Image processing apparatus

• US 6,347,162 B1
• Filed: 10/09/1997
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERALI, ISHRAT I
• Application Number:
  US08/947,465
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 382/303-304, 382/305, 382/276, 382/167, 382/299, 382/298, 382/254, 382/296, 348/96-97, 396/575, 396/570, 358/296, 358/298, 358/256, 358/471, 358/400, 358/452, 358/448, 358/403, 358/447, 358/474, 358/486, 358/500, 358/463, 358/518, 358/527, 235/462, 235/462.01, 235/462.07, 235/462.41, 235/439, 355/3, 355/5, 355/29, 355/69, 355/77, 355/310
• US Class Current: 382/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00135 Scanning of a photographic original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00193 to a portable storage medium, e.g. a read-writable compact disk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence

Abstract

An image processing apparatus subjects image data read out by an image reading apparatus to a predetermined image processing, and outputs the thus obtained image data to an image recording apparatus as image data in accordance with recording. The apparatus includes an image processing unit for subjecting the image data read out by the image reading apparatus to the predetermined image processing and a condition setting unit for setting image processing conditions in the image processing unit. An image buffer is included for storing the image data processed in the image processing unit and a recording device is further connected to the image buffer. According to this image processing apparatus, outputting of finished prints and outputting of image data to a recording medium are carried out in parallel, whereupon users can be provided with the finished prints and a recording medium storing the image data of images on the finished prints.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for

processing a photographic image comprising:

an image processing unit for subjecting digital image data of a photographic image to image processing;

an image buffer for storing the image data processed in said image processing unit; and

a recording device for recording the processed digital image data on a recording medium, wherein the processed digital image data is output in parallel to both the recording device for recording on a recording medium, and an external printer for printing the photographic image, wherein said image processing unit includes a color/gradation processing unit for correcting color and gradation of digital image data of the photographic image, a scale convention processing unit for enlarging and reducing the digital image data of the photographic image, a dynamic range processing unit for compressing and expanding a dynamic range of the digital image data of one frame of the photographic image and a sharpness processing unit for enhancing a sharpness of the digital image data of the photographic image, and carries out color/gradation processing, scale conversion processing, dynamic range processing and a sharpness processing in parallel.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said external printer outputs a finished photographic print on which said processed image data is recorded and wherein said recording device records said processed image data of the finished photographic print on a recording medium.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing unit carries out image processing by pipeline processing.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said digital image data is image data of the photographic image photoelectrically read out at a low resolution by an image reading apparatus.

5. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a condition setting unit for setting image processing conditions of said image processing unit.

6. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a compression/expansion unit for compressing the digital image data to be stored by the recording device and expanding the compressed image data read out by the recording device.

7. An image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image processing unit carries out image processing on high resolution digital image data of the photographic image photoelectrically read out at a high resolution after the image processing conditions have been set by the condition setting unit.

8. The image processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the condition setting unit sets image processing conditions of the image processing unit based on data of the photographic image photoelectrically read out at a low resolution.

9. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recording device records the processed digital image data on a computer readable recording medium.

10. The image processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer readable recording medium is a floppy disk.

11. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recording device records the processed digital image data on a magneto-optical recording medium.

12. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processed digital image data is simultaneously output to both the recording device and external printer.

21. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image data bus for inputting and outputting image data, which includes the digital image data and the processed image data, and a control bus for inputting and outputting control data.

13. A digital photoprinter, comprising:

a scanner for scanning a photographic image and producing digital image data;

an image processing apparatus for subjecting the digital image data to image processing, and including an image buffer for storing the processed digital image data and a recording device for recording the processed digital image data on a recording medium, wherein said image processing unit includes a color/gradation processing unit for correcting color and gradation of digital image data of the photographic image, a scale convention processing unit for enlarging and reducing the digital image data of the photographic image, a dynamic range processing unit for compressing and expanding a dynamic range of the digital image data of one frame of the photographic image and a sharpness processing unit for enhancing a sharpness of the digital image data of the photographic image, and carries out color/gradation processing, scale conversion processing, dynamic range processing and a sharpness processing in parallel; and

a printer for printing the photographic image from the processed digital image data, wherein the processed digital image data is output in parallel to both the recording device and the printer.

14. The digital photoprinter of claim 13, wherein the scanner photoelectrically generates the digital image data.

15. The digital photoprinter of claim 13, wherein the processed digital image data is simultaneously output to both the recording device and the printer.

16. The digital photoprinter according to claim 13, wherein the image processing apparatus includes an image data bus for inputting and outputting image data, which includes the digital image data and the processed digital image data, and a control bus for inputting and outputting control data.

17. The digital photoprinter of claim 13, wherein the image processing apparatus carries out image processing by pipeline processing.

18. The digital photoprinter of claim 13, wherein the scanner produces low resolution digital image data for setting image processing conditions of the image processing apparatus and high resolution digital image data for processing based on the set image processing conditions.

19. The digital photoprinter of claim 13, wherein the recording device records the processed digital image data on a computer readable recording medium.

20. The digital photoprinter of claim 13, wherein the recording device records the processed digital image data on a magneto-optical recording medium.