Camera having verification display with viewer adaptation compensation for reference illuminants and method

• US 7,015,955 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Parulski, Kenneth A., Funston, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): JERABEK, KELLY L
• Application Number:
  US09/747,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 348/223.1, 348/231.3, 348/333.02, 348/333.04, 396/374, 349 61- 69, 345/102, 345/590, 382/254, 382/266, 382274-275, 358516-517
• US Class Current: 348/223.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/46 Colour picture communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control

Abstract

A camera and method are usable for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light. The camera has a body and an electronic imager disposed in the body. The electronic imager captures an ambient light image as a multicolored electronic image. A color detector is disposed in the body. The color detector measures the ambient light to provide a color value. A look-up table, disposed in the body, has an assignment of the color value to one of a designated illuminant and one or more non-designated illuminants. Each non-designated illuminant has a color cast relative to the designated illuminant. A user interface, disposed on the outside of the body, shows the electronic image and an indication of the illuminant to which the color value is assigned.

Claims

1. A camera usable for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light, said camera comprising:

a body;

a display disposed on the outside of said body;

an electronic imager disposed in said body, said electronic imager capturing an ambient light image as a multicolored electronic image;

a color detector disposed in said body, said color detector measuring said ambient light to provide a color value of said ambient light;

a look-up table, disposed in said body, said look-up table having said color value assigned to one of a designated illuminant and one or more non-designated illuminants, each said non-designated illuminant having a color cast relative to said designated illuminant;

a control system transferring said electronic image to said display, said control system color balancing said electronic image to impart a color cast relative to said designated illuminant and relative to said illuminant assigned to said color value, only when said illuminant assigned is one of said non-designated illuminants.

2. The camera of claim 1 including an archival capture media color balanced to said designated illuminant.

3. The camera of claim 1 wherein said relative color casts each correspond to a reduction in correlated color temperature.

4. The camera of claim 1 wherein at least one of said reference illuminants has a correlated color temperature of less than 5000 degrees Kelvin.

5. The camera of claim 1 wherein said color detector is operatively connected to said imager and measures a color value of said electronic image.

6. The camera of claim 1 further comprising an ambient light sensor mounted to said body, said ambient light sensor being operatively connected to said color detector and independent of said imager.

7. A camera usable for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light, said camera comprising:

a body;

an electronic imager disposed in said body, said electronic imager capturing an ambient light image as a multi-colored electronic image;

a color detector disposed in said body, said color detector measuring a color value of said electronic image;

a look-up table, disposed in said body, said look-up table having said color value assigned to one of a plurality of reference illuminants to provide an assigned reference illuminant, each said reference illuminant having a different correlated color temperature;

a control system color balancing said electronic image to the correlated color temperature of said assigned reference illuminant to provide a verification image;

a display disposed on the outside of said body, said display showing said verification image; and

wherein one or more of said reference illuminants are each equal to a correlated color temperature of an illumination source partially normalized by a predetermined photofinishing color cast reduction for that illumination source.

8. The camera of claim 7 wherein said electronic image is pixelated and said color detector includes a digital color sampling circuit sampling a plurality of pixels of said electronic image.

9. The camera of claim 8 wherein said electronic image includes three subimages, each said subimage having a different color, and said digital color sampling circuit samples the brightest pixels of said subimages.

10. The camera of claim 7 wherein said color detector samples said electronic image.

11. A camera usable for capturing images of scenes illuminated by an ambient light, said camera comprising:

a body;

an electronic image capture unit disposed in said body, said electronic image capture unit capturing an ambient light image in said ambient light as a three-colored electronic image;

a color detector disposed in said body, said color detector directly measuring said ambient light in which said ambient light image is captured to provide a color value of said ambient light;

a single look-up table, disposed in said body, said look-up table having said color value assigned to one of a plurality of reference illuminants to provide an assigned reference illuminant, said reference illuminants including daylight and one or more non-designated illuminants having a correlated color temperature less than the correlated color temperature of daylight;

a control system operatively connected to said electronic image capture unit and said look-up table, said control system maintaining a color balance of said electronic image only when said reference illuminant is daylight and color balancing said electronic image to a lower correlated color temperature only when said reference illuminant is one of said non-designated illuminants, to provide a verification image; and

a display disposed on the outside of said body, said display showing said verification image.

