Film scanner
AssigneePakon, Inc.
InventorsJames A. Truc, Doug Peterson, James Anderson, Gregg J. Ovsak, Rob McLean, James A. Hogenson, Bradley Johnson, Dennis Deutsch, Peter Wolter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photographic film scanner for scanning a film strip containing a plurality of photographic images is disclosed. The film strip is continuously advanced through the scanner and a digital image of the film strip is created. Individual images contained in the digital image of the film strip are located and displayed.
Claims35
A photographic film scanning system for scanning a film strip containing a plurality of photographic images and for creating a corresponding plurality of digital representations of the photographic images, the system comprising:
- a light source for projecting light through the film strip;
- a light sensor apparatus for sensing the light projected through the film strip and for generating pixel data based upon the intensity of the light sensed;
- a constant film drive for continuously advancing the film strip between the light source and the light sensor apparatus;
- means for generating a digital image of the entire film strip, including both the photographic images and regions surrounding the photographic images, from the generated pixel data, the digital image of the film strip including the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images;
- and
- means for locating the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images in the digital image of the film strip.
A scanner for generating pixel data from a photographic film, the scanner comprising:
- multiple inlet tracks, each inlet track adapted to receive a photographic film, the inlet tracks merging together at a common point;
- an outlet through which the film exits the scanner;
- a common guide track located between the common point and the outlet, the common guide track for guiding the film from the common point to the outlet;
- a drive mechanism for continuously advancing the film through the common guide track;
- a light source for projecting light through the film;
- and
- a light sensor for sensing the light projected through the film and for generating pixel data based upon the intensity of the light sensed.
A method of scanning a photographic film containing a plurality of photographic images and creating a corresponding plurality of digital representations of the photographic images, the method comprising:
- advancing the film between a light source and a light sensor;
- projecting light through the film with the light source;
- imaging the light projected through the film onto a first set of photosites of the light sensor with a first lens;
- sensing the light projected through the film with the light sensor;
- generating pixel data based upon the light sensed;
- generating a digital image of the entire film strip, including both the photographic images and regions surrounding the photographic images, from the generated pixel data, the digital image of the film including the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images;
- locating the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images in the digital image of the film;
- and
- automatically adjusting the scanning resolution in response to user input of resolution data by replacing the first lens with a second lens that images the light projected through the film onto a second set of photosites of the light sensor.
A vertical scanner for generating pixel data from a photographic film, the scanner comprising:
- a light tunnel having a longitudinal direction that is substantially horizontal, the light tunnel having a first and a second opening;
- an inlet located above the light tunnel through which the film is inserted;
- an outlet located below the light tunnel through which the film exits the scanner;
- a drive mechanism for advancing the film from the inlet to the outlet;
- a light source adjacent to the first opening of the light tunnel, the light source for projecting light through the film and into the first opening of the light tunnel;
- and
- a light sensor adjacent to the second opening of the light tunnel, the light sensor for sensing the light projected through the film and for generating pixel data based upon the intensity of the light sensed.
A method of creating a plurality of digital images from a corresponding plurality of photographic images contained on a strip of photographic film, the method comprising:
- scanning the film strip to create a digital representation of the film strip, the digital representation of the film strip including a digital image of each of the plurality of photographic images, the digital representation of the film strip and the digital images made up of a multiplicity of pixels with each pixel having an intensity value associated with it;
- determining an original range of intensity values in the digital representation of the film strip by identifying the lowest and the highest intensity values in the digital representation of the film strip;
- generating an expanded range of intensity values from the original range of intensity values by linearly mapping each intensity value in the digital representation of the film strip to an intensity value in the expanded range;
- generating a gamma-corrected range of intensity values by nonlinearly mapping each intensity value in the digital representation of the film strip to an intensity value in the gamma-corrected range according to a nonlinear graph that compensates for the nonlinear relationship between the density of deposits on a film and the exposure of the film;
- determining a beginning range of intensity values in each digital image by identifying the lowest and the highest intensity value in the digital image;
- and
- generating an enlarged range of intensity values for each digital image by linearly mapping each intensity value in the digital image to an intensity value in the enlarged range for the digital image.
