White balance adjustment device

A method of white balance adjusting a video signal comprising the following steps:

• imaging a subject to produce a subject video signal;
• measuring color attributes of fluorescent light used to illuminate the subject;
• selecting a fluorescent lamp color from first and second fluorescent lamp colors in response to the measured color attributes of said illuminating light;
• and
• performing white balance adjustment of the video signal using the selected fluorescent lamp color.

A white balance adjustment device which recognizes a kind of fluorescent light source, comprising:

• an imaging unit which outputs a video signal corresponding to a subject image;
• an adjustment mode selection unit which selects a white balance adjustment mode from a fluorescent adjustment mode and a nonfluorescent adjustment mode;
• a light measurement unit which measures color aspects of the subject;
• a fluorescent lamp color discrimination unit which selects a fluorescent lamp color from first and second fluorescent lamp colors in response to the measured color aspects when the fluorescent adjustment mode is selected;
• and
• a white balance adjustment unit which adjusts white balance characteristics of said video signal in accordance with the selected white balance adjustment mode and the selected fluorescent light color.

A white balance adjustment unit comprising:

• an imaging unit which outputs a video signal corresponding to a subject, said video signal having white balance characteristics;
• a light measurement unit which measures ambient light about the subject;
• a fluorescent lamp color discrimination unit which selects a fluorescent lamp color from first and second fluorescent lamp colors in response to the measured ambient light and outputs a light source value corresponding to the selected lamp color;
• and
• a white balance adjustment unit which adjusts the white balance characteristics of said video signal in response to the selected lamp color.

A white balance adjustment device which recognizes fluorescent light sources, comprising:

• an imaging unit which outputs a formed image of a subject;
• an adjustment mode selection unit which selects a white balance adjustment mode from a fluorescent adjustment mode and a nonfluorescent adjustment mode;
• a measurement unit which measures color aspects of a light source used to illuminate said subject and which outputs a color value corresponding to said color aspects;
• and
• a white balance adjustment unit which adjusts the white balance of the output of said imaging unit in accordance with the white balance adjustment mode selected by said adjustment mode selection unit and the color value measured by said measurement unit.

A white balance adjustment device comprising:

• an imaging unit which outputs a video signal corresponding to a subject image;
• a light measurement unit which measures color aspects of the subject;
• a fluorescent lamp color discrimination unit which selects a fluorescent lamp color from first and second fluorescent lamp colors in response to the measured color aspects;
• a fluorescent lamp control table which outputs a fluorescent lamp color value in accordance with the selected fluorescent lamp color;
• and
• a white balance adjustment unit which adjusts white balance characteristics of said video signal in accordance with the fluorescent lamp color value.