Method of a controlling a photographic film processing apparatus

Abstract: A method of controlling a photographic film processing apparatus which includes a data reading means (4, 5, 13, 14) for reading magnetic data stored in a row of magnetic recording tracks (M) on a photographic film (2), a data examining means for examining whether or not fault reading occurs, and a processing means (7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 18) for carrying out photographic processing actions. The method comprises the steps of processing the photographic film (2) in accordance with the magnetic data when the data examining means judges that no fault reading has occurred; and examining whether or not the magnetic data is eligible for replacement with a predetermined reference data when the data examining means judges that fault reading has occurred, and if yes, executing the photographic processing actions in accordance with the reference data which has replaced the original magnetic data and if not, executing the same in accordance with an external data entered as required.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of controlling a processing apparatus for carrying out photographic processing, e.g. printing, actions in accordance with relevant data recorded in magnetic recording tracks on a photographic film. The present invention also relates to a photographic film processing apparatus for subjecting to the photographic processing actions of a photographic film which carries magnetic recording tracks thereon. It is known that magnetic recording tracks M in the form of coatings of a transparent magnetic material are provided on a photographic film or more particularly, negative film 2, as shown in Fig. 6. The magnetic recording tracks M are aligned in a row along the transfer direction of the film for storage of various shooting data of corresponding images (including the date, exposure conditions, and printing requirements). During the printing process with such a negative film, shooting data recorded in the magnetic recording tracks M on a photographic film 110 are retrieved with a magnetic read/write head 100 for determining the printing conditions, as shown in Fig. 7. Also, using the magnetic head 100, compensated exposure settings determined with a detector or sensor for producing optimum prints from under- or overexposure images may be recorded in the magnetic recording tracks M. The compensated exposure settings recorded in the magnetic recording tracks M are then used in a later printing process for reproducing prints of the identical quality. The problem is that the recorded data in the magnetic recording tracks M tend to be degraded or lost with time due to nonuniformity in feeding of the film, deposition of dirt on the tracks, and intrinsic noise components in the data itself and will thus be read with difficulty or incorrectness. For example, a grain of dust 120 trapped between the magnetic head 100 and the magnetic recording track M on the photographic film 110 may cause improbable or incorrect identification of the recorded data. In a commercial camera, the recording of shooting data to the magnetic recording tracks M on a photographic film is not always implemented under friendly conditions. For example, a battery unit installed in the camera is too small to maintain a predetermined torque for feeding the film at a constant speed. In general, the photographic film is handled in hostile conditions including hot or cold temperature, humidity, vibration, and dusty atmosphere. The shooting data recorded in the magnetic recording tracks on the film or stored for a while in such hostile conditions are possibly degraded and thus, will hardly be retrieved for reproduction or may be turned to fault information. For improvement, the use of error correcting means, e.g. parity check or CRC, and of error correction codes, e.g. Read-Solomon (RS) coding, according to a theory of data processing has been proposed as depicted in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 5-181209 (1993). However, the use of advanced error correction techniques fails to completely eliminate fault reading of the shooting data. It is also difficult for a common camera to perform an advanced data processing action under the limited conditions which are designated by its size, power supply, and cost. The magnetic heads are worn in a long period of service and thus declined in the performance, resulting in fault reading of the recorded data from a photographic film. If such fault reading of the data, e.g. the size of prints, occurs, the photographic processing actions are interrupted. This will require the operator to correct or replace the fault data with a correct one. It is thus essential for the operator to perform at precise timing a series of maintenance actions including cleaning or replacement of the read and write heads. The timing for carrying out the maintenance actions to prevent any fault reading of the data mostly depends on the skill of the operator. Different operators have different levels of skill. It will thus be not easy for any unskilled operator to determine the timing for performing the maintenance. Skilled operators themselves may be deceived by a change in the condition and thus fail to start the maintenance actions in time. US Patent No. 5,204,708 describes a method and apparatus for magnetically communicating via a photographic filmstrip with enhanced reliability. Reliability of data transfer between stages of photographic filmstrip use and processing is enhanced by magnetically recording a limited data set repetitively along a wide track in a frame of the filmstrip. Plural laterally offset magnetic read heads monitor the data in the magnetic track and provide output data signals on parallel independently operating channels. The data content of the output data signals is examined to determine whether the data of an individual data signal contains corruption error. The combined linear and parallel redundancy of the system tends to ensure successful data transfer despite a less than perfect head-to-film interface and other data corrupting influences. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved photographic film processing apparatus capable of carrying out the photographic processing actions in accordance with relevant data stored in the magnetic recording tracks on a photographic film with no effect of fault reading or physical deterioration with time, and a method of controlling the photographic film processing apparatus. