Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
348247000 | With memory of defective pixels | 37 |
20080252756 | Circuit and method for correction of defect pixel - A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a check unit which compares a value of a pixel of interest with values of neighboring pixels contained in an image signal supplied from an image sensor, and determines based on the comparison whether the pixel of interest is defective, and a defect correcting unit which corrects the value of the pixel of interest by using values of surrounding pixels in response to the determination by the check unit that the pixel of interest is defective. | 10-16-2008 |
20080259188 | Method and imaging apparatus for correcting defective pixel of solid-state image sensor, and method for creating pixel information - In a solid-state image sensor in which a large number of pixel cells each comprised of a combination of a main photosensitive pixel having a relatively large area and a subsidiary photosensitive pixel having a relatively small area are arranged, if the subsidiary photosensitive pixel has a defect for any pixel cell, division photometry data during AE processing is read, and the defective pixel is replaced with a value obtained by dividing the output value of the main photosensitive pixel at the same position by a sensitivity ratio only for a section for which it is determined that the main photosensitive pixel is not saturated. Thus, the pixel value of a defective pixel can be accurately corrected without causing a reduction in resolution sensitivity compared to a conventional method of correcting a defective pixel using surrounding pixel information. | 10-23-2008 |
20080266429 | ADAPTIVE COMPENSATION FOR DEFECTIVE PIXELS - A system comprising a sensor having a photosensitive element that is adapted to capture images. The system also includes processing logic adapted to determine the probability that the photosensitive element is defective, based on digital values from multiple images. The digital values are associated with the photosensitive element. If the probability exceeds a threshold, the processing logic adjusts a digital value of another image captured using the photosensitive element. | 10-30-2008 |
20080278609 | IMAGING APPARATUS, DEFECTIVE PIXEL CORRECTING APPARATUS, PROCESSING METHOD IN THE APPARATUSES, AND PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus includes a defective pixel storing unit to store positional information of a defective pixel among pixels in an imaging device and pixel defect information indicating whether a defective pixel group including defective pixels includes the defective pixel related to the positional information; an image input unit to input an image; a defective pixel determining unit to determine whether each pixel in the input image is a defective pixel; a pixel sharing defect determining unit to determine whether the defective pixel is included in the defective pixel group; a pixel type determining unit to determine the type of each pixel in the input image; an interpolated pixel selecting unit to select surrounding pixels of the defective pixel; an interpolation value calculating unit to calculate an interpolation value of the defective pixel; and an interpolation value substituting unit to substitute the value of the defective pixel with the interpolation value. | 11-13-2008 |
20080297629 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - When pixel data of a solid-state image-pickup device is read in various types of methods to pick up images, a correction process for defective pixels is easily performed at a low cost. As defect-correction data in a case in which a still image is shot, data is used, which is acquired when an image-pickup device is shipped from a manufacturing factory. In a case of an operation in a reading mode for a moving image, immediately before a reading operation is performed, charge is accumulated in a state in which the image-pickup device is shielded from light, and image data is read. Addresses of defective pixels to be corrected are detected from the image data, and stored in a RAM as the defect-correction data. When a moving image is shot, a defect-correction process is performed using the data. | 12-04-2008 |
20090174797 | Method and apparatus for spatial processing of a digital image - A method and apparatus for image processing which performs pixel defect correction and color demosaicing on pixel image data while held in a line buffer. | 07-09-2009 |
20090195677 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORING LOCATION ADDRESS OF DEFECTIVE PIXEL - A method and apparatus for storing a location address of a defective pixel are disclosed. The method for storing a location address of a defective pixel includes (a) partitioning the pixel array into windows in a predetermined quantity of n, n being a natural number; (b) determining whether successively inputted pixel data is a defective pixel; (c) storing a count value of pertinent pixel data on a window corresponding to the defective pixel as the location address if the inputted pixel data is a defective pixel; and (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) whenever pixel data corresponding to the pixel array is inputted. With the present invention, the location address can be efficiently stored. | 08-06-2009 |
