Patent ID: 8768055

Claim:
A processor for use in an image sensor device, comprising: an illuminant characteristic curve generation module adapted to: measure spectral sensitivities of the image sensor device for at least red, blue, and green color channels, generate a plurality of image sensor device responses to a training set under a plurality of candidate illuminants, the training set including a plurality of natural surfaces, normalize the plurality of image sensor device responses and project the plurality of normalized image sensor devices responses into a color space subset, and apply a statistical trend analysis to the plurality of normalized image sensor device responses in the color space subset to determine a plurality of trend coefficients representing a plurality of illuminant characterization curves; and an illuminant estimation module adapted to: generate a pixel characteristic curve for a subset of pixel data, captured by the image sensor device under a scene illuminant, in the color space subset, and estimate the scene illuminant based on the pixel characteristic curve and the plurality of illuminant characteristic curves.