Image pickup apparatus including distance measurement

• US 5,568,187 A
• Filed: 03/07/1995
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Okino, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, KIM Y
• Application Number:
  US08/399,438
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222, 348/223, 348/224, 348/227
• US Class Current: 348/224.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus including a memory for storing color temperature data concerning an illuminating apparatus, a colorimetric circuit for measuring a color temperature of ambient light, an amplification circuit for controlling balance of color signals obtained from an image pickup element, and a controller for comparing the color temperature of the ambient light obtained from the colorimetric circuit with the color temperature data concerning the illumination apparatus and for controlling the amplification gain by the amplification circuit according to the comparison result to adjust the white balance, and further including a detecting circuit for detecting that the color temperature of the ambient light is not the color temperature along the black body radiation, wherein, depending on the detection of the detecting circuit, illumination is made by the illuminating apparatus to thereby take the white balance matched with the color temperature data concerning the illuminating apparatus. A distance measurement device is also provided for determining the distance to an object to assist in the adjustment of the white balance.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus coupled with a flash device, comprising:

(a) image pickup means for generating a plurality of electrical color image signals from an optical image;

(b) measuring means for measuring the distance to an object to be photographed; and

(c) control means for comparing the light emission power of said flash device with the measured distance by said measuring means and for controlling color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals in accordance with a comparison result.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means also actuates said flash device in accordance with said comparison result.

3. An image pickup apparatus coupled with a flash device, comprising:

(a) image pickup means for generating a plurality of electrical color image signals from an optical image;

(b) measuring means for measuring the distance to an object to be photographed; and

(c) control means for discriminating the light emission power of said flash device according to the measured distance by said measuring means and for controlling color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals in accordance with a discrimination result, said control means controlling said color balance suited for color temperature of flash light of said flash device in a case where the light emission of said flash device is above a predetermined level.

4. An image pickup apparatus coupled with a flash device, comprising:

(a) image pickup means for generating a plurality of electrical color image signals from an optical image;

(b) measuring means for measuring the distance to an object to be photographed; and

(c) control means for discriminating the light emission power of said flash device according to the measured distance by said measuring means and for controlling color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals in accordance with a discrimination result, said control means controlling said color balance suited for color temperature of flash light of said flash device in a case where the light emission of said flash device is above a predetermined level, said control means controlling said color balance for color temperature of ambient light in a case where the light emission power of said flash device is under a predetermined level.

5. An image pickup apparatus coupled with an illumination device, comprising:

(a) image pickup means for generating a plurality of electrical color image signals from an optical image;

(b) measuring means for measuring the distance to an object to be picked up; and

(c) control means for controlling color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals in accordance with either one of a color temperature information of said illumination device and color temperature information of ambient light, which are alternatively selected based on the distance measured by said measuring means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means also actuates said illumination device in accordance with the measured distance.

7. An image pickup apparatus coupled with a flash device, comprising:

(a) image pickup means for generating a plurality of electrical color image signals from an optical image;

(b) measuring means for measuring the distance to an object to be photographed; and

(c) control means for controlling color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals in accordance with the measured distance by said measuring means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said control means also actuates said flash device in accordance with the measured distance.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

(d) storing means for storing color temperature information of said flash device.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control means is arranged to control color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals on the basis Of the color temperature information stored in said storing means.

11. An image pickup apparatus coupled with an illumination device, comprising:

(a) image pickup means for generating a plurality of electrical color image signals from an optical image;

(b) measuring means for measuring the distance to an object to be picked up; and

(c) control means for controlling color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals based on the measured distance by said measuring means.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control means also actuates said illumination device in accordance with the measured distance.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

(d) storing means for storing color temperature information of said illumination device.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said control means is arranged to control color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals on the basis of the color temperature information stored in said storing means.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

(d) storing means for storing color temperature information of said illumination device.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for forming an ambient information which corresponds to a status of ambient light.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said control means controls the color balance of said plurality of electrical color image signals in accordance with said ambient information.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said ambient information relates to a brightness of the ambient light.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said ambient information relates to a color temperature of the ambient light.