# US 2013/0278792 A1 · Method, system and computer program product for enhancing white balance of an image

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- Number: US 2013/0278792 A1
- Document ID: US20130278792A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/865,807
- Filed: 2013-04-18
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-18
- Assignees: Texas Instruments Incorporated
- Applicants: Texas Instruments Incorporated
- Inventors: Buyue Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278792A1

## CPC

- H04N 23/88: for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

In response to an image, a likelihood of flicker within the image is estimated. In response to the estimated likelihood, references are selected from among first and second sets of references. The first set of references are responsive to a first set of reference images captured under particular illumination. The second set of references are responsive to a second set of reference images captured under fluorescent illumination. In response to the selected references, one or more gains are generated for enhancing white balance of the image.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method performed by at least one device for enhancing white balance of an image, the method comprising:
in response to the image, estimating a likelihood of flicker within the image;
in response to the estimated likelihood, selecting references from among first and second sets of references, wherein the first set of references are responsive to a first set of reference images captured under particular illumination, and wherein the second set of references are responsive to a second set of reference images captured under fluorescent illumination; and
in response to the selected references, generating one or more gains for enhancing white balance of the image.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of flicker indicates a likelihood that the image was captured under fluorescent illumination.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the image is within a video sequence, and wherein estimating the likelihood of flicker within the image includes:
in response to the image and other images within the video sequence, estimating the likelihood of flicker within the image.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selecting references from among the first and second sets of references includes:
in response to the estimated likelihood being higher than a threshold, selecting both the first and second sets of references; and
in response to the estimated likelihood being not higher than the threshold, selecting only the first set of references.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein selecting both the first and second sets of references includes:
as the estimated likelihood decreases, increasing a weighting of the first set of references, relative to a weighting of the second set of references; and
as the estimated likelihood increases, increasing the weighting of the second set of references, relative to the weighting of the first set of references.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of reference images are captured by a sensor, and wherein the image is captured by the sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein generating the one or more gains includes:
generating respective gains for adjusting red, green and blue colors of the image in rendering of the image on a display device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of reference images are captured under a variety of particular illumination, and wherein the second set of reference images are captured under a variety of fluorescent illumination.

### Claim 9

A system for enhancing white balance of an image, the system comprising:
at least one device for: in response to the image, estimating a likelihood of flicker within the image; in response to the estimated likelihood, selecting references from among first and second sets of references, wherein the first set of references are responsive to a first set of reference images captured under particular illumination, and wherein the second set of references are responsive to a second set of reference images captured under fluorescent illumination; and,
in response to the selected references, generating one or more gains for enhancing white balance of the image.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the likelihood of flicker indicates a likelihood that the image was captured under fluorescent illumination.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the image is within a video sequence, and wherein estimating the likelihood of flicker within the image includes:
in response to the image and other images within the video sequence, estimating the likelihood of flicker within the image.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein selecting references from among the first and second sets of references includes:
in response to the estimated likelihood being higher than a threshold, selecting both the first and second sets of references; and
in response to the estimated likelihood being not higher than the threshold, selecting only the first set of references.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein selecting both the first and second sets of references includes:
as the estimated likelihood decreases, increasing a weighting of the first set of references, relative to a weighting of the second set of references; and
as the estimated likelihood increases, increasing the weighting of the second set of references, relative to the weighting of the first set of references.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second sets of reference images are captured by a sensor, and wherein the image is captured by the sensor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein generating the one or more gains includes:
generating respective gains for adjusting red, green and blue colors of the image in rendering of the image on a display device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the first set of reference images are captured under a variety of particular illumination, and wherein the second set of reference images are captured under a variety of fluorescent illumination.

### Claim 17

A computer program product for enhancing white balance of an image, the computer program product comprising:
a tangible computer-readable storage medium; and
a computer-readable program stored on the tangible computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable program is processable by an information handling system for causing the information handling system to perform operations including: in response to the image, estimating a likelihood of flicker within the image; in response to the estimated likelihood, selecting references from among first and second sets of references, wherein the first set of references are responsive to a first set of reference images captured under particular illumination, and wherein the second set of references are responsive to a second set of reference images captured under fluorescent illumination; and, in response to the selected references, generating one or more gains for enhancing white balance of the image.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the likelihood of flicker indicates a likelihood that the image was captured under fluorescent illumination.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the image is within a video sequence, and wherein estimating the likelihood of flicker within the image includes:
in response to the image and other images within the video sequence, estimating the likelihood of flicker within the image.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, wherein selecting references from among the first and second sets of references includes:
in response to the estimated likelihood being higher than a threshold, selecting both the first and second sets of references; and
in response to the estimated likelihood being not higher than the threshold, selecting only the first set of references.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The computer program product of claim 20, wherein selecting both the first and second sets of references includes:
as the estimated likelihood decreases, increasing a weighting of the first set of references, relative to a weighting of the second set of references; and
as the estimated likelihood increases, increasing the weighting of the second set of references, relative to the weighting of the first set of references.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first and second sets of reference images are captured by a sensor, and wherein the image is captured by the sensor.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, wherein generating the one or more gains includes:
generating respective gains for adjusting red, green and blue colors of the image in rendering of the image on a display device.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first set of reference images are captured under a variety of particular illumination, and wherein the second set of reference images are captured under a variety of fluorescent illumination.

### Claim 25

A system for enhancing white balance of an image, the system comprising:
a sensor for capturing: the image and other images within a video sequence; a first set of reference images under a variety of particular illumination; and a second set of reference images under a variety of fluorescent illumination;
a display device for displaying the image;
at least one device for: generating a first set of references in response to the first set of reference images; generating a second set of references in response to the second set of reference images; in response to the image and the other images within the video sequence, estimating a likelihood of flicker within the image, wherein the likelihood of flicker indicates a likelihood that the image was captured under fluorescent illumination; in response to the estimated likelihood being higher than a threshold, selecting both the first and second sets of references; in response to the estimated likelihood being not higher than the threshold, selecting only the first set of references; and, in response to the selected references, generating respective gains for adjusting colors of the image in rendering of the image on the display device.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein selecting both the first and second sets of references includes:
as the estimated likelihood decreases, increasing a weighting of the first set of references, relative to a weighting of the second set of references; and
as the estimated likelihood increases, increasing the weighting of the second set of references, relative to the weighting of the first set of references.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein generating the respective gains includes:
generating the respective gains for adjusting red, green and blue colors of the image in rendering of the image on the display device.