Patent ID: 7532240
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An imaging apparatus, including: an imaging device having a plurality of pixel groups each having at least one pixel; signal detection means for reading stored electric charges from the pixels and outputting signals having signal levels corresponding to the amounts of stored electric charges that have been read; defect detection means for determining whether the pixels are defective pixels corresponding to the signal levels; storage means; and defect compensation means, wherein the pixels of said imaging device are controlled so that the storage electric charges are read from the pixels of said imaging device in at least a first read method and a second read method, wherein in the first read method, the stored electric charges are read from each of the pixels so that the electric charge storage time of each of the pixel groups is proportional to the distance of each of the pixel groups to a predetermined position of said imaging device with a first ratio, wherein in the second read method, the stored electric charges are read from each of the pixels so that the electric charge storage time of each of the pixel groups is proportional to the distance of each of the pixel groups to the predetermined position of said imaging device with a second ratio that is different from the first ratio, wherein said defect detection means sets defect determination levels for the pixel groups in one read method selected from the first read method and the second read method, determines pixels having signal levels larger than the defect determination levels as defective pixels, and stores the addresses of the defective pixels of said imaging device and the signal levels of the defective pixels to said storage means, and wherein when said defect compensation means compensates defective pixels in the other read method, said defect compensation means obtains the distances of the defective pixels from the predetermined position of said imaging device with the addresses of the defective pixels stored in said storage means, obtains converted signal levels of the defective pixels with the signal levels of the defective pixels stored in said storage means, the calculated distances, the first ratio, and the second ratio, compares the converted signal levels with the defect determination levels, and determines whether to compensate the defective pixels.