20090237533 | Method for correcting pixel defect of image pickup device - A method for correcting a pixel defect of a solid-state image pickup device includes acquiring deviation of image signals obtained by imaging respective spectral lights at specific image pickup position or at vicinities of the specific image pickup position by image pickup device; comparing the deviation with a reference value; detecting a pixel defect in an image pickup device which has imaged one of the spectral lights based on the comparing result; and correcting a pixel defect. For each detected pixel defect, at least address in an image frame, deviation, and information specifying one of the spectral lights are stored, and a determination on a pixel defect correction is made based on the above information. | 09-24-2009 |
20100007777 | Method and apparatus for correcting defective imager pixels - A method and apparatus for correcting defective pixel signals, wherein pixel signals are corrected in accordance with correction information associated with operating conditions under which an image is acquired. A method for acquiring and storing correction information in an imager device is also provided. | 01-14-2010 |
20100020207 | CORRECTION OF NON-UNIFORM SENSITIVITY IN AN IMAGE ARRAY - An improved non-uniform sensitivity correction algorithm for use in an imager device (e.g., a CMOS APS). The algorithm provides zones having flexible boundaries which can be reconfigured depending upon the type of lens being used in a given application. Each pixel within each zone is multiplied by a correction factor dependent upon the particular zone while the pixel is being read out from the array. The amount of sensitivity adjustment required for a given pixel depends on the type of lens being used, and the same correction unit can be used with multiple lenses where the zone boundaries and the correction factors are adjusted for each lens. In addition, the algorithm makes adjustments to the zone boundaries based upon a misalignment between the centers of the lens being used and the APS array. | 01-28-2010 |
20100053383 | DEFECT PIXEL DETECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING DEFECT PIXEL - A defect pixel detection apparatus includes an image sensor which includes an effective pixel configured to have a photoelectric conversion element and an output unit configured to output a pixel signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element, a first reference pixel configured to have the same pixel configuration as the effective pixel and be optically shielded, and a second reference pixel configured to have a pixel configuration different from that of the effective pixel, a defect level acquiring unit configured to acquire a defect level of a target pixel in the image sensor, and a defect pixel determination unit configured to determine whether the target pixel is a defect pixel by comparing a defect level of the target pixel with a defect detection threshold according to a type of the pixel. | 03-04-2010 |
20100073525 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH A 4-T PIXEL AND METHOD THEREOF CAPABLE OF REDUCING FIXED PATTERN NOISE - Circuitry for reducing fixed pattern noise in an image processing system with a 4-T (4 transistors) pixel and a method thereof is proposed. The image processing system includes two voltage sources, two current sources, a 4-T pixel, a second portion of a linearized source follower, a ping pong memory, a PGA, and auto-zero circuitry. By coupling the auto-zero circuitry to the PGA, an open loop is formed to clamp the output of an op amp of the PGA to a stable reference when resetting the PGA so as to remove DC offsets at the output terminal of the op amp. | 03-25-2010 |
20100073526 | DEFECTIVE PIXEL DETECTING DEVICE, DEFECTIVE PIXEL DETECTING METHOD, RECORD MEDIUM STORING A PROGRAM FOR DETECTING DEFECTIVE PIXELS, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A defective pixel detecting device determining defective pixels as correction targets in an imaging device that produces image signals is provided, and the device includes: defect information storage configured to store priority of defective pixels to be corrected; a defective pixel detector configured to detect defective pixels by comparing levels of imaging signals from the imaging device with a predetermined detection level; a priority setter configured to set priority of the detected defective pixels, based on the levels of the imaging signals of the defective pixels detected by the defective pixel detector; and a correction target determiner configured to newly determine defective pixels to be corrected based on the priority of the defective pixels out of the defective pixels that are currently detected by the defective pixel detector and the defective pixels to be corrected stored in the defect information storage, determining priority of the newly determined defective pixels to be corrected, and storing the priority of the newly determined defective pixels to be corrected in the defect information storage. | 03-25-2010 |
