White balance controller for an image pick-up apparatus including an abnormality detector

Claim 2

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: means for detecting an abnormality of white balance within an image picked up by the image pickup means, the abnormality detecting means supplying an output thereof to an input of a white/achromatic detecting means and for controlling a gain of the gain control means in accordance therewith for enabling white adjustment; the white/achromatic detecting means being responsive to the color difference signals and the output of the abnormality detecting means for detecting at least one of a white and achromatic portion within the picked up image in accordance with at least the color difference signals.

Claim 3

A white balance controller according to claim 1, wherein the color separation means provides a red (R), blue (B) and luminance (Y) signal, and the color difference signal generating means provides a Y, R-Y, and B-Y signal.

Claim 4

A white balance controller according to claim 2, wherein the abnormality detecting means includes means for supplying an output indicative of a color difference signal of R+B-2Y to an input of the white/achromatic detecting means for enabling control of the operation range in a second direction.

Claim 5

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: white/achromatic detecting means for detecting at least one of a white and achromatic portion within an image picked up by the image pickup means in accordance with at least the color difference signals; means for detecting an abnormality of white balance within the picked up image, the abnormality detecting means supplying an output thereof to an input of the white/achromatic detecting means and for controlling a gain of the gain control means in accordance therewith for enabling white adjustment; and means for changing an operating range of the white/achromatic detecting means so that the white/achromatic detecting means detects the white portion as white in accordance with a color temperature of lighting utilized for imaging.

Claim 6

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: white/achromatic detecting means for detecting at least one of a white and achromatic portion within an image picked up by the image pickup means in accordance with at least the color difference signals; means for detecting an abnormality of white balance within the picked up image, the abnormality detecting means supplying an output thereof to an input of the white/achromatic detecting means and for controlling a gain of the gain control means in accordance therewith for enabling white adjustment; and means for changing an operating range of the white/achromatic detecting means so that the white/achromatic detecting means detects the white portion as white in accordance with a color temperature of lighting utilized for imaging.

Claim 7

A white balance controller according to claim 2, wherein the abnormality detecting means detects the color temperature of lighting utilized for imaging and includes means for utilizing gain controlling quantities of a color signal at the time of white adjustment.

Claim 8

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: white/achromatic detecting means for detecting at least one of a white and achromatic portion within an image picked up by the image pickup means in accordance with at least the color difference signals; and means for detecting an abnormality of white balance within the picked up image, the abnormality detecting means supplying an output thereof to an input of the white/achromatic detecting means and for controlling a gain of the gain control means in accordance therewith for enabling white adjustment; wherein the color separation means provides a red (R), blue (B) and luminance (Y) signal, and the color difference signal generating means provides a Y, R-Y, and B-Y signal; and wherein the abnormality detecting means includes means for supplying an output indicative of a color difference signal of R-B to an input of the white/achromatic detecting means for enabling control of an operating range of the white/achromatic detecting means in a first direction.

Claim 9

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: white/achromatic detecting means for detecting at least one of a white and achromatic portion within an image picked up by the image pickup means in accordance with at least the color difference signals; and means for detecting an abnormality of white balance within the picked up image, the abnormality detecting means supplying an output thereof to an input of the white/achromatic detecting means and for controlling a gain of the gain control means in accordance therewith for enabling white adjustment; wherein the color separation means provides a red (R), blue (B) and luminance (Y) signal, and the color difference signal generating means provides a Y, R-Y, and B-Y signal; and wherein the abnormality detecting means includes means for supplying an output indicative of a color difference signal of R-B to an input of the white/achromatic detecting means for enabling control of an operating range of the white/achromatic detecting means in a first direction.

Claim 10

A white balance controller according to claim 5, wherein the abnormality detecting means includes means for supplying an output indicative of a color difference signal of R+B-2Y to an input of the white/achromatic detecting means for enabling control of the operation range in a second direction.

