JP2005006335A - Method and apparatus for outputting photographic image - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a high-quality print and image file by efficiently performing printing-out and filing-out at a low cost when performing both a processing for printing out a photographic image and a processing for storing the image on a storage medium as the image file in a laboratory or the like. <P>SOLUTION: Image data are acquired by reading a film 1, for example. The image data are output as a file onto the storage medium after applying correction processing thereto by an image processing means A so that the image data output as the file can become an image with colors or gradations easy to be viewed when displayed on a monitor, on one hand. The image data are output as a print 7 by a digital printer 5 after applying correction processing thereto by an image processing means B to improve a picture quality relative to colors or gradations of a photographic print, on the other hand. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photographic image output method and apparatus, and more particularly to a case where a photographic image recorded on a photographic film is printed out as a photographic print and the photographic image data is stored as a file for later use. The present invention relates to a photographic image output method and apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a photo finishing system that reads an image of each frame of a photograph recorded on a photographic film (hereinafter simply referred to as film) by a film scanner, obtains image data, performs necessary image processing, and outputs it as a photo print. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, photographic image data is stored as an image file on removable media so that it can be used on a personal computer, etc., but this is a service that is generally performed only for some photos selected by customers. In addition to the above-described photofinishing system, equipment such as a scanner and an image processing apparatus is usually provided. At this time, in order to provide a high-quality image file that can be printed out as a photographic print as well as displayed on a monitor, it was necessary to prepare an expensive one as the above equipment, so the price of the file output service is It was not necessarily cheap.
JP-A-6-139323

  In recent years, with the rapid spread of personal computers, the demand for file output services to the removable media as described above has increased. Also proposed is a service form in which all customer photos are stored and stored as image files on a server computer (hereinafter referred to as an image server) having a large capacity disk installed in a laboratory and used for reprinting. ing. Therefore, there is a demand for a method that can efficiently output a file of photographic image data at a lower cost.

  Also, from the viewpoint of the image quality of a photographic image, it is not preferable to perform print output and file output separately as in the prior art. When processing is performed separately, the reading conditions and image processing conditions do not always match. For example, when a print is created from an image file, the same finish as that of simultaneous printing is not always obtained, and the same finish is obtained. For this reason, there is a disadvantage that adjustment by trial and error must be performed.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention efficiently outputs an image file that produces a desired finish at the time of printing when printing a photographic image recorded on a film and storing it in a storage medium as an image file. It is an object of the present invention to provide a photographic image output method and apparatus that can be provided to customers.

  The photographic image output method of the present invention acquires a plurality of image data representing a photographic image, records each acquired image data on a photographic paper after performing the first image processing, and outputs it as a photographic print. A method of outputting each acquired image data as an image file to a predetermined storage medium after performing a second image processing different from the first image processing, wherein the first image processing is a photographic print This is a process for correcting image data so as to improve the image quality related to color and / or gradation, and the second image process is a color that makes it easy to see an image when image data output to a storage medium as a file is displayed on a monitor. The present invention is characterized in that it is a process of correcting image data so that an image of gradation is obtained. At this time, print output and file output of each image data may be performed simultaneously (in parallel) or alternately.

  When the plurality of image data is obtained by sequentially reading images of a plurality of photographic frames recorded on photographed and developed photographic film with a film scanner, the reading is performed on the photographic frames recorded on the photographic film. Of these, it is desirable to perform only on the image of a desired frame. The “desired frame” means a normal frame excluding, for example, out-of-focus, extreme under and over frames. In APS (Advanced Photo System), etc., the photographer can determine whether printing is necessary before reading the film and magnetically record the information on the film. A film scanner is included in the photo finishing system. Some have a function of reading this information and automatically skipping unnecessary frames. That is, in such a case, the “desired frame” means a frame in which information indicating that printing is necessary is recorded on the film.

  In addition, the first photographic image output device of the present invention is a film scanner that sequentially reads images of a plurality of photographic frames recorded on a photographic film to acquire a plurality of image data, and for each acquired image data, First image processing means for performing first image processing, second image processing means for performing second image processing on each acquired image data, and image data processed by the first image processing means And a file output means for outputting the image data processed by the second image processing means to a predetermined storage medium during print output by the printer by operating in parallel with the printer. A first image processing means that the first image processing means performs on the image data to correct the image data so as to improve the image quality relating to the color and / or gradation of the photographic print. The second image processing applied to the image data by the second image processing means is an image having a color and / or gradation that makes it easy to see the image when the image data output as a file on the storage medium is displayed on the monitor. This is a device that is a process for correcting image data so that

