METHOD OF ADJUSTING WHITE BALANCE OF IMAGE, RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING PROGRAM FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD, AND APPARATUS APPLYING THE METHOD

• US 20100214436A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Digital Imaging Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-gi, Kim, Kyoung-jae
• Granted Patent: US 8,754,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/223.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control

Abstract

A white balance adjusting apparatus and method generate a display image by performing display image signal processing to an input image, specify an area of the display image, output at least two sample images by applying at least two types of correction gains to the area of the display image, and apply the correction gain that is applied to one of the at least two sample images to the input image. Accordingly, a white subject does not have to be searched for to adjust white balance, and an image having a color sensitivity desired by the user can be obtained by performing white balance on colors other than white.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting white balance, the method comprising:

generating a display image by performing display image signal processing to an input image;

specifying an area of the display image;

outputting at least two sample images by applying at least two types of correction gains to the area of the display image; and

applying the correction gain that is applied to one of the at least two sample images to the input image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing display image signal processing to a first input image to generate and display a first display image;

specifying an area of the first display image;

outputting at least two sample images by applying at least two types of correction gains to the area of the first display image; and

performing display image signal processing to a second input image and the at least two sample images to generate and display a second display image.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising applying the correction gain to a third input image to generate a third display image.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of the at least two sample images.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a representative color having a largest surface area of the specified area of the display image; and

outputting at least two sample images to which at least two types of correction gains are applied with respect to an image of the specified area of the display image that displays the output representative color.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least two sample images are output from a database in which a plurality of sample images to which different correction gains are applied with respect to an image having a plurality of colors are stored.

7. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program executable by a processor for performing a method of adjusting white balance, the method comprising:

generating a display image by performing display image signal processing to an input image;

specifying an area of the display image;

outputting at least two sample images by applying at least two types of correction gains to the area of the display image; and

applying the correction gain that is applied to one of the at least two sample images to the input image.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

performing display image signal processing to a first input image to generate and display a first display image;

specifying an area of the first display image;

outputting at least two sample images by applying at least two types of correction gains to the area of the first display image; and

performing display image signal processing to a second input image and the at least two sample images to generate and display a second display image.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises applying the correction gain to a third input image to generate a third display image.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises selecting one of the at least two sample images.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

outputting a representative color having a largest surface area of the specified area of the display image; and

outputting at least two sample images to which at least two types of correction gains are applied with respect to an image of the specified area of the display image that displays the output representative color.

12. A white balance adjusting apparatus comprising:

a display image processing unit that performs display image signal processing to an input image to generate a display image;

an area set up unit that specifies an area of the display image;

a sample image output unit that outputs at least two sample images to which at least two types of correction gains are applied with respect to the area of the display image; and

a white balance adjusting unit that applies the correction gain that is applied to one of the at least two sample images to the input image.

13. The white balance adjusting apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an imaging device that inputs the input image.

14. The white balance adjusting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the imaging device inputs a first input image, and the display image processing unit performs display image signal processing to the first input image to generate a first display image, and the area set up unit specifies an area of the first display image.

15. The white balance adjusting apparatus of claim 14, wherein the imaging device inputs a second input image, and the display image processing unit performs display image signal processing to the second input image and the sample images to generate a second display image.

16. The white balance adjusting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the imaging device inputs a third input image, and the white balance adjusting unit applies the correction gain to the third input image, and the display image processing unit performs display image signal processing to the third input image, to which the correction gain is applied, to generate a third display image.

17. The white balance adjusting apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display unit that displays the display image.

18. The white balance adjusting apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a representative color outputting unit that outputs a representative color having a largest surface area of the display image.

19. The white balance adjusting apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a database in which a plurality of sample images, to which different correction gains are applied with respect to an image having a plurality of colors, are stored.

20. The white balance adjusting apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sample image output unit outputs the at least two sample images from the database.