IMAGING APPARATUS WHICH SUPPRESSES FIXED PATTERN NOISE GENERATED BY AN IMAGE SENSOR OF THE APPARATUS
First Claim
1. An imaging apparatus comprisingan optical system incorporating an optical dispersion element, the optical dispersion element disposed for effecting dispersion of incident light entering the optical system, andan image sensor comprising an array of photo-sensors disposed to receive dispersed incident light from the optical system, for capturing an image data frame, the image data frame comprising respective luminance values of the photo-sensors and expressing a captured image of an external scene,wherein the imaging apparatus comprises:
- p2 extraction circuitry configured for processing the image data frame for identifying isolated high-luminance photo-sensors as respective photo-sensors each producing a luminance value exceeding a first predetermined threshold value and each spatially separated from all other photo-sensors producing a luminance value exceeding the first threshold value, andjudgement circuitry configured for judging, for each of the isolated high-luminance photo-sensors, whether the isolated high-luminance photo-sensor is a fixed-noise photo-sensor producing a fixed high value of luminance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
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.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An imaging apparatus comprising
an optical system incorporating an optical dispersion element, the optical dispersion element disposed for effecting dispersion of incident light entering the optical system, and an image sensor comprising an array of photo-sensors disposed to receive dispersed incident light from the optical system, for capturing an image data frame, the image data frame comprising respective luminance values of the photo-sensors and expressing a captured image of an external scene, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises: - p2 extraction circuitry configured for processing the image data frame for identifying isolated high-luminance photo-sensors as respective photo-sensors each producing a luminance value exceeding a first predetermined threshold value and each spatially separated from all other photo-sensors producing a luminance value exceeding the first threshold value, and
judgement circuitry configured for judging, for each of the isolated high-luminance photo-sensors, whether the isolated high-luminance photo-sensor is a fixed-noise photo-sensor producing a fixed high value of luminance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- p2 extraction circuitry configured for processing the image data frame for identifying isolated high-luminance photo-sensors as respective photo-sensors each producing a luminance value exceeding a first predetermined threshold value and each spatially separated from all other photo-sensors producing a luminance value exceeding the first threshold value, and
Specification