12. A camera usable for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light, said camera comprising:

a body;

an electronic image capture unit disposed in said body, said electronic image capture unit capturing an ambient light image as a three-colored electronic image;

a color detector disposed in said body, said color detector measuring a color value of said ambient light;

a look-up table, disposed in said body, said look-up table having said color value assigned to one of a plurality of reference illuminants to provide an assigned reference illuminant, said reference illuminants including daylight and one or more non-designated illuminants having a correlated color temperature less than the correlated color temperature of daylight;

a control system operatively connected to said electronic image capture unit and said look-up table, said control system maintaining a color balance of said electronic image when said reference illuminant is daylight and color balancing said electronic image to a lower correlated color temperature when said reference illuminant is one of said non-designated illuminants, to provide a verification image;

a display disposed on the outside of said body, said display showing said verification image; and

wherein decreasing of said color temperature of said electronic image is proportional to and opposite a white balance correction of said electronic image from the color temperature of said assigned reference illuminant to daylight.

13. A camera usable for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light, said camera comprising:

a body;

an electronic image capture unit disposed in said body, said electronic image capture unit capturing an ambient light image as a three-colored electronic image;

a color detector disposed in said body, said color detector measuring a color value of said ambient light;

a look-up table, disposed in said body, said look-up table having said color value assigned to one of a plurality of reference illuminants to provide an assigned reference illurninant, said reference illuminants including daylight and one or more non-designated illuminants having a correlated color temperature less than the correlated color temperature of daylight;

a control system operatively connected to said electronic image capture unit and said look-up table, said control system maintaining a color balance of said electronic image when said reference illuminant is daylight and color balancing said electronic image to a lower correlated color temperature when said reference illuniinant is one of said non-designated illuminants, to provide a verification image;

a display disposed on the outside of said body, said display showing said verification image; and

wherein one or more of said reference illuminants are each equal to a correlated color temperature of an illumination source partially normalized by a predetermined photofinishing color cast reduction for that illumination source.

14. The camera of claim 13 further comprising a film capture unit mounted in said body, and an optical system directing said ambient light image to said film capture unit and said electronic image capture unit.

15. An image capture method usable in an ambient light, comprising the steps of:

capturing an ambient light image as an electronic image in said ambient light a camera;

directly measuring an ambient light to provide a color value of said ambient light;

matching said color value in a single look-up table to one of a designated illuminant and one or more non-designated illuminants to provide an assigned illuminant, each said non-designated illuminant having a color cast relative to said designated illuminant;

transferring said electronic image to a display;

during said transferring, color balancing said electronic image to impart a color cast relative to said designated illuminant and relative to said assigned illuminant, only when said assigned illuminant is one of said non-designated illuminants.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising capturing said ambient light image on archival capture media color balanced to said designated illuminant.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said measuring further comprises sampling said electronic image.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising, prior to said transferring, calibrating said electronic image to said display.

19. An image capture method usable in ambient light, comprising the steps of:

capturing an ambient light image as an electronic image in a camera;

measuring an ambient light color value;

matching said ambient light color value to one of a designated illuminant and one or more non-designated illuminants to provide an assigned illuminant, each said non-designated illuminant having a color cast relative to said designated illuminant;

transferring said electronic image to a display;

during said transferring, color balancing said electronic image to impart a color cast relative to said designated illuminant and relative to said assigned illuminant, when said assigned illuminant is one of said non-designated illuminants; and

changing said ambient light between said capturing and said measuring of said ambient light.

20. A method for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light, said method comprising the steps of:

capturing an ambient light image as an electronic image in a camera;

measuring a color value of said electronic image;

matching said color value to one of a plurality of reference illuminants to provide an assigned reference illuminant, each said reference illuminant having a different correlated color temperature;

color balancing said electronic image to the correlated color temperature of said assigned reference illuminant to provide a verification image;

showing said verification image; and

wherein one or more of said reference illuminants are each equal to a correlated color temperature of an illumination source partially normalized by a predetermined photofinishing color cast reduction for said archival capture media and the respective said reference illuminant.

21. A method for capturing images of scenes illuminated by ambient light, said method comprising the steps of:

capturing an ambient light image as an electronic image in a camera;

measuring a color value of said electronic image;

matching said color value to one of a plurality of reference illuminants to provide an assigned reference illuminant, each said reference illuminant having a different correlated color temperature;

color balancing said electronic image to the correlated color temperature of said assigned reference illuminant to provide a verification image;

showing said verification image; and

wherein one or more of said reference illuminants are each equal to a correlated color temperature of an illumination source partially normalized by a predetermined photofinishing color cast reduction for that illumination source.