Vehicle Camera White Balance Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle-mounted camera systems face challenges in obtaining appropriate white balance correction processing for high dynamic range images in varying illumination environments, such as daytime sunlight, nighttime lighting, and single light source conditions, which affects the accuracy of driver information and image processing functions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-mounted camera system that includes a signal processing device for executing white balance correction on multiple exposure images and a processing switch device to adapt the correction based on the illumination environment, using automatic or fixed white balance settings depending on the environment, ensuring accurate image processing across different lighting conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If automatic white balance correction processing is applied to both short and long exposure images, then adaptability to different illumination environments is improved, but processing complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching of white balance processing modes (automatic vs. fixed) based on the captured image content and illumination conditions. The system automatically determines whether to apply automatic white balance correction to both images, only the long exposure image, or use fixed white balance parameters, thereby adapting the processing complexity to the actual environmental conditions rather than always using the most complex approach
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the white balance processing parameters dynamically based on illumination environment detection. By analyzing the captured images and determining the illumination type (natural light, artificial light, mixed lighting), the system adjusts the white balance correction strategy, switching between different processing modes to optimize both accuracy and efficiency for each specific condition
2Measurement precision
If white balance correction is optimized for specific illumination environments, then measurement precision is improved, but adaptability to varying environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal white balance correction system that can handle multiple illumination environments (natural light, artificial light, mixed lighting, varying color temperatures) through a single integrated processing framework. The system includes multiple processing modes (automatic correction for both images, automatic correction for long exposure only, fixed parameter correction) that can be selected based on the detected environment, making the system universally applicable across diverse conditions while maintaining optimized performance for each specific condition
3Illumination intensity
If long exposure time shooting is performed to capture dark areas, then image quality in low light is improved, but color accuracy deteriorates due to illumination environment variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the short exposure image as an intermediary reference to guide the white balance correction of the long exposure image. By analyzing the color information from the short exposure image (which accurately represents the illumination conditions) and applying this information to correct the long exposure image (which has superior low light detail but poor color accuracy), the system achieves both low light capture capability and color accuracy simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the illumination environment using the short exposure image before applying white balance correction to the long exposure image. By determining the illumination type and characteristics in advance, the system can pre-select the appropriate white balance correction strategy (automatic or fixed parameters) to ensure color accuracy is maintained while preserving the low light capture benefits of the long exposure shot
Data Source
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AI summary
In a vehicle-mounted camera system, an appropriate white balance correction processing according to a situation is executed to a long exposure time image and a short exposure time image shot in variously changing illumination environments. A vehicle-mounted camera system (100) includes a vehicle-mounted camera (10) that performs relatively long exposure time shooting and short exposure time shooting, a signal processing device (20) (signal processing device) that executes a white balance correction processing for each of a long exposure time image and a short exposure time image, composes these images after the white balance correction processing, and generates a high dynamic range image, and a system control part (40) (processing switch device) that obtains an illumination environment in which the vehicle is placed, and switches the white balance correction processing for the long exposure time image and the white balance correction processing for the short exposure time image according to the illumination environment.