Patent ID: 7567278
Filing Date: 2009-07-28
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A circuit for detecting a pixel defect, comprising: a first defect detecting portion configured (a) to receive signals from an imaging device and to detect a possible defective pixel in the imaging device by comparing a level of a target pixel signal on one horizontal pixel signal line of pixel signals received from the imaging device with levels of a plurality of surrounding pixel signals on the same horizontal pixel signal line located on both sides of the target pixel signal, and (b) to determine whether a pixel corresponding to the target pixel signal is a possible defective pixel according to a comparison result; a second defect detecting portion configured to detect a pseudo-defective pixel by calculating a correlation between the detected possible defective pixel signal and the surrounding pixel signals and determining whether or not the possible defective pixel is a pseudo-defective pixel according to the correlation; and a third defect detecting portion configured to detect a true defective pixel by performing the detection of the detected possible defective pixel as a pseudo-defective pixel on pixel signals in a predetermined number of frames and determining that the pseudo-defective pixel is a true defective pixel when the number of times the pseudo-defective pixel has been detected is equal to the predetermined number of frames, wherein,