Eastman-Kodak Company

Robert P Cloutier

John Randall Fredlund

Daniel M Pagano

Joseph Anthony Manico

David C Smart

Raymond E Wess

Richard B Wheeler

Michael L Wash

Arthur A Whitfield

Richard A Gates

William C Atkinson

John N Border

Kenneth Alan Parulski

Bruce Harold Pillman

Richard Alan Simon

Stephen G Malloy Desormeaux

David James Cornell

Roger G Covington

Dana W Wolcott

Roger A Fields

Andrew T Cooper

Duane B Kirk

Ronald H Kiesow

Michael J Ehmann

Patricia A Dwyer

Richard H Bolton

John M Simpson, Jr

Gerald J Angeli

John J Breen

Marc M Gibeley

Steven L Mizelle

A method for capturing an improved archival image using an electronic image capture device having a flash, comprising: capturing at least two preview images of a scene at different capture times using the image capture device; determining a scene brightness; using a processor to analyze the captured preview images to determine a motion velocity for the scene; determining a flash exposure setting and an ambient exposure setting responsive to a ratio between the determined scene brightness and the determined motion velocity; and capturing an archival image using the determined flash exposure setting and the determined ambient exposure setting.

Combined ambient and flash exposure for improved image quality

A method of providing photofinishing services, includes the steps of: supplying a memory device for a digital camera and a commitment by a service provider to provide goods and/or services with respect to digital images stored on the memory device to a user of the memory device; taking and storing a plurality of digital images on the memory device; delivering the memory device containing the digital images to the service provider; the service provider providing the goods and/or services to the user; and the service provider returning the memory device to the user.

Method of providing photofinishing services

A method of supplying photofinishing services includes the steps of supplying a memory device for a digital camera to a photographer; the photographer taking and storing a plurality of digital images on the memory device; the photographer delivering the memory device containing the digital images to a photofinisher; the photofinisher producing prints of the digital images and returning the prints to the photographer; and the photofinisher erasing the digital images from the memory device and supplying the memory device to another photographer to repeat the steps of taking images and delivering the memory device to the photofinisher.

Method of providing photofinishing services using recycled digital camera memory devices

A thermal printer and method for operating a thermal printer are provided. The thermal printer has a receiver medium path leading past a print nip between a print head and platen. A processor causes an urge roller to move the receiver medium in the forward direction until a trailing edge of the receiver medium is moved to a point where reverse movement of the receiver medium causes the receiver medium to located against a stop surface. The processor then enables the receiver medium to travel in the reverse direction to engage the stop surface wherein the receiver medium path guides the receiver medium along a path of known length from the stop surface to a print line at the print nip.

Printer with multi-pass media transport

A method and apparatus for automatically forwarding digital images to a service provider. The apparatus includes a reading device for reading said digital images from a removable digital storage medium and a communication device for automatically forwarding said digital image data over a network to said service provider when a predetermined criteria is met. The service provider may send transmission to the communication device so as to activate the apparatus for transmitting digital images. The apparatus has a unique ID known by the service provider which can be used to identify the apparatus.

System and apparatus for automatically forwarding digital images to a service provider

A method and system of placing information on a photosensitive film having a magnetic layer provides for the storage of image data on the magnetic layer of the film in a manner which permits the image data to be easily recalled and displayed on a monitor. The system and method can utilize an enabled Advance Photo System camera which is capable of reading digital data magnetically encoded on film. The information can be compressed and written onto the film at the time of film processing. The enabled Advanced Photo System camera reads this information and is connectable to a host computer for permitting the transfer of the information from the camera to the computer. At the computer, the digital image data can be decompressed and viewed by a user for downstream manipulation of the images.

System and method of scanning, viewing and writing information on a magnetic layer of photosensitive film

A film leader comprising a main leader portion having a pair of parallel straight edges between which the main leader portion has a constant width, an extreme end portion extending from the main leader portion and having a pair of longitudinal edges between which the extreme end portion only has a width that is smaller than the width of the main leader portion; and a weakened fold-line, is characterized in that the weakened fold-line completely divides the main leader portion and the extreme end portion and is uniformly inclined from one of the parallel straight edges of the main leader portion to the other parallel straight edge of the main leader portion to thus form a forward-most inclined straight edge of the main leader portion when the extreme end portion is folded totally onto the main leader portion along the fold-line.

