US7542077B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
White balance adjustment device and color identification device
Assignee: Apple Inc
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Filing: 2005-10-25
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Granted: 2009-06-02
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Expires: 2025-10-25
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is directed to improving the accuracy of white balance adjustment. An image input from an image capture device 10 is divided into blocks, and white balance gains are calculated from a representative value of each block. Prior to calculation of the representative value of each block, a color range determining circuit 13 determines whether each pixel included in each block belongs to a light source color range, or belongs to an apparent object color range. A representative value of that block is calculated from remaining pixels other than pixels determined to belong to the apparent object color range. Thus, by preventing the representative value from being affected by an object color, the accuracy of white balance gains is improved.
Inventors
- 👤 Takanori Miki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:19
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/80; H04N23/84; H04N23/88
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
A white balance adjustment device for adjusting white balance of an input image, the white balance adjustment device comprising: dividing means for dividing an input image into a plurality of blocks; determining means for determining, from a color difference of each pixel included in each of the blocks, whether or not each pixel is of an object color; excluding pixels determined to be a pixel of an object color from a representative value for each of the blocks for the white balance adjustment; representative value calculating means for calculating the representative value for each of the blocks, from remaining pixels that are obtained by excluding, from pixels included in each of the blocks, pixels determined to be a pixel of an object color; and gain calculating means for calculating white balance gains from the representative values calculated for all the blocks.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
A white balance adjustment device for adjusting white balance of an input image, the white balance adjustment device comprising: dividing means for dividing an input image into a plurality of blocks; determining means for determining, from a color difference of each pixel included in each of the blocks, whether or not each pixel is of an object color; excluding pixels determined to be a pixel of an object color from a representative value for each of the blocks for the white balance adjustment; representative value calculating means for calculating the representative value for each of the blocks, from remaining pixels that are obtained by excluding, from pixels included in each of the blocks, pixels determined to be a pixel of an object color; and gain calculating means for calculating white balance gains from the representative values calculated for all the blocks.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
A white balance adjustment device according to claim 1 , further comprising memory means for pre-storing a light source color range and an apparent object color range that we defined on a color difference plane, wherein when the color difference of a pixel included in the blocks belongs to the apparent object color range stored by the memory means, the determining means determines that the pixel is of an object color.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A white balance adjustment device according to claim 2 wherein: when the color difference to be determined is located near a boundary between the light source color range and the apparent object color range, the determining means performs determination on the basis of a result obtained by determination performed on a surrounding pixel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
A white balance adjustment device according to claim 2 , wherein: the memory means further pre-stores a particular color range unique to a particular object, and when the color difference to be determined belongs to the particular color range stored by the memory means, the determining means determines that the pixel is of an object color.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2012-06-01 | 2012-12-01 | 2013-06-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2016-06-01 | 2016-12-01 | 2017-06-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2020-06-01 | 2020-12-01 | 2021-06-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |