# US 10,873,732 B2 · Imaging device, imaging system, and method of controlling imaging device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,873,732 B2 - Document ID: US10873732B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/489,235 - Filed: 2017-12-20 - Published: 2020-01-09 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-30 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Takayoshi Miyamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873732B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/88: for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control - H04N 23/84: for processing colour signals - H04N 23/45: for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An imaging device includes a plurality of optical systems having different angles of view. A wide-angle-side light detection unit detects a plurality of wide-angle-side color components in each of a plurality of regions in wide-angle image data having an angle of view wider than a predetermined value. A telephoto-side light detection unit detects a plurality of telephoto-side color components in each of a plurality of regions in telephoto image data having an angle of view narrower than the predetermined value. A telephoto-side white balance gain acquisition unit obtains a gain for the telephoto image data on the basis of a wide-angle-side integration ratio that is a ratio of respective integration values of the plurality of wide-angle-side color components and the plurality of telephoto-side color components as a telephoto-side white balance gain. A telephoto-side white balance correction unit corrects the telephoto image data with the telephoto-side white balance gain. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imaging device, comprising: circuitry configured to: detect a plurality of wide-angle-side color components in each of a first plurality of regions in wide-angle image data, wherein the wide-angle image data has a first angle of view wider than a determined value; detect a plurality of telephoto-side color components in each of a second plurality of regions in telephoto image data, wherein the telephoto image data has a second angle of view narrower than the determined value; calculate a wide-angle-side integration ratio based on a ratio of respective integration values of the plurality of wide-angle-side color components and the plurality of telephoto-side color components; obtain a telephoto-side white balance gain for the telephoto image data based on the wide-angle-side integration ratio; and correct the telephoto image data based on the telephoto-side white balance gain. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: set a telephoto-side integration range that includes the wide-angle-side integration ratio; and calculate the telephoto-side white balance gain based on a telephoto-side integration ratio, wherein the telephoto-side integration ratio is a ratio of respective integration values of the plurality of telephoto-side color components within the telephoto-side integration range. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of telephoto-side color components includes a red (R) component, a green (G) component, and a blue (B) component, and the circuitry is further configured to set the telephoto-side integration range based on a shape centered on the wide-angle-side integration ratio in an orthogonal coordinate system having a ratio of the R component and the G component and a ratio of the B component and the G component as coordinate axes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the telephoto-side integration range is rectangular. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the telephoto-side integration range is circular. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the telephoto-side integration range is elliptical. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: calculate the wide-angle-side integration ratio based on a ratio of respective integration values of the plurality of wide-angle-side color components within a wide-angle-side integration range; acquire a wide-angle-side white balance gain based on the wide-angle-side integration ratio; and correct the wide-angle image data based on the wide-angle-side white balance gain. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein a side of the telephoto-side integration range is parallel to a side of the wide-angle-side integration range. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of telephoto-side color components includes a red (R) component, a green (G) component, and a blue (B) component, and the circuitry is further configured to set the telephoto-side integration range based on an overlapping range between a range having a shape centered on the wide-angle-side integration ratio and a preset reference integration range in an orthogonal coordinate system having a ratio of the R component and the G component and a ratio of the B component and the G component as coordinate axes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine presence or absence of reliability of the plurality of wide-angle-side color components within the wide-angle-side integration range; and calculate the wide-angle-side integration ratio based on the presence of the reliability. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine a result based on a determination whether a number of color components of the plurality of wide-angle-side color components that exceeds a threshold value is larger than a threshold number; and determine the presence or absence of the reliability based on the result. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine the presence or absence of the reliability of the plurality of telephoto-side color components within the telephoto-side integration range; and calculate the telephoto-side integration ratio based on the presence of the reliability. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The imaging device according to claim 12, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine a result based on a determination whether a number of color components of the plurality of telephoto-side color components that exceeds a threshold is larger than a threshold number; and determine the presence or absence of the reliability based on the result. ### Claim 14 An imaging system, comprising: circuitry configured to: detect a plurality of wide-angle-side color components in each of a first plurality of regions in wide-angle image data, wherein the wide-angle image data has a first angle of view wider than a value; detect a plurality of telephoto-side color components in each of a second plurality of regions in telephoto image data, wherein the telephoto image data has a second angle of view narrower than the value; calculate a wide-angle-side integration ratio based on a ratio of respective integration values of the plurality of wide-angle-side color components and the plurality of telephoto-side color components; obtain a telephoto-side white balance gain for the telephoto image data based on the wide-angle-side integration ratio; and correct the telephoto image data based on the telephoto-side white balance gain; and a recording unit configured to record the corrected telephoto image data. ### Claim 15 A method of controlling an imaging device, comprising: detecting a plurality of wide-angle-side color components in each of a first plurality of regions in wide-angle image data, wherein the wide-angle image data has a first angle of view wider than a value; detecting a plurality of telephoto-side color components in each of a second plurality of regions in a telephoto image data, wherein the telephoto image data has a second angle of view narrower than the value; calculating a wide-angle-side integration ratio based on a ratio of respective integration values of the plurality of wide-angle-side color components and the plurality of telephoto-side color components; obtaining a telephoto-side white balance gain for the telephoto image data based on the wide-angle-side integration ratio; and correcting the telephoto image data based on the telephoto-side white balance gain. ### Claim 16 An imaging device, comprising: circuitry configured to: detect a plurality of wide-angle-side color components in each of a first plurality of regions in wide-angle image data, wherein the wide-angle image data has a first angle of view wider than a value; detect a plurality of telephoto-side color components in each of a second plurality of regions in telephoto image data, wherein the telephoto image data has a second angle of view narrower than the value; obtain a telephoto-side white balance gain for the telephoto image data based on a wide-angle-side integration ratio, wherein the wide-angle-side integration ratio is a ratio of respective integration values of the plurality of wide-angle-side color components and the plurality of telephoto-side color components; set a telephoto-side integration range that includes the wide-angle-side integration ratio; calculate the telephoto-side white balance gain based on a telephoto-side integration ratio, wherein the telephoto-side integration ratio is a ratio of respective integration values of the plurality of telephoto-side color components within the telephoto-side integration range; and correct the telephoto image data based on the telephoto-side white balance gain.