Method of recording an optional number of color separation images in an optional order and in optional positions on a recording medium

In a color separation image reproduction system, the unrecorded area of a photosensitive film is minimized by providing for recording the color separation images on the film in arbitrarily selectable order and position. Only the necessary color separation images are recorded on the film, so that film area is not recorded with unnecessary images. Different size images are accommodated in the inventive system by a pulse generation circuit which, by sectioning of a pulse sequence representing a scanning cycle, determines appropriate order and position of the images.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a method of utilizing unused area of a film 
(herein, the word "unused" means both a condition wherein parts of a 
photosensitive film recorded with images are not used for some reasons and 
a condition wherein parts of a photosensitive film having no recorded 
image thereon are not used) for recording in order to make full use of the 
film in a image reproducing system such as a color scanner which obtains 
color images from scanning of an original color picture. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Conventionally, a photomechanical camera is used for separating color 
components of an original color picture. 
Recently, in response to a need for higher resolving ability and color 
reproducing certainty, an image reproducing system called a color scanner 
has been put to practical use. As the size of the film is standardized, 
sometimes unused area is produced depending on desired size of reproduced 
images. 
If the width of the unused area is within a few centimeters, the film can 
be considered to be effectively used. But in actual situations, there 
remain rather broad unused areas on a film, and only a very limited part 
of the unused area is utilized. To overcome this problem the simultaneous 
color separation procedure, using a plurality of original pictures for 
recording a film, can be considered. However, this method is not practical 
because the color tone, density and magnification factor of each original 
picture must be approximately unified, which requires limited combinations 
of original pictures. 
As a solution for the above problem, a color scanner capable of 
simultaneously recording on a film a set of color separation images is put 
into practice and disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication 
(Kokoku) No. 52-18601. However even the described color scanner has a 
defect with respect to effective use of a film as follows. Even when 
respective four color components Y, M, C, and K of original pictures H and 
I, and the yellow color separation image (A'.sub.Y) of the original 
picture A are required to be produced on a film, said color sanner cannot 
perform a recording operation in which the other color separation images 
A.sub.M, A.sub.C, and A.sub.K are eliminated as shown in hatched area of 
FIG. 1(a). Still further, hatched areas shown in FIG. 1(c), (e), and (g) 
are not utilized in an actual process of recording films. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is thus made to overcome the aforesaid defects by providing 
an approach to recording a film with an optional number of color 
separation images which are optionally distributed in order and in 
positions in one scanning cycle controlled by section pulses which 
designate proper scanning timings. 
Moreover, by using said section pulses, some test pattern signals can be 
output. 
The above and other objects and features of this invention can be 
appreciated more fully from the following detailed description when read 
with reference to the accompanying drawings.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
The following is an explanation of the principle of this invention based on 
the drawings. FIG. 2 is a timing chart in recording the image shown in 
FIG. 1(b). 
FIG. 1(b) shows color separation images B'.sub.Y, C'.sub.M, and C'.sub.C 
distributed in place of the color separation images A.sub.M, A.sub.C, and 
A.sub.K, shown in FIG. 1(a), when only the color separation image A'.sub.Y 
of the original picture A is needed and the color separation images 
A.sub.M, A.sub.C, and A.sub.K are not necessary. 
At first, a film is placed on a recording drum of a scanner (not shown in 
the drawings). 
A rotary encoder is coaxially connected to the recording drum, and the 
rotary encoder generates one pulse and N time pulses for each revolution 
of the recording drum as shown in FIG. 2(a). 
Color separation signals Y, M, C, and K obtained in parallel from an input 
device of a color scanner simultaneously are stored into a memory as shown 
in FIG. 2(b). The thus stored color separation signals Y, M, C, and K are 
then read as shown in FIG. 2(d) in response to section pulses Y.sub.g, 
M.sub.g, C.sub.g, and K.sub.g. The latter are gate signals obtained from 
sectioning N time pulses--that is, from choosing time periods represented 
by sections, or given numbers of pulses, of a pulse sequence N having a 
particular pulse repetition frequency, as shown in FIG. 2(c). 
