# US 7,746,386 B2 · Image pickup device and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,746,386 B2 - Document ID: US7746386B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/954,308 - Filed: 2004-10-01 - Published: 2005-04-28 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2003-10-27 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Makibi Nakamura; Hideho Une; Yumi Sanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746386B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/88: for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The present invention relates to an image pickup device including: a detecting unit for detecting a position of a filter for changing light separation; and a white balance controlling unit for performing white balance control on a basis of the position of the filter detected by the detecting unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image pickup device comprising: a first detecting unit configured to detect a position of a filter for changing light separation; a second detecting unit configured to detect color components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) from a video signal obtained by picture taking; a calculating unit configured to calculate respective integral values of the color components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) from the video signal as detected by the second detecting unit and to provide a control signal corresponding to the calculated respective integral values of the color components; and a white balance controlling unit configured to perform white balance control on a basis of the position of said filter detected by said first detecting unit; wherein when the first detecting unit detects that the filter is at a position of an optical axis, the white balance controlling unit performs control based upon blackbody curve data of only a visible light component, wherein when the first detecting unit detects that the filter is at an external position off the optical axis, the white balance controlling unit performs control based upon blackbody curve data obtained by taking an infrared component into consideration, and wherein when said first detecting unit detects that said filter is at the external position off the optical axis, said white balance controlling unit performs control such that a ratio between integral values of the color components from the video signal obtained by picture taking becomes a ratio between integral values of video signals based on a white subject taking an infrared component into consideration. ### Claim 2 An image pickup device comprising: a first detecting unit configured to detect a position of a filter for changing light separation; a second detecting unit configured to detect color components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) from a video signal obtained by picture taking; a calculating unit configured to calculate respective integral values of the color components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) from the video signal as detected by the second detecting unit and to provide a control signal corresponding to the calculated respective integral values of the color components; and a white balance controlling unit configured to perform white balance control on a basis of the position of said filter detected by said first detecting unit; wherein when the first detecting unit detects that the filter is at a position of an optical axis, the white balance controlling unit performs control based upon blackbody curve data of only a visible light component, and wherein when the first detecting unit detects that the filter is at an external position off the optical axis, the white balance controlling unit performs control based upon blackbody curve data obtained by taking an infrared component into consideration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An image pickup device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said controlling unit performs control such that a ratio between integral values of the color components of a high-luminance portion of said video signal becomes one. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) An image pickup device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said controlling unit performs control such that a ratio between integral values of the color components of a predetermined luminance range portion of said video signal becomes one. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) An image pickup device as claimed in claim 2, wherein when said first detecting unit detects that said filter is at the external position off the optical axis, said white balance controlling unit avoids performing low-illuminance achromatization. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) An image pickup device as claimed in claim 2, wherein when said first detecting unit detects that said filter is at the external position off the optical axis, said white balance controlling unit performs a gray world control based upon the control signal provided by the calculating unit, such that a ratio (R/G) between the integral values of the R component and the G component and a ratio (B/G) between the integral values of the B component and the G component from the video signal obtained by picture taking become one. ### Claim 7 An image pickup method, comprising the steps of: detecting a position of a filter for changing light separation; detecting color components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) from a video signal obtained by picture taking; calculating, with a calculating unit, respective integral values of the color components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) from the video signal obtained by picture taking and providing a control signal corresponding to the calculated respective integral values of the color components; and performing white balance control on a basis of the detected position of said filter, wherein when the filter is detected to be at a position of an optical axis, the white balance control is performed based upon blackbody curve data of only a visible light component, and wherein when the filter is detected to be at an external position off the optical axis, the white balance control is performed based upon blackbody curve data obtained by taking an infrared component into consideration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An image pickup method of claim 7, wherein when said filter is detected at the external position off the optical axis, said performing white balance controls comprises performing a gray world control based upon the control signal provided by the calculating unit, such that a ratio (R/G) between the integral values of the R component and the G component and a ratio (B/G) between the integral values of the B component and the G component from the video signal obtained by picture taking become one. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) An image pickup method as claimed in claim 7, wherein performing white balance control comprises performing control such that a ratio between integral values of the color components of a high-luminance portion of said video signal becomes one. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) An image pickup method as claimed in claim 7, wherein performing white balance control comprises performing control such that a ratio between integral values of the color components of a predetermined luminance range portion of said video signal becomes one. ### Claim 11 An image pickup device comprising: first detecting means for detecting a position of a filter for changing light separation; second detecting means for detecting color components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) from a video signal obtained by picture taking; calculating means for calculating respective integral values of the color components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) from the video signal detected by the second detecting means, and for providing a control signal corresponding to the calculated respective integral values of the color components; and white balance controlling means for performing white balance control on a basis of the position of said filter detected by said first detecting means, wherein when the first detecting means detects that the filter is at a position of an optical axis, the white balance controlling means performs control based upon blackbody curve data of only a visible light component, and wherein when the first detecting means detects that the filter is at an external position off the optical axis, the white balance controlling means performs control based upon blackbody curve data obtained by taking an infrared component into consideration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An image pickup device of claim 11, comprising: wherein when said first detecting means detects that said filter is at the external position off the optical axis, said white balance controlling means performs a gray world control based upon the control signal provided by the calculating means, such that a ratio (R/G) between the integral values of the R component and the G component and a ratio (B/G) between the integral values of the B component and the G component from the video signal obtained by picture taking become one. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) An image pickup device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said controlling means performs control such that a ratio between integral values of the color components of a high-luminance portion of said video signal becomes one. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) An image pickup device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said controlling means performs control such that a ratio between integral values of the color components of a predetermined luminance range portion of said video signal becomes one.