Eastman-kodak Company

Christopher L DuMont

Mitchell J Bogdanowicz

Roger Stanley Kerr

Timothy John Tredwell

Charles P Hagmaier

Richard C Sehlin

Diane M Carroll-Yacoby

Christian L Lurin

Peter M Stwertka

Patrick J Parsons-Smith

Mary L Schmoeger

Paul W Jones

Roger A Morton

Nestor M Rodriguez

Gabriel Fielding

Michelle A Maurer

A method for tracking a segment of an image-recording medium and an image-recording medium are provided. In a first aspect of the invention what is provided is a method for distributing an image-recording medium. In accordance with the method, an identifying mark is encoded within a recorded image area on the image-recording medium. A tracking memory is associated with the image-recording medium with the tracking memory having information stored therein. The image-recording medium is distributed to users of the image-recording medium and tracking information from the tracking memory is read and stored in a database that associates the users to whom the image-recording medium has been distributed with the identifying mark recorded in the image area.

Tracking an image-recording medium using a watermark and associated memory

A method is described for processing motion picture scene data through a process in which the scene data is initially acquired from a film or an electronic camera and ultimately projected onto a screen, wherein image losses potentially occur during distribution and projection stages of the process. The method includes the steps of: (a) representing the scene data in a non-linear space; and (b) compensating for the image losses associated with the distribution and projection stages at a point in the process before they occur by converting the scene data into an intermediate space representing the space in which the losses occur and filtering the scene data in the intermediate space to compensate the scene data for the losses. Additional steps provide additional benefits, including the steps of: (a) digitally scaling the digital scene data anamorphically to provide an image that makes full use of the available film space on the film; (b) recording multiple intermediate prints from the digital scene data and performing a single printing step to make each release print from an intermediate print; and (c) using motion compensated frame averaging to digitally remove noise.

Electronic and film theatrical quality

A film core article and methods for making the same are provided. The film core article has a generally cylindrical outer surface adapted to receive said length of film, said outer surface further comprising a recess formed in the outer surface and shaped to receive a housing of a circuitry chip of a radio-frequency transponder provided on a flexible substrate that is joined to the outer surface before the core receives the length of film.

Film core article and method for making same

A method for previewing a scene before actual capture by a motion-picture camera for permitting improved creative control of the scene ultimately captured by the motion-picture camera, the method comprises the steps of providing a digital representation of the scene; mapping the digital representation through a transfer function which maps the digital representation to image data representative of image data that a predetermined film will create; providing the mapped image data to a display; and displaying the image data on the display.

Method for previewing a scene before actual capture by a motion-picture

A process and system for forming a video image with a telecine transfer device is disclosed, the process comprising converting a photographic film image into video signals representative of the image with a telecine transfer device which uses a cathode ray tube flying spot scanner in combination with at least one dichroic beam splitting mirror to separate the light from the cathode ray tube into component spectral segments which are then detected by a light detector, wherein a filter is positioned between the dichroic mirror and the light detector to compensate for an inconsistent spectral distribution of light in at least one component spectral segment resulting from a varying angle of incidence of light originating from various positions of the cathode ray tube onto the dichroic mirrors, said filter reducing the magnitude of the range of spectral change due to the varying angle of incidence. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the light from the cathode ray tube is separated into red, green and blue component segments. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a properly designed filter is used such that the spectral distribution of light that reaches the green component light detector results in a substantially consistent side-to-side contrast detection with various photographic film stocks. The instant invention differs from previous methods of shading correction in that the correction is being done optically instead of electronically. The optical correction is substantially film independent.

Shading correction on a CRT telecine

The process for forming a video image with a telecine transfer device typically comprises (a) exposing a color negative photographic film comprising red, green and blue color sensitive records which generate image dyes upon exposure and processing of the film, (b) processing the exposed film to form a developed image, and (c) converting the developed image into video signals representative of the developed image with a telecine transfer device, wherein the peak spectral absorbance wavelength of the image dyes generated by the red color record of the film is substantially more offset from the red peak spectral response of the telecine transfer device than the peak spectral absorbance wavelength of the image dyes generated by the green color record of the film is offset from the green peak spectral response of the the telecine transfer device. An improvement is described comprising using a film in the process wherein the contrast of the red color record relative to the contrast of the green color record is set to compensate for reduced modulation of red density relative to green density in the telecine transfer device, and to result in a red channel to green channel contrast ratio in the telecine transfer image of at least 0.96 before any independent single channel adjustments.

Color negative film with contrast adjusted for electronic scanning

There is described a system and method for reproducing an original record using a narrow band filter, such as a dichroic filter, to modify the contrast of the reproduction without modifying the color balance or the wavelength peak of sub-reocrds. The system is particularly useful in reproducing motion picture records where a multiplicity of additive lamp houses can be employed. The system reduces variations in contrast and color reproduction among different additive lamp houses.

System and method for reproducing an image

There is described a system and method for reproducing an original record using a narrow band filter, such as a dichroic filter, to modify the contrast of the reproduction without modifying the color balance or the wavelength peak of sub-records. The system is particularly useful in reproducing motion picture records using subtractive lamp houses so as to have their contrast and color reproduction match records generated using additive lamp houses.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Christopher L DuMont