Electric camera and signal amplification ratio adjusting method for therefor

• US 20050036040A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Honda, Masaya, Ikeda, Makoto, Hashimoto, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/76 by influencing the image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control

Abstract

In an electronic camera according to the present invention, an electric charge is stored in a CCD as a light receiving signal having at least color information with respect to received light beams. Standard color information is acquired by an imaging circuit and a main CPU from the light receiving signal obtained by driving the CCD in such a manner that a stored electric charge quantity to be stored in the CCD becomes a predetermined quantity. On the other hand, reference color information is acquired from light receiving information obtained by driving the CCD. An application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal determined based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information is stored in a detachable memory.

Claims

1. An electronic camera comprising:

an imaging section which stores an electric charge as a light receiving signal having at least color information with respect to received light beams;

a standard color information acquisition section which acquires standard color information from the light receiving signal obtained by driving the imaging section in such a manner that a stored electric charge quantity to be stored in the imaging section becomes a predetermined quantity;

a reference color information acquisition section which acquires reference color information from the light receiving signal obtained by driving the imaging section in such a manner that the stored electric charge quantity is different from that of the standard color information acquisition section; and

a storage section which stores an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal determined based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information.

2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving signal has a brightness signal, and an application range of an amplification ratio of the brightness signal is determined based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information.

3. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving signal has a plurality of color signals, and an application range of an amplification ratio of each of the plurality of color signals is determined based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information.

4. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a signal processing section which performs signal processing based on the light receiving signal obtained by the imaging section,

wherein the signal processing section sets an application range of at least one of an amplification ratio of the imaging section and an amplification ratio of the signal processing section based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information.

5. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising an arithmetic operation section which performs an arithmetic operation to determine an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal to be stored in the storage section.

6. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic operation to determine the application range of the amplification ratio of the light receiving signal to be stored in the storage section is carried out by an external device of the electronic camera connected through an interface.

7. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the reference color information acquisition section acquires a plurality of sets of reference color information by switching drive conditions of the imaging section, and

the storage section stores the application range of the amplification ratio of the light receiving signal determined based on the plurality of sets of reference color information.

8. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the standard color information acquisition section and the reference color information acquisition section respectively acquire a plurality of sets of color information, and

the storage section stores an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal determined for each of the plurality of sets of color information.

9. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the color information is composed of an R/G ratio which is a ratio of a component (R) of a red signal and a component (G) of a green signal and a B/G ratio which is a ratio of a component (B) of a blue signal and the component (G) of the green signal.

10. A signal amplification ratio adjusting method for an electronic camera, comprising:

a first step of obtaining color information of a standard photography condition in such a manner that a stored electric charge quantity to be stored in an imaging section becomes a predetermined quantity;

a second step of obtaining color information of a low-output photography condition different from the standard photography condition in such a manner the stored electric charge quantity becomes different;

a third step of judging an application range of an amplification ratio of a light receiving signal based on the color information obtained at the first step and the color information obtained at the second step; and

a fourth step of storing the application range of the amplification ratio of the light receiving signal judged at the third step.

11. A signal amplification ratio adjusting method for an electronic camera, comprising:

a first step of setting a color temperature of a light source to a standard value;

a second step of decreasing the color temperature of the light source to be lower than the standard value by a predetermined value;

a third step of obtaining color information of a standard photography condition in such a manner that a stored electric charge quantity to be stored in an imaging section becomes a predetermined quantity at the color temperature changed at the second step;

a fourth step of obtaining color information of a low-output photography condition different from the standard photography condition in such a manner that the stored electric charge becomes different;

a fifth step of judging an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal based on the color information obtained at the third step and the color information obtained at the fourth step;

a sixth step of increasing the color temperature of the light source to be higher than the standard value by a predetermined value;

a seventh step of obtaining color information of a standard photography condition in such a manner that a stored electric charge quantity to be stored in the imaging section becomes a predetermined quantity at the color temperature changed at the sixth step;

an eighth step of obtaining color information of a low-output photography condition different from the standard photography condition at the seventh step in such a manner that the stored electric charge quantity becomes different;

a ninth step of judging an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal based on the color information obtained at the seventh step and the color information obtained at the eighth step; and

a tenth step of storing the application ranges of the amplification ratio of the light receiving signal judged at the fifth step and the ninth step.

12. A signal amplification ratio adjusting method for an electronic camera, comprising:

a first step of comparing color information of a standard photography condition with a first predetermined value in such a manner that a stored electric charge quantity to be stored in an imaging section becomes a predetermined quantity;

a second step of comparing the color information of the standard photography condition with a second predetermined value different from the first predetermined value based on color information of a low-output photography condition different from the standard photography condition;

a third step of judging an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal based on a comparison result of the first step and a comparison result of the second step; and

a fourth step of storing the application range of the amplification ratio of the light receiving signal judged at the third step.

13. An electronic camera comprising:

imaging means for storing an electric charge as a light receiving signal having at least color information with respect to received light beams;

standard color information acquiring means for acquiring standard color information from the light receiving signal obtained by driving the imaging means in such a manner that a stored electric charge quantity to be stored in the imaging means becomes a predetermined quantity;

reference color information acquiring means for acquiring reference color information from the light receiving signal obtained by driving the imaging means in such a manner that the stored electric charge quantity becomes different from that of the standard color information acquiring means; and

storing means for storing an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal determined based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information.

14. The electronic camera according to claim 13, wherein the light receiving signal has a brightness signal, and an application range of an amplification ratio of the brightness signal is determined based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information.

15. The electronic camera according to claim 13, wherein the light receiving signal has a plurality of color signals, and an application range of an amplification ratio of each of the plurality of color signals is determined based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information.

16. The electronic camera according to claim 13, further comprising:

signal processing means for performing signal processing based on the light receiving signal obtained by the imaging means,

wherein the signal processing means sets an application range of at least one of an amplification ratio of the imaging means and an amplification ratio of the signal processing means based on the reference color information with respect to the standard color information.

17. The electronic camera according to claim 13, further comprising arithmetic operation performing means for performing an arithmetic operation to determine an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal to be stored in the storing means.

18. The electronic camera according to claim 13, wherein the arithmetic operation to determine an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal to be stored in the storing means is carried out by an external device of the electronic camera connected through an interface.

19. The electronic camera according to claim 13, wherein the reference color information acquiring means acquires a plurality of sets of reference color information by switching drive conditions of the imaging means, and

the storing means stores an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal determined based on the plurality of sets of reference color information.

20. The electronic camera according to claim 13, wherein the standard color information acquiring means and the reference color information acquiring means respectively acquire a plurality of sets of color information, and

the storing means stores an application range of an amplification ratio of the light receiving signal determined for each of the plurality of sets of color information.

21. The electronic camera according to claim 13, wherein the color information is composed of an R/G ratio which is a ratio of a component (R) of a red signal and a component (G) of a green signal and a B/G ratio which is a ratio of a component (B) of a blue signal and the component (G) of the green signal.