  In addition, the second photographic image output device of the present invention is a film scanner that sequentially reads images of a plurality of photographic frames recorded on a photographic film to acquire a plurality of image data, and for each acquired image data, By operating in parallel with the image processing means for performing the first image processing or the second image processing, the printer for printing out the image data subjected to the first image processing by the image processing means, and the printer, File output means for outputting the image data subjected to the second image processing by the image processing means to a predetermined storage medium during print output by the printer, wherein the image processing means applies the image data to the image data. The image processing 1 is processing for correcting image data so as to improve the image quality related to the color and / or gradation of a photographic print. The second image processing applied to the image data is a process of correcting the image data so that the image when the image data output to the storage medium is displayed on the monitor becomes an image with a color and / or gradation that is easy to see. It is the apparatus characterized by this.

  The printer and file output means provided in the first and second photographic image output devices may be means for simultaneously outputting image data for each frame, or means for alternately outputting image data for each frame. There may be.

  According to the photographic image output method and apparatus of the present invention, the acquired image data is corrected so as to improve the image quality related to the color and gradation of the photographic print on the one hand, and is printed out on the other hand, on the storage medium The image data output as a file is output as a file to a storage medium that has been corrected so that the image when it is displayed on the monitor has an easy-to-view color or gradation.

  For this reason, it is possible to efficiently perform both print creation and image file storage at low cost by effectively utilizing equipment such as a film scanner. In addition, since image processing for print output and image processing for file output are collectively performed on the acquired image data, it is possible to perform processing based on the same standard when performing image processing, and output to a file. When the photographic image data is printed out later, the desired finish can be obtained without adjusting by trial and error.

  The photographic image output method and apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. This is a photofinishing system installed in a lab or the like, and has a function of outputting photographic image data output as a simultaneous print as a file to a removable media or a lab image server.

  Similar to the conventional photo finishing system, this system reads all normal images except for out-of-focus, extreme under and over frames, etc., recorded on the film 1, and the digital image data obtained thereby Is stored in the frame memory 2. Alternatively, when reading an APS film, as described above, only print-needed frames may be read based on information indicating the necessity of printing magnetically recorded on the film.

  Reading is performed by performing two scans of pre-scan and fine scan for each frame. Pre-scanning is performed to set optimal reading conditions, and image data obtained by fine scanning is used for output.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the film may be fed for one frame after performing pre-scan and fine scan for each frame. However, as shown in FIG. In parallel, reading can be performed in about half the time of the method of FIG. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, first, the film is sequentially sent in one direction and only pre-scanning is performed on all frames, and then the film is sent in the reverse direction to perform fine scanning.

  The image data read in this way is stored alternately in the two frame memories 2a and 2b. This is because the image data in the other frame memory is output while the read image data is written in one frame memory, so that the reading process and the output process can be performed in parallel. It is to do.

  Image data taken out from the frame memory 2 for output processing is processed by two image processing means 3a and 3b, respectively. At this time, the processing by the two image processing means and the subsequent output processing are performed simultaneously (in parallel) for each image data. When both processes are completed, the frame memory is switched, and the next image data is read into the two image processing means.

  The image processing performed by the image processing means 3a and 3b is, for example, correction of color and gradation, but the processing of the two image processing means differs depending on the output purpose of the image data. For example, the image processing means 3b performs a process for improving the image quality when the image data is recorded on photographic paper as a photographic print, and the image processing means 3a makes the image data displayed on the monitor of the personal computer easy to see. Image processing is performed. However, even if different image processing is performed, the processing performed by the image processing means 3a and the processing performed by the image processing means 3b can be associated with each other, unlike the case where the image processing is performed by different devices. When the file is printed out later, the image processing to be performed can be uniquely determined from the association.

  The image data processed by the image processing means 3a is compressed by the compression means 4 and stored in the storage medium 6 as a compressed image file. On the other hand, the image data processed by the image processing means 3b is printed out by the digital printer 5.

  In the embodiment described above, file output and print output are performed simultaneously for each image data. Next, for the embodiment in which file output and print output are alternately performed for each image data, FIG. This will be described with reference to FIG. The film reading mode in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is the same as that of the embodiment of FIG.

  The embodiment of FIG. 1 includes the image processing means 3 for file output and print output, respectively, but the embodiment of FIG. 2 has only one image processing means, and this image processing means When the processing path is switched to the compression means 4, image processing for file output is performed, and when the processing path is switched to the digital printer 5, print output processing is performed.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 2, file output and print output may be alternately performed for each image data. For example, after image data of all frames read by sending a film in one direction is output to a file, The processing path may be switched, and then the film may be sent in the reverse direction to read each frame again and print the image data.

