Photographic Medium Length, Width, Area, Or Amount Sensing Patents (Class 396/568)
  • Patent number: 8139262
    Abstract: A terminal 102 creates setting data 400 and inputs setting data 400 into an image output apparatus 101. The image output apparatus 101 sets the initial settings, operation settings, equipment settings, etc. based on the setting data, holds the setting data, and performs various processes based on the set settings and the held setting data. In addition, the image output apparatus 101 performs a media identification process, a media reader switching process, and the like using a media detection means 117, a media reader switching means 118, and the like, and allows only the use of the insertion opening of a predetermined media reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Hamashima, Jun Yoshida, Naoji Shibasaki, Yasuko Deushi, Nobuho Mori
  • Patent number: 7171974
    Abstract: At least one of a nucleus forming process, a nucleus growing process, a chemical sensitizing process, and a spectral sensitizing process for producing a silver halide photographic emulsion is performed by using a microreactor. A minute region of the microreactor is used to precisely perform a reaction of nucleus formation. A condition under which host grains are allowed to react with newly supplied silver halide nuclei is made uniform to cause uniform crystal growth. A predetermined quantity of molecules for chemical sensitization is doped in a crystal lattice of a nucleus of silver halide to effect a sensitizing process. Alternatively, a spectral sensitizing process in which a single molecular layer of a spectral sensitizer is uniformly adsorbed on a silver halide nucleus grain surface is securely carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideharu Nagasawa, Yasunori Ichikawa, Fumiko Shiraishi, Hiroshi Maeda, Mamoru Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 7173269
    Abstract: A plurality of microswitches are arranged in a photosensitive material receiving section in a row, in a direction perpendicular to the travel direction of a printing plate. The printing plate is carried while being centered with respect to a center of a transport path. The plurality of microswitches are arranged in an asymmetrical manner with respect to the center of the transport path. Thus the width of a photosensitive material can be precisely calculated with a small number of microswitches. Further, deviation of the photosensitive material from the center of the transport path can be easily detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Tamura
  • Patent number: 6916125
    Abstract: A method of preparing a roll of film for development. The method involves inspecting the film for defects and imperfections as the film is unwound from a magazine. A method of preparing a roll of film for development and developing the film is also disclosed. The development of the film involves conveying the film to a development station and controlling a temperature of the development station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Paul N. Winberg, Stanley Kowalski, III, Michael W. Shields, Sr., David J. Bassett, William A. Gagnon, Michael R. Thering
  • Patent number: 6869756
    Abstract: A heat developing method having the steps of: initially making the overall surface of a heat developing photosensitive material or a photosensitive and thermosensitive recording material (hereinafter called a “heat developing recording material”) to a predetermined temperature not lower than a glass transition temperature and not higher than heat development start temperature; and performing heat development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Ogawa, Toshitaka Agano
  • Patent number: 6833235
    Abstract: A processing method has been provided for an exposed silver halide black-and-white negative working sound recording film element, said processing method comprising the steps of processing said sound recording film element in a processing apparatus providing processing ability in a daylight environment, said processing method comprising the steps of developing in a time of less than 20 seconds; fixing in a fixer; rinsing and drying; making use of an automatic processing machine, the mentioned processing steps being followed by a step of controlling black-and-white densitometry, therefor providing the processing machine with a densitometer; further recording in a motion picture color print film and processing therein image area frames originating from an exposed and processed color negative recording film and from (an) optical soundtrack(s) originating from a silver halide black-and-white negative working sound recording film element, wherein said film element has been processed, after having been exposed, by t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: AGFA Gevaert
    Inventor: Jean Burtin
  • Patent number: 6817789
    Abstract: A photosensitive material processing apparatus includes a printer section for recording an image on photographic paper by exposure. There is a processor section for photographic development of the photographic paper. A drier section dries the photographic paper. A type bar code reader reads and inputs type information of a type of the photographic paper. A condition table memory is used to generate information of a transporting speed of the photographic paper and other processing conditions according to the type information being input, so as to control at least one of the printer section, the processor section and the drier section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Maruhashi, Futoshi Yoshida, Kanenori Ochiai, Takayuki Iida, Yoshio Ozawa
  • Patent number: 6793417
    Abstract: One embodiment is a system for the development of a film includes an infrared light source and a visible light source. The system also includes at least one sensor operable to collect a first set of optical data from light associated the infrared light source and a second set of optical data from light associated with the visible light source. The system further includes a processor in communication with the at least one sensor, the processor operable to determine an image on the film in response to the first and second sets of optical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Albert D. Edgar, Stacy S. Cook
  • Patent number: 6783902
