White balance control system including a fluorescent light ripple detector

• US 4,595,946 A
• Filed: 01/31/1984
• Issued: 06/17/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Uehara, Masao, Tanaka, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, John W.
• Application Number:
  US06/575,344
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 358/29
• US Class Current: 348/226.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control

Abstract

A white balance control system comprises a ripple detecting circuit for detecting a ripple component associated with a fluorescent lamp source or the like which is contained in light from an object being photographed. Alternatively a circuit may be provided for detecting a particular color temperature from color temperature information which is used in a white balance control. A white balance adjusting circuit responds to an output from either the ripple detecting circuit or the detecting circuits to provide a correction for any offset in the white balance control.

Claims

1. A white balance control system, comprising:

color temperature detecting means for detecting a color temperature of light received thereby from the direction of an object to be imaged and for generating a first output signal as a function thereof, said output signal including a ripple component when said received light flickers, said ripple component being indicative of the magnitude and frequency of the flickering of said received light;

ripple detecting means for detecting said ripple component of said first output signal and for generating a second output signal as a function thereof; and

white balance control means for controlling the gain of respective color control amplifiers as a function of both said first and second output signals.

2. A white balance control system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said ripple detecting means comprises:

a bandpass amplifier to pass a band of frequencies of said ripple component;

a detecting circuit for detecting an output signal of said bandpass amplifier; and

a comparator for comparing the level of an output signal of said detecting circuit with a predetermined reference signal level for issuing said second output signal as a function of said comparison.

3. A white balance control system in accordance with claim 1, further including an alarm means for issuing an alarm signal when a light balancing filter must be removed from an optical path of an incident light to an image pick-up device of said system as a function of said second output signal.

4. A white balance control system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said ripple detecting means comprises:

a bandpass amplifier to pass a band of frequencies of said ripple component;

a detecting circuit for detecting an output signal of said bandpass amplifier; and

a comparator for comparing the level of a DC output signal of said detecting circuit with a predetermined reference signal level and for issuing said second output signal as a function of said comparison.

5. A white balance control system in accordance with claim 1, further including driving means for driving a light balancing filter inserted in an optical path of an incident light to an image pick-up device of said system so as to remove said filter from said optical path as a function of said second output signal.

6. A white balance control system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said ripple detecting means comprises:

a bandpass amplifier to pass a band of frequencies of said ripple component;

a detecting circuit for detecting an output signal of said bandpass amplifier; and

a comparator for comparing the level of a DC output signal of said detecting circuit with a predetermined reference signal level and for issuing said second output signal as a function of said comparison.

7. A white balance control system according to claim 1, wherein the magnitude of said ripple component is indicative of whether said received light is an incandescent or fluorescent light and wherein said ripple detecting means causes said second signal to switch between a first and a second signal level as a function of whether or not said received light is fluorescent light.

8. A white balance control system according to claim 7, further including color temperature discriminating means responsive to said first output signal for generating a third output signal whenever the temperature of said received light falls within a predetermined range and further including gating means for applying said second output signal to said white balance controlling means only when said received light falls within said predetermined color temperature range.

14. A white balance control system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said ripple detecting means comprises:

a bandpass amplifier to pass a band of frequencies of said ripple component;

a detecting circuit for detecting an output signal of said bandpass amplifier; and

a comparator for comparing the level of a DC output signal of said detecting circuit with a predetermined reference signal level and for issuing said second output signal as a function of said comparison.

9. A white balance control system, comprising:

color temperature detecting means for detecting a color temperature of light received thereby from the direction of an object to be imaged and for generating a first output signal as a function thereof, said output signal including a ripple component when said received light flickers, said ripple component being indicative of the magnitude and frequency of the flickering of said received light;

ripple detecting means for detecting said ripple component of said first output signal and for generating a second output signal as a function thereof;

color temperature discriminating means responsive to said first output signal for determining when said received light has a predetermined color temperature and for generating a third output signal as a function thereof; and

white balance controlling means for controlling the gain of respective color signal amplifiers of said system as a function of said first, second and third output signals.

10. A white balance control system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said ripple detecting means comprises:

a bandpass amplifier to pass a band of frequencies of said ripple component;

a detecting circuit for detecting an output signal of said bandpass amplifier; and

a comparator for comparing the level of a DC output signal of said detecting circuit with a predetermined reference signal level and for issuing said second output signal as a function of said comparison.

11. A white balance control system according to claim 9, further including alarm means responsive to said second output signal for generating an alarm signal indicating that a color balancing filter should be removed from an optical path of incident light to an image pick-up device of said system.

12. A white balance control system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said ripple detecting means comprises:

a bandpass amplifier to pass a band of frequencies of said ripple component;

a detecting circuit for detecting an output signal of said bandpass amplifier; and

a comparator for comparing the level of a DC output signal of said detecting circuit with a predetermined reference signal level and for issuing said second output signal as a function of said comparison.

13. A white balance control system according to claim 9, further including filter driving means for removing a light balancing filter located in an optical path of an incident light to an image pick-up device of said system from said optical path as a function of said second output signal.