Abstract: A reloadable single reel film canister has a housing with first and second parts. The parts are movable, relative to one another, from a closed condition to an open condition. When in the open condition, a roll of film can be placed in the housing. When loaded with film the housing can be reclosed. The amount of film being withdrawn can be monitored by an encoder carried by the canister.

Abstract: A reloadable film canister includes a light-tight enclosure with an aperture for dispensing film therethrough. A spool of film may be loaded into the enclosure, and may be removed when the film is dispensed. In one embodiment of the invention, an encoder (field modulating) disk is included as part of the canister. In another embodiment the encoder disk is affixable to the film spool and loadable with the film spool into the canister. The spool is mountable in the enclosure for rotation therein and for dispensing, at each step of a stepper motor, a predetermined length of film corresponding to the motor's step size. The encoder disk has a plurality of uniformly-spaced, peripherally-arranged segments (elements) detectable by an external detector (sensor), the detector and the stepper motor operating under control of a microprocessor.

Abstract: A film canister with non-contacting means for indicating and facilitating sensing and calculation of film roll diameter and length of film left in the canister, and providing indication of film-out. The system for sensing the roll diameter comprises the canister, an inductive sensor and metered feed rollers. The system for calculating the film diameter and length and determining film-out comprises a microprocessor with visual indicating means.

Abstract: Disclosed are film cartridges having improved digital code patterns, films having improved digital signal means, and cameras adapted for use with the film cartridges or the films. The improved code patterns include bits with different weights and a bit which is made conductive with at least one of the bits with the different weights.One of the cameras disclosed is provided with a reading device on a spool so that the reading device can continuously read the signal means at a front tip of a leader portion of the film throughout the duration in which the film is wound around the spool. Another camera disclosed is adapted to read the code patterns on the film cartridge upon insertion of the film cartridge into a cartridge chamber.

Abstract: A cartirdge or cassette for containing light-sensitive web material for application to utilization apparatus is provided with mechanical encoding on one of the cartridge end caps, in the form of a series of protrusions and/or recesses. The protrusions or recesses are formed by injection molding in one of the exposed walls of the end cap and provide a binary code which, in cooperation with utilization apparatus, prevents the improper insertion and utilization of the cartridge. The code positions are formed during set-up of the mold in which the end cap is formed by injection molding by the selection of cooperation pairs of mold pins in recesses provided in the mold halves, to form either a recess or a protrusion in the form of a pin in each of four possible code positions. The protrusions have closed ends and are hollow, so that the breaking off of a protrusion by attempted improper utilization permits light to enter the interior of the cartridge through the protrusion and end cap.

Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a filmstrip beginning with a relatively short non-protruding leader portion can be advanced automatically to the exterior of the cassette responsive to rotation of a film spool in a film unwinding direction. The filmstrip has one metering perforation per film frame in a relatively long imaging portion and several much closer spaced take-up perforations in its leader portion. Preferably, the take-up perforations are located along a different longitudinal edge of the filmstrip than the metering perforations are located, to positively prevent the possiblity of mistaking one of the take-up perforations for one of the metering perforations in a camera.

Abstract: A photographic printing apparatus adapted to use a paper magazine having a coded mark indicating the type of a photographic paper contained therein. The code mark is automatically detected, when the paper magazine is mounted on the printing apparatus, by a code mark reader, to judge the paper type according to which the printing apparatus determines the printing conditions and makes a print, thereby to obtain a color print with proper color balance and density.

Abstract: A particular type camera requiring the exposed film to receive special handling at the photofinisher has a loading chamber for receiving a conventional film cartridge in an axial direction. A back door of the camera is supported for closing movement to cover a film cartridge received in the loading chamber and for opening movement to permit the received cartridge to be removed in an axial direction from the chamber. An encoding means mounted on the back door has a finite range of influence within which the received cartridge is encoded with a detectable code mark to identify the cartridge to the photofinisher as one that was used in the particular type camera. Preferably, the encoding means is a magnet for magnetizing a macroscopic region of the received cartridge to encode the cartridge with a macroscopic magnetic field having a predetermined orientation.

Abstract: Disclosed are film cartridges having improved digital code patterns, films having improved digital signal means, and cameras devices adapted for use with the film cartridges or the films. The improved code patterns include bits with different weights and a bit which is made conductive with at least one of the bits with the different weights.One of the cameras devices is provided with a reading device on a spool so that the reading device can continuously read the signal means at a front tip of a leader portion of the film throughout the duration in which the film is wound around the spool. Another camera device is adapted to read the code patterns on the film cartridge upon insertion of the film cartridge into a cartridge chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting code indicia containing electrically conductive contacts and being indicative of one or more characteristics of the film contained in the film cartridge, comprises a wall member forming a chamber for receiving the cartridge. The wall member has through-holes provided at positions opposed to the code indicia. The apparatus is further provided with a circuit substrate disposed on the side opposite to the chamber and opposed to the wall member and having thereon an electric circuit means for reading the characteristics of the film. The circuit substrate has electric terminals. The apparatus further includes electrically conductive contact members being slide-movably inserted into the respective through-holes on the wall member. Each of the contact members has two ends one of which contacts with one of the code indicia and the other end contacts with one of the electric terminals.