20100073527 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor including a first pixel group used for generating an image signal by photoelectrically converting an object image and a second pixel group configured to receive a light flux that has passed through divided areas of the exit pupil, a memory unit configured to store information about whether a defective pixel exists in any pixel included in the second pixel group, a control unit configured to execute calculation including combination processing on output signals of the second pixel group existing in a predetermined area, and a controller configured to control a shooting operation according to a result of the calculation by the calculation unit. The calculation unit is configured, if a defective pixel whose information is stored on the memory unit exists in the combination processing, to execute the calculation by using the output signals of the second pixel group. | 03-25-2010 |
20100134660 | SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS, IMAGE SENSING SYSTEM, AND SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD - A signal processing apparatus performs predetermined signal processing on an image signal output from an image sensor having a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a direction along a row and a direction along a column. The signal processing apparatus comprises: a storage unit that stores characteristic information indicating characteristics of signal component mix in each pixel from adjacent pixels according to the pixel position in the pixel array of the image sensor; and a correction unit that calculates a correction coefficient according to the position of a pixel for correction in the pixel array from the characteristic information, and corrects an output image signal of the pixel for correction based on an output image signal of adjacent pixels of the pixel for correction and the calculated correction coefficient. | 06-03-2010 |
20100220224 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - There is provided an image processing apparatus including a first storage unit for storing a first correction data for correcting a defective pixel signal outputted from a defective pixel of an image sensor, a detecting unit for detecting a defective pixel signal outputted from a defective pixel of the image sensor in accordance with a designation set by a user, a creating unit for creating a second correction data based on the defective pixel signal detected by the detecting unit, a determination unit for determining whether the second correction data is used with the first correction data, in accordance with a designation set by a user; and a correction unit for correcting a pixel signal output from the image sensor in accordance with a determination result of the determination unit. | 09-02-2010 |
20110032393 | DEFECTIVE PIXEL DATA CORRECTING APPARATUS, IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR CORRECTING DEFECTIVE PIXEL DATA - Among defective pixels of an image sensor, defective pixels which need to be corrected are determined depending on the type and defect level for individual defective pixels and on image capturing conditions. Depending on the types of the defective pixels, the correspondences between the image capturing conditions and the defect levels of the defective pixels to be corrected are prepared in advance, thereby carrying out appropriate defective pixel correction in view of the fact that the dependence of the abnormal signal output level on the image capturing conditions differs depending on the type of defective pixel. | 02-10-2011 |
20110069210 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGING SYSTEM - An image processing apparatus, for correcting a cross talk between adjacent pixels, includes: a memory unit for storing a correction parameter for reducing a cross talk signal leaked to an object pixel from an adjacent pixel, the correction parameter corresponding to a position of the object pixel; and a correcting unit for subtracting, based on the correction parameter stored in the memory unit, the cross talk signal from a pixel signal of the solid-state imaging apparatus correspondingly to a position of the pixel, wherein a number of the object pixel is at least two, and the at least two object pixels have different addresses in a horizontal direction, and different addresses in a vertical direction. | 03-24-2011 |
20110102650 | Solid-state imaging device and data processing device - A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array unit formed by two-dimensionally disposing a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric conversion portion; one or more SRAMs; a memory control section controlling writing of pixel data sequentially output from the pixel array unit into the SRAM and controlling readout of the pixel data from the SRAM; a correction process section performing a process of correcting the pixel data read from the SRAM by the memory control section; a defect detecting section detecting a defective address in the SRAM; and a defect relieving section holding pixel data to be written in the defective address of the SRAM by the memory control section and outputting the pixel data held therein to the correction process section instead of the pixel data which has been written in the defective address of the SRAM. | 05-05-2011 |
