Patent ID: 7880805
Filing Date: 2011-02-01
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A visible light component ratio calculation method comprising: a conversion step of converting an image of an object imaged on an image pickup element having a color filter that transmits light in a wavelength region ranging at least from a visible light wavelength region to an infrared wavelength region, into a picked-up image signal; a color signal extraction step for generating and extracting, from the picked-up image signal, color signals for a plurality of regions in a photographing screen; a regional wavelength component ratio detection step for detecting a wavelength component ratio for each of the plurality of regions based on color signals of the plurality of regions extracted by the color signal extraction step; and a visible light component ratio selection step for selecting specific regions from the plurality of regions having a visible light component that is relatively large as detected by the regional wavelength component ratio detection step; and a visible light component ratio determination step for determining the visible light component ratio Pv of the photographing screen based on a visible light component ratio in the selected specific regions and not based on a visible light component ratio in a region having a relatively small visible light component, a visible component brightness calculation step for calculating the visible component brightness Yv based on a brightness signal of the color signal Y and the determined visible light component ratio Pv, wherein Yv=Y*Pv/100; and a cut filter insertion step for inserting a cut filter depending on the visible component brightness Yv as calculated by the visible component brightness calculation step using the determined visible light component ratio Pv.