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention therefore provides a method of controlling a photographic film processing apparatus which includes a data reading means for reading magnetic data stored in a row of magnetic recording tracks on a photographic film, data examining means for examining whether or not fault reading of said magnetic data occurs, and processing means for carrying out photographic processing of the film, comprising the step of processing the photographic film in accordance with the magnetic data when the data examining means judges that no fault reading has occurred; characterized by examining whether or not the magnetic data is suitable for replacement with a predetermined reference data by comparing the magnetic data with predetermined criteria when the data examining means judges that fault reading has occurred, and if yes, executing the photographic processing actions in accordance with the reference data which has replaced the original magnetic data and if not, executing the same in accordance with external data entered as required. In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a further step of modifying predetermined criteria for examining the eligibility of the magnetic data, according to the requirements of use. In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a further step of modifying predetermined reference data according to the requirements of use. According to the control method defined in claim 1, relevant data is read by the reading means from the magnetic recording tracks of a photographic film and examined by parity check action of the data examining means whether it is correct or not. When the data is correct, it is used for carrying out the photographic processing actions. If not, the data is further examined whether or not it is eligible for replaceable with reference data. When the data is eligible, the reference data is used for action of the processing means. If the data is eligible it is replaced with external data which is then used for performing the processing actions. The not eligible data includes print size, flash lighting, back lighting, film loading direction, and combination of artificial and natural lights. According to the method of the other aspect of the invention, the criteria for judgement are modified corresponding to the requirements of use. As the result, the processing actions can be executed at optimum levels concerning the skill of the operator and the ability of a printing station in the photographic film processing apparatus. According to the method of the further aspect of the invention, the reference data are modified corresponding to the requirements of use. As the result, the processing actions can be executed at optimum levels concerning the skill of the operator and the ability of a printing station in the photographic film processing apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a photographic film processing apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a flow chart of a maintenance program for control of the photographic film processing apparatus; Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing in detail a primary part of thee maintenance program of the photographic film processing apparatus; Fig. 4 is a flow chart of a head replacement program for control of the photographic film processing apparatus; Fig. 5 is a flow chart of a shift program for control of the photographic film processing apparatus; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a photographic film having a row of magnetic recording tracks provided thereon; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged view showing an interface between a read/write head means and a photographic film. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in the form of a photographic film processing apparatus referring to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the photographic film processing apparatus of the embodiment includes a printing station 1 for subjecting a photographic film to steps of a known printing process. More specifically, a (photographic) negative film 2 prepared by a series of development, fixture, rinsing, and drying actions with an unshown film development apparatus is suppled from its cartridge (not shown). The negative film 2 has a row of magnetic recording tracks M provided lengthwisely in the form of a layer of a magnetic material on one edge thereof as shown in Fig. 6. In action, as the negative film 2 has been introduced from the cartridge, shooting data in a corresponding one of the magnetic recording tracks on the negative film 2 are read with a magnetic read head 4 and converted into its digital form by a demodulator 5 before transmitted to a control circuit 6. In the control circuit 6, the digital data are modified or edited to turn to printing data including exposure requirements. The resultant printing data are then fed to a modulator 13 for modulation and written with magnetic write head 14 into the magnetic recording track M on the negative film 2. The magnetic read head 4, demodulator 5, modulator 13, and magnetic write head 14 constitute in combination a data reading means. The advancing action of the negative film 2 to an exposure location across an optical axis of a light source 7 is carried out by means of the rotation of drive rollers 9 driven by a motor 8. A beam of light from the light source 7 is irradiated through a YMC filter 18 driven by a filter actuator 20 and a shutter 12 driven by a shutter actuator 21 on to a desired frame image in the negative film 2 which is in turn projected by a lens 10 to a sheet of photosensitive material 11 for printing. At the time, the movement of the shutter 12 is controlled for optimum exposure with a control signal of the control circuit 6 which has been generated according to the printing data retrieved from the corresponding magnetic recording track M. The control circuit 6 includes a common control program for control of printing action and interface circuits provided for connection of the above components to a microcomputer equipped with a maintenance program. The maintenance program in the microcomputer will now be explained in more details referring to Fig. 2. The procedure of Fig. 2 starts with Step 1 where the negative film 2 is advanced from one frame to another