Printing image frames corresponding to motion pictures
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsMartin E. Oehlbeck, Rockwell N. Yarid, Richard L. Druzynski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of printing image frames from a digital image file of a motion picture includes providing a two-dimensional LCD modulator having predetermined pixels which selectively can be activated so as to respond to incident light to provide monochromatic visual images; responding to the digital image file to activate the pixels in the LCD modulator to provide visual image planes corresponding to each frame of the motion picture; and moving a photosensitive medium past the LCD modulator to illuminate different portions of such medium from the illuminated LCD modulator to record the image planes on such medium.
Claims10
A method of correcting nonuniformities in images on a medium wherein data to pixels of a LCD modulator are modified in an image processing sub-system, comprising the steps of:
- a) activating an uncorrected LCD modulator with a flat-field image of a mid-density value from a digital image file and recording such an image frame onto the medium;
- b) digitizing the resulting image frame at the full image aperture and resolution of the LCD modulator using a high resolution digital scanner or microdensitometer to obtain density readings for each pixel in all monochromatic image planes of the image frame;
- c) creating a uniformity data map digital file of percent variations in density readings for all pixels in an image for all monochromatic image planes in the image frame relative to a median density point for all pixels in an associated plane;
- and
- d) correcting all pixels in each image plane within the LCD modulator control to reduce density variations on the medium to an acceptable limit.
A method of correcting nonuniformities in images on a medium wherein pixels of a digital image file are modified, comprising the steps of:
- a) activating an uncorrected LCD modulator with a fiat-field image of a mid-density value from a digital image file and recording such an image frame onto the medium;
- b) digitizing the resulting image frame at the full image aperture and resolution of the LCD modulator using a high resolution digital scanner or microdensitometer to obtain density readings for each pixel in all monochromatic image planes of the image frame;
- c) creating a uniformity data map digital file of percent variations in density readings for all pixels in an image for all monochromatic image planes in the image frame relative to a median density point for all pixels in an associated plane;
- d) correcting all pixels in each image plane within the digital image file to reduce density variations on the medium to an acceptable limit.
Apparatus for printing a plurality of frames wherein each such frame includes at least three separable color image planes from a digital image file of a color motion picture, comprising the steps of:
- a) means for receiving and storing the digital image file of the motion picture sequence;
- b) an activatable two-dimensional reflective LCD modulator having predetermined pixels in which different colored monochromatic visual images corresponding to each motion picture frame can be produced;
- c) an image processing sub-system for manipulating the digital image data from the digital image file to produce predetermined affects to the visual image;
- d) means for activating the two-dimensional reflective LCD modulator in response to the digital image data from the image processing sub-system so that reflective light will cause a visual image to be produced;
- e) at least three arrays of spaced light-emitting diodes and each such array operates at a different color wavelength wherein each such color wavelength corresponds to an image plane;
- f) an optical assembly for receiving light from each array and for distributing such light to provide a relatively uniform light beam;
- g) a first polarizer responsive to the uniform light beam to polarize such uniform light beam;
- h) a beam splitter for receiving the uniform polarized light beam and for directing a portion of the uniform polarized light beam onto the activated LCD modulator and for receiving and directing reflected light from the LCD modulator;
- i) a second polarizer responsive to directed reflected light from the LCD modulator to minimize noise;
- and
- j) means for moving a photosensitive medium past the reflective light produced by the second polarizer to illuminate such medium for a sufficient time with the visual image planes to record such image planes on such medium at proper exposure which matches the medium sensitivity.
Apparatus for printing a plurality of frames wherein each such frame includes at least three separable color image planes from a digital image file of a color motion picture, comprising the steps of:
- a) means for receiving and storing the digital image file of the motion picture sequence;
- b) an activatable two-dimensional reflective LCD modulator having predetermined pixels in which different colored monochromatic visual images corresponding to each motion picture frame can be produced;
- c) an image processing sub-system for manipulating the digital image data from the digital image file to produce predetermined affects to the visual image;
- d) means for activating the two-dimensional reflective LCD modulator in response to the digital image data from the image processing sub-system so that reflective light will cause a visual image to be produced;
- e) at least one array of spaced light-emitting diodes where such array contains at least three groups of light-emitting diodes at different color wavelength wherein each such color wavelength corresponds to an image plane;
- f) an optical assembly for receiving light from each array and for distributing such light to provide a relatively uniform light beam;
- g) a first polarizer responsive to the uniform light beam to polarize such uniform light beam;
- h) a beam splitter for receiving the uniform polarized light beam and for directing a portion of the uniform polarized light beam onto the activated LCD modulator and for receiving and directing reflected light from the LCD modulator;
- i) a second polarizer responsive to directed reflected light from the LCD modulator to minimize noise;
- and
- j) means for moving a photosensitive medium past the reflective light produced by the second polarizer to illuminate such medium for a sufficient time with the visual image planes to record such image planes on such medium at proper exposure which matches the medium sensitivity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.