Apparatus and method for thermal film development and scanning

• US 6,783,902 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Szajewski, Richard P., Irving, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schilling, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US10/442,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20030211408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 430/21, 430/351, 430/364, 430/503, 219/216, 355/27, 355/28, 355/29, 355/30, 396/567, 396/568, 396/569, 396/570, 396/575, 396/578
• US Class Current: 430/21
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 13/002 Heat development apparatus, e.g. Kalvar

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for thermal development having a receiver for receiving an imagewise exposed thermal film, an accumulator for gathering the film, a drive for advancing the film from the receiver to the accumulator, a heater located between the receiver and the accumulator for developing the film, a compound image scanner for scanning the film after it has been thermally developed, the scanner having a first light source and a first sensor placed for forming a first electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by reflection, a second light source and a second sensor placed for forming a second electronic record of the image by an opposing reflection, and a third sensor and a third light source placed for forming a third electronic record of the image formed by transmission, and a lighttight container for the receiver and the heater.

Claims

1. An apparatus for thermal development comprising a receiver for receiving an imagewise exposed thermal film element, an accumulator for gathering said thermal film element, a drive for advancing said thermal film element from said receiver to said accumulator, a heater located between said receiver and said accumulator for developing said thermal film as it passes between said receiver and said accumulator, a compound image scanner for scanning said thermal film after it has been thermally developed, said scanner having a first light source and a first sensor placed for forming a first electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film element by reflection, a second light source and a second sensor placed for forming a second electronic record of the image formed on said developed thermal film element by an opposing reflection, and a third sensor and a third light source placed for forming a third electronic record of the image formed on said developed thermal film element by transmission, wherein said third sensor may be the same or different than said first sensor and said third light source maybe the same or different than said second light source, a light-tight container for said receiver and said heater, and wherein said apparatus comprises a stand alone imaging station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stand alone imaging station further comprises a digitizer fed by said scanner, wherein said digitizer is suitable for digitizing said first electronic record of the image formed on said developed thermal film element by reflection, said second electronic record of the image formed on said developed thermal film element by opposing reflection, and said third electronic record of the image formed on said developed thermal film element by transmission to form corresponding digital file representations of an image formed on a film by exposure and thermal development.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising means for storing, combining, and processing said digital file representations to form a corrected digital file representation of said first electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by reflection, said second electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by opposing reflection, and said third electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by transmission and means for storing, transmitting, displaying, or printing said corrected digital file.

4. An image forming method comprising scanning an imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element, wherein said scanner comprises a scanner capable of communicating and receiving information relating to said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element, wherein said element comprises red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units, wherein said layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development or wherein said element is substantially free of color forming components, to form a first electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by reflection, a second electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by an opposing reflection, and a third electronic record of the image scanned on the developed film by transmission;

digitizing said first electronic record of the image formed on said developed film by reflection, said second electronic record of the image formed on said developed film by opposing reflection, and said third electronic record of the image formed on said developed film by transmission to form a corresponding digital file representation of an image formed on the film by exposure and development;

communicating said information relating to said element to said scanner, wherein said information relating to said element is suitable for correcting said first electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by reflection, said second electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by an opposing reflection, and said third electronic record of the image scanned on the developed film by transmission into a combined electronic record of the image formed on the film; and

combining and processing the digitized first electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by reflection, the digitized second electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by an opposing reflection, and the digitized third electronic record of the image scanned on the developed film by transmission with said information relating to said element to form a corrected digital file representative of the scanned image.

5. The image forming method of claim 4 wherein said information relating to said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element is communicated from said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element.

6. The image forming method of claim 4 wherein said information relating to said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element is communicated from the film container for said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element comprises incorporated light insensitive organic silver salts.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element comprises an incorporated developing agent.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element comprises a pre-exposed calibration patch.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element comprises a thermally developable element.

11. The method of claim 4 further comprising storing, transmitting, displaying, or printing said corrected digital file.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element is developed by contacting said film element with a treating element.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said treating element comprises a solution or a laminate layer.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element is further developed by adding fluid along with contacting said film element by said treating element.