by a succession of intermittent actions of the drive rollers 9. At Step 2, the magnetic recording track M of a target frame on the negative film 2 is accessed by the read head 4 to read corresponding printing data which are then transmitted as the read data via the demodulator or reader 5 to the control circuit 6. It is examined at Step 3, using known parity check or CRC technique, whether the read data is eligible or not. Step 3 represents a data examining means and may be implemented with multistage register means or any other electronic device. When no fault in the read data is found, the procedure goes to Step 4 where the read data is processed with the use of a data table thus to determine printing data including exposure requirements for controlling the actions of the shutter 12 and the YMC filter 18. Simultaneously, the printing data of a digital form is also written by the write head 14 into the magnetic recording track M of the target frame on the negative film 2. At Step 5, this procedure is repeated until the final frame in the negative film 2 is processed. If fault in the read data is found at Step 3, the procedure moves to Step 6 for counting the number of fault occurrences and to Step 7 for replacing fault data with correct data. It is also possible to give a command for entry of substitute data by an operator of the apparatus. The action at Step 7 will be explained in more details referring to Fig. 3. As fault in the read data is found, it is examined at Step 71 from its location and the header of the read data whether or not the fault is a sort of information replaceable with a reference data predetermined and registered. If yes, the fault is replaced with the reference data at Step 72 and the procedure returns back to Step 4. If not, the procedure goes to Step 73 where the entry of an external substitute for the fault is demanded and to Step 74 where the external substitute is treated as a correct data for replacing the fault. The action of common processing at Step 4 is initiated with either the reference data or the substitute data. Step 6 may be implemented with applicable counting means. After the processing of the final frame is completed, the ratio of the fault occurrences to a sum of processing quantities determined by a processed distance along the negative film 2 or error rate is calculated at Step 8. The error rate is then compared at Step 9 with its limit predetermined and registered. The processing sum may be represented by a processed length of the film 2 or a total of film advancing durations. It may also be possible to compare the number of the fault occurrences directly with its limit value. If the error rate exceeds the limit, the procedure goes to Step 10 where a maintenance demand signal is produced and delivered with flashing illumination of a maintenance demand lamp 15 or display of a maintenance message on a display 16. When the maintenance is required, the apparatus should be cleaned down on the passage of the negative film 2 particularly about the magnetic heads 4 and 14. The action at Step 8 is carried out by a combination of accumulator and calculator means while Steps 9 and 10 are implemented with an output means. Examples of the examining action at Step 71 will be explained. The fault cannot be replaced with a reference data, when it carries data of the print size, e.g. L format (89x127 mm), HDTV format (89x128 mm) or panorama format (89x254 mm). Also, it is preferred not to be replaced when the fault of data is indicative of the use of flash light or backup light at shooting, of the direction of film loading, or of a combination of both artificial light and sun light. The fault is replaceable if it carries such information as the date of shooting, the model or type of a camera, the type or kind of a lens, the focusing distance to an object, the shutter speed, the aperture information, the film sensitivity, or the frame number. The microcomputer in the control circuit 6 contains a replacement program for performing the replacement of data. The replacement program will now be explained referring to Fig. 4. The program starts with Step 11 where the negative film 2 is forwarded by one frame through the intermittent action of the drive rollers 9 executed by the motor 8. At Step 12, the magnetic recording track M of a target frame on the negative film 2 is accessed by the read head 4 or write head 14 for data acquisition. Then, a sum of durations of the drive signal fed to the motor 8 is calculated at Step 13. This action is followed by a routine printing action at Step 14. At Step 15, the printing action is repeated until the final frame of the negative film 2 is processed. It is then examined at Step 16 whether or not the total or accumulation of passing amounts which is determined by the sum of the durations measured at Step 13 exceeds its limit. If the total passing amount exceeds the limit, a head replacement demand signal is produced and delivered at Step 17 for triggering the flashing illumination of a head replacement demand lamp 17 or displaying a message of the need of head replacement on the display 16. Upon the replacement of the head being required, both the heads 4 and 14 should be replaced with new ones while the cleaning of the passage of the film is carried out. Step 13 is implemented by an accumulating means while Steps 16 and 17 are implemented by an output means. The passing amount may be calculated by the accumulating means from a total number of processed negative films or a total length of the same measured with the effect of tensions, as well as from the sum of the drive signal durations for the motor 8. The data examining means for examining whether the data read from the magnetic recording tracks M is correct or not is generally implemented with a known parity check or CRC technique and if possible, with any appropriate error correction encoding method. The arrangement of the magnetic recording tracks M on the film 2 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 6 but may be made in any other pattern or positions. As set forth above, the control circuit 6 determines the best timing of maintenance from calculation of the number and frequency of fault reading events and instructs the operator the timing for commencing the maintenance action. Accordingly, the apparatus of the present invention allows any unskilled operator to carry out the maintenance action in a qualified manner without