20110149123 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An image processing apparatus comprises: a storage unit storing a first group of defective pixel data including positional information on a defective pixel of an image sensor and information on a type of defect; a detection unit which detects a defective pixel of the image sensor and generates a second group of defective pixel data; a combining unit which combines the first and second groups to generate a third group; and a correction unit which corrects an image signal output from a defective pixel of the image sensor using the third group, wherein the combining unit assigns a priority level corresponding to the type of defect to each piece of defective pixel data, and if there are multiple pieces of defective pixel data including common positional information, leaves the defective pixel data in the order of priority level, the highest the first and the lowest the last. | 06-23-2011 |
20110193998 | METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM PROVIDING ADJUSTMENT OF PIXEL DEFECT MAP - A method, apparatus and system that allows for the identification of defective pixels, for example, defective pixel clusters, in an imager device. The method, apparatus and system determine, during use of the imager device, that a pixel defect, e.g., cluster defect, exists and accurately maps the location of the defective pixel. By analyzing more than one frame of an image, the method increases the accuracy of the defect mapping, which is used to improve the quality of the resulting image data. | 08-11-2011 |
20110228145 | FOCUS DETECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - A camera has a focus detection sensor that includes a plurality of first focus detection pixels and a plurality of second focus detection pixels, and that has a plurality of focus detection pixel pairs each including a first focus detection pixel and a second focus detection pixel, and stores defect information indicating a defective pixel. The camera corrects a value of the defective pixel and a value of one of the first focus detection pixel and the second focus detection pixel that forms the focus detection pixel pair with the defective pixel based on a value of a focus detection pixel of the same type that is not the defective pixel. The camera detects focusing status based on a phase difference between a first focus detection image obtained from the first focus detection pixels and a second focus detection image obtained from the second focus detection pixels after the correction. | 09-22-2011 |
20120212654 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, FOCUS DETECTION METHOD, IMAGE GENERATION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element | 08-23-2012 |
20120224087 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor | 09-06-2012 |
20130002911 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - Pixel values of focus detection pixels are suitably corrected according to reducing occurrence of a residual error of correction. | 01-03-2013 |
20130038763 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus that processes image data output from an image sensing device including a plurality of pixels, comprises: a storage unit that stores defect data at least including first information showing grades of defective pixels that are subject to correction and, with respect to each defective pixel among the plurality of pixels, address information, second information showing a grade of the defective pixel; an acquisition unit that acquires an imaging condition and an imaging environment at a time of image sensing; a determination unit that compares the first information and the second information, and determines whether defect correction of each defective pixel is necessary or not based on a comparison result; and a correction unit that performs the defect correction on image data output from a defective pixel for which the determination unit determines that defect correction is necessary. | 02-14-2013 |
20130100320 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes a control unit, an imaging device, a memory, and a correction unit. The memory stores information for specifying a pixel as a defect pixel among the arrayed pixels if a variation in image data of the pixel in a period is a predetermined value or larger, the image data of each pixel being output from the imaging device when light with a constant first light-quantity level is incident on each pixel of the imaging device for the period. The correction unit obtains data for the defect pixel based on image data of a good pixel that is adjacent to the defect pixel among the arrayed pixels. | 04-25-2013 |
20130229550 | DEFECTIVE PIXEL CORRECTION APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM FOR CAUSING COMPUTER TO PERFORM THE METHOD - A defective pixel correction apparatus includes a defect pattern acquisition unit configured to acquire, as a defect pattern, a pattern of positions of a plurality of defective pixels in a group of pixels used to correct a noted pixel, a pixel selection unit configured to select one or more pixels from among pixels other than the defective pixels in the group of pixels on the basis of the defect pattern, and a defective pixel correction unit configured to correct the noted defective pixel using the selected pixels. | 09-05-2013 |
20130229551 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - A first generation unit generates a RAW image reduced in the horizontal direction from a RAW image including pixels each having single-color signal information, by limiting the band of spatial frequencies in the horizontal direction and decreasing the number of pixels in the horizontal direction. The RAW image reduced in the horizontal direction is stored in a line memory. A second generation unit generates a reduced RAW image by decreasing, at least in the vertical direction, the number of pixels of the RAW image reduced in the horizontal direction. This makes it possible to generate a reduced RAW image using little memory capacity. | 09-05-2013 |
20130335601 | IMAGING APPARATUS WHICH SUPPRESSES FIXED PATTERN NOISE GENERATED BY AN IMAGE SENSOR OF THE APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus detects and registers fixed-noise pixels as those pixels of the image sensor which produce fixed pattern noise, and includes an optical element which disperses light that is incident on the image sensor. The detection is performed by identifying isolated high-luminance pixels within captured images and, for each isolated high-luminance pixel, evaluating the luminance values of peripherally adjacent pixels. A judgement is made as to whether an isolated high-luminance pixel is a fixed-noise pixel based upon comparing luminance values of the peripherally adjacent pixels with a predetermined threshold value, the judgement preferably being performed only while images are captured during hours of darkness. | 12-19-2013 |
20130335602 | METHOD OF PROCESSING IMAGE SIGNALS AND RELATED METHOD OF IMAGE CAPTURE - A method of processing image signals comprises determining whether each of multiple units of input pixel data received from an image sensor is bad pixel data generated by a bad pixel of the image sensor or normal pixel data generated by a normal pixel of the image sensor, and performing interpolation to generate image data corresponding to the bad pixel using only normal pixel data and omitting bad pixel data. | 12-19-2013 |
20140036114 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes: an imaging unit; a row selection circuit; a column circuit unit; and a control unit configured to supply a row address signal which designates a pixel row to be selected to the row selection circuit, in which the imaging unit includes: a valid part including first pixels; and a peripheral part including second pixels, and the control unit includes an output adjustment unit which adjusts an output order of row address signals, the output adjustment unit adjusts the output order of the row address signals so that orders and combinations of the numbers of rows to be outputted per unit row are equal to each other in a first row selection sequence and in a second row selection sequence, and generate the first and second row selection sequences, and the control unit supplies the first and second row selection sequences to the row selection circuit. | 02-06-2014 |
20140092280 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus that processes image data output from an image sensing device including a plurality of pixels, comprises: a storage unit that stores defect data at least including first information showing grades of defective pixels that are subject to correction and, with respect to each defective pixel among the plurality of pixels, address information, second information showing a grade of the defective pixel; an acquisition unit that acquires an imaging condition and an imaging environment at a time of image sensing; a determination unit that compares the first information and the second information, and determines whether defect correction of each defective pixel is necessary or not based on a comparison result; and a correction unit that performs the defect correction on image data output from a defective pixel for which the determination unit determines that defect correction is necessary. | 04-03-2014 |
20140247377 | DEFECTIVE PIXEL DATA CORRECTING APPARATUS, IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR CORRECTING DEFECTIVE PIXEL DATA - Among defective pixels of an image sensor, defective pixels which need to be corrected are determined depending on the type and defect level for individual defective pixels and on image capturing conditions. Depending on the types of the defective pixels, the correspondences between the image capturing conditions and the defect levels of the defective pixels to be corrected are prepared in advance, thereby carrying out appropriate defective pixel correction in view of the fact that the dependence of the abnormal signal output level on the image capturing conditions differs depending on the type of defective pixel. | 09-04-2014 |
20140340547 | IMAGING APPARATUS - Specifying defective pixels can be done with higher precision. With the imaging apparatus | 11-20-2014 |
20160037102 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image processing apparatus obtains an image signal of an image pickup element having a pupil division unit that restricts light of an optical image of an object arriving at each pixel of the element to light from a specific pupil area of a photographing lens. A memory unit stores information of a pixel defect of the element. An image shift unit determines a shift amount of the image signal of the photographed object corresponding to an image re-formation plane for every pupil area, to shift the image signal on the basis of the plane. A defect correction unit corrects an image signal of a defective pixel using the shifted image signal of a pixel other than the defective pixel, in accordance with the information of the pixel defect. An image re-formation unit re-forms an image corresponding to the image re-formation plane from the corrected image signal. | 02-04-2016 |
20190149757 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM | 05-16-2019 |