagrams for explaining an example of photometry operation using an image sensor, and Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of photometry operation using an image sensor. Diagrams for explaining the negative carrier, Figures 4 (8) to (C)
and Figure 5 (^). (8) are diagrams for explaining the method of this invention. 1... Negative carrier, 2... Negative film, 3...
- Light control filter, 4... light source, IO... image information detection device, Il... two-dimensional image sensor, 30...
Negative transport device. Hand L (A) (β) Brown 2 Sheep 3 Brown 4 (A) Vines 4 (B) (A) 5th drawing element (B)

Claims (1)

[Claims] When an image sensor detects image information of an original film loaded in a photo printing device and subjected to printing, the image information is detected before and after the original film is moved after the original film is loaded into a film carrier. . An image information detection and processing method in a photo printing apparatus, characterized in that only areas in which there is a relative change in detection data pixel by pixel are subjected to image processing as effective detection areas of the image sensor.