Alternatively, the gate signals may be obtained from sectioning N.sub.0 
pulses. These pulses are provided at a frequency which is a multiple of 
the frequency of the N time pulses. As a result, a seriated image signal I 
consisting of color separation signals of original pictures such as H and 
I are produced. By using such signals, Area 1 (H.sub.Y, H.sub.M, H.sub.C, 
H.sub.K) and Area 2 (I.sub.Y, I.sub.M, I.sub.C, I.sub.K) are recorded on a 
photosensitive film. 
A seriated image signal II shown in FIG. 2(e) means the output timing for 
reproducing the image A'.sub.Y shown as Area 4 in FIG. 1(b) is controlled 
only by the timing of gate signal Y.sub.g. Similarly, only the gate signal 
M.sub.g provides timing for reading the data of image B'.sub.Y to make a 
seriated signal III, and the gate signals C.sub.g and K.sub.g provide 
timing for reading the data of images C'.sub.M and C'.sub.C respectively 
to make a seriated signal IV shown in FIG. 2(e). 
In order to record Area 4 of FIG. 1(b) totally, three scans are necessary 
for each of original pictures A, B, and C as mentioned above. 
A conventional method of recording said color separation films A'.sub.Y, 
B'.sub.Y, C'.sub.M, and C'.sub.C also requires three scans. Comparing the 
two methods to each other, a significant difference is that the 
conventional recording method wastes color separation films A'.sub.M, 
A'.sub.C, A'.sub.K, B'.sub.M, B'.sub.C, B'.sub.K, C'.sub.Y, and C'.sub.K 
while on the contrary the present invention does not waste any part of a 
film. 
This invention is further capable of recording images of several scales on 
a film as shown in FIGS. 1(d), (f), (h) as well as images of a uniform 
scale as shown in FIG. 1(b), when of course the gate signals Y.sub.g, 
M.sub.g, C.sub.g, and K.sub.g must be reformed to have suitable timing and 
duration for reproducing the color separation images. For example, FIG. 
7(a) shows a timing chart of gate signals for recording Area 7 of FIG. 
1(f), and FIG. 3 shows an example of a circuit which generates gate 
signals 11 to 14 and gate signals 21 to 24. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the N time pulse signal output from the encoder is 
converted into an N.sub.0 time pulse signal which has higher frequency 
through a PLL circuit 31. A counter 32 counts the N.sub.0 time pulses, and 
after completing one rotation (N times) the one time pulse signal is input 
to a reset terminal of the counter 32 to re-count the N.sub.0 time pulses. 
A start number setting circuit 33 sets up a counting number X.sub.0 for a 
gate signal (11) as shown in FIG. 7 for recording Y(yellow) color image. 
Ordinarily, X.sub.0 is set to "0", for example as shown in FIG. 1(f). If 
color separation images M.sub.y, M.sub.m, M.sub.c, and M.sub.k (the 
hatched area of the Area 3 of FIG. 1(e) are desired to be recorded in the 
blank below A'.sub.y, the counting number X.sub.0 is set to N.sub.0 /4. 
