Image reading apparatus, image recording medium and image forming apparatus

Abstract

In order to provide an image reading apparatus, which can read images on a monochromatically developed color photographic film, it is provided a reading conditions changing portion, which changes reading conditions of sensors on the basis of information applied to the color photosensitive material, or is provided light sources which irradiate light, having at least one of wavelength and light quantity being different from that of the other, at an emulsion surface side and a support surface side of the color photosensitive material, respectively.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus, an image recording medium and an image forming apparatus. Specifically, the present invention relates to an image reading apparatus, which reads silver images recorded on a color photosensitive material on the basis of light reflected by the color photosensitive material and light transmitted through the color photosensitive material; an image recording medium, on which image data or the like read by the image reading apparatus is recorded; and an image forming apparatus, which regenerates the image data recorded on the image recording medium so as to form images. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] A photosensitive material using silver halide has been developed more and more in recent years, and at present, high-quality color images can be easily obtained. For example, in a method generally called color photography, the photography is perform...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus, which can set reading conditions after clearly identifying the film as a monochromatically developed color photographic film, and which can obtain images in wide dynamic ranges. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus, in which reproduction of a highlight portion and a shadow portion of an image can be adjusted while the image is being viewed, and in which a more satisfactory image in a wider dynamic range can be obtained; and which can easily cope with reorder and remake.

[0011] Further, it is still another object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus, which can read images without it being necessary to irradiate a large quantity of light or without requiring a long time.

[0037] A silver density in a silver image increases in accordance with light exposure. When the silver density is extremely low, sometimes the image cannot be read, and on the other hand, when the silver density is extremely high, the image is difficult to read. Accordingly, according to the sixth aspect, a predetermined weighting factor is applied to each of image data obtained by a number of readings and a composite image data is formed. For example, the one silver image is read a number of times, and then, image data read after development has been proceeded much (carried out) is used for low silver density portions, and data read at the beginning of development is used for high silver density portions. As a result, a satisfactory image with a high SN-ratio and in a wider dynamic range can be obtained. In other words, a user can adjust reproduction of a highlight portion and a shadow portion of an image while viewing the image, and can easily handle reorder and remake.

[0040] According to the fourteenth aspect, the emulsion surface side and the support surface side of the color photosensitive material is respectively illuminated by light having different wavelengths, thereby the reflected image at the emulsion surface side, the reflected image at the support surface side, and the transmitted image can be simultaneously read. Therefore, images can be read in a short time, and a large quantity of light does not need to be irradiated for a long time for one reading image, and thus, the photosensitive material can be prevented from being damaged by heat. Further, the emulsion surface side and the support surface side of the color photosensitive material are respectively illuminated by light whose quantities are different from each other. Thus, the quantity of light irradiated at the support surface side, where there is a large amount of damping of light, can be increased, and on the other hand, quantity of light irradiated at the emulsion surface side can be decreased. As a result, a large quantity of light does not need to be irradiated for one reading image, and thus, the photosensitive material can be prevented from being damaged by heat.

[0041] When, according to the fifteenth aspect, the light sources irradiate light alternately at the emulsion surface side and the support surface side, respectively, so as to alternately read the reflected image at the emulsion surface side and the reflected image at the support surface side, and so as to simultaneously read the transmitted image and one of the reflected images, the images can be read in a shorter time, as compared with when the transmitted image and one of the reflected images are individually read.

[0048] Further, the reading sensors may consist of a dual purpose sensor, which reads reflected image information corresponding to light reflected by one of the emulsion surface side and the support surface side of the color photosensitive material with low resolution, and which reads transmitted image information corresponding to light transmitted through the color photosensitive material with high resolution; and a sensor for low resolution, which reads reflected image information corresponding to light reflected by the other of the emulsion surface side and the support surface side of the color photosensitive material with low resolution. In this manner, in place of two sensors, the dual purpose sensor is used for reading the reflected image information and the transmitted image information, and the apparatus can be thereby simplified so as to save cost.

Problems solved by technology

However, in conventional processing systems, the monochromatically developed color photographic film could not be distinguished from the other films, and thus, such problem that reading is not suitably performed was caused.

While a color paper efficiently reflects light by a baryta layer thereof, a color photographic film does not have a function for efficiently reflecting incident light, and thus, a large quantity of light is lost at the time of image reading.

Therefore, there was such problem that, if the quantity of light is not large or a lot of time is not spent when the reading is performed, it is difficult for photoelectric conversion elements to obtain sufficient light and output signals with a high SN-ratio.

Further, when images are read from a support side (base side), an anti-halation layer consisting of silver colloid damps the light.

Therefore, there was such problem that, if an even larger quantity of light is not irradiated or if a longer time is not taken for reading, the signals with a high SN-ratio cannot be obtained.

Images