Photographed image printing apparatus capable of correcting image quality

• US 5,739,924 A
• Filed: 11/30/1994
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Sano, Homare
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHEUKFAN
• Application Number:
  US08/346,755
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 358/527, 358/515, 358/518, 358/487, 358/296, 358/448, 358/506, 358/523, 358/524, 358/444, 358/514, 358/517, 354/106, 354/110
• US Class Current: 358/487
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/407 Control or modification of tonal gradation or of extreme levels, e.g. background level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4092 Edge or detail enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6086 by scene illuminant, i.e. conditions at the time of picture capture, e.g. flash, optical filter used, evening, cloud, daylight, artificial lighting, white point measurement, colour temperature

Abstract

A photographed Image printing apparatus includes an image sensor operable to optically read a photographed image on a recording medium; an information reader operable to read photographic information on the recording medium, the photographic information indicative of photographing conditions of the photographed image; an image quality correction manager in responsive to the information reader and operable to judge based on the read photographic information whether image quality correction is necessary, and determine a proper image quality correction, if necessary; an image corrector in responsive to the image quality correction manager and operable to correct the read photographed image in accordance with the determined image quality correction; and a printer operable to print a corrected image on a printing medium.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor operable to optically read an image on a recording medium and to output an electrical signal representative of the read image;

an information reader operable to read information on the recording medium that is indicative of conditions of the image on the recording medium;

an image quality correction manager responsive to the information reader and operable to judge based on the read information whether image quality correction is necessary, and determine a proper image quality correction, if necessary; and

an image corrector responsive to the image quality correction manager and operable to correct the read image by processing the electrical signal in accordance with the determined image quality correction.

2. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the information includes a distance to a subject, the image quality correction manager determines an outline emphasizing correction of emphasizing the outline of the subject if the distance is judged to be greater than a predetermined distance.

3. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the predetermined distance is two meters.

4. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the information further includes an exposure control value, and the predetermined distance is set at a shorter distance when the exposure control value is for a lower subject brightness.

5. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the outline emphasizing correction is executed by means of Laplacian calculation.

6. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the information includes information concerning continuous image recording; and

the image quality correction manager judges based on the continuous image recording information whether the images are recorded continuously, and determines an outline emphasizing correction for emphasizing the outline of a subject for a second and subsequent recorded images of those which are judged to have been recorded continuously.

7. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the information includes an exposure control value; and

the image quality correction manager determines a contrast emphasizing correction for emphasizing the contrast of a subject if the exposure control value is judged to be for a subject brightness lower than a predetermined brightness.

8. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein an exposure control value for the predetermined brightness is a combination of an aperture value of f5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/60 second.

9. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the image quality correction manager further determines based on an exposure control value an outline emphasizing correction of emphasizing the outline of a subject, the determination of outline emphasizing correction being executed after the determination of contrast emphasizing correction.

10. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a first memory operable to store the image read by the image sensor; and

a second memory operable to store the image corrected by the image corrector.

11. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the information is magnetically recorded on the recording medium; and

the information reader includes a magnetic sensor for reading the magnetically recorded information.

12. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a printer operable to print a corrected image on a printing medium.

13. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said image sensor reads a photographed image optically recorded on a film and said information reader reads photographic information magnetically recorded on the film.

14. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image data manager operable to read data concerning a recorded image;

an information data manager operable to read information data concerning information indicative of conditions of the recorded image;

an image quality correction manager responsive to the information data manager and operable to judge based on the read information data whether outline emphasizing correction for emphasizing the outline of a subject is necessary; and

an image corrector responsive to the image quality correction manager and operable to emphasize the outline of the subject by processing the read data electrically.

15. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the information data includes data concerning a distance to a subject, and the image quality correction manager determines the outline emphasizing correction if the distance is judged to be greater than a predetermined distance.

16. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the predetermined distance is two meters.

17. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the information data further includes data concerning an exposure control value, and the predetermined distance is set at a shorter distance when the exposure control value is for a lower subject brightness.

18. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the outline emphasizing correction is executed by means of Laplacian calculation.

19. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein:

the information data includes data concerning continuous image recording; and

the image quality correction manager judges based on the continuous image recording data whether the images are recorded continuously, and determines the outline emphasizing correction for a second and subsequent recorded images of those which are judged to have been recorded continuously.

20. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising:

an image sensor operable to optically read a photographed image on a film and produce photograph image data;

a memory operable to store the photograph image data;

wherein the information data manager is operable to read out the photograph image data from the memory.

21. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein:

the information data is magnetically recorded on the film; and

the information data manager includes a magnetic sensor for reading the magnetically recorded information data.

22. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising a printer operable to print an image based on image data corrected by said image corrector.

23. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image data manager operable to read data concerning a recorded image;

an information data manager operable to read information data concerning information indicative of conditions of the recorded image;

an image quality correction manager responsive to the information data manager and operable to judge based on the read information data whether a contrast emphasizing correction is necessary; and

an image corrector responsive to the image quality correction manager and operable to emphasize the contrast of a subject by processing the read image data electrically.

24. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the information data includes data concerning an exposure control value, the image quality correction manager determines a contrast emphasizing correction if the exposure control value is judged to be for a subject brightness lower than a predetermined brightness.

25. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein an exposure control value for the predetermined brightness is a combination of an aperture value of f5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/60 second.

26. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein:

the information data further includes data concerning whether the recorded image was obtained under a flash light condition; and

the image quality correction manager determines the contrast emphasizing correction if the recorded image is judged to have been obtained under a flash light condition.

27. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein:

the information data further includes data concerning a shutter speed; and

the image quality correction manager determines the contrast emphasizing correction if the shutter speed is judged to be greater than a predetermined speed.

28. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 23, further comprising:

an image sensor operable to optically read a photographed image on a film and produce photograph image data;

a memory operable to store the photograph image data; and

wherein the information data manager is operable to read out the photograph image data from the memory.

29. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 23, further comprising a printer operable to print an image based on the image data corrected by said image corrector.

30. A method for processing an image comprising the steps of:

reading information concerning an image recorded on a recording medium by a magnetic reader, the information being indicative of conditions of the recorded image;

reading the image recorded on the recording medium by an optical image sensor;

outputting an electrical signal representative of the image read by the optical image sensor;

judging based on the read information whether image quality correction is necessary, and determining a proper image quality correction, if necessary; and

correcting the read image by processing the electrical signal in accordance with the determined image quality correction.

31. A method for processing an image as defined in claim 30, further comprising the step of printing a corrected image on a printing medium.

32. An image processing apparatus comprising:

image sensing means for reading an image recorded on a recording medium;

information reading means for reading information recorded on the recording medium, the information being indicative of conditions of the image on the recording medium;

judging means for judging whether image quality correction is necessary and determining a proper image quality correction, if necessary, based on the read information; and

image correcting means for correcting the image recorded on the recording medium in accordance with the determined image quality correction.