Imaging device, imaging method and imaging program
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorShuichi GOTO
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An imaging device includes a flash ratio calculator calculating a flash ratio based on a flash image and a non-flash image, a main subject flash ratio selector selecting a flash ratio of an area of a main subject, a preliminary white balance coefficient determination unit determining a preliminary white balance coefficient used in adjusting a white balance, a flash ratio range calculator calculating an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a range of the flash ratio based on the flash ratio of the main subject and the preliminary white balance coefficient, a flash ratio processor altering the flash ratio so that the flash ratio is in the calculated range, and a white balance coefficient calculator calculating a white balance coefficient based on the altered flash ratio.
Claims14
An imaging device comprising:
- an acquisition unit configured to acquire,
- a flash image obtained using a flash and
- a non-flash image obtained under ambient lighting without the flash;
- a flash contribution calculator configured to calculate a flash contribution indicator representing a contribution of the flash to an individual pixel luminance value of the flash image, based on the flash image and the non-flash image acquired by the acquisition unit;
- a preliminary white balance coefficient determination unit configured to determine a preliminary white balance coefficient for the flash and ambient light in order to adjust a white balance;
- a flash contribution indicator range calculator configured to calculate an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a range of the flash contribution indicator, based on a local flash contribution indicator and the determined preliminary white balance coefficient;
- a flash contribution indicator processor configured to alter a flash contribution indicator value calculated by the flash contribution indicator calculator, so that the flash contribution indicator falls within the calculated range;
- and
- a white balance coefficient calculator configured to calculate a white balance coefficient for application to the flash image, based on the altered flash contribution indicator.
An imaging method comprising:
- (a) acquiring a flash image using a flash and a non-flash image under ambient lighting without the flash;
- (b) calculating a flash ratio representing a contribution of the flash to a pixel luminance value of the flash image, based on the acquired flash image and non-flash image;
- (c) determining a preliminary white balance coefficient for the flash and ambient light in order to adjust a white balance;
- (d) calculating an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a range of the flash ratio, based on a selected local flash ratio and the determined preliminary white balance coefficient;
- (e) altering the flash ratio so that the flash ratio falls within the calculated range;
- and
- (f) calculating a final white balance coefficient applied to the flash image, based on the altered flash ratio.
In a non-temporary readable medium configured to store a program code executed by a computer, a method executed by the program code, the method comprising:
- acquiring a flash image using a flash and a non-flash image under ambient lighting without the flash;
- calculating a flash contribution indicator representing a contribution of the flash to an individual pixel luminance value of the flash image, based on the acquired flash image and non-flash image;
- determining a preliminary white balance coefficient for the flash and ambient light in order to adjust a white balance;
- calculating an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a range of the flash contribution indicator, based on a selected local flash contribution indicator and the determined preliminary white balance coefficient;
- altering the flash contribution indicator so that the flash contribution indicator falls within the calculated range;
- and
- calculating a final white balance coefficient applied to the flash image, based on the altered flash contribution indicator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.