Photographic printer

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said scanning step comprises projecting light through said photographic negative generally along said optical axis and onto said light sensor.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 and further including the step of stopping the light projected through said negative before performing said disposing step.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein said printing step comprises projecting light through said photographic negative generally along said optical axis and into focus on said portion of photographic paper.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 and further including the step of removing the exposed said portion of photographic paper from between said negative and said light sensor so that said method of printing a photographic image can be repeated for other negatives.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5 wherein: said photographic negative comprises a color negative; and said scanning step comprises measuring the red, green, and blue transmissive densities of said photographic negative at a plurality of discrete locations.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8 wherein said dispensing step comprises dispensing said portion of photographic paper at a plane of focus of the projected light.

Claim 13

The method of claim 8 wherein said removing step comprises cutting said roll of unexposed photographic paper to separate the exposed said portion of photographic paper.

Claim 14

The method of claim 8 wherein said first recited projecting step comprises projecting said light through a glass platen, said glass platen being disposed between said negative and said light sensor for supporting said paper portion.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11 wherein said first recited projecting step further comprises projecting said light through a field lens disposed between said glass platen and said light sensor.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 wherein said field lens comprises a fresnel lens.

Claim 17

The method of claim 8 wherein: said photographic negative comprises a color negative; and said scanning step comprises measuring the red, green, and blue transmissive densities of said negative at a plurality of discrete locations.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 wherein said scanning step comprises measuring the light transmitted through at least one each red, green, and blue transmissive filters ad the filters are scanned between said negative and said light sensor.

Claim 19

The method of claim 8 and further including the step of inserting during said last recited projecting step a colored balance filter between the projected light and said paper.

Claim 20

The method of claim 8 wherein said method of controlled using a computer.

Claim 21

A photographic printer for printing a photographic negative onto a portion of unexposed photographic paper comprising: a light sensor fixed on an optical axis; means for scanning the transmissive density of said negative at a plurality of locations using said light sensor; means for disposing said portion of photographic paper between said negative and said light sensor in a plane generally perpendicular to and centered on said optical axis; and means for printing said negative onto said portion of photographic paper in accordance with the transmissive densities determined with said scanning means.

Claim 22

A photographic printer for printing a photographic negative onto a portion of unexposed photographic paper comprising: a light sensor fixed on an optical axis; means for scanning the transmissive density of said negative at a plurality of locations using said light sensor; means for disposing said portion of photographic paper between said negative and said light sensor in a plane generally perpendicular to and centered on said optical axis; and means for printing said negative onto said portion of photographic paper in accordance with the transmissive densities determined with said scanning means.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said scanning means comprises means for projecting light through said photographic negative generally along said optical axis and onto said light sensor.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 19 and further including means for selectively stopping the projected light.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said projecting means comprises: a lamp house; and a projection lens disposed between said lamphouse and said disposing means.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said projecting means further comprises a field lens disposed between said disposing means and said light sensor.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said field lens comprises a fresnel lens.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said printing means comprises means for projecting light through said photographic negative geneally along said optical axis and into focus on said portion of photographic paper.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said projecting means comprises: a lamphouse; and a projection lens disposed between said lamphouse and said disposing means.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said disposing means comprises an optically clear platen disposed in said plane for supporting said portion of photographic paper.

Claim 31

A photographic printer for printing a photographic negative onto a portion of photographic paper comprising: a light sensor fixed on an optical axis; means for projecting light through said photographic negative generally along said optical axis and onto said light sensor; means for scanning, using said light sensor, the light projected through said negative to determine the transmissive density of said negative at a plurality of discrete locations; means for selectively stopping the light projected through said negative; means for disposing between said negative and said light sensor said portion of unexposed photographic paper in a plane generally perpendicular to and centered on said optical axis; and means for controlling said projecting means so as to expose said portion of photographic paper in accordance with the transmissive densities determined with said scanning means.

Claim 32

A photographic printer for printing a photographic negative onto a portion of photographic paper comprising: a light sensor fixed on an optical axis; means for projecting light through said photographic negative generally along said optical axis and onto said light sensor; means for scanning, using said light sensor, the light projected through said negative to determine the transmissive density of said negative at a plurality of discrete locations; means for selectively stopping the light projected through said negative; means for disposing between said negative and said light sensor said portion of unexposed photographic paper in a plane generally perpendicular to and centered on said optical axis; and means for controlling said projecting means so as to expose said portion of photographic paper in accordance with the transmissive densities determined with said scanning means.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said projecting means comprises a lamp house.

Claim 34

The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said projecting means further comprises a projection lens disposed between said lamp house and said disposing means.

Claim 35

The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said projecting means further comprises a field lens disposed between said disposing means and said light sensor.

Claim 36

The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said field lens comprises a fresnel lens.

Claim 37

The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said disposing means comprises an optically clear platen disposed substantially in said plane for supporting said portion of photographic paper.

Claim 38

The apparatus of claim 27 and further including means for removing the exposed said portion means for removing the expoded said portion of photographic paper from between said negative and said light sensor.

Claim 39

The apparatus of claim 27 wherein: said photographic negative comprises a color negative; and said measuring means comprises means for measuring the red, green, and blue transmissive densities of said photographic negative at a plurality of discrete locations.

Claim 40

A photographic printer for printing a photographic negative onto a portion of a roll of unexposed photographic paper comprising: a light sensor fixed on an optical axis; means for projecting light through said photographic negative generally along an optical axis and on said light sensor; means for scanning, using said light sensor, the light projected through said negative to determine the transmissive density of said negative at a plurality of discrete locations; means for selectively stopping the light projected through said negative; means for dispensing said portion of photographic paper from said roll of unexposed photographic paper into a plane disposed between said negative and said light sensor generally perpendicular to and centered on said optical axis; means for controlling said projecting means so as to expose said portion of photographic paper in accordance with the transmissive densities determined with said scanning means; and means for removing said portion of photographic paper from between said negative and said light sensor.

Claim 41

A photographic printer for printing a photographic negative onto a portion of a roll of unexposed photographic paper comprising: a light sensor fixed on an optical axis; means for projecting light through said photographic negative generally along an optical axis and on said light sensor; means for scanning, using said light sensor, the light projected through said negative to determine the transmissive density of said negative at a plurality of discrete locations; means for selectively stopping the light projected through said negative; means for dispensing said portion of photographic paper from said roll of unexposed photographic paper into a plane disposed between said negative and said light sensor generally perpendicular to and centered on said optical axis; means for controlling said projecting means so as to expose said portion of photographic paper in accordance with the transmissive densities determined with said scanning means; and means for removing said portion of photographic paper from between said negative and said light sensor.

Claim 42

The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said projecting means comprises a lamp house.

Claim 43

The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said projecting means further comprises a projection lens disposed between said lamp house and said disposing means.

Claim 44

The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said projecting means further comprises: a relay lens disposed between said disposing means and said light sensor; and a field lens disposed between said disposing means and said field lens.

Claim 45

The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said field lens comprises a relay lens.

Claim 46

The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said dispensing means comprises an optically clear platen disposed in said plane for supporting said portion of photographic paper.

Claim 47

The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said dispensing means further comprises a roll paper dispenser disposed adjacent said platen.

Claim 48

The apparatus of claim 35 wherein: said photographic negative comprises a color negative; and said scanning means comprises means for measuring the red, green, and blue transmissive densities of said negative at a plurality of discrete locations.

Claim 49

The apparatus of claim 42 wherein said measuring means comprises a rotatable disc disposed between said negative and said light sensor and supporting at least one each red, green, and blue scanning transmissive filters.

Claim 50

The apparatus of claim 35 and further including means for inserting a colored balance filter between the projected light and said paper.

Claim 51

The apparatus of claim 35 and further including a computer connected to said holding means, said paper dispensing means, and said light sensor.