CRT method of and apparatus for illuminating photographic negatives to produce a hard copy

• US 5,349,418 A
• Filed: 01/05/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifetouch Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lifetouch Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Hopson, Talmadge W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutledge, D.
• Application Number:
  US08/000,471
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 355/20, 355/38, 355/68, 355/77, 358/75, 358/76, 358/80, 364/525, 364/526, 346/110 R, 346/107 R
• US Class Current: 355/20
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/735 in dependence upon automatic analysis of the original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/508 using the same reproducing head for two or more colour components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6033 using test pattern analysis H04N1/6055 takes precedence

Abstract

A CRT apparatus for illuminating color photographic negatives to faithfully produce colored hard copies in photographic printers without the use of dark shutters, heat shields and/or moving color filters. The preferred embodiment of the present invention employs an ordinary color television with a R, G, B input, driven by a signal controller and a specially designed CRT. The controller previews and analyzes the negative with inputs from an ordinary color television camera illuminated by a standard light source. A sample of the recording media for the hard copy, which was exposed to a pattern generated by the controller and displayed on the CRT, acts as a standard reference for the controller'"'"'s mathematical manipulations to analyze the hard copy media sample, and control the Kelvin temperature and luminance settings of the CRT when exposing the hard copy through the subject negative in order to achieve automatic color balance in the hard copy.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing a positive photographic print from a photographic negative by exposing photographic image receiving media, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative and for generating a signal representing the determined chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative;

means for determining required levels of chromic and luminance necessary for faithful reproduction of the positive photographic print based on the chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative, including;

means for determining chromic and luminance characteristics of a swatch of said photographic image receiving media having different shades of chromic intensity and for generating a signal representing the chromic and luminance characteristics of each shade of chromic intensity;

means for ascertaining levels of chromaluminance that produced the chromic and luminance characteristics of each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch; and

means for comparing the ascertained chromaluminance of each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch with the chromic and luminance character-istics of the photographic negative to determine the required level of chromic and luminance intensity for faithful reproduction of the photographic negative;

cathode ray tube means for exposing the photographic image receiving media to produce a positive photographic print; and

means for controlling the chromance and luminance of the cathode ray tube means so that chromance and luminance of the cathode ray tube means are substantially equal the required levels of chromance and luminance.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for determining chromic and luminance characteristics of the swatch comprise:

a standard light source for reflecting light off the surface of the swatch; and

means for determining the chromic and luminance characteristics of the light reflected from the swatch.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the standard light source is a color television monitor.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the means for determining the chromic and luminance characteristics of the light reflected from the surface of the swatch comprises a television camera.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for ascertaining levels of chromaluminance that produced the chromic and luminance characteristics of each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch comprise:

first digitizing means for digitizing the signal representing the chromic and luminance characteristics of each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch to produce a raster having pixels associated with each shade of chromic intensity;

means for storing the raster; and

means for ascertaining levels of chromaluminance that produced each stored pixel associated with each shade of chromic intensity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for comparing comprise:

second digitizing means for digitizing the signal representing an image of the photographic negative;

means for storing the digitized signal representing the image of the negative; and

a computer for comparing the digitized signal representing the image of the negative with the ascertained chromaluminance of each shade of chronic intensity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch is bordered by a bar code.

8. An apparatus for producing a positive photographic print from a photographic negative by exposing photographic image receiving media, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative and for generating a signal representing the determined chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative;

means for determining required levels of chromic and luminance necessary for faithful reproduction of the positive photographic print based on the chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative;

cathode ray tube means comprised of a tri-colored cathode ray tube for exposing the photographic image receiving media to produce a positive photographic print, wherein the cathode ray tube comprises;

an envelope; and

a lens fused to the envelope in lieu of a face plate, the lens having an entrance pupil; and

means for controlling the chromance and luminance of the cathode ray tube means so that chromance and luminance of the cathode ray tube means are substantially equal the required levels of chromance and luminance.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cathode ray tube comprises phosphor deposited on the entrance pupil of the lens, the phosphor having radiometric characteristics which match a sensitometric character of a color print media.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cathode ray tube comprises a condenser secured in front of the lens.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the condenser is secured to the lens with ethylglycol.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cathode ray tube comprises a dispenser cathode.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the phosphor comprises zinc phosphate doped with manganese.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the phosphor comprises zinc silicate doped with titanium and calcium magnesium silicate doped with cerium.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the means for controlling the chromance and luminance of the cathode ray tube means comprises a computer linked to the cathode ray tube means.

16. A method for producing a positive photographic print from a photographic negative by exposing photographic image receiving media, the method comprising:

determining chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative;

determining required levels of chromance and luminance necessary for faithful production of a positive photographic print based on the determined chromance and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative by;

determining chromic and luminance characteristics of a swatch of said photographic image receiving media having different shades of chromic intensity;

generating a signal representing the chromic and luminance characteristics of the different shades of chromic intensity of the swatch;

ascertaining standard levels of chromaluminance that produced the chromic and luminance characteristics of each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch; and

comparing the standard levels of chromaluminance that produced the chromic and luminance characteristics of each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch with the chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative to determine the required levels of chromance and luminance; and

controlling the chromance and luminance of cathode ray tube so that the chromance and luminance of the cathode ray tube are substantially equal to the required levels of chromance and luminance so as to expose the photographic image receiving media to produce the positive photographic print.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein determining chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative comprises the steps of:

illuminating the negative; and

viewing the illuminated negative to generate a signal representing an image of the photographic negative.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein determining chromic and luminance characteristics of a swatch comprise:

reflecting light off the surface of the swatch; and

determining the chromic and luminance characteristics of the light reflected from the swatch.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein ascertaining standard levels of chromaluminance that produced the chromic and luminance characteristics of each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch comprise:

generating a signal representing the chromic and luminance characteristics of each shade of chromic intensity of the swatch;

digitizing the signal to produce a raster having a pixel associated with each shade of chromic intensity;

storing the raster; and

ascertaining levels of chromaluminance that produce each stored pixel associated with each shade of chromic intensity.

20. Method of claim 16 wherein comparing the standard levels of chromaluminance comprises:

generating a signal representing an image of the photographic negative;

digitizing the signal representing the image of the photographic negative;

storing the digitized signal; and

comparing the digitized signal representing the image of the negative with the ascertained chromaluminance of each shade of chromic intensity.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein teh photographic negative is placed between the cathode ray tube and the image receiving media so that the photographic negative forms an image on the photographic image receiving media to expose the photographic image receiving media.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the cathode ray tube has an image of the photographic negative displayed on its screen to expose the image receiving media.

23. The method of claim 16 comprising:

adding a predetermined offset factor to the determined chromic and luminance characteristics of the photographic negative, the factor compensating for at least one of film type, lens type, studio lighting, film aging and film processing.