Film leader

A digital image processor that establishes a boundary level of acceptable hardcopy print quality level based on selected image print size and printing magnification and provides a warning to the user prior to generation of the hardcopy print that alerts the user when the determined print image quality will be unsatisfactory.

Digital image processing with indication to user of hardcopy output

A rental camera is to be used by a customer for picture-taking and is intended to be returned to a lender to unload exposed film and replace with fresh film. The rental camera comprises a camera body having an exterior-to-interior through-hole; and operable means supported within the camera body for movement between a first position for deterring unloading exposed film and replacing with fresh film and a second position for not deterring unloading exposed film and replacing with fresh film, and having an engageable portion accessible via the through-hole when the operable means is in the first position for an auxiliary key to engage to move the operable means to the second position when the auxiliary key is rotated.

Rental camera with key-opening lock to deter customer reuse after

A rental camera is to be used by a customer for picture-taking and is intended to be returned to a lender to unload exposed film and replace with fresh film. The rental camera generally comprises a camera body having a through-hole; a manually operable member supported on the camera body for movement between first and second positions, and having a surface area substantial aligned with the through-hole in the camera body when the manually operable member is in the first position; and a locking device located in the through-hole in the camera body and in the way of the surface area of the manually operable member when the through-hole and the surface area are substantially aligned, to prevent the customer moving the manually operable member from the first position to the second position, and being removable from the through-hole to be out of the way of the surface area to permit movement of the manually operable member from the first position to the second position preparatory to the lender unloading exposed film and replacing with fresh film.

Rental camera with locking device to deter customer reuse after

A single-use camera comprises a light-tight film casing and a film cassette located inside the casing. The film cassette includes a rotatable film spool with an end portion engageable to rotate the spool, and an active light lock with an end portion engageable to rotate the light lock open to permit film movement out of and into the cassette interior and closed to prevent ambient light from entering the cassette interior. The casing has separate weakened areas covering the end portion of the spool and the end portion of the light lock which can be entirely pierced to make respective perforations in the casing to permit individual access to the end portions to engage them for rotating the spool and for rotating the light lock closed and, simultaneously, to destroy the casing to prevent it from being reused.

Single-use camera with weakened area to access film cassette

A method of operating a photographic camera to record data in correspondence with a picture frame includes activating a flash to provide illumination for exposing the picture frame onto a photographic film. Sensing is performed to determine if light generated by the flash is reflected from a subject in the picture frame. Data is recorded in association with the picture frame indicating if reflected light is sensed. In accordance with a method of operating a photographic printer to print a negative frame, the reflected flash illumination data associated with the negative frame is read. An appropriate exposure for the negative frame is selected based at least in part on the presence or absence of the sensed reflected flash illumination.

Method and apparatus for detecting, recording and using scene

A virtually transparent magnetic layer is included as an additional layer in a photographic film strip. Information exchange between various users of the film such as, for example, the film manufacturer, the camera user, the dealer and photofinisher, is facilitated by plural longitudinal magnetic tracks on the film that begin and end within individual frames. Each track is dedicated to the writing and reading of a predetermined set of parameters relating to the corresponding frame, for easy access by a particular one of the various users. Each user has the capability to read and/or write information in self-identifying data fields in the corresponding tracks.

Film information exchange system using dedicated magnetic tracks on film

A virtually transparent magnetic layer is included as an additional layer in a photographic film strip. Information exchange between various users of the film such as, for example, the film manufacturer, the camera user, the dealer and photofinisher, is facilitated by plural longitudinal magnetic tracks on the film that begin and end within individual frames. Each track is dedicated to the writing and reading of a predetermined set of parameters relating to the corresponding frame, for easy access by a particular one of the various users. Each user has the capability to read and/or write informaton in self-identifying data fields in the corresponding tracks.

A photographic camera to be used with a film cassette having a locking member movable between respective locking and non-locking positions for arresting and releasing a film exposure status indicator in any one of several exposure status positions, is characterized in that a loading chamber is configured to receive the film cassette with the indicator in at least one of its exposure status positions and actuation means is located in the loading chamber for moving the locking member from its locking position to its non-locking position responsive to insertion of the cassette into the loading chamber and for moving the locking member from the non-locking position to the locking position responsive to removal of the cassette from the loading chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Spencerport, NY, United States of America

Robert P Cloutier