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US5481302A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

White balance adjustment apparatus

Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1994-12-06
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Granted: 1996-01-02
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Expires: 2014-12-06
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Abstract

Abstract A white balance adjustment apparatus for adjusting red, green and blue video signals of an aiming subject has amplifiers for amplifying the R, G, B video signals, respectively, a brightness detector for detecting the brightness of the subject, and a mode selector for selecting either an outdoor lighting mode or an indoor lighting mode in accordance with the brightness detected by the brightness detector. A white detector is provided for receiving the R, G, B video signals for each pixel and detecting a pixel with R, G, B video signals that falls in a narrow white range when the outdoor lighting mode is selected, and in a wide white range when the indoor lighting mode is selected. An integrator integrates the number of detected pixels in the white range. A white balance gain control controls the gain of the amplifiers based on the integrated result of the integrator.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yasutoshi Yamamoto
  • 👤 Masayuki Yoneyama
  • 👤 Tsutomu Mori

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 11:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/80; H04N23/84; H04N23/88

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim 161 words
A white balance adjustment apparatus for adjusting color component video signals of an aiming subject, comprising: amplifying means for amplifying said color component video signals, separately; brightness detecting means for detecting a brightness of the subject; mode selecting means for selecting either one of an outdoor lighting mode and an indoor lighting mode in accordance with the brightness detected by said brightness detecting means; white detecting means for receiving said color component video signals for each of a plurality of pixels and detecting pixels of said plurality of pixels having ones of said color component video signals that fall in a narrow white range when said outdoor lighting mode is selected, and in a wide white range when said indoor lighting mode is selected; cumulating means for cumulating the number of detected pixels detected by said white detecting means; white balance gain control means for controlling a gain of said amplifying means based on the cumulated result of said cumulating means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 161 words
A white balance adjustment apparatus for adjusting color component video signals of an aiming subject, comprising: amplifying means for amplifying said color component video signals, separately; brightness detecting means for detecting a brightness of the subject; mode selecting means for selecting either one of an outdoor lighting mode and an indoor lighting mode in accordance with the brightness detected by said brightness detecting means; white detecting means for receiving said color component video signals for each of a plurality of pixels and detecting pixels of said plurality of pixels having ones of said color component video signals that fall in a narrow white range when said outdoor lighting mode is selected, and in a wide white range when said indoor lighting mode is selected; cumulating means for cumulating the number of detected pixels detected by said white detecting means; white balance gain control means for controlling a gain of said amplifying means based on the cumulated result of said cumulating means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPS61184079A Cited
US5264921A Cited
US5016094A Cited
US5021874A Cited
US5045928A Cited
JPH01318484A Cited
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EP0530793A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-01-01 1999-07-03 2000-01-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-01-01 2003-07-03 2004-01-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-01-01 2007-07-03 2008-01-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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