This number signal is input to a comparator 44 in order to be compared to 
an output x from the counter 32. When X.sub.0 &lt;x, an output signal from 
the comparator 44 becomes "H" to be an input to an AND-gate 53. The number 
signal of the starting count setting circuit 33 is also input to an adder 
36 (mentioned later). The signal duration setting circuit 34 sets up a 
counting number x.sub.1 corresponding to a desired duration for the first 
set of gate signals and outputs the value into the adders 36 to 39. Output 
signals from the adders 36 to 38 are respectively input to the adders 37 
to 39 successively, so that adders 36 to 39 perform the calculations 
X.sub.0 +x.sub.1 =X.sub.1, X.sub.1 +x.sub.1 =X.sub.2, X.sub.2 +x.sub.1 
=X.sub.3, and X.sub.3 +x.sub.1 =X.sub.4 respectively and input the 
calculated results into the respective comparators 45 to 48. The 
comparator 45 compares said calculated value X.sub.1 to the output value x 
from the counter 32 and when X.sub.1 &gt;x, a "H" (high) signal is output 
from the smaller-than signal terminal of the comparator 45 to the AND-gate 
53, as a result when X.sub.0 &lt;x&lt;X.sub.1, the gate signal 11 is output from 
the AND-gate 53. Similarly, when X.sub.1 &lt;x&lt;X.sub.2 the gate signal 12 is 
output from the AND-gate 54, when X.sub.2 &lt;x&lt;X.sub.3 the gate signal 13 is 
output from the AND-gate 55, and when X.sub.3 &lt;x&lt;X.sub.4 the gate signal 
14 is output from the AND-gate 56. 
As in the above-mentioned system, a signal duration setting circuit 35 is 
provided for the second set of gate signals, while adders 40 to 43, 
comparators 49 to 52 and AND-gates 57 to 60 are provided for outputting 
the gate signals 21 to 24 from the respective AND-gates 57 to 60. In this 
portion of the circuit, the output of the adder 39 corresponds to the 
output of said starting count setting circuit 33 in the previously 
described portion. However, under some circumstances it is possible that 
some of the gate signals 11-14 or 21-24 are not generated. Particularly, 
the counter 32 is limited to counts of N.sub.0 or less. When the numbers 
X.sub.0, x.sub.1 or X.sub.01 are sufficiently large, the outputs of some 
of adders 36-43 may exceed N.sub.0 and the results of comparisons by 
comparators 44-52 may be erroneous, since the count in counter 32 cannot 
reach te threshold numbers X.sub.04, X.sub.03, X.sub.02, etc. Thus, gate 
signals 24, 23, 22, etc. would not be generated. Moreover, when X.sub.0 
=0, x.sub.1 =N.sub.0 /4, the gate signals 11-14 correspond to Y.sub.g, 
M.sub.g, C.sub.g and K.sub.g as shown in FIG. 2 respectively, and it is 
impossible for gate signals 21-24 to be generated. 
FIG. 4 shows a selector which has a function of selecting an appropriate 
gate signal from out of the gate signals 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, and 
24 according to desired color separation images and reproducing order of 
the color separation images. The selector further functions to distribute 
the selected gate signals to a halftone dot generator 71, to a memory 72 
and to a test pattern generator 73 (mentioned later). 
FIG. 4 shows a selector for the Y color. However, the same structure can be 
applied to the other color separation images M, C, K. 
In other words, in FIG. 4 the gate signals 11 to 14 are input to a switch 
SW.sub.Y1, and the signals to be distributed are selected as follows. The 
gate signals are distributed as a gate signal Y.sub.M to the memory 72 
directly and to the halftone dot generator 71 as a gate signal Y.sub.D via 
OR-gate 61. 
Output signals from a switch SW.sub.Y2, which selects signals from gate 
signals 21 to 24, are similarly distributed to a test pattern generator 73 
directly as a gate signal Y.sub.T and to the halftone dot generator 71 via 
the OR-gate 61 as a gate signal Y.sub.D. If the Y color image is not 
required to be output in the aforesaid composition, respective 0 terminals 
of the switches SW.sub.Y1, SW.sub.Y2 are selected. Ordinarily terminal 1 
of the switch SW.sub.Y1 is selected to output the gate signal 11 for a Y 
color image, terminal 2 of the switch SW.sub.M1 is selected to output the 
gate signal 12 for an M color image, terminal 3 of the switch SW.sub.C1 is 
selected to output the gate signal 13 for a C color image, and terminal 4 
of the switch SW.sub.K1 is selected to output the gate signal 14 for a K 
color image. 
In this case (X.sub.0 =(0) , x.sub.1 =N/4), color separation images shown 
as Areas 1 and 2 of FIG. 1(a) are obtained. 