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for thermal development having a receiver for receiving an imagewise exposed thermal film, an accumulator for gathering the film, a drive for advancing the film from the receiver to the accumulator, a heater located between the receiver and the accumulator for developing the film, a compound image scanner for scanning the film after it has been thermally developed, the scanner having a first light source and a first sensor placed for forming a first electronic record of the image formed on the developed film by reflection, a second light source and a second sensor placed for forming a second electronic record of the image by an opposing reflection, and a third sensor and a third light source placed for forming a third electronic record of the image formed by transmission, and a lighttight container for the receiver and the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Richard P. Szajewski, Mark E. Irving
  • Patent number: 6761491
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and use of information exchange between processing solution supply cartridges that are placed on a small processing machine and a controller that is used to operate the machine. In a feature of the present invention, the controller is adapted to control the operation of the processing machine based on the residual volume of processing solution in the cartridge. That is, the controller is adapted to compare the residual volume of processing solution in the supply cartridge to the amount of processing solution needed to process a specific roll of loaded film and control processing accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey L. Hall
  • Patent number: 6741326
    Abstract: In a photography method, a determination is made that a set of captured images includes one or more encoded captured images having a partial shading encodement. The encodement has a predetermined edge pattern and is disposed within a predetermined subarea of an image. An encoded captured image is digitized to provide a digital image having a plurality of pixels. A plurality of pixel templates of an edge pattern and the pixels in the subarea of the digital image are convolved to provide a plurality of template position metrics. Each pixel template has the same shape. Each pixel template is differently located in said subarea. The highest of the template position metrics and a predetermined threshold template position metric value of the edge pattern are compared. The digital image is digitally modified when said highest template position metric matches the threshold template position metric value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Edward B. Gindele, Joel S. Lawther, David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 6715941
    Abstract: A processor for photographic material includes a multitude of treatment tanks through which the photographic material to be treated is sequentially moved and in which photographic treatment solutions are found during operation, especially developing, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing solutions. The processor includes a refill pump and conduit system for pumping the treatment solutions and the water used from storage containers for treatment solutions and a water tank into the treatment tanks. A refill pump and a corresponding refill conduit is provided for each storage container and the water tank. A control for the refill pumps cooperates with level sensors associated with the storage containers in such a way that the refill process is stopped when one of the storage containers is empty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Gretag Imaging Trading AG
    Inventors: Eni Scodellaro, Franco Fracas
  • Patent number: 6672778
    Abstract: At least two (groups of) sensors forming an insertion detection sensor are offset from each other in the conveyance direction of a photosensitive material. An insertion speed, which is different for each manual insertion event, is obtained based on the time difference when sensors that have been offset from each other detect the leading end of the photosensitive material. The length of the photosensitive material in the conveyance direction thereof is accurately computed based on the insertion speed and other information. By correcting the errors due to the changeable insertion state of the photosensitive material caused by manual insertion by the operator, the process area of the photosensitive material, required for calculating the amount of replenisher to be replenished, is accurately obtained. Therefore, the amount of the replenisher is appropriately determined and the process capacity of the developer or the fixing solution can constantly be maintained at the satisfactory level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Sato, Yoko Usui
  • Publication number: 20030190558
    Abstract: There is described a thermal development apparatus, which makes it possible to prevent generation of density variations caused by changes of the processing temperature during the thermal developing operation when the thermal developing photosensitive material is continuously processed, without increasing the cost of the apparatus so much. The thermal development apparatus includes a thermal developing processor to apply a thermal development processing to the thermal developing photosensitive material, a detector to detect the thermal developing photosensitive material to be conveyed into the thermal developing processor and a controller to control the thermal developing processor in a feed forward controlling mode based on a processing condition of the thermal developing processor. The processing condition is established in advance, corresponding to a load of processing the thermal developing photosensitive material detected in advance by the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: KONICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiro Shiraishi, Makoto Sumi, Makoto Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 6629785
    Abstract: A method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material is disclosed, comprising processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, wherein both the replenishing amount and the concentration of the replenisher for the color developer are changed according to the processed amount of said two types of light-sensitive materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takatoshi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6558051
    Abstract: An automatic processing apparatus is provided which includes a processing station for photographic-processing a film; a scanner for scanning the film during the photographic-processing by the processing station; an image data memory device for storing image data acquired by the scanner; and an image output device for outputting the image data stored in the image data memory device in parallel with a following photographic-processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Kuse, Koji Takemura, Katsutoshi Sawada
  • Patent number: 6447179