15. An apparatus for thermal development and scanning comprising a receiver for receiving an imagewise exposed film element, an accumulator for gathering said film element, a drive for advancing said film element from said receiver to said accumulator, a developing station located between said receiver and said accumulator for developing said film element as it passes between said receiver and said accumulator, a compound image scanner for scanning said film element as it develops, wherein said scanner comprises a scanner capable of communicating and receiving information relating to said imagewise exposed and developed silver halide color film element, said scanner having a first light source and a first sensor placed for forming a first electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by reflection, a second light source and a second sensor placed for forming a second electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by an opposing reflection, and a third sensor and a third light source placed for forming a third electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by transmission, wherein said third sensor may be the same or different than said first sensor and said third light source maybe the same or different than said second light source;

a digitizer for digitizing said first electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by reflection, said second electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by reflection, and said third electronic record of the image formed on the developed thermal film by reflection to form a corresponding digital file representation of an image formed on the film by exposure and development, a magnetic reader for communicating said information relating to said element to said scanner, wherein said information relating to said element is suitable for correcting said first electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by reflection, said second electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by an opposing reflection, and said third electronic record of the image scanned on the developed film by transmission into a combined electronic record of the image formed on the film; and

a processing unit for combining and processing the digitized first electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by reflection, the digitized second electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by an opposing reflection, and the digitized third electronic record of the image scanned on the developed film by transmission with said information relating to said element to form a corrected digital file representative of the scanned image.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for storing, combining, and processing said corrected digital file representative of the scanned image.

17. A duplitized light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising a support having thereon red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units wherein the layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development or wherein the element is substantially free of color forming components, and wherein said red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units are applied to both sides of said support.

18. The element of claim 17 comprising incorporated light insensitive organic silver salts.

19. The element of claim 17 comprising ‘

an incorporated developing agent.

20. The element of claim 17 comprising a pre-exposed calibration patch.

21. The element of claim 17 comprising a thermally developable element.

22. A light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units, wherein the layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development or wherein the element is substantially free of color forming components, and comprising incorporated light insensitive organic silver salts or an incorporated developing agent, wherein at least one of said layer units comprises at least two separate light sensitive silver halide emulsion layers.

23. The element of claim 22 wherein said red, green, and blue layer units comprise at least two separate light sensitive silver halide emulsion layers.

24. The element of claim 22 wherein said separate light sensitive silver halide emulsion layers differ in sensitivity.

25. The element of claim 22 wherein at least one layer unit comprises at least two blended light sensitive silver halide emulsions.

26. The element of claim 22 wherein at least one layer unit comprises at least three separate light sensitive silver halide emulsion layers.

27. The element of claim 22 comprising a thermally developable element.

28. The element of claim 22 comprising a pre-exposed calibration patch.

29. A light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units wherein the layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development or wherein the element is substantially free of color forming components, said element further comprising at least one incorporated developing agent.

30. The light sensitive silver halide film element of claim 29 wherein said at least one incorporated developing agent comprises a blocked or unblocked form.

31. The light sensitive silver halide film element of claim 29 wherein said at least one incorporated developing agent comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of aminophenols, paraphenylene diamines and hydrazides, sulphonamidophenols, carbonamidophenols, carbamylphenols, suiphonamidoanalines, carbonamidoanalines, carbamylanalines, sulphonylhydrazines, carbonylhydrazines, or carbamylhydrazines.

32. A light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units wherein the layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development or wherein the element is substantially free of color forming components, said element further comprising at least one interlayer substantially free of filter dye.

33. The element of claim 32 further comprising a pre-exposed calibration patch.

34. An image forming method comprising developing an imagewise exposed light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units, wherein the layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development or wherein the element is substantially free of color forming components, and wherein said layer units comprise incorporated light insensitive organic silver salts or an incorporated developing agent, by contacting said film element with a treating element.

35. The image forming method of claim 34 further comprising adding fluid along with contacting said imagewise exposed light sensitive silver halide color film element by said treating element.

36. The image forming method of claim 34 wherein said treating element comprises a solution or a laminate layer.

37. A image forming method comprising developing a light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units wherein the layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development and wherein a layer unit comprises a single dye-forming coupler which produces micro-crystalline dye deposits on development by contacting said film element with a treating element.

38. The image forming method of claim 37 wherein said treating element comprises a solution.

39. A light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units wherein the layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development and wherein a layer unit comprises a single dye-forming coupler which produces micro-crystalline dye deposits on development.

40. The element of claim 39 further comprising an incorporated developing agent.

41. The element of claim 39 further comprising incorporated light insensitive organic silver salts.

42. The element of claim 39 further comprising a pre-exposed calibration patch.

43. The element of claim 39 wherein said light sensitive silver halide color film element comprises a thermally developable element.

44. An image forming method comprising thermally developing a light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units wherein the layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development and wherein a layer unit comprises a single dye-forming coupler which produces micro-crystalline dye deposits on development.

45. An image forming method comprising scanning an imagewise exposed and developed light sensitive silver halide color film element comprising red, green, and blue light sensitive layer units, wherein said layer units form reflective images of substantially similar color on development, wherein a layer unit comprises a dye-forming coupler which produces micro-crystalline dye deposits on development to form a first electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by reflection, a second electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by an opposing reflection, and a third electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by transmission.