# US 5,703,672 A · Method of making a photographic print

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- Number: US 5,703,672 A
- Document ID: US5703672A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/572,658
- Filed: 1995-12-14
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1994-12-22
- Assignees: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Takaaki Terashita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5703672A

## CPC

- G03B 27/735: {in dependence upon automatic analysis of the original}
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)

## Abstract

A method of making a high-quality print avoids carrying out photometry twice on images on a film. In a first transporting process for transporting the film in a first direction, photometry is carried out on all of the images on the film that are to be copied by dividing the images into a number of pixels, logarithmically transforming thus obtained photometric values into photometric data sets, and storing all thus transformed photometric data sets in correspondence with individual images on the film. At least some of the photometric data sets are used to determine a condition of selection for selecting photometric data of pixels. The photometric data thus selected is used in determining the exposure amount of the images, and photographic prints are made during a second transporting process using the determined exposure amounts.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a print having a first transporting process for transporting a film in a first direction and a second transporting process for transporting the film in a second direction, wherein an image on the film is copied on a photographic copying apparatus so as to make a print, said method comprising the steps of:
carrying out photometry on at least all images on the film that are to be copied by dividing each of the images that are to be copied into a number of pixels, logarithmically transforming thus obtained photometric values into photometric data sets, and storing all thus transformed photometric data sets in correspondence with individual images on the film in said first transporting process;
reading a plurality of said photometric data sets and determining a condition of selection for selecting photometric data of pixels for use in determining an exposure amount; and
selecting photometric data of pixels which meet the condition of selection from photometric data sets of images on the film that are to be copied and making a print based on thus selected photometric data in said second transporting process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method of making a print according to claim 1, wherein said first direction is along the length of the film and wherein said second direction is opposed to said first direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method of making a print according to claim 2, wherein a transport in said first direction starts from either one of lead end and tail end of the film, and a transport in said second direction starts from another one of lead end and tail end of the film.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method of making a print according to claim 1, wherein each image on the film is an image in a frame on the film.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method of making a print according to claim 4, wherein said photometry is carried out on all pixels into which images on the film are divided.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method of making a print according to claim 5, wherein said photometry is carried out for each of at least three primary colors of red, green, and blue with respect to all pixels into which an image on the film is divided.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A method of making a print according to claim 6, wherein said storage is carried out for each frame of the film and for each pixel of each frame and also for a logarithmically transformed photometric data set with respect to each of at least said three primary colors of red, green, and blue.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method of making a print according to claim 1, wherein said storage is carried out on said photometric data which is compressed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method of making a print according to claim 1, wherein said condition of selection is a condition of standardization which is determined based on first mean image data which is calculated from a plurality of selectively read ones of said photometric data sets, and photometric data is selected in said second transporting process in such a manner that photometric data sets of images on the film that are to be copied are read and standardized in accordance with said condition of standardization and that photometric data of pixels for use in determining an exposure amount is selected based on thus standardized photometric data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A method of making a print according to claim 9, wherein said first mean image data are either mean color densities or mean color density differences which are obtained from photometric data sets of all images in at least frames to be copied with respect to density of any one of at least said three primary colors of red, green, and blue and mean density of at least said three primary colors.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

A method of making a print according to claim 9, wherein said first mean image data are calculated in a manner in which first mean image data are calculated from a plurality of selectively read said photometric data sets, photometric data sets falling outside a predetermined range with respect to thus-calculated first mean image data are removed from the selectively read photometric data sets, and thus obtained residual photometric data sets are used for the calculation.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

A method of making a print according to claim 9, wherein said standardization of photometric data converts photometric data so as to render density and/or colors fixed for the same subject regardless of a difference in the kind of film and/or development process.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A method of making a print according to claim 12, wherein said standardization of photometric data is carried out in a manner in which photometric data of a low-density portion are subtracted from each of photometric data sets of at least three primary colors, and a conversion to density of one of at least three primary colors is made from density of each of other colors in accordance with a predetermined density conversion formula.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A method of making a print according to claim 13, wherein said photometric data of a low-density portion are photometric data of a base portion of the film.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

A method of making a print according to claim 13, wherein said pixels for use in determination of an exposure amount are pixels associated with standardized photometric data which belong to a predetermined region including the origin in a color coordinates system which takes the difference between standardized photometric data of two colors of at least said three primary colors as an axis of coordinates.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

A method of making a print according to claim 15, wherein said determination of an exposure amount is carried out by calculating an image characteristic value from said pixels for use in determination of an exposure amount.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method of making a print according to claim 16, wherein said image characteristic value is at least any one of maximum density, minimum density, and mean density of the entire region of a frame of the film or a specific region of the film, mean density of a region corresponding to the face of a person.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

A method of making a print according to claim 9, wherein said mean image data are calculated from photometric data of pixels which are selected based on second mean image data which are obtained from photometric data of a number of images on a number of pieces of film.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A method of making a print according to claim 18, wherein said first mean image data are calculated in the steps of identifying the kind of film, reading second mean image data corresponding to thus identified kind of film, determining a second condition of standardization based on thus read second mean image data, and standardizing said photometric data in accordance with thus determined second condition of standardization.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

A method of making a print according to claim 18, wherein at least either of said first mean image data and said second mean image data are selected so as to determine said condition of standardization.