Claim 11

A white balance controller according to claim 7, wherein the gain control means includes a first gain control means for controlling the gain of the red signal and a second gain control means for controlling the gain of the blue signal.

Claim 12

A white balance controller according to claim 7, further comprising means responsive to the luminance signal for generating, in accordance with the luminance signal, a comparison-threshold value for determining whether a portion has high luminance and for changing the value according to one of an average luminance level and luminance distribution and for supplying an output thereof to the white/achromatic detecting means.

Claim 13

A white balance controller according to claim 7, wherein the white/achromatic detecting means includes first and second amplifier-comparator means receiving at one respective input thereof the color difference signal R-B and at another respective input thereof signals from first and second variable voltage source means, respectively, the first and second variable voltage source means varying the signal thereof in response to the output of the abnormality detecting means indicative of the color difference signal of R-B, third and fourth amplifier-comparator means receiving at one respective input thereof the color difference signal R+B-2Y and receiving at another respective input thereof signals from third and fourth variable voltage source means, respectively, the third and fourth variable voltage source means being responsive to the output of the abnormality detecting means indicative of the color difference signal of R+B-2Y for varying the signal thereof in accordance therewith, and a fifth amplifier-comparator means receiving at one input thereof the luminance signal and at another input a signal of a fifth voltage source means, an AND gate receiving outputs from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth amplifier-comparator means and providing an output to the abnormality detecting means.

Claim 14

A white balance controller according to claim 10, wherein the abnormality detecting means includes first gate means for receiving the color difference signal R-B and providing an output to a first integrator providing an output to a sixth amplifier-comparator means for providing the output indicative of the color difference signal R-B, and a second gate means for receiving the color difference signal R+B-2Y and providing an output to a second integrator means providing an output to a seventh amplifier-comparator means providing the output indicative of the color difference signal R+B-2Y, the output of the white/achromatic detecting means being supplied to the first and second gate means.

Claim 15

A white balance controller according to claim 11, further comprising white balance matrix means for receiving the outputs of the sixth and seventh amplifier comparator means and for controlling a gain of the gain control means in accordance therewith.

Claim 16

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: means for detecting a white portion within a picked up image utilizing the luminance signal and for enabling acceptance of a portion within the picked up image having relatively high luminance as white; and means for generating, in accordance with the luminance signal, a comparison-threshold value for determining whether a portion has high luminance and for changing the value according to one of an average luminance level and luminance distribution, the generating means providing an output thereof to the detecting means.

Claim 17

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: means for detecting a white portion within a picked up image utilizing the luminance signal and for enabling acceptance of a portion within the picked up image having relatively high luminance as white; and means for generating, in accordance with the luminance signal, a comparison-threshold value for determining whether a portion has high luminance and for changing the value according to one of an average luminance level and luminance distribution, the generating means providing an output thereof to the detecting means.

Claim 18

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: means for detecting a white portion within a picked up image utilizing the luminance signal and for enabling acceptance of a portion within the picked up image having relatively high luminance as white; means for generating an average luminance level signal in accordance with the luminance signal as a comparison-threshold value for determining whether a portion has high luminance; and amplifier-controller means for receiving at one input the luminance signal and at another input the average luminance level signal from the generating means and for providing an output to the detecting means.

Claim 19

A white balance controller for an image pickup apparatus having image pickup means for providing an output indicative of an image, color separation means responsive to the output of the image pickup means for producing a luminance signal and a plurality of color signals therefrom, gain control means for controlling a gain of at least two color signals of the plurality of color signals separated by the color separation means, and means for generating color difference signals from at least one of a color signal and luminance signal, the white balance controller comprising: means for detecting a white portion within a picked up image utilizing the luminance signal and for enabling acceptance of a portion within the picked up image having relatively high luminance as white; means for generating an average luminance level signal in accordance with the luminance signal as a comparison-threshold value for determining whether a portion has high luminance; and amplifier-controller means for receiving at one input the luminance signal and at another input the average luminance level signal from the generating means and for providing an output to the detecting means.