Apparatus for calculating a degree of white balance adjustment for a

Abstract

Pieces of white balance information indicating color features of a colored picture or picture blocks obtained by partitioning the colored picture are extracted from piece of picture data of the colored picture in an extracting unit. Whether or not a white region exist in the colored picture is judged in a white region judging unit according to the white balance information indicating the color features of the colored picture. When the existence of the white region is judged, a white balance coefficient is calculated in a white balance calculating unit to make the white region white. In contrast, when no existence of any white region is judged, a color distribution axis extending from an original point of a color space to a gravity center of the white balance information indicating the color features of the picture blocks from which pieces of white balance information corresponding to picture blocks of a high chromatic color or a uniform chromaticity are removed is detected in a color distribution axis detecting unit, and the white balance coefficient is calculated to set the color distribution axis to an achromatic color axis of the color space. Therefore, a white balance adjustment adapted to color features of each of colored pictures can be performed.