A recorded image shown in Part II of Area 4 of FIG. 1(b) can be obtained by 
selecting terminal 1 of the switch SW.sub.Y1 and respective terminals 0 of 
the switches SW.sub.M1, SW.sub.C1, and SW.sub.K1. Part III of Area 4 of 
FIG. 1(b) can be obtained by selecting terminal 2 of the switch SW.sub.Y1, 
and respective terminals 0 of the switches SW.sub.M1, SW.sub.C1, and 
SW.sub.K1. Part IV of Area 4 of FIG. 1(b) can be obtained by selecting 
terminal 0 of the switch SW.sub.Y1, terminal 3 of the switch SW.sub.M1, 
terminal 4 of the switch SW.sub.C1 and terminal 0 of the switch SW.sub.K1. 
In said manner, the gate signals 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are 
output through the switches SW.sub.Y1, SW.sub.Y2, SW.sub.M1, SW.sub.M2, 
SW.sub.C1, SW.sub.C2, SW.sub.K1, and SW.sub.K2 (the latter six switches 
are not shown in the drawings) to the halftone dot generator 71, to the 
memory 72, and to the test pattern generator 73 as gate signals Y.sub.D, 
Y.sub.M, Y.sub.T, M.sub.D, M.sub.M, M.sub.T, C.sub.D, C.sub.M, C.sub.T, 
K.sub.D, K.sub.M, and K.sub.T. 
The halftone dot generator 71 shown in FIG. 5 generates a signal which can 
be used for forming dots on a full surface of a film by using N.sub.0 time 
pulses and one time pulse. Dots for each color image are made by using a 
pulse which has a certain duration upon command of analog gate signals 
S.sub.D for forming dots, which signals S.sub.D are input to a comparator 
77. The comparator 77 compares the signal S.sub.D to an image analog 
signal S.sub.G and outputs a high-low signal which becomes "H" (high) when 
the signal S.sub.D is smaller. 
The output signal of comparator 77 is input to a laser beam switch 79 via 
an AND-gate 78 as an image signal to turn on or off the switch 79. 
Finally, several laser beams which are modulated by the image analog signal 
record the halftone dots on a film. The analog signal S.sub.M, which is a 
seriated signal composed of image signals Y, M, C, and K stored in the 
memory 72 as shown in FIG. 2(e) I II III and IV, is output at command of 
the signals Y.sub.M, M.sub.M, C.sub.M, K.sub.M, coming from the selector 
shown in FIG. 4. When more than one of the gate signals 11, 12, 13, and 14 
exist(s), an OR-gate 74 outputs a high ("H") signal which turns on an 
analog switch 76 to pass the analog signal S.sub.M from the memory 72 to 
comparator 77. 
A test pattern generator 73 can output an analog signal S.sub.T formed from 
a digital signal produced from a saw-tooth wave, gradated wave, and a 
constant signal at command of the N time pulse and the gate signals 
Y.sub.T, M.sub.T, C.sub.T, K.sub.T, by using the counter and other circuit 
components through digital-analog conversion. When gate signals 11 to 14 
do not exist, the output signal of the OR-gate 74 becomes "L" (low) to 
pass the analog signal S.sub.T through the analog switch 76 to the 
comparator 77. 
FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the test pattern generator 73. In the 
embodiment, a saw-tooth wave, a gradated wave, and a constant signal are 
provided as test pattern signals by a switch 92 wherein 92a, 92b, and 92c 
correspond to above-mentioned waves respectively. 
In FIG. 3, as the comparators 44 to 52 can't judge equality, each of the 
gate signals 21, 22, 23, and 24 are all "L" (low) when the counted numbers 
in the counter 32 are X.sub.01, X.sub.02, X.sub.03, or X.sub.04 
respectively. These gate signals 21, 22, 23, and 24 become gate signal(s) 
Y.sub.T (M.sub.T, C.sub.T, K.sub.T being not shown in the drawings) 
through the switch(es) SW.sub.Y2, (SW.sub.M2, SW.sub.C2, SW.sub.K2 being 
not shown in the drawings) to be input to an OR-gate 82 shown in FIG. 6. A 
low output signal from the OR-gate makes the output of an inverter 83 "H" 
(high) which resets counters 84, 85, and 86. That is, the counters 84, 85, 
and 86 are reset to "0" when the counted numbers are X.sub.01, X.sub.02, 
X.sub.03, or X.sub.04. 
