Image Forming Method and System Bilderzeugungsverfahren Und System Procédé De Formation D’Image Et Système
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Europäisches Patentamt *EP000800114B1* (19) European Patent Office Office européen des brevets (11) EP 0 800 114 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.7: B41J 2/01, B41J 2/325, of the grant of the patent: G03C 8/40, G03C 5/04, 05.11.2003 Bulletin 2003/45 G03D 13/00, G03G 15/01, (21) Application number: 97103995.3 G03G 15/10, G03G 15/16, H04N 1/00, H04N 1/21, (22) Date of filing: 10.03.1997 H04N 1/29 (54) Image forming method and system Bilderzeugungsverfahren und System Procédé de formation d’image et système (84) Designated Contracting States: (56) References cited: BE DE FR GB IT NL EP-A- 0 210 660 EP-A- 0 385 496 EP-A- 0 492 579 EP-A- 0 513 547 (30) Priority: 11.03.1996 JP 5335796 EP-A- 0 557 858 EP-A- 0 558 284 14.01.1997 JP 489997 EP-A- 0 609 966 EP-A- 0 626 611 EP-A- 0 650 850 EP-A- 0 671 276 (43) Date of publication of application: WO-A-94/26521 FR-A- 2 193 216 08.10.1997 Bulletin 1997/41 GB-A- 2 056 103 GB-A- 2 299 787 US-A- 3 576 632 US-A- 3 821 762 (73) Proprietor: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. US-A- 4 908 520 US-A- 5 049 908 Kanagawa-ken (JP) US-A- 5 109 252 US-A- 5 160 946 US-A- 5 215 852 US-A- 5 305 016 (72) Inventors: US-A- 5 451 561 US-A- 5 461 440 • Ishikawa, Shun-ichi US-A- 5 466 560 US-A- 5 486 891 Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa-ken (JP) US-A- 5 512 533 • Kubodera, Seiiti Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa-ken (JP) • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 096, no. • Fukano, Akira 005, 31 May 1996 & JP 08 015784 A (FUJI PHOTO Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa-ken (JP) FILM CO LTD), 19 January 1996, & US 5 574 533 • Kato, Keishi A (ITOH) Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa-ken (JP) • L.A. MANNHEIM ET AL.: "The Focal • Taniguchi, Isao Encyclopedia of Photography, Volume 1" 1965 , Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa-ken (JP) FOCAL PRESS , LONDON, GB XP002051024 • Okino, Yoshiharu 153530 * page 548 * Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa-ken (JP) • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 017, no. • Ogiwara, Nagao 305 (P-1554), 11 June 1993 & JP 05 027403 A Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa-ken (JP) (FUJI PHOTO FILM CO LTD), 5 February 1993, • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 016, no. (74) Representative: Klunker . Schmitt-Nilson . Hirsch 063 (C-0911), 18 February 1992 & JP 03 258870 Winzererstrasse 106 A (CANON INC), 19 November 1991, 80797 München (DE) • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 016, no. 556 (C-1007), 26 November 1992 & JP 04 214781 A (CITIZEN WATCH CO LTD), 5 August 1992, • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 013, no. 442 (C-641), 3 October 1989 & JP 01 170672 A (CANON INC), 5 July 1989, Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 0 800 114 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) (Cont. next page) EP 0 800 114 B1 • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 016, no. • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 097, no. 369 (C-0972), 10 August 1992 & JP 04 117468 A 001, 31 January 1997 & JP 08 224966 A (KONICA (SEIKO EPSON CORP), 17 April 1992, CORP), 3 September 1996, • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 011, no. • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 017, no. 330 (M-636), 28 October 1987 & JP 62 111782 A 565 (M-1495), 13 October 1993 & JP 05 162473 A (ASAHI GLASS CO LTD), 22 May 1987, (FUJI PHOTO FILM CO LTD), 29 June 1993, • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 018, no. 383 (M-1640), 19 July 1994 & JP 06 106861 A (FUJI PHOTO FILM CO LTD), 19 April 1994, 2 EP 0 800 114 B1 Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 Field of the Invention [0001] This invention relates to an image forming method and apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1 and 82, respectively. 10 Description of the Related Art [0002] In the method known as conventional color photography, a photographic color photosensitive material (color negative film) generally comprises a layer capable of recording blue light to form a yellow image, a layer capable of recording green light to form a magenta image and a layer capable of recording red light to form a cyan image. When 15 such a material undergoes development processing, the developing agent is oxidized in the course of reducing the halide grains carrying the latent image to silver. The oxidized developing agent reacts with couplers (coupling reaction) to form dye images. The undeveloped silver halide and the developed silver are removed in a subsequent bleach-fix step. Dye images are thus formed and a color negative film removed of undeveloped silver halide and developed silver can be obtained. 