Eastman-kodak Company

Bruce E Rottner

James A Schmieder

Walter D Foley

Kenneth R Kanis

Curtis E DeWolff

Stephen P North

Dennis N Beaulieu

William B Scott, Jr

Kenneth Alan Lindsay, Jr

Frank John Reitano

Joseph Stanley Jastrzembski

Carl Joseph Rosati

George L Bender

Alan R Nugent

Deborah M Dawson

William Joseph Clare

Joan M Dobles

A scanner includes a gate to receive a media carrying an image to be scanned. A frame is movable toward and away from the gate between a scanning position and a retracted position spaced further away from the gate than the scanning position. A sensor and a lens mounted on the frame, which sensor and lens move with the frame between the scanning and retracted positions, so that the lens can focus at least part of an image in the gate onto the sensor. A method of scanning images is also provided.

Image scanner with frame mounted lens and sensor and image scanning method

Apparatus (10) for scanning photographic film includes a scan gate (14, 16, 18, 26-30) having a film track (14) to guide a filmstrip (50) longitudinally in a direction of travel, a film guide surface (26) in the film track, and an elongated scan aperture (28) through the guide surface, the scan aperture being extended transverse to the film track; an image scanning device (18) positioned opposite the scan aperture, the scanning device including a housing (20) with a window (36), the housing enclosing an elongated array (44)of sensors faced through the window toward the film track opposite the scan aperture, the array of sensors having a length (L) and being spaced from the film guide surface; the scanning device further having a transparent cover (42) between the sensors and the film guide surface; the array and the cover being extended transversely to the film track, whereby a passage (48) for a filmstrip (50) is defined between the cover and the film guide surface; a conduit (78, 80)for delivering pressurized air; and a deflector member (58-74) mounted upstream of the passage for deflecting the air into the passage to clean debris from the cover, the deflector member being configured to spread the air into a thin stream moving in the direction of travel, the stream having a width (W) transverse to the film track, the width being at least as long as the length of the array.

Apparatus for cleaning a transparent cover of a virtual contact color

A photofinishing device for handling different formats of photographic film. The photofinishing device comprising a work station for photofinishing a respective format type of photographic film, means for moving the respective format type of photographic film along the work station, and at least one sensor assembly pivotably mounted to the photofinishing device so as to move between an engaged position and a non-engaged position, the at least one sensor assembly having a sensor, the at least one sensor being in substantial contact with the film when the sensor assembly is in the engaged position, the at least one sensor assembly when in the non-engaged position allowing easy access to the sensor.

Photofinishing device with interchangeable film decks

A photofinishing device for handling different format types of photographic film includes a work station with a film interface for photofinishing a respective format type of photographic film. The photofinishing device is provided With a first film deck interface utilized for containing a first format type of photographic film at the work station so that the first format type of photographic film may be photofinished while it is maintained in a specified orientation relative to the work station. The first film deck interface is releasably secured to the work station and replaceable with a second film deck interface capable of containing a second format type of photographic film at the work station. In this manner, when the photographic film in the device is changed from the first format type to the second format, the film decks may be quickly changed so that the second format type of photographic film is maintained in a specified orientation relative to work station for photofinishing.

Mounting of a solid state imaging sensor in a film scanner support body with an axis of the sensor in precision alignment with a scan axis of the scanner. The sensor is precision mounted on a support frame forming part of a sensor package with the sensor axis aligned with a line of sensor leads extending from the sensor support frame. The sensor package is then mounted on a scanner support body with the sensor leads abuting an insulator material reference datum surface that holds the sensor axis in precision alignment relative to a film scan axis.

Film scanner mount assembly for a solid state sensor

A method and apparatus for driving film out of and rewinding film back into a thrust film cartridge. The drive mechanism comprises: a nest for holding the thrust cartridge in a predetermined position; a first clutch having a drive shaft designed for engaging the spool for transferring rotational movement to the spool; a pair of metering rolls for receiving the filmstrip therebetween for advancing the film strip out of the thrust cartridge, one of the metering rolls having a drive shaft; a second clutch connected to the drive shaft of one of the metering rolls; a single drive motor; a connecting linkage for connecting the drive motor to the first and second clutches so as to impart rotational mode to the drive shafts; and a switching device for selectively activating the first and second clutches so as to drive the metering rolls and spool in the appropriate sequence.

Photographic film handling method and apparatus

A reader for reading bar code symbols containing so called 'fat bits' arranged on exposed film is described. A strip of film 10 which has one or more frames 11 has a boundary edge 13 with space in which zero, one, or two fat bits 14 is provided for each frame 11. A light source 28 directs light through the boundary edge 13 of the strip 10. A pair of optical sensors 25, 27 receives the light directed through the boundary edge 13. The sensors 25, 27 each output a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of a fat bit to a detector circuit 220. The detector circuit 220 outputs a signal corresponding to the fat bit to a controller 250 as the strip moves between the light source 28 and the sensors 25, 27. An encoder 230 measures the displacement of the strip 10 as it moves, and outputs pulse signals to the controller 250 representative of units of strip 10 displacement. The controller 250, while receiving the output from the detector circuit 220, measures the width of the fat bit 14 by translating the pulse signals from the encoder 230 into signals representative of the width of the fat bit. The presence of valid fat bits is then verified where the measured width of the fat bits is within a certain range indicative of a valid fat bit. The reader also reads the DX code 12 for each frame 11 on edge 13 by outputting signals from the pair of optical sensors 25, 26 to the detector circuit 220 representative of received light directed through the boundary edge 13 corresponding to the DX code 12 bits. The controller 250 then measures the width of each DX code 12 bit in the same manner as fat bits 14 using the pulse signals from encoder 230 while receiving from the detector circuit 220 output indicative of a DX code 12 bit. The measured DX code 12 bit widths are then stored in controller 250 for later decoding. Sensors 25 and 26 are spaced from each other to optimize reading of DX code 12, while sensors 25 and 27 are spaced from each other by less than the minimum width of a fat bit 14. The width of the fat bit 14 is substantially greater than the width of bars representing DX code 12 bits.

Fat bit bar code reader

Film scanner apparatus for a photographic printer system in which the film scanner is provided with reflection and transmission densitometry capability using a single light source for film scanning as well as both transmission and reflection densitometry.

Photographic scanner apparatus with reflection and transmission

Film gate for a virtual contact scanner includes a base having a precision site adapted to receive a solid-state scanner assembly so as to position the sensor photosites at a precise spacing from the film image plane. A separate circuit board carrying control circuits for the scanner assembly is clamped over the scanner with contact terminals aligned with mating input/output terminals of the scanner assembly. Preferably the scanner terminals are aligned with open slots in the substrate and electrical contact is made between the scanner and circuit board terminals by means of compressible electrically conductive pads. Clamping force is concentrated over the region of electrical contact between the circuit board and scanner terminals to assure good electrical contact.

Film gate apparatus for a virtual contact color film scanner

Color film scanning apparatus employs a novel trilinear array image sensor with photosites spaced apart in the linear direction of array by a pitch which is a multiple of the photosite dimension in the linear direction. The resultant scanning apparatus allows positioning of the image sensor in close proximity to the film without the need for interposition of optics for beam splitting or image focusing on the sensor arrays.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Bruce E Rottner