A photographic film scanning system for scanning a film strip containing a plurality of photographic images and for creating a corresponding plurality of digital representations of the photographic images, each digital representation of a photographic image including a plurality of image boundaries, the system comprising:
- a light source for projecting light through the film strip;
- a light sensor apparatus for sensing the light projected through the film strip and for generating pixel data based upon the intensity of the light sensed;
- a film drive for continuously advancing the film strip between the light source and the light sensor apparatus;
- means for generating a digital image of the entire film strip, including both the photographic images and regions surrounding the photographic images, from the generated pixel data, the digital image of the film strip made up of a plurality of rows of pixels with each pixel having an intensity value associated with it, the digital image of the film strip including the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images;
- and
- means for locating the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images in the digital image of the film strip by identifying the image boundaries of each digital representation of a photographic image, wherein an image boundary is identified by calculating the average intensity of each row of pixels and comparing the average intensity of each row of pixels to a threshold value.
A photographic film scanning system for scanning a film strip containing a plurality of photographic images and for creating a corresponding plurality of digital representations of the photographic images, each digital representation of a photographic image including a plurality of image boundaries the system comprising:
- a light source for projecting light through the film strip;
- a light sensor apparatus for sensing the light projected through the film strip and for generating pixel data based upon the intensity of the light sensed;
- a film drive for continuously advancing the film strip between the light source and the light sensor apparatus;
- means for generating a digital image of the entire film strip, including both the photographic images and regions surrounding the photographic images, from the generated pixel data, the digital image of the film strip made up of a plurality of columns of pixels with each pixel having an intensity value associated with it, the digital image of the film strip including the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images;
- and
- means for locating the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images in the digital image of the film strip by identifying the image boundaries of each digital representation of a photographic image, wherein an image boundary is identified by calculating the average intensity of each column of pixels and comparing the average intensity of each column of pixels to a threshold value.
A photographic film scanning system for scanning a film strip containing a plurality of photographic images and for creating a corresponding plurality of digital representations of the photographic images, each digital representation of a photographic image including a plurality of image boundaries, the system comprising:
- a light source for projecting light through the film strip;
- a light sensor apparatus for sensing the light projected through the film strip and for generating pixel data based upon the intensity of the light sensed;
- a film drive for advancing the film strip between the light source and the light sensor apparatus;
- means for generating a digital image of the entire film strip, including both the photographic images and regions surrounding the photographic images, from the generated pixel data, the digital image of the film strip made up of a plurality of rows of pixels with each pixel having an intensity value associated with it, the digital image of the film strip including the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images;
- and
- means for locating the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images in the digital image of the film strip by identifying the image boundaries of each digital representation of a photographic image, wherein an image boundary is identified by calculating the average intensity of each row of pixels.
A photographic film scanning system for scanning a film strip containing a plurality of photographic images and for creating a corresponding plurality of digital representations of the photographic images, each digital representation of a photographic image including a plurality of image boundaries, the system comprising:
- a light source for projecting light through the film strip;
- a light sensor apparatus for sensing the light projected through the film strip and for generating pixel data based upon the intensity of the light sensed;
- a film drive for advancing the film strip between the light source and the light sensor apparatus;
- means for generating a digital image of the entire film strip, including both the photographic images and regions surrounding the photographic images, from the generated pixel data, the digital image of the film strip made up of a plurality of columns of pixels with each pixel having an intensity value associated with it, the digital image of the film strip including the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images;
- and
- means for locating the plurality of digital representations of the photographic images in the digital image of the film strip by identifying the image boundaries of each digital representation of a photographic image, wherein an image boundary is identified by calculating the average intensity of each column of pixels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.