20 [0003] Conventionally, light is transmitted through the dye images of the color negative film onto color paper. The dye images printed on the color paper in this manner are similarly developed and bleach-fixed to obtain a color print. [0004] In another known method the image formed on the color negative film is read photoelectrically to obtain image data, the image data are subjected to image processing to obtain recording image data and the recording image data are used to form an image on another image recording material. This method has in particular promoted the develop- 25 ment of the digital printer, which produces finished prints by scanning a photosensitive material such as color paper with a laser beam modulated by digital signals converted from the photoelectrically read image data. A digital printer of this type is taught, for example, by JP-A-(unexamined published Japanese patent application)7-15593. [0005] Since the aforesaid image forming methods require the image-bearing color negative film to be subjected to ordinary development, bleach and fixation processes (wet processes), they involve complex processes for image for- 30 mation. [0006] Moreover, the prior-art methods use processing solutions and other solutions that contain chemicals. These are troublesome from the point of safety management and are liable to foul and hasten wear and tear of the equipment. [0007] EP-A-385 496 discloses a color light-sensitive material. According to a specific type of such sensitive material, an image is formed by heat development of the material. As an alternative there is provided a transfer type material 35 from which an image is transferred to a receiving material. Neither the transfer material nor the receiving material is what will be called a "processing material" in this application. [0008] In accordance with the pre-characterizing part of claim 1, US-A-3,576,632 discloses an image forming method, and in accordance with the pre-characterizing part of claim 82 this reference discloses an image forming apparatus, wherein a one-step method of developing and fixing a silver halide recording medium is carried out. A web is used to 40 develop and stabilize a recording medium. A fixing agent is an important feature of the processing material of this prior art. Therefore, the developed and fixed image obtained on the recording paper is a complete print not intended for further processing. [0009] US-A-5,461,440 discloses a digital printer similar to the above explained prior art printer (JP-A-15593). The photosensitive material used in this prior art printer is a negative film. This will be understood as a conventionally 45 developed negative film. [0010] This invention was accomplished in light of the foregoing problems and has as one of its objects to provide a simple, speedy image forming method for enabling an image formed on a photosensitive material by developing a photosensitive material recorded with an image to be read, digitized and used as image data and to provide a compact, user-friendly image forming system for implementing the method. 50 [0011] The image forming method and system of the invention defined in claims 1 and 82 respectively are charac- terized in that they use a photosensitive material containing photosensitive silver halide grains which after imagwise exposure to record a latent image thereon is formed with an image by heating with a prescribed processing material superimposed thereon. Specifically, the photosensitive material is exposed to record a latent image thereon, the pho- tosensitive material and the processing material are superimposed, the superimposed photosensitive material and 55 processing material are heated to form an image on the photosensitive material corresponding to the latent image recorded thereon, the photosensitive material formed with the image is peeled off the processing material, the image formed on the photosensitive material is read with a scanner to obtain image data representing the image, and the image data are subjected to prescribed image processing to generate reproducible digital image data. 3 EP 0 800 114 B1 [0012] When the invention is implemented as a system, all processing means for the steps from the superimposing of the materials to the reading of the image can be included in a single apparatus. Alternatively, the system can be constituted of a developing apparatus for the processing up to development and a processing apparatus for conducting the reading and image processing. This also applies to the various means explained in the following.