Patent ID: 8212890

Claim:
An imaging device comprising: an optical system which captures an optical image of a subject; an image sensor which converts the optical image into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal as an image signal; an image generator which generates an image of the subject based on the imaging signal; a dividing unit which divides the generated image into n blocks, the n being an integer of 4 or more; a white balance evaluation value acquiring unit which acquires color information from the image signal and acquires a white balance evaluation value of each of the n blocks from the color information for a white balance control; a classifying unit which combines-the n blocks into m areas based on the color information, the m being an integer satisfying a relation n>m≧2; a correction coefficient calculating unit which calculates a white balance correction coefficient for each of the m areas based on white balance evaluation values of the blocks in each of the m areas; a white balance setting unit which sets the calculated white balance correction coefficient for each of the m areas; and a green area determining unit which determines whether or not each of the n blocks is a green area based on the color information, wherein when there is a block among the n blocks determined as a green area by the green area determining unit, the white balance setting unit sets a different white balance correction coefficient for the block from one set for an area including the block; and wherein the imaging device further comprising a white extraction unit which extracts a white portion from the generated image, wherein: the classifying unit classifies the generated image into a high brightness area and a low brightness area based on the color information and brightness information of the image signal; the white extraction unit extracts the white portion from each of the high and low brightness areas based on different extraction ranges of whiteness for the high and low brightness areas; the correction coefficient calculating unit calculates the white balance correction coefficient for each of the m areas based on a result of the white extraction from the white extraction unit and the white balance evaluation value of each of the m areas; and for the block determined as the green area by the green area determining unit, the white balance setting unit sets the white balance correction coefficient for the high brightness area when the block is in the high brightness area and when the block is in the low brightness area, sets the white balance correction coefficient obtained by weighted-averaging the white balance correction coefficient for the high brightness area and the white balance correction coefficient for the low brightness area.