Printing exposure reference

• US 5,734,941 A
• Filed: 10/25/1996
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Manico, Joseph Anthony, Teremy, Paul, McIntyre, Dale Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUCCILLO, NICHOLAS
• Application Number:
  US08/738,122
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 396/310, 396/311, 396/312, 396/315, 396/317, 396/318, 396/319
• US Class Current: 396/315
• 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 2206/004 using markings on the photographic material, e.g. to indicate pseudo-panoramic exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/243 Optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/244 Magnetic devices

Abstract

A camera uses an organic thin film of electroluminescent material to expose photographic film, in predetermined positions outside scene frames, to patches of light in three complementary colors, either additive or subtractive. According to one feature, the patches are exposed in predetermined locations interspersed with film perforations or located in a known relationship with the exposed frames, permitting a printer to establish the orientation of film relative to the camera during the exposure. The patches also confirm that a picture was taken.

Claims

1. A camera for exposing photographic film to a scene, the film having photographic properties that may change under the influence of an environmental factor encountered during storage of the film prior to an exposure, said camera comprising:

a unit for determining, in association with an initial loading of the film into said camera and in association with each exposure of the film, a value of the environmental factor;

a circuit for determining a change in said value of the environmental factor since the initial loading of the film into said camera or since a previous exposure and for producing a signal when said measured change exceeds a predetermined value;

an illumination source internal to said camera for exposing the film in said camera in a plurality of narrow ranges of predetermined wavelengths to produce a corresponding plurality of exposed calibration patches; and

a calibration control, responsive to said signal, for actuating said illumination source to expose the film to produce said calibration patches.

2. A process of exposing photographic film in a camera to a scene, comprising steps of:

exposing the film to a scene to define an exposed scene frame;

during movement of the film in the camera, exposing the film in sequence to a plurality of illumination sources to produce a pattern of exposed patches on the film, the patches being asymmetrically, longitudinally offset, one from another along the film, the location and offset of the patches, combined with the color and/or shape of the patches, being indicative of whether the film was exposed in a prewind or regular wind type camera, and/or whether the film was exposed in a left or right load camera;

developing the exposed scene frame and the pattern;

detecting the pattern and determining therefrom the orientation of the film in the camera during exposure; and

using the determination to record the developed frames in a desired orientation on a medium.

3. A camera for exposing photographic film to a scene, the film having photographic properties that may change under the influence of an environmental factor encountered during storage of the film prior to an exposure, characterized by:

an internal illumination source including a plurality of illumination elements for emitting radiation in a plurality of narrow ranges of wavelengths corresponding to complementary colors, each illumination element comprising an organic thin film that emits illumination in a narrow band of wavelengths when subjected to a voltage difference across said organic thin film;

means for controlling said source to expose the film outside a first-exposed frame on the film to a corresponding plurality of calibration patches of light of said predetermined wavelengths to produce exposed calibration patches on the film, whereby after developing the exposed calibration patches will exhibit colors indicative of the photographic properties at the time of the first exposure of the film and useful for color-balancing a photographic printer.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein said illumination source includes a plurality of elements on a single substrate emitting in different colors.

5. A camera for exposing photographic film to a scene, the film having photographic properties that may change with time since an initial loading of the film into said camera or since a previous exposure of the film, characterized in that:

a sensing mechanism measures an amount of time since the initial loading of the film into said camera or since the previous exposure and produces a calibration signal when said measured amount exceeds a predetermined value; and

,

a calibration control, including an internal illumination source, exposes the film to a calibration patch in response to said calibration signal.

6. A camera for exposing photographic film to a scene, the film having photographic properties that may change under the influence of temperature encountered during storage of the film prior to an exposure;

characterized in that;

a sensing mechanism measures change in temperature since initial loading of the film into the camera or since the previous exposure and produces a calibration signal in response to temperature excursions above a predetermined value; and

,

a calibration control, including an internal illumination source, exposes the film to a calibration patch in response to said calibration signal.