Patent ID: 6351321
Filing Date: 2002-02-26
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
A method of making a reproduction image of a film image frame containing both an exposed image and camera recorded information exposed within the exposed image frame by operation of a camera comprising the steps of:(a) scanning the film image frame to develop a scan image data set therefrom containing both exposed image and camera recorded information; (b) searching for and recognizing characteristics of camera recorded information in the scan image data set (c) from the recognized characteristics, generating a camera recorded, image data sub-set within the scan image data set; (d) determining the information content of the camera recorded, image data sub-set; (e) based upon the determined information content, developing a substitute image data sub-set for the camera recorded, image data sub-set; (f) substituting the substitute image data sub-set for the camera recorded, image data sub-set within the scan image data set to thereby provide a reproduction image data set; and (g) reproducing a reproduction image from the reproduction image data set, wherein the camera recorded information comprises optically exposed, alpha-numeric characters in text intended for reproduction in reproduction images made from the film image frame, and the method is operable in a full image frame reproduction mode wherein: step (d) further comprises identifying a character bit-map of the camera recorded, image data sub-set; and step (e) further comprises subjecting the character image data subs-et within the character bit-map to a re-touching algorithm of each data bit to create a re-touch image data sub-set of data bits to be substituted for the identified data bits in the character bit-map as the substitute image data sub-set, whereby the alpha-numeric characters are not recognizable in the reproduction image made from the reproduction image data set.