Photograph printing method

• US 5,227,837 A
• Filed: 05/11/1990
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Terashita, Takaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUTLEDGE, DELLA J
• Application Number:
  US07/522,029
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 355/38, 355/68, 355/41, 355/77, 355/40, 354/21, 354/105-109
• US Class Current: 355/38
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/006 of the bar-code type
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/243 Optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/247 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/462 in enlargers, e.g. roll film printers
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/735 in dependence upon automatic analysis of the original

Abstract

Object brightness color information is recorded on a recording medium such as a photographic film at the time of taking an object image. In making a photoprint, the brightness information or color information is read from the photographic film, and is used for the calculation of a print exposure amount. The brightness information is used to convert photometric values at respective measurement points within a frame into brightness information. The color information is used to obtain the actual color of an object at respective measurement points. In one embodiment, effective measurement points are determined in accordance with the value of brightness information at respective measurement points, and characteristic values to be used for the calculation of a print exposure amount are derived by using the effective measurement points. In another embodiment, scene type is judged in accordance with the maximum value of the brightness information, and the print exposure amount is determined in accordance with the judged scene type. In yet another embodiment, scene type information is recorded on a photographic film, the scene type being discriminated in accordance with brightness values obtained by measuring the scene at respective divisional areas. To make a photoprint, the scene type information is read to determine a print exposure amount for the discriminated scene. In still another embodiment, the information representative of luminance values obtained through divisional area photometry, and an average luminance of a scene is recorded in a photographic film. A print exposure amount is determined by using the recorded luminance difference.

Claims

1. A method of determining a print exposure amount to be used for printing an image of an object on a photosensitive material, said method comprising the steps of:

reading average brightness information of said object from a recording medium, said average brightness information having been recorded in said recording medium when taking said object image;

measuring respective points of said object image to obtain photometric values;

converting the photometric values into brightness information by considering said average brightness information;

judging as effective pixels such points among said respective points as have the brightness information within a predetermined range; and

obtaining a characteristic value for calculating said print exposure amount from photometric values of said effective pixels.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium is a photographic film, and said average brightness information is recorded in an area of said film near said object image.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said average brightness information is recorded on said film in the form of a bar code.

4. A method of determining a print exposure amount to be used for printing an image of an object on a photosensitive material said method comprising the steps of:

reading average brightness information of said object from a recording medium, said average brightness information having been recorded in said recording medium when taking said object image;

measuring respective points of said object image to obtain photometric values;

converting the photometric values into brightness information by considering said average brightness information;

discriminating a type of a scene in accordance with a maximum value derived from values included in said brightness information at said respective points; and

calculating said print exposure amount by selecting, in accordance with said discriminated scene type, one of a plurality of calculation algorithms prepared for respective types of said scene.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said recording medium is a photographic film, and said average brightness information is recorded in an area of said film near said object image.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said average brightness information is recorded on said film in the form of a bar code.

7. A method of determining a print exposure amount to be used for printing an image of an object on a photosensitive material, said method comprising the steps of:

reading information representative of a type of a scene from a recording medium, said scene type information having been recorded in said recording medium on the basis of the distribution state of brightness obtained by subjecting said object to photometry at divisional areas of said object when taking said object image; and

calculating said print exposure amount by selecting, in accordance with said read scene type, one of a plurality of calculation algorithms prepared for respective types of said scene.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said recording medium is a photographic film, and said scene type information is recorded in an area of said film near said object image.

9. A method of determining a print exposure amount to be used for printing an image of an object on a photosensitive material, said method comprising the steps of:

reading information representative of a difference between an average luminance of said object and a luminance used for exposure control, said luminance difference information having been recorded in a recording medium when taking said object image; and

calculating said print exposure amount by using said read luminance difference information.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said recording medium is a photographic film, and said luminance difference information is recorded in an area of said film near said object image.

11. A method of determining a print exposure amount to be used for printing an image of an object on a photosensitive material, said method comprising the steps of:

reading color information of all or a part of said object from a recording medium, said color information having been recorded in said recording medium when taking said object image, wherein said color information includes red color colorimetric data, green color colorimetric data, and blue color colorimetric data; and

calculating said print exposure amount by using said read color information, wherein said print exposure amount is determined such that a portion of said object, and a portion corresponding to said portion on a reproduced image printed on said photosensitive material, are to be the same color.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said recording medium is a photographic film, and said color information is recorded in an area of said film near said object image.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the color of said object image at each measurement point is corrected by using said color information.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

deriving measurement points having a flesh color on a positive image from said corrected measurement points;

judging, as a facial image, a closed area containing said flesh color measurement points; and

determining said print exposure amount for a figure scene included in said facial image such that said facial image is printed with natural flesh color.

15. An apparatus for taking a picture of a scene, comprising:

a photosensor for subjecting an object to photometry at divisional areas, said photosensor having a plurality of sensor elements;

means for discriminating the type of said scene by comparing photometry signals from said plurality of sensor elements; and

means for recording information representative of said discriminated type of said scene in a recording medium.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said recording medium is a photographic film, and said information is recorded in an area near a frame of said film within which said scene is recorded.

17. An apparatus for taking a scene, comprising;

a photosensor for subjecting an object to photometry at divisional areas, said photosensor having a plurality of sensor elements;

means for obtaining a difference between a luminance for use with exposure control and an average luminance of said scene in accordance with output signals from said sensor elements; and

means for recording information of said luminance difference in a recording medium.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said recording medium is a photographic film, and said luminance difference information is recorded in an area near a frame of said film within which said scene is recorded.

19. An apparatus for taking a picture of a scene, comprising:

a colorimetric unit for measuring the color of all or part of an object; and

means for recording information of said measured color in a recording medium.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said recording medium is a photographic film, and said color information is recorded in an area near a frame of said film within which said scene is recorded.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said colorimetric unit comprises a red color sensor for measuring red light, a green color sensor for measuring green light, and a blue color sensor for measuring blue light.