# US 12,604,105 B2 · Signal processing device and method, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,604,105 B2 - Document ID: US12604105B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/555,597 - Filed: 2022-02-08 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-28 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Atsushi Totsuka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604105B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/88: for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control - H04N 23/10: for generating image signals from different wavelengths - H04N 23/76: by influencing the image signals - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The present technology relates to a signal processing device and method, and program capable of performing appropriate white balance adjustment without blocked-up shadows occurring. A signal processing device includes: a detection unit that detects, based on a first polarization image of a plurality of polarization images with mutually different polarization directions, a specular reflection region in the polarization image, each of the polarization images being a captured image of a same subject; and a white reference acquisition unit that acquires, based on a result of detecting the specular reflection region, a white reference for balance adjustment from the specular reflection region of a second polarization image of the plurality of polarization images, the second polarization image having fewer specular reflection components than the first polarization image. The present technology can be applied in a signal processing device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A signal processing device comprising: a detection circuit that detects, based on a first polarization image of a plurality of polarization images with mutually different polarization directions, a specular reflection region in the first polarization image, each of the polarization images being a captured image of a same subject; and a white reference acquisition circuit that acquires, based on a result of detecting the specular reflection region, a white reference for balance adjustment from the specular reflection region of a second polarization image of the plurality of polarization images, the second polarization image having fewer specular reflection components than the first polarization image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The signal processing device according to claim 1, further comprising an extraction circuit that extracts the specular reflection region from the second polarization image based on the result of detecting the specular reflection region, wherein the white reference acquisition circuit calculates, as the white reference, an average value of pixel values of pixels in the specular reflection region extracted by the extraction circuit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The signal processing device according to claim 2, wherein the extraction circuit generates a first difference image by calculating a difference between the second polarization image and a third polarization image, of the plurality of polarization images, having fewer specular reflection components than the second polarization image, and extracts the specular reflection region from the first difference image based on the result of detecting the specular reflection region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein the detection circuit generates a second difference image by calculating a difference between the first polarization image and a third polarization image, of the plurality of polarization images, having fewer specular reflection components than the second polarization image, and detects the specular reflection region based on the second polarization image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The signal processing device according to claim 4, wherein the detection circuit detects the specular reflection region by binarizing the second difference image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein the detection circuit detects the specular reflection region based on a second difference image having a highest contrast among second difference images each being a difference between two polarization images obtained for each combination of two of the plurality of polarization images. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein the white reference acquisition circuit calculates a white balance gain based on the white reference, and the signal processing device further comprises a white balance adjustment circuit that performs white balance adjustment on the polarization images based on the white balance gain. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The signal processing device according to claim 1, further comprising an image acquisition circuit that includes a plurality of polarization pixels with mutually different polarization directions to capture the plurality of polarization images. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein the first polarization image is a polarization image having a largest number of specular reflection components among the plurality of polarization images. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein the first polarization image is a polarization image with a highest contrast among the plurality of polarization images. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein the first polarization image is a polarization image with a largest number of pixels whose pixel values are equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold among the plurality of polarization images. ### Claim 12 A signal processing method comprising: by a signal processing device, detecting, based on a first polarization image of a plurality of polarization images with mutually different polarization directions, a specular reflection region in the first polarization image, each of the polarization images being a captured image of a same subject; and acquiring, based on a result of detecting the specular reflection region, a white reference for balance adjustment from the specular reflection region of a second polarization image of the plurality of polarization images, the second polarization image having fewer specular reflection components than the first polarization image. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform operations comprising: detecting, based on a first polarization image of a plurality of polarization images with mutually different polarization directions, a specular reflection region in the first polarization image, each of the polarization images being a captured image of a same subject; and acquiring, based on a result of detecting the specular reflection region, a white reference for balance adjustment from the specular reflection region of a second polarization image of the plurality of polarization images, the second polarization image having fewer specular reflection components than the first polarization image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: extracting the specular reflection region from the second polarization image based on the result of detecting the specular reflection region; and calculating, as the white reference, an average value of pixel values of pixels in the extracted specular reflection region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise: generating a first difference image by calculating a difference between the second polarization image and a third polarization image, of the plurality of polarization images, having fewer specular reflection components than the second polarization image, and extracting the specular reflection region from the first difference image based on the result of detecting the specular reflection region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: generating a second difference image by calculating a difference between the first polarization image and a third polarization image, of the plurality of polarization images, having fewer specular reflection components than the second polarization image, and detecting the specular reflection region based on the second polarization image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: detecting the specular reflection region by binarizing the second difference image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: detecting the specular reflection region based on a second difference image having a highest contrast among second difference images each being a difference between two polarization images obtained for each combination of two of the plurality of polarization images. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: calculating a white balance gain based on the white reference; and performing white balance adjustment on the polarization images based on the white balance gain. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the first polarization image is a polarization image having a largest number of specular reflection components among the plurality of polarization images.