IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS

• US 20130155271A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/68 applied to defects

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image capture apparatus comprising an image sensor that includes a plurality of first pixel portions and a plurality of second pixel portions whose output signals can be used to perform a correlation operation. In a case of a first photographing condition, the apparatus performs correction processing on output signals from the first pixel portions using output signals from the second pixel portions, and in a case of a second photographing condition, does not perform correction processing on output signals from the first pixel portions using output signals from the second pixel portions. The apparatus also performs image processing on a signal resulting from the correction processing or a signal that was not subjected to the correction processing, and records a signal resulting from the image processing.

Claims

1. An image capture apparatus comprising:

an image sensor that includes a plurality of first pixel portions and a plurality of second pixel portions whose output signals can be used to perform a correlation operation;

a memory storing information that corresponds to a defective pixel portion among the second pixel portions;

a first signal processing unit that, in a case of a first photographing condition, performs correction processing on output signals from the first pixel portions using output signals from the second pixel portions, and in a case of a second photographing condition, does not perform correction processing on output signals from the first pixel portions using output signals from the second pixel portions; and

a second signal processing unit that performs image processing on a signal resulting from the correction processing performed by the first signal processing unit or a signal that was not subjected to the correction processing by the first signal processing unit, and records a signal resulting from the image processing.

2. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines whether each of the second pixel portions is defective pixel from its output signal, and recording information indicating a determination result in the memory.

3. The image capture apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit further determines a defective pixel type and a defect level with respect to a second pixel portion that was determined to be a defective pixel, and records information indicating a determination result in the memory.

4. The image capture apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first signal processing portion does not apply the correction processing in a case where the second pixel portion is determined to be a blinking defective pixel.

5. The image capture apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second signal processing portion performs correction in accordance with the defect level in a case where the second pixel portion is determined to be a stable defective pixel.

6. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first photographing condition and the second photographing condition are different from each other with respect to one of a charge accumulation time of the image sensor and a temperature of the image sensor or the vicinity thereof.

7. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second pixel portions are arranged regularly.

8. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction processing performed by the first signal processing portion is correction processing for reducing a difference that occurs due to a structural difference between the first pixel portions and the second pixel portions.

9. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising aluminum wiring that shields the second pixel portions from light.

10. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction processing performed by the first signal processing portion is processing for correcting a crosstalk amount difference between the first pixel portions and the second pixel portions.

11. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first signal processing portion corrects output of a first pixel portion that was not subjected to the correction processing among output of the first pixel portions that are adjacent or neighboring to the second pixel portions, using output of the first pixel portion.