Automatic white balancing using meter sensors
AssigneeOmniVision Technologies, Inc.
InventorsXiaoyong Wang, Jizhang Shan, Donghui Wu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image sensor system includes an image sensor that can be exposed with light from an illuminated scene to produce a secondary image, a meter sensor that can be exposed with light from the illuminated scene to produce a meter secondary image, and an image processor. The image processor can be configured to determine an average pixel color in the secondary image. The image processor can also be configured to determine a white balancing point in response to the secondary image average pixel color, the meter secondary image, meter calibration information for the meter sensor, and the image calibration information for the image sensor.
Claims32
An image sensor system, comprising:
- a meter sensor comprising pixels that are arranged to produce a meter image that includes color information for pixels in the meter image, wherein the meter sensor has associated meter sensor color calibration information of a calibration image that includes monochromatic information that is sequentially illuminated by light sources having differing color temperatures;
- an image sensor comprising pixels that are arranged to produce an captured image that includes color information for pixels in the captured image, wherein the image sensor has associated image sensor color calibration information of the calibration image that includes monochromatic information that is sequentially illuminated by light sources having differing color temperatures;
- and
- processing logic that is arranged to determine a white balancing point for balancing a secondary image of an illuminated scene captured by the image sensor, wherein the white balancing point is determined in response to the meter sensor color calibration information, the image sensor color calibration information, and color information from a secondary meter sensor image produced by the meter sensor capturing the illuminated scene.
An image sensor system, comprising:
- an image sensor that is exposed with light from an illuminated scene to produce a secondary image;
- a meter sensor that is exposed with light from the illuminated scene to produce a meter secondary image;
- and
- an image processor that is configured to determine an average pixel color in the secondary image and to determine a white balancing point in response to the secondary image average pixel color, the meter secondary image, meter calibration information for the meter sensor, and the image calibration information for the image sensor.
A method for white balancing, comprising:
- exposing an image sensor with light from an illuminated scene to produce a secondary image;
- exposing a meter sensor with light from the illuminated scene to produce a meter secondary image;
- determining an average pixel color in the secondary image;
- and
- determining a white balancing point in response to the secondary image average pixel color, the meter secondary image, meter calibration information for the meter sensor, and the image calibration information for the image sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.