Appratus for determination of exposure values for color printing

Claim 2

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; transporting means for moving a succession of color negatives to a first station and thereupon to a second station; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives at said first station to determine the criteria of such negatives; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative at said second station, incLuding adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said scanning means is arranged to examine a preselected number of unit areas of negatives.

Claim 4

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning a preselected number of unit areas of negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives, said scanning means comprising a cathode ray oscilloscope tube arranged to emit light through said preselected number of unit areas of negatives, dichroic beam divider means located in the path of light passing through a negative to divide said light into beams in each of three basic colors, and secondary electron multiplier means in the path of each of said beams for producing impulses representing the corresponding criteria of a negative; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 5

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning a preselected number of unit areas of negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives, said scanning means comprising a cathode ray oscilloscope tube arranged to emit light through said preselected number of unit areas of negatives, dichroic beam divider means located in the path of light passing through a negative to divide said light into beams in each of three basic colors, and secondary electron multiplier means in the path of each of said beams for producing impulses representing the corresponding criteria of a negative; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said scanning means further comprises impulse discriminator means for each of said secondary electron multiplier means and at least one counter means associated with each of said discriminator means.

Claim 7

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives, said memory unit comprising means for recording and erasing said information; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 8

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives, said memory unit comprising means for recording and erasing said information; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said memory unit is a magnet core memory unit.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said memory unit comprises a web of information storing material.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said memory unit includes a web of photosensitive material.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said web is a color film.

Claim 13

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives, said memory unit including an information storing web of color film and the information stored on said web being transmitted thereto by a color television set; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure coNtrol means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 14

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives, said memory unit including an information storing web of color film and the information stored on said web being transmitted thereto by a color television set; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure coNtrol means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 15

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives, said scanning means comprising a cathode ray oscilloscope tube; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information, said cathode ray oscilloscope tube forming part of said comparing means; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 16

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives, said scanning means comprising a cathode ray oscilloscope tube; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information, said cathode ray oscilloscope tube forming part of said comparing means; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 17

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives, said scanning means comprising three secondary electron multipliers; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information, said secondary electron multipliers forming part of said adjusting means.

Claim 18

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives, said scanning means comprising three secondary electron multipliers; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information, said secondary electron multipliers forming part of said adjusting means.

Claim 19

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first exchangeable information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second exchangeable information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.

Claim 20

Apparatus for making prints from color photographic negatives, comprising a memory unit containing first exchangeable information representing sets of reference criteria for a variety of negatives and second exchangeable information representing optimum correction factors for each negative of said variety of negatives; scanning means for photoelectrically scanning negatives to determine the criteria of such negatives; printing means for simultaneously reproducing the entire image of a thus scanned negative, including adjustable exposure control means; means for comparing the criteria of successively scanned negatives with said first information to determine the closest set of reference criteria and the corresponding second information; and means for adjusting said exposure control means in accordance with the thus determined second information.