Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12256157-B2
Application number	US-202217899476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2022
Priority date	Sep 9, 2021
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a first control value related to white balance based on an input image, a determination unit configured to determine whether a first area including the acquired first control value is changeable, a control unit configured to change the first area to a second area based on a result of determination by the determination unit, and a calculation unit configured to calculate a second control value related to the white balance to be applied to the input image in the second area in a case where the first area is changed to the second area, wherein the control unit changes the first area to the second area by stages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to function as:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a first control value related to white balance based on an input image;
a determination unit configured to determine whether a first area including the acquired first control value is changeable;
a control unit configured to change the first area to a second area based on whether the first area including the acquired first control value is changeable; and
a calculation unit configured to calculate a second control value related to the white balance to be applied to the input image in the second area in a case where the first area is changed to the second area,
an estimation unit configured to estimate influence of an infrared light component in the input image,
wherein the determination unit determines whether the first area is changeable based on the estimated influence of an infrared light component, and
wherein the first area is changed to the second area by stages.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets an area closest to the first area as the second area among a plurality of areas stored in a storage device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires information related to a control method of the white balance in a capturing apparatus connected to the apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires a control value calculated in the first area based on a characteristic amount related to a color of the input image as the first control value.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires a target value to be set to appropriately control the white balance of the input image.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit controls an amount by which the first area is to be changed based on a difference between the control value and the target value.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit changes the first area to the second area so that the first control value is included in the second area.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one processor further functions as an estimation unit configured to estimate influence of a specific color component in the input image, and
wherein the determination unit determines whether the first area is changeable based on the estimated influence of a specific color component.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the estimation unit calculates a ratio of the specific color component in the input image, and
wherein the determination unit determines whether the first area is changeable based on the ratio of the specific color component.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit changes the first area to the second area so as to cancel the influence of the specific color component.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets an area that is changed from the first area by a predetermined amount as the second area.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the estimation unit calculates a ratio of the infrared light component in the input image, and
wherein the determination unit determines whether the first area is changeable based on the ratio of the infrared light component.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the control unit changes the first area to the second area so as to cancel the influence of the infrared light component.

14. A method comprising:
acquiring a first control value related to white balance based on an input image;
determining whether a first area including the acquired first control value is changeable;
changing the first area to a second area based on whether the first area including the acquired first control value is changeable; and
calculating a second control value related to the white balance to be applied to the input image in the second area in a case where the first area is changed to the second area,
estimating influence of an infrared light component in the input image,
determining whether the first area is changeable based on the estimated influence of an infrared light component, and
wherein the first area is changed to the second area by stages.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:
acquiring a first control value related to white balance based on an input image;
determining whether a first area including the acquired first control value is changeable;
changing the first area to a second area based on whether the first area including the acquired first control value is changeable; and
calculating a second control value related to the white balance to be applied to the input image in the second area in a case where the first area is changed to the second area,
estimating influence of an infrared light component in the input image,
determining whether the first area is changeable based on the estimated influence of an infrared light component, and
wherein the first area is changed to the second area by stages.

16. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to function as:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a first control value related to white balance based on an input image;
a determination unit configured to determine whether a first area including the acquired first control value is changeable;
a control unit configured to change the first area to a second area based on whether the first area including the acquired first control value is changeable; and
a calculation unit configured to calculate a second control value related to the white balance to be applied to the input image in the second area in a case where the first area is changed to the second area,
wherein the control unit sets an area closest to the first area as the second area among a plurality of areas stored in a storage device,
wherein the determination unit determines whether the first area is changeable based on whether the first control value is located near a boundary line of the first area, and
wherein the first area is changed to the second area by stages.

17. A method comprising:
acquiring a first control value related to white balance based on an input image;
determining whether a first area including the acquired first control value is changeable;
changing the first area to a second area based on whether the first area including the acquired first control value is changeable; and
calculating a second control value related to the white balance to be applied to the input image in the second area in a case where the first area is changed to the second area,
wherein the control unit sets an area closest to the first area as the second area among a plurality of areas stored in a storage device,
wherein the determining determines whether the first area is changeable based on whether the first control value is located near a boundary line of the first area, and
wherein the first area is changed to the second area by stages.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Masashi
• Nishio Taisuke

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N25/131

  including elements passing infrared wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N1/6077

  Colour balance, e.g. colour cast correction · CPC title

• H04N23/88 Primary

  for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control · CPC title

• H04N9/73 Primary

  Colour balance circuits, e.g. white balance circuits or colour temperature control (camera processing pipelines for colour balance H04N23/88) · CPC title