Color balance adjusting device

• US 6,535,245 B1
• Filed: 06/16/1998
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M
• Application Number:
  US09/097,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 348/255, 348/256, 348/603, 348/645, 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/333.02, 348/333.05, 348/333.04, 348/576, 348/577, 348/612, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/223.1, 382/162, 358/520
• US Class Current: 348/223.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6077 Colour balance, e.g. colour cast correction

Abstract

The color balance adjusting device comprises buttons, indicated on a surface of a display device, which can be moved rightward and leftward on the surface, by dragging a mouse. In accordance with the displacement of the buttons, gains of a red component signal, a green component signal and a blue component signal are changed. When a value of pixel data of one of the color components exceeds a saturation range, due to the gain adjustment, the color of a part of the color image indicated on a surface of a display device, in which the saturation occurs, is altered. Further, a comment, implying the occurrence of saturation, is generated by the display device.

Claims

1. A color balance adjusting device, by which a color balance of a color image, which includes pixel data comprising at least a first color component and a second color component, is adjusted, said device comprising:

a gain changing processor that changes a gain of each of said first and second color components;

a pixel data calculating processor that calculates pixel data of said first and second color components, using said gains changed by said gain changing processor; and

a warning processor that outputs a warning implying that said gain, which is changed by said gain changing processor, is improper, when at least a part of said pixel data of said first and second color components, which is obtained by said pixel data calculating processor, exceeds a saturation range, said warning processor outputting the warning by reversing the pixel data which exceeds the saturation range in accordance with a predetermined relationship.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second color components is one of a red component, a green component and a blue component.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said saturation range is adjustable.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said saturation range comprises an upper limit value and a lower limit value, which can be set independently from each other.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said color image is indicated on a surface of a display device, and said warning is indicated on said surface as a part of said color image.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said part of said color image is indicated in a different color from the original color.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said warning is outputted as a sound.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said warning is outputted as a comment on a surface of a display device.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said warning processor changes pixel data, which deviates from said saturation range, to other pixel data, said other pixel data being indicated as part of said color image on a surface of a display device.

10. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a warning changing processor that selects whether said warning processor is to be operated.

11. The color balance adjusting device according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism configured to deactivate the warning processor.

12. The color balance adjusting device according to claim 1, said predetermined relationship comprising subtracting said at least a part of said pixel data from a predetermined value.

15. The color balance adjusting device according to claim 11, said predetermined relationship comprising subtracting said at least a part of said pixel data from a predetermined value.

13. A color balance adjusting device, by which a color balance of a color image, which includes pixel data composed of a plurality of color components, is adjusted, said device comprising:

a gain changing processor that changes gains of said color components; and

a warning processor that, when pixel data, which exceeds a saturation range, exists in pixel data of said plurality of color components calculated by using said gains changed by said gain changing processor, outputs a warning implying that a part of said pixel data exceed said saturation range, said warning processor outputting the warning by reversing the pixel data which exceeds the saturation range in accordance with a predetermined relationship.

14. The color balance adjusting device according to claim 13, further comprising a mechanism configured to deactivate the warning processor.

16. A color balance adjusting device, by which a color balance of a color image, which includes pixel data comprising at least a first color component and a second color component is adjusted, said adjusting device comprising:

a gain changing processor that changes a gain of each of said first and second color components;

a pixel data calculating processor that calculates pixel data of said first and second color components, using said gains changed by said gain changing processor; and

a warning processor that outputs a warning indicating that said gain, which is changed by said gain changing processor, is improper, when at least a part of said pixel data of said first and second components, which is obtained by said pixel data calculating processor exceeds a saturation range, the warning comprising an indication in the color image and a comment related to the color image,

said warning processor reversing pixel data in accordance with a predetermined relationship when at least a part of said pixel data of said first and second color components, which is obtained by said pixel data calculating processor, exceeds the saturation range.

17. The color balance adjusting device according to claim 16, said comment being provided adjacent a color image display area.

18. The color balance adjusting device according to claim 16, further comprising a mechanism configured to deactivate the warning processor.

19. The color balance adjusting device according to claim 16, said warning processor changing pixel data, which deviates from said saturation range, to other pixel data, said other pixel data being indicated as part of the color image on a surface of a display device.