US 5,227,837 A · Photograph printing method

Abstract

Object brightness color information is recorded on a recording medium such as a photographic film at the time of taking an object image. In making a photoprint, the brightness information or color information is read from the photographic film, and is used for the calculation of a print exposure amount. The brightness information is used to convert photometric values at respective measurement points within a frame into brightness information. The color information is used to obtain the actual color of an object at respective measurement points. In one embodiment, effective measurement points are determined in accordance with the value of brightness information at respective measurement points, and characteristic values to be used for the calculation of a print exposure amount are derived by using the effective measurement points. In another embodiment, scene type is judged in accordance with the maximum value of the brightness information, and the print exposure amount is determined in accordance with the judged scene type. In yet another embodiment, scene type information is recorded on a photographic film, the scene type being discriminated in accordance with brightness values obtained by measuring the scene at respective divisional areas. To make a photoprint, the scene type information is read to determine a print exposure amount for the discriminated scene. In still another embodiment, the information representative of luminance values obtained through divisional area photometry, and an average luminance of a scene is recorded in a photographic film. A print exposure amount is determined by using the recorded luminance difference.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of determining a print exposure amount to be used for printing an image of an object on a photosensitive material, said method comprising the steps of:

reading average brightness information of said object from a recording medium, said average brightness information having been recorded in said recording medium when taking said object image;
measuring respective points of said object image to obtain photometric values;
converting the photometric values into brightness information by considering said average brightness information;
judging as effective pixels such points among said respective points as have the brightness information within a predetermined range;
and
obtaining a characteristic value for calculating said print exposure amount from photometric values of said effective pixels.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Photograph printing method

Life of this patent

Photograph printing method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21