Patent ID: 7952617

Claim:
An image processing method, comprising the steps of: providing image data generated by an image generating device, and image generation record information associated with the image data, the image generation record information including at least operating information about the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data; and when the image generation record information includes subject brightness information relating to brightness of a subject at the time of generation of the image data, adjusting picture quality of the image data using a subject brightness level derived from the subject brightness information, wherein the picture quality adjustment step includes a step of executing color balance adjustment processing of the image data using the subject brightness level, wherein the picture quality adjustment step includes a step of adjusting intensity of the color balance adjustment processing to a higher level as the subject brightness level becomes lower, over at least a portion of the subject brightness level range in which the subject brightness level is low, the higher intensity level of the color balance adjustment adjusting the image data such that an average of the image data represents an adjusted color closer to an achromatic color than a lower intensity level of the color balance adjustment does, wherein the picture quality adjustment step includes (i) a process of analyzing the image data to determine a magnitude of color shift indicating an extent of color skew in the image data, (ii) a process of selecting a processing level of the color balance adjustment processing, based on the magnitude of the color shift, and (iii) a process of executing the color balance adjustment processing according to the selected processing level, and wherein the intensity of the color balance adjustment processing is adjusted by varying a process parameter that affects a result of at least one of the process (i) and the process (ii), and the picture quality adjustment step includes a step of determining the magnitude of the color shift, using pixel values of a substantially achromatic area of the image data.