Device, method, and recordium for correcting color imbalance of an image

An image processing device comprising:

• normalizing means for estimating a gray balance in an original image to be processed, based on image data of a plurality of original images in which objects have been recorded by photography under uniform conditions, and normalizing the image data of the original image to be processed using the estimated gray balance as a reference;
• calculating means for determining a color of a highlight portion in an original image to be processed, and a correlation between the color of a highlight portion in the original image to be processed and a color of each element forming the original image to be processed, based on image data of the original image to be processed;
• determining means for determining a degree of the bias in a color balance of the original image to be processed caused by a light source at a time of photographing and recording an object, based on the color of the highlight portion in the original image to be processed, as well as the correlation between the color of the highlight portion in the original image to be processed and the color of each element forming the original image, which were determined by the calculating means;
• and
• correcting means for correcting the color balance of the image data of the original image to be processed in accordance with the color of the highlight portion, based on the degree of the bias in the color balance caused by the light source, determined by the determining means.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• (a)estimating gray balance in an original image to be processed based on image data of a plurality of original images formed by photographing and recording an object under uniform conditions, and normalizing image data of the original image to be processed using the estimated gray balance as a reference;
• (b)obtaining a color of a highlight portion in the original image to be processed, and a correlation between the color of the highlight portion in the original image to be processed and a color of each element forming the original image, based on image data of the original image to be processed;
• (c)determining an extent of bias in a color balance of the original image to be processed caused by a light source present during photographing and recording of an object, based on the color of the highlight portion in the original image to be processed, and the correlation between the color of the highlight portion in the original image to be processed and the color of each element forming the original image;
• and
• (d)correcting the color balance of image data of the original image to be processed in accordance with the color of the highlight portion, based on the extent of bias in the color balance caused by the light source.

A recording medium on which is recorded a program for execution by a computer for processing of image data, the program comprising:

• a first step in which gray balance of an original image to be processed is estimated based on image data of a plurality of original images formed by photographing and recording an object under uniform conditions, and image data of the original image to be processed is normalized using the estimated gray balance as a reference;
• a second step in which a color of a highlight portion in the original image to be processed, and a correlation between the color of the highlight portion in the original image to be processed and a color of each element forming the original image is obtained based on image data of the original image to be processed;
• a third step in which an extent of bias in a color balance of an original image to be processed caused by a light source present during the photographing and recording of the object is determined based on the color of the highlight portion in the original image to be processed, and the correlation between the color of a highlight portion in the original image to be processed and the color of each element forming the original image;
• and
• a fourth step in which the color balance of image data of the original image to be processed is corrected in accordance with the color of the highlight portion based on the above-determined extent of bias in the color balance caused by the light source.

An image processing device, comprising:

• a color determining unit configured to determine correlations between colors of a highlight portion of an image and colors of elements forming the image;
• a bias determining unit configured to determine a degree of bias in a color balance of the image caused by a source light based on the colors of the highlight portion and the correlations determined by the color determining unit;
• and
• a color correcting unit configured to correct the color balance of the image based on the degree of bias determined by the bias determining unit.