When the N time pulse is input to an AND-gate 81, and when at least one of 
the gate signals Y.sub.T, M.sub.T, C.sub.T, or K.sub.T is "H", the N time 
pulse is output from the AND-gate 81 to a counter 84. If a frequency of 
the N time pulse is too high, it must be reduced to N/n (where n is a 
positive integer) to be input to the counters 85, and 86. If the frequency 
of the N time pulse is too low, an N.sub.0 pulse can be input to the 
counters 85, 86. When a switch 92b for the gradated signals is turned on, 
signals A.sub.4, A.sub.5, A.sub.6, and A.sub.7 from the counter 86 are 
input via an OR-gate 88 and via an AND-gate 90 to a digital/analog 
converter 91 which outputs an analog signal S.sub.T. 
In this example, the 4 bit signal 21 is selected in the switch SW.sub.Y2, 
and is input as a gate signal Y.sub.T to the digital/analog converter 91. 
When the gate signal 21 is selected in the switch SW.sub.Y2, it is input as 
a gate signal Y.sub.T to the digital/analog converter 91 to output a test 
pattern signal Y. Similarly, test pattern signals M, C, K can be obtained 
by using respective gate signals 22, 23, 24. 
When a switch 92a for the saw-tooth signal of the selector 92 is turned on, 
signals A.sub.0 to A.sub.7 from the counters 85, 86 are input to the 
digital/analog converter 91 to output an analog signal S.sub.T having 256 
gradations, which can be regarded as a saw-tooth signal. 
When a switch 92c of the selector 92 is turned on for the constant signal 
and optional ones of eight switches of a level selector 93 are selected, a 
constant signal corresponding to the selected switches is output from the 
digital/analog converter 91 as an analog signal S.sub.T. Though this 
analog signal S.sub.T is generated independently of the gate signals 21, 
22, 23, 24 and the output signals of the counters 85, 86, the signal is 
controlled by the analog switch 76 and the AND-gate 78 and is provided as 
an input to the laser beam controller 79 only when the gate signals 
Y.sub.T, M.sub.T, C.sub.T, K.sub.T are selected. 
When X.sub.0, x.sub.1 =0 and x.sub.01&lt;N.sub.0 /4 in FIG. 3, the saw-tooth 
signal, the gradated signal, the constant signal are input to the laser 
beam controller 79 as shown in FIG. 7(b). 
The AND-gate 78 is controlled by the output signal of the OR-gate 75, 
because the AND-gate 78 is necessary only to output the image signals 
A'.sub.Y, B'.sub.Y, C'.sub.M, and C'.sub.C as shown at II, III, and IV in 
FIG. 2(e), which eventually halt the other signals in order to provide 
unexposed areas. 
Area 7 of FIG. 1(f) corresponds to the gate signals 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 
23, and 24. Among them, the gate signals 21 to 24 are input to the test 
pattern generator 73 and output as the analog signal S.sub.T via the 
analog switch 76 to the comparator 77. As a result, test pattern signals 
Y, M, C, and K are output to produce a pattern as in the Area 7 of FIG. 
1(f), which shows an advantageous effect of the invention. 
As the halftone dot generator 71, the memory 72, the test pattern generator 
73, and the halftone dot producer using laser beam are not the main 
objects of this invention, no explanation thereof is provided herein. 
The aforesaid is an embodiment of this invention, the method of this 
invention can be applied to a multiple exposing system. 
As is mentioned above, the effect of this invention is to effectively use a 
whole film especially to utilize unused area by being recorded with 
desired images or test patterns.