    Abstract: Continuous photo film includes a support of resin film having a back surface. A photosensitive layer of photographic emulsion is disposed on a surface of the support opposite to the back surface. A conveying roller conveys the continuous photo film. The conveying roller includes a roller body of metal. A hardness reinforcer layer is formed on a surface of the roller body by thermal spraying of ceramic or cermet, so that the roller body surface is prevented from being scratched or ground by the back surface of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Sanda, Takashi Kubo, Hideki Matsuzawa, Masayoshi Wada
  • Patent number: 6193423
    Abstract: A device for monitoring a sheet material which device is used for a conveying apparatus for conveying sheet materials along a prescribed conveying path, said device comprising: a photoelectric conversion element which has a linear detecting area and outputs values which varies in accordance with an amount of light received at the detecting area, the amount of light changing due to the passage of a sheet material along the conveying path; and recognizing means which recognizes a position of a transverse direction end portion of the sheet material on the basis of a value output by the photoelectric conversion element. By disposing the edge of one half portion of the detecting area of the photoelectric conversion element at a reference position of each sheet material such as a central position of the sheet materials, a change in a width of the sheet material and even a minute amount of meandering of the sheet material can be reliably detected, and the width and a type of the sheet material can be recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6164845
    Abstract: Processing of photographic material is carried out by sensing the quantity of material passing through a processor and supplying replenishment solution in accordance therewith. The level of solution in the processing tanks is also sensed during processing, and a second solution is supplied in the event that the level falls below a predetermined value. The second solution is less concentrated than the normal replenishment solution, thereby to maintain the chemical activity of the tank closer to its required, seasoned state. Furthermore, by controlling the solution levels during processing, less replenishment solution need be added during normal replenishment, thus minimizing the amount of solutions needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Anthony Earle, Andrew Sewell, Sheridan Vincent
  • Patent number: 6122452
    Abstract: A photographic camera system includes a photographic camera that can successively expose a photographic film in different frame sizes and an automatic printer for automatically printing the processed photographic film exposed with those different frame sizes. The camera varies the width of an exposure opening in the camera body in the film-feed direction and the film is fed a length corresponding to the width of the exposure opening. The photographic camera records an exposure opening position signal indicative of the size of the exposure opening on the photographic film, and the automatic printer automatically prints the photographic film using the exposure opening position signal detected from the photographic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiko Saito, Akira Nakanishi, Shunzi Obayashi, Kyoji Genda, Hideki Toshikage
  • Patent number: 6056451
    Abstract: A photographic film processing apparatus for processing long developed film (10b) formed by joining photographic films with a splicing material (13). The apparatus includes a first transport device (40a) for transporting the long developed film. A region of the splicing material in the long developed film is detected in order to cut the long film. A main cutter (60) cuts the long developed film transported by the first transport device, in the region of the splicing material into short films (10a) prior to an exposing process. A second transport device (40b) is provided for transporting the short films to exposure processing units (20, 30). Further, an auxiliary cutter (70) is provided for cutting lateral portions of the region of the splicing material in the long developed film. The region of the splicing material is cut such that a width of an upstream short film is contained within a width at a forward end of a downstream short film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Noritsu Koko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohji Seki, Yoshiyuki Yamaji
  • Patent number: 6053642
    Abstract: If processing agents and dilution water are supplied to replenishing tanks, the level of the resulting solutions may become higher than an upper limit level. This results in a different quantity processed of photosensitive material among the different replenishing tanks. A controlling device calculates the volume of the replenishing solution at a level higher than the upper limit level after the supply of cleaning water, and compares the calculated volume with the quantity of the replenishing solution when the replenishment is effected a prescribed number of times. The controlling device changes the driving time of a container cleaning pump to correspond to that ratio, and subsequently causes the actual number of replenishings to agree with a prescribed number of replenishings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6014199
    Abstract: A film containing first sections with narrower panoramic frames and second sections with wider normal frames is scanned to obtain density values. To distinguish the panoramic frames from the normal frames, the density values along two longitudinally extending strips near the edges of the film are checked for each film section. Each strip has a length equal to that of the respective frame, and the strips border the narrower panoramic frames but are located within the wider normal frames. The density distribution in each strip is compared with density distributions previously derived from the borders of panoramic frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Agfa Gevaert AG
    Inventor: Hans-Georg Schindler
  • Patent number: 6008879
    Abstract: Presence or absence of paper is detected by individual sensors and data content stored in a backup RAM is checked out at the time when an external power source begins to supply electric power, and paper feeding operation is automatically performed by a CPU in accordance with detected states and the stored data content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hironori Masutani
  • Patent number: 5930547