  Here, in implementing the present invention, whether to adopt the form of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 may be determined in consideration of the capabilities of a film scanner or a digital printer. For example, when it takes a long time to read by a film scanner, there is a high possibility of waiting in the output process. Therefore, it is sufficient to switch the outputs alternately without providing two image processing means. That is, it is desirable to select a form that maximizes the usage rate of each facility.

  When file output and print output are performed by the photographic image output method and apparatus of the present invention, the file name of the image file is assigned to the back of the simultaneous print 9 and each frame of the index print 10 as shown in FIG. It is desirable to record it below. Thereby, for example, when a request for reprinting is received, the search of the image file 8 stored in the image server 6 of the laboratory is facilitated, and a quick service can be provided.

  If a device such as the one described above is installed in a laboratory or the like as an alternative to a conventional photofinishing system, not only print output but also file output is performed at a cost comparable to that required for conventional print output. It is possible to provide an inexpensive service to the customer.

  As is clear from the above description, the photographic image output method and apparatus of the present invention is intended for cases where a large amount of images must be processed quickly, such as a photo finishing system installed in a laboratory or the like. It is said. In other words, for example, in a configuration in which a film scanner and a printer are connected to a personal computer, the film is manually set and scanned while selecting a frame, and then output to a file and further printed. Data is output one after another in the order of acquisition, and a system is assumed in which the next data is acquired even during the output processing.

The figure which shows one Embodiment of the output device of the photographic image of this invention The figure which shows other embodiment of the output device of the photograph image of this invention. Diagram showing an example of film feed sequence Diagram showing another example of film feed sequence Diagram showing still another example of film feeding sequence The figure which shows the example of recording to the print of the file name

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film 2 Frame memory 3 Image processing means 4 Compression means 5 Digital printer 6 Storage medium 7 Print 8 Image file 9 Simultaneous printing
10 Index print

Claims (8)

Obtain multiple image data representing photographic images,
Each acquired image data is recorded on photographic paper after being subjected to the first image processing, and is output as a photographic print, while each acquired image data is converted into a second image different from the first image processing. A method of outputting an image file to a predetermined storage medium after processing,
The first image processing is processing for correcting image data so as to enhance image quality related to the color and / or gradation of the photographic print,
The second image processing is processing for correcting the image data so that the image when the image data output to the storage medium is displayed on a monitor is an image having a color and / or gradation that is easy to see. A characteristic photographic image output method.   2. The photograph according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of image data are obtained by sequentially reading an image of a desired frame among a plurality of photograph frames recorded on a photographed and developed photographic film with a film scanner. Image output method.   3. The photographic image output method according to claim 1, wherein the print output and the file output of each image data are simultaneously performed.   3. The method of outputting a photographic image according to claim 1, wherein print output and file output of each image data are alternately performed. A film scanner that sequentially reads images of a plurality of photo frames recorded on photographic film to obtain a plurality of image data; and
First image processing means for performing first image processing on each acquired image data;
Second image processing means for performing second image processing on each acquired image data;
A printer for printing out the image data processed by the first image processing means;
A file output unit that outputs the image data processed by the second image processing unit to a predetermined storage medium during the print output by the printer by operating in parallel with the printer;
The first image processing performed by the first image processing means on the image data is a process of correcting the image data so as to improve the image quality related to the color and / or gradation of the photographic print,
The second image processing performed on the image data by the second image processing means is an image having a color and / or gradation that is easy to see when the image data output as a file on the storage medium is displayed on the monitor. As described above, a photographic image output apparatus is a process for correcting image data. A film scanner that sequentially reads images of a plurality of photo frames recorded on photographic film to obtain a plurality of image data; and
Image processing means for performing first image processing or second image processing on each acquired image data;
A printer for printing out the image data subjected to the first image processing by the image processing means;
A file output unit that outputs the image data subjected to the second image processing by the image processing unit to a predetermined storage medium during the print output by the printer by operating in parallel with the printer; ,
The first image processing performed on the image data by the image processing means is a process of correcting the image data so as to improve the image quality related to the color and / or gradation of the photographic print,
The second image processing performed by the image processing means on the image data is performed so that the image data output as a file on the storage medium is an image having a color and / or gradation that is easy to see when the image is displayed on the monitor. An apparatus for outputting a photographic image, which is a process of correcting data.   7. The photographic image output apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the printer and the file output unit simultaneously output image data for each frame.   7. The photographic image output apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the printer and the file output unit alternately output image data for each frame.

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