difficulty. Also, the timing of replacing the magnetic read and write heads with new ones is precisely determined and informed by the control circuit 6. Accordingly, any unskilled operator of the apparatus can perform the replacement of the heads while being instructed systematically by a definite program. The limit values of the number, ratio, and amount for judgment may arbitrarily be decided depending on the conditions of environment about the feeder apparatus. The maintenance demand signal may be a signal for instructing the need of cleaning about the read and write heads 4 and 14 or of replacing the same with new ones. The photographic film processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the printing apparatus but may be a film development apparatus, a pre-development apparatus, or any other relevant apparatus. Although the control circuit 6 of the embodiment comprises a microcomputer with programs including the data examining means, counting means, output means, accumulation means, and calculating means, it may be composed of electronic registers, counters, subtracters, and dividers. For modification of the predetermined judgment data or criteria and reference data, a shift program is used as shown in Fig. 5 separately of the control program. The action of the shift program will now be explained. The shift program starts with Step 20 where it is examined whether the criteria, reference data, or other data is to be modified and whether or not the procedure is finished. If the criteria are selected for modification at Step 20, the procedure goes to Step 21 for display of details of the criteria data including a list of check items with their numbers and descriptions. The number of a desired item to be changed is then entered at Step 22. At Step 23, data of the desired item is changed by rewriting. If any more desired item is to be changed, its number is entered at Step 24 to repeat the action of Step 23. When no more item is desired, the procedure returns back to Step 20. If the change of the reference data is required at Step 20, the procedure goes to Step 25 for display of details of the reference data including a list of reference items with their numbers and descriptions. The number of a desired item to be changed is then entered together with the substitute data at Step 26. At Step 27, data of the desired item is replaced with the substitute data. If any more desired item is to be changed, its number and substitute data are entered at Step 28 to repeat the action of Step 27. Alternatively, Step 28 may allow only entry of yes or no of any more desired item. When no more item is desired, the procedure returns back to Step 20. If the modification of the other data is requested at Step 20, the procedure goes to a subroutine (not shown) for carrying out a like procedure before returning to Step 20. Upon the end of the procedure being demanded at Step 10, the main procedure shown in Fig. 2 is terminated. As set forth above, it is first examined according to the criteria whether or not a data to be replaced is eligible for rewriting and if yes, it is replaced with a reference or substitute data while the action of steps of the process being not interrupted, thus increasing the overall processing speed. If the data is judged as fault, its correct form is called for entry and subjected to the data processing, thus contributing to the decrease of error printing actions. Printing data including exposure requirements which have been used for the current printing action are recorded into the corresponding magnetic recording tracks M on a negative film and can be retrieved at any other printing action. This allows a number of printing of a given image to be always performed under the same conditions, thus producing prints of a uniform quality. The criteria and reference data are arbitrarily modified, if desired. Hence, they can be processed constantly in an optimum manner when having been modified to match the skill of an operator of the apparatus 1 or to meet the requirements of a specific printing apparatus to be used. The method of controlling the photographic film processing apparatus according to the present invention is of illustrative and not of limitative and may be applied to any negative film processing apparatus. After edited with the control circuit 6, the digital data including exposure requirements for optimum printing are converted by modulation at the modulator 13 to a write signal which is then written by the write head 14 onto the corresponding magnetic recording track M of the negative film 2.

Claims: A method of controlling a photographic film processing apparatus (1) which includes a data reading means (4, 5, 13, 14) for reading magnetic data stored in a row of magnetic recording tracks (M) on a photographic film (2), data examining means (6) for examining whether or not fault reading of said magnetic data occurs, and processing means (6) for carrying out photographic processing of the film, comprising the step of processing the photographic film (2) in accordance with the magnetic data when the data examining means judges that no fault reading has occurred (step 3, step 4); characterized by examining whether or not the magnetic data is suitable for replacement with a predetermined reference data by comparing the magnetic data with predetermined criteria when the data examining means (step 3) judges that fault reading has occurred (step 71), and if yes, executing the photographic processing actions in accordance with the reference data which has replaced the original magnetic data (step 72) and if not, executing the same in accordance with external data entered as required (step 73, step 74). The method according to Claim 1 further comprising the step of modifying predetermined criteria for examining the suitability of the magnetic data (step 23), according to the requirements of use. The method according to Claim 1 further comprising the step of modifying predetermined reference data (step 27) according to the requirements of use.

Inventors: IWASAKI RYUICHI, TSUJIMOTO YOSHIHIRO, YAMAMOTO KAZUYOSHI, IWASAKI, RYUICHI, TSUJIMOTO, YOSHIHIRO, YAMAMOTO, KAZUYOSHI, Iwasaki, Ryuichi, c/o Noritsu Koki Co. Ltd., Tsujimoto, Yoshihiro, c/o Noritsu Koki Co. Ltd., Yamamoto, Kazuyoshi, c/o Noritsu Koki Co. Ltd.
Applicants: NORITSU KOKI CO LTD, NORITSU KOKI CO., LTD.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: G03B27
IPC codes: G03B27