Flash Color Temperature Control for Natural Subject and Background
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flash shooting technologies in image pickup apparatuses, such as digital cameras, face difficulties in capturing natural skin tones for subjects while maintaining a natural background hue, as they often require user knowledge and adjustments for flash color temperature, leading to unnatural background colors when subject and background color temperatures differ significantly.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup apparatus with a processor-controlled light emission system that adjusts the flash color temperature by obtaining ambient light color temperature, detecting the main subject, and performing white balance adjustments to emit light with a predetermined lower color temperature, ensuring both the subject and background are captured with natural hues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the flash apparatus emits light with a color temperature adjusted to the main subject, then the main subject looks beautiful, but the background hue becomes unnatural
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by performing different white balance adjustments for different regions of the image. The processing unit identifies the main subject region and applies a first white balance adjustment optimized for skin tones, while applying a second white balance adjustment to the background region to maintain natural hues. This allows different parts of the image to have different color temperature characteristics suitable for their respective purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the image into at least two regions: a main subject region and a background region. By separating the image processing into distinct regions, the system can apply different color temperature adjustments to each region independently, resolving the contradiction between optimizing for subject appearance and maintaining background naturalness.
2Ease of operation
If the flash color temperature is set to match the ambient light color temperature, then the background looks natural, but the main subject skin tone may not be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different white balance adjustments to different regions: the first white balance adjustment (optimized for skin tones) is applied to the main subject region, while the second white balance adjustment (matching ambient light for natural appearance) is applied to the background region. This resolves the contradiction by allowing each region to have its own optimal color temperature characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the image into subject and background regions, the patent enables independent color temperature optimization for each region, allowing the background to maintain natural hues while the subject receives specialized skin tone optimization.
3Manufacturing precision
If user knowledge is required to adjust flash color temperature and white balance, then precise control is achieved, but ease of use decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by automatically performing white balance adjustments based on image content analysis. The processing unit automatically identifies the main subject, determines appropriate white balance settings for both subject and background regions, and applies the adjustments without requiring user intervention. This makes the advanced color temperature control features accessible to general users without specialized knowledge.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from image analysis to automatically determine optimal white balance settings. By analyzing the image content to identify the main subject and assess color temperatures, the system feedback-driven adjusts the white balance for both subject and background regions, eliminating the need for manual user adjustment while maintaining precise color control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and beautiful capture of the main subject with a natural background hue by dynamically adjusting flash color temperature and white balance, improving the overall image quality by maintaining consistent color tones between the subject and background.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting device configured to vary a color temperature of an illumination light
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup apparatus which enables a flash shooting in which a main subject such as a person is easily and beautifully picked up and a background with a natural hue is also picked up. A light emitting device is able to vary a color temperature of an illumination light. In a case where a main subject is detected at a time of shooting, shooting with causing a light emitting device to emit a light is performed with a color temperature which is set lower by a predetermined amount determined in advance from the obtained color temperature of the ambient light depending on a obtained color temperature of an ambient light, and a white balance adjustment is performed on the shot image with a color temperature obtained from an ambient light.