Abstract: A label cassette is described in which labels releasably adhered to a support strip are stored in a cassette. The cassette is generally rectangular with one corner formed at approximately a 45.degree. angle. A reflective surface is placed on the angular corner to permit a light beam to be reflected from the cassette through holes in the support strip between each label to control the advance of the support strip into the label printer. With this arrangement the proper positioning of the label cassette as well as that of the support strip are simultaneously detected.

Abstract: An arrangement for setting camera functions in dependence upon a characteristic of film being used in the camera. The arrangement includes a manually operable setting knob which can be turned to a plurality of settings and is arrested in each by an arresting device. This knob is used when the film cassette employed in the camera has no film-characteristic (e.g., film speed) mark. When the cassette does have such a mark, the insertion of the cassette into the film chamber of the camera causes disengagement of the arresting device and automatic turning of the knob to a position corresponding to the detected mark. Since the knob is visible to the user it serves as an indicator of the film in the camera, whether the camera setting is manually or automatically made.

Abstract: A camera for receiving a cartridge containing relatively high or low speed films has an adjustable aperture mechanism for regulating the amount of light exposing the film, and a manual control mechanism operatively associated therewith and movable between "sunny", "cloudy" and "flash" settings to provide respectively "small", "intermediate" and "large" apertures for high speed film. The cartridge includes structural means thereon of a predetermined configuration in accordance with the speed of the film contained therein. An automatic control mechanism operatively associated with the adjustable aperture mechanism senses the structural means on the cartridge to increase the "small" aperture to the "intermediate" aperture and the "intermediate" aperture to the "large" aperture for low speed film without changing the settings of the manual control mechanism.

Abstract: A camera has a cover member for opening and closing a film cartridge-retaining chamber, and a detecting member movable to effect automatic setting of the film sensitivity or automatic change-over of a filter. The film cartridge has a signal element on its side wall of a predetermined size which may be engaged by the detecting member when the film cartridge is charged into the camera for effecting the automatic setting of the film sensitivity or of the automatic change-over of a filter. After the detecting member has engaged the signal element, and thus tends to tilt the film cartridge, the detecting member is moved in a direction away from the signal element due to a closing operation of the cover member, or the detecting member is released from a force which urges the detecting member toward the signal element, thereby eliminating the influence of the force acting to tilt the film cartridge.

Abstract: A film magazine comprised of a cylindrical portion and a pair of end covers is provided with film speed indicating code means. The cylindrical portion of the film magazine is made of metal sheet applied with an insulating coating layer. The surface of the cylindrical portion is selectively provided with non-coated sections for indicating the film speed of the film loaded therein in accordance with a binary code system. The code which indicates the film speed is sensed by a small number of sensing contacts provided in the camera body. The non-coated sections for indicating the film speed are located in the inaccessible area of the film magazine so that the coding sections may not be damaged.

Abstract: A film handling cassette and apparatus configured for operation of the same through any one of several processing cycles and subsequent projection of the film retained within the cassette. The cassette includes structure indicative of the processing cycle required for the particular film retained within the cassette, and the apparatus includes a sensor configured to cooperate with the indicative structure and to program the apparatus responsive thereto so as to operate the cassette through a selected processing cycle which conforms to the required cycle. In the illustrated embodiment, the cassette includes a rib-like tactile discontinuity carried on the cassette surface which in conjunction with a complementary indent of the apparatus prevents loading of the cassette except when it is oriented in one special relation to the apparatus, and the rib length or, more particularly, the location of the end of the rib is made to be indicative of the required processing program.

Abstract: A film handling system to with which a film cartridge is commonly usable in each step of exposure, processing (developing) and projection of the film housed therein, wherein a safety means which advances the above mentioned film cartridge through each step in which it is used in a prescribed sequence is provided. Further an electric circuit which controls the above mentioned handling system in such manner as to activate said system according to the output of the safety means is provided so that such erroneous handling as occurs when processing or projecting unexposed film by mistake or by projecting unprocessed film can be automatically prevented.

Abstract: A control system for a cassette-load movie camera having an automatic exposure control system. A variable neutral density filter adjusts the exposure control system to the film sensitivity, and a sensitivity range control adjusts the exposure control system alternatively for a range of high film sensitivities or a range of low film sensitivities. Cassette indicia automatically effect a filter setting and sensitivity range setting upon placement of the cassette within the camera. A switching system controls energization of the exposure control system in relation to energization of the camera drive motor.