    Abstract: An apparatus for developing radiation-sensitive, exposed printing forms into printing plates is disclosed. The apparatus has a developer pan in which a developer bath 2 is situated. The individual printing form runs through the developing station of this apparatus in a running-through plane. On both sides of the running-through plane there are a first pair of transport rollers, two brushing rollers with their counter-rollers and a second pair of transport rollers at the end of the developing station. Arranged between the first pair of transport rollers and the first brushing roller with its counter-roller, on the underside of the running-through plane, are guide rollers. A closed vessel, filled with developing solution, is connected via a developer circuit and a pump to the developer bath. In the vessel there are a temperature sensor and a measuring electrode for the electric conductivity of the developing solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: AGFA-Gevaert AG
    Inventors: Eckehard Stein, Peter Jessen Juergensen
  • Patent number: 5886774
    Abstract: A photographic processing system is disclosed. The system includes a bar-code reader for reading processing information of a photographic film, a sorter station for sorting the film in accordance with the processing information read from the film, a photographic processing apparatus for effecting a photographic processing operation in accordance with the processing information and a conveying device for conveying the film sorted at the sorter station to the photographic processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Nishida, Yuji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5802414
    Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developing tank (2) for developing photosensitive material, an auxiliary tank (3) communicated with the developing tank, a replenishing container (70) communicated with the auxiliary tank and holding therein processing liquid, a replenishing pump (91-94) for feeding the processing liquid from the replenishing container to the auxiliary tank, a replenishing pump operation instructing unit (100B) for activating the replenishing pump in accordance with a condition of the processing tank. The apparatus further includes a detector (91a-94a) for detecting a work amount of the replenishing pump, a determining unit (100B) for determining whether a cumulative value of detected work amount has reached a preset reference work amount or not and a notifying unit for notifying arrival of the cumulative value at the reference work amount in response to the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Nakashima, Togo Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 5780189
    Abstract: In photographic processing apparatus, the processing solutions need to be replenished as they are used up. It is known to effect replenishment of chemicals in a paper processor by determining the amount of exposure given to the paper in the printing stage of such apparatus when copying an image on a filmstrip onto photographic paper, and using that information to calculate the amount of replenishment required to compensate exactly for the chemicals used up in processing that print. Described herein is a method of using data relating to the measured optical transmittance of an image on a filmstrip in the printing stage to control replenishment of the processing solutions in the film processing stage of the apparatus and also removal of image-dependent by-products produced in processing that filmstrip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Christopher Barrie Rider
  • Patent number: 5708903
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a light-sensitive material includes a supply controlling section for controlling an amount of solid processing agents to be supplied per a unit time period in accordance with an amount of the light-sensitive material to be processed per a unit time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Teruo Kashino, Yorikatsu Miyazawa, Hideo Ishii, Yutaka Teraoka, Takao Tsuda, Kazushige Aoki, Kazuya Tsukada, Shoji Nishio
  • Patent number: 5578429
    Abstract: A method of imagewise exposing and processing a photographic silver halide color material in a machine containing a number of non-replenished processing tanks or processing tanks that are supplied from a non-replenished source,the method comprising increasing the exposure time automatically by a predetermined factor related to the area of photographic material already processed and the volume of the non-replenished processing solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: John R. Fyson
  • Patent number: 5578431
    Abstract: A method of processing an imagewise exposed photographic silver halide color material in a machine containing a number of processing tanks or processing tanks which are supplied from a non-replenished source, the method comprising increasing the temperature of at least one of the tanks automatically by a predetermined amount related to the area of photographic material already processed and optionally, the time of treatment in said at least one processing tank is increased by a predetermined factor related to the area of photographic material already processed and the volume of the non-replenished processing solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: John R. Fyson
  • Patent number: 5574529
    Abstract: A method of inspecting a negative film in a photographic processing apparatus includes the steps of using a detector to detect location data (i.e., preforations) arranged at equal intervals on the negative film, electrically comparing the detected location data with equally distanced reference location data having a regularity and assigned to a standard negative film, and automatically stopping the advancing movement of the negative film upon finding a fault in the regularity of the detected location data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiro Akira
  • Patent number: 5570154
    Abstract: An automatic developing apparatus for developing a photosensitive material includes a processing section, a throughput detector, a processing agent supplier, a water supplier, a calculator, a timer and a controller. The processing section accommodates a processing solution for processing the photosensitive material. The processing solution comprises a solid processing agent dissolved in water. The throughput detector detects a throughput of the photosensitive material through the processing section, and generates detection signals when the throughput becomes a predetermined value. The processing agent supplier supplies the solid processing agent to the processing section, and the water supplier supplies water to the processing section. The calculator calculates an amount of evaporation water evaporated from the processing solution, and the timer generates timer signals when a predetermined time period elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kurimoto, Ryuji Uesugi