White balance adjustment
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsAndrew Dorrell, Stuart Perry, Woei Chan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method (100) of generating a digital image of a scene is disclosed. The method (100) is particularly advantageous in situations where a light source illuminating the scene is unknown. The method (100) allows post-capture control over flash illuminant and ambient illuminant used in generating the image. The method (100) may also be used to provide a synthetic fill flash effect. The method (100) is particularly advantageous in situations where an ambient light source illuminating the scene differs in spectral character from that of a flash illuminant used to capture an image of the scene.
Claims50
A method of setting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, said method comprising the steps of:
- capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- removing from the second image an ambient light contribution to produce a modified second image;
- comparing colors in the first image captured at ambient light with colors of the modified second image to determine a color transform;
- and
- adjusting the white balance of the first image using the determined color transform.
A method of setting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, said method comprising the steps of:
- capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- comparing colors in the first image captured at ambient light with colors of the second image to determine a color transform;
- and
- adjusting the white balance of the first image using the determined color transform.
A method of adjusting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, said method comprising the steps of:
- capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- white balancing the captured second image according to predetermined properties of the flash illuminant and the scene;
- determining a plurality of color transform values to the white balanced second image from corresponding pixel values of said first image;
- and
- adjusting the white balance of said first image using the determined color transform values.
An apparatus for setting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, the apparatus comprising:
- capturing means for capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- comparing means for comparing colors in the first image captured at ambient light with colors of the second image to determine a color transform;
- and
- adjusting means for adjusting the white balance of the first image using the determined color transform.
An apparatus for adjusting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, the apparatus comprising:
- capturing means for capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- white balancing means for white balancing the captured second image according to predetermined properties of the flash illuminant and the scene;
- color transform value determining means for determining a plurality of color transform values to the white balanced second image from corresponding pixel values of said first image;
- and
- adjusting means for adjusting the white balance of said first image using the determined color transform values.
A computer program for setting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, the program comprising:
- code for capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- code for comparing colors in the first image captured at ambient light with colors of the second image to determine a color transform;
- and
- code for adjusting the white balance of the first image using the determined color transform.
A computer program for adjusting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, the program comprising:
- code for capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- code for white balancing the captured second image according to predetermined properties of the flash illuminant and the scene;
- code for determining a plurality of color transform values to the white balanced second image from corresponding pixel values of said first image;
- and
- code for adjusting the white balance of said first image using the determined color transform values.
A computer program product having a computer readable medium having a computer program recorded therein for setting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, said computer program product comprising:
- computer program code means for capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- computer program code means for comparing colors in the first image captured at ambient light with colors of the second image to determine a color transform;
- and
- computer program code means for adjusting the white balance of the first image using the determined color transform.
A computer program product having a computer readable medium having a computer program recorded therein for adjusting the white balance of a first captured image representing a scene, the first image being captured at ambient light, said computer program product comprising:
- computer program code means for capturing a second image of the scene using a flash illuminant;
- computer program code means for white balancing the captured second image according to predetermined properties of the flash illuminant and the scene;
- computer program code means for determining a plurality of color transform values to the white balanced second image from corresponding pixel values of said first image;
- and
- computer program code means for adjusting the white balance of said first image using the determined color transform values.
A method of generating a digital image of a scene, said method comprising the steps of:
- capturing a first image of the scene at ambient light;
- capturing a second image of the same scene using a flash illuminant;
- forming a third image using said first and second images, said third image representing an image of the scene captured using the flash illuminant with any contribution of ambient light removed;
- determining a first transform based on an analysis of said first and second images, said first transform being configured for matching the colour of pixels in said first image to pixels in said third image;
- applying said first transform to said first image to form a fourth image;
- and
- combining said third and fourth images to generate said digital image.
An apparatus for generating a digital image of a scene, said apparatus comprising:
- first capturing means for capturing a first image of the scene at ambient light;
- second capturing means for capturing a second image of the same scene using a flash illuminant;
- image forming means for forming a third image using said first and second images, said third image representing an image of the scene captured using the flash illuminant with any contribution from ambient light removed;
- transform determining means for determining a first transform based on an analysis of said first and second images, said first transform being configured for matching the colour of pixels in said first image to pixels in said third image;
- transform applying means for applying said first transform to said first image to form a fourth image;
- and
- image generating means for combining said third and fourth images to generate said digital image.
A computer program for generating a digital image of a scene, said program comprising:
- code for capturing a first image of the scene at ambient light;
- code for capturing a second image of the same scene using a flash illuminant;
- code for forming a third image using said first and second images, said third image representing an image of the scene captured using the flash illuminant with any contribution from ambient light removed;
- code for determining a first transform based on an analysis of said first and second images, said first transform being configured for matching the colour of pixels in said first image to pixels in said third image;
- code for applying said first transform to said first image to form a fourth image;
- and
- code for combining said third and fourth images to generate said digital image.
A computer program product having a computer readable medium having a computer program recorded therein for generating a digital image of a scene, said computer program product comprising:
- computer program code means for capturing a first image of the scene at ambient light;
- computer program code means for capturing a second image of the same scene using a flash illuminant;
- computer program code means for forming a third image using said first and second images, said third image representing an image of the scene captured using the flash illuminant with any contribution from ambient light removed;
- computer program code means for determining a first transform based on an analysis of said first and second images, said first transform being configured for matching the colour of pixels in said first image to pixels in said third image;
- computer program code means for applying said first transform to said first image to form a fourth image;
- and
- computer program code means for combining said third and fourth images to generate said digital image.
A method of processing a captured image of a scene, said method comprising the steps of:
- determining photographic parameters of the scene;
- and
- establishing, if the parameters meet pre-defined criteria, flash-no-flash white balance information applicable to the captured image.
A method according to 40 further comprising the step of determining an additional suitability measure based on the effect of a first color transform on said first image in one or more regions of said first image.
An apparatus for processing a captured image of a scene, said apparatus comprising:
- means for determining photographic parameters of the scene;
- and
- means for establishing, if the parameters meet pre-defined criteria, flash-no-flash white balance information applicable to the captured image.
An apparatus for processing a captured image of a scene, said apparatus comprising:
- a memory for storing a program;
- and
- a processor for executing the program, said program comprising:
- code for determining photographic parameters of the scene;
- and
- code for establishing, if the parameters meet pre-defined criteria, flash-no-flash white balance information applicable to the captured image.
A computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for directing a processor to execute a method for processing a captured image of a scene, said program comprising:
- code for determining photographic parameters of the scene;
- and
- code for establishing, if the parameters meet pre-defined criteria, flash-no-flash white balance information applicable to the captured image.
A computer program for directing a processor to execute a method for processing a captured image of a scene, said program comprising:
- code for determining photographic parameters of the scene;
- and
- code for establishing, if the parameters meet pre-defined criteria, flash-no-flash white balance information applicable to the captured image.
Flash-no-flash white balance information determined using a method of processing a captured image of a scene, said method comprising the steps of:
- determining photographic parameters of the scene;
- and
- establishing, if the parameters meet pre-defined criteria, said flash-no-flash white balance information applicable to the captured image.
An image processed using a method comprising the steps of:
- determining photographic parameters of a scene;
- and
- establishing, if the parameters meet pre-defined criteria, flash-no-flash white balance information applicable to the image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.