US3894178A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image reproduction method and apparatus
Assignee: Crosfield Electronics Ltd
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Filing: 1973-11-13
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Granted: 1975-07-08
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Expires: 1993-11-13
Abstract
Abstract In image reproduction, joins between different parts of a montage to be reproduced, or other defects in an image, are painted over with fluorescent paint. The image is then scanned with a normal aperture, point by point, to generate densityrepresenting signals and is additionally scanned with a larger aperture to generate further signals. A threshold circuit receiving these further signals is responsive to signals of a level such as to indicate the presence of fluorescent paint within the view of the larger aperture and is operative to substitute for the output of the normal-aperture scanner a signal of predetermined value representing white or a background colour. Thus the defect-representing signals are replaced by the background signals.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter C Pugsley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 04:11
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/024; H04N1/028; H04N1/029; H04N1/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
266 words
Apparatus for use in the reproduction of an original, comprising a first scanning head including first photo-electric means for scanning an original, element by element, with a first aperture to provide a signal representing the density values of successively scanned elements on the original image, the imagerepresenting signal constituting a control signal for a scanning image-reproduction device, the apparatus additionally comprising: a second scanning head including second photo-electric means for scanning the said original with a second aperture larger than the first aperture and covering an area of the original larger than the element scanned by the first scanning head, the second scanning head being arranged to precede the first scanning head in the scanning of the original; means responsive to a signal on said second photo-electric means having a value distinguishable from the image-representing signals to generate a replacement control signal; replacement means responsive to a replacement control signal to replace an image-representing signal for a scanned element of the original by a signal having a predetermined value; and a delay device to delay the operation of the replacement means in response to a distinguishable signal from the second photo-electric means, corresponding to an area scanned by the second scanning head, until the output of the first photoelectric means represents the density value of an element within said area; whereby when defects in the original are so painted that they result in a distinguishable signal from said second photoelectric means, the signal of predetermined value constitutes the control signal for the scanning image-reproduction device for said element and the defects are omitted from the reproduction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
266 words
Apparatus for use in the reproduction of an original, comprising a first scanning head including first photo-electric means for scanning an original, element by element, with a first aperture to provide a signal representing the density values of successively scanned elements on the original image, the imagerepresenting signal constituting a control signal for a scanning image-reproduction device, the apparatus additionally comprising: a second scanning head including second photo-electric means for scanning the said original with a second aperture larger than the first aperture and covering an area of the original larger than the element scanned by the first scanning head, the second scanning head being arranged to precede the first scanning head in the scanning of the original; means responsive to a signal on said second photo-electric means having a value distinguishable from the image-representing signals to generate a replacement control signal; replacement means responsive to a replacement control signal to replace an image-representing signal for a scanned element of the original by a signal having a predetermined value; and a delay device to delay the operation of the replacement means in response to a distinguishable signal from the second photo-electric means, corresponding to an area scanned by the second scanning head, until the output of the first photoelectric means represents the density value of an element within said area; whereby when defects in the original are so painted that they result in a distinguishable signal from said second photoelectric means, the signal of predetermined value constitutes the control signal for the scanning image-reproduction device for said element and the defects are omitted from the reproduction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the delay device is a shift register connected to receive signals derived from the second scanning head and arranged to be pulsed by signals generated in synchronism with the scanning of an output medium by an image-reproduction device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the second scanning head includes a radiation source emitting radiation of ultra-violet frequencies.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 3, in which the second scanning head includes filtering means for preventing the passage of visible light and heat from the source of radiation to the original.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
178 words
Apparatus for use in the reproduction of an original, including a scanner having photo-electric means for scanning an original point by point with a first aperture to provide a signal representing the density values of successively scanned points on the original image, the image-representing signal constituting a control signal for a scanning image-reproduction device, the apparatus additionaly comprising: second photo-electric means for scanning the said original with a second aperture larger than the first aperture; and means responsive to a signal from said second photo-electric means of a magnitude produced by scanning fluorescent paint and thereby distinguishable from the image-representing signals for an area of the original including said scanned point, and operative to replace the said image-representing signal for said scanned point by a signal having a predetermined value, whereby when defects in the original are so painted that they result in a distinguishable signal from the said second photo-electric means, the signal of predetermined value constitutes the control signal for the scanning image-reproduction device for the said point and the defects are omitted from the reproduction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
178 words
Apparatus for use in the reproduction of an original, including a scanner having photo-electric means for scanning an original point by point with a first aperture to provide a signal representing the density values of successively scanned points on the original image, the image-representing signal constituting a control signal for a scanning image-reproduction device, the apparatus additionaly comprising: second photo-electric means for scanning the said original with a second aperture larger than the first aperture; and means responsive to a signal from said second photo-electric means of a magnitude produced by scanning fluorescent paint and thereby distinguishable from the image-representing signals for an area of the original including said scanned point, and operative to replace the said image-representing signal for said scanned point by a signal having a predetermined value, whereby when defects in the original are so painted that they result in a distinguishable signal from the said second photo-electric means, the signal of predetermined value constitutes the control signal for the scanning image-reproduction device for the said point and the defects are omitted from the reproduction.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of reproducing an original in which the original is scanned point by point by means of a Photo-electric device with a first aperture to derive an image-representing signal for controlling a scanning image-reproduction device, the method comprising the steps of: painting over joins or other defects in the original in a preliminary step with a fluorescent paint; thereafter scanning said original by means of a photo-electric device with an aperture larger than that used to obtain said image-representing signal; and replacing the image-representing signal for a scanned point by a signal of predetermined value when the output of the photo-electric device scanning with the larger aperture for an area including the said point has a value indicative of the presence of the said fluorescent paint within its field of view whereby the said signal of predetermined value thereafter constitutes a control signal for the scanning image-reproduction device for the said point.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of reproducing an original in which the original is scanned point by point by means of a Photo-electric device with a first aperture to derive an image-representing signal for controlling a scanning image-reproduction device, the method comprising the steps of: painting over joins or other defects in the original in a preliminary step with a fluorescent paint; thereafter scanning said original by means of a photo-electric device with an aperture larger than that used to obtain said image-representing signal; and replacing the image-representing signal for a scanned point by a signal of predetermined value when the output of the photo-electric device scanning with the larger aperture for an area including the said point has a value indicative of the presence of the said fluorescent paint within its field of view whereby the said signal of predetermined value thereafter constitutes a control signal for the scanning image-reproduction device for the said point.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-07-07 | 1979-01-06 | 1979-07-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-07-07 | 1983-01-06 | 1983-07-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-07-07 | 1987-01-06 | 1987-07-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |