System and method for efficient improvement of image quality in cameras
First Claim
1. A system for calibrating a group of uncorrected pixel data from a imaging device comprising:
- a stored table having a plurality of entries less than a total number of uncorrected pixels in the group, the entries each being one of a set of correction parameters indexed to each of a plurality of classes, and each of the classes being associated with a plurality of pixels in the group having similar uncorrected output characteristics;
a register that associates each of the pixels in the group with one of the classes; and
a correction logic that retrieves one of the correction parameters associated with each one of the classes and that applies the retrieved one of the correction parameters to each of the uncorrected pixels.
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Abstract
A system and method is provided for efficiently correcting and/or normalizing individual pixel outputs in a sensor array, or another set of image data exhibiting fixed pattern noise, by classing various correction factors into a fixed set of classes and identifying each of the pixels in the array based upon its class. Most classes are used to define specific correction conditions (typically discrete gain/offset values), while some classes are set aside for certain bad pixel conditions. Pixels falling within a certain set of predefined gain/offset ranges that are largely similar, but possibly discrete for each other within an acceptable value range, are assigned to a given class during manufacture and this information is stored within a table in the camera'"'"'s processor. When data is output from the pixels during runtime, the outputting pixel'"'"'s given class is identified and the appropriate class-based gain/offset is applied to the output to normalize it as it is transmitted downstream to an image acquisition system (PC memory and/or view screen). When a given class indicates a bad pixel of a certain type (e.g. single bad pixel, bad pixel with right-side adjacent bad pixel, bad pixel with adjacent left-side bad pixel, etc.), the appropriate replacement procedure, using, for example an interpolation based upon neighboring pixels, is applied to generate an acceptable output for the bad pixel.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for calibrating a group of uncorrected pixel data from a imaging device comprising:
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a stored table having a plurality of entries less than a total number of uncorrected pixels in the group, the entries each being one of a set of correction parameters indexed to each of a plurality of classes, and each of the classes being associated with a plurality of pixels in the group having similar uncorrected output characteristics;
a register that associates each of the pixels in the group with one of the classes; and
a correction logic that retrieves one of the correction parameters associated with each one of the classes and that applies the retrieved one of the correction parameters to each of the uncorrected pixels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for calibrating a group of uncorrected pixel data from a imaging device comprising the steps of:
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storing a table having a plurality of entries less than a total number of uncorrected pixels in the group, the entries each being one of a set of correction parameters indexed to each of a plurality of classes, and each of the classes being associated with a plurality of pixels in the group having similar uncorrected output characteristics;
associating each of the pixels in the group with one of the classes; and
retrieving one of the correction parameters associated with each one of the classes and that applies the retrieved one of the correction parameters to each of the uncorrected pixels. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for providing correction parameters associated with each of the pixels of an imaging device for use in correcting a runtime image generated by the imaging device comprising the steps of:
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providing a substantially uniform image for acquisition by the imaging device and generating a pixel output having a plurality of pixels with respective values based upon the provided image;
comparing each of the values to a normalized value and determining a numerical distance of each of the values away from the normalized value;
clustering similar ones of the values into each of a plurality of classes having a fixed total number of classes and assigning a single one of a plurality of correction parameters to each of the classes; and
assigning one of the classes to each of the pixels, whereby runtime pixels generated in a runtime image are each associated with one of the classes and are each corrected using the single one of the plurality of correction parameters associated with the one of the classes assigned to each of the runtime pixels. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for correcting a runtime image in an imaging device comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a stream of pixel values comprising an image frame to a correction logic;
reading out a stream of classes associated with each of the pixels, a number of the classes being less than a number of pixels in the stream; and
applying a correction parameter associated with each of the classes, respectively, of a set of correction parameters so as to normalize each of the pixel values in the stream. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A system for calibrating a group of sensor data from a sensing device comprising:
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a stored table having a plurality of entries less than a total number of uncorrected elements in the group, the entries each being one of a set of correction parameters indexed to each of a plurality of classes, and each of the classes being associated with a plurality of elements in the group having similar uncorrected output characteristics;
a register that associates each of the elements in the group with one of the classes; and
a correction logic that retrieves one of the correction parameters associated with each one of the classes and that applies the retrieved one of the correction parameters to each of the uncorrected elements.
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Specification