Patent ID: 8416317

Claim:
A method for calibrating a digital imaging system having a multi-channel image sensor including a plurality of electrical channels to compensate for gain differences between the electrical channels of the multi-channel image sensor, comprising: a) defocusing the digital imaging system; b) capturing a low contrast digital image comprised of image pixels using the defocused digital imaging system; c) comparing neighboring image pixels in the low contrast digital image, wherein the neighboring image pixels are associated with different electrical channels of the multi-channel image sensor, to determine channel response differences between the electrical channels; d) determining different gain values for each electrical channel of the multi-channel image sensor based on the determined channel response differences; e) capturing additional digital images with the digital imaging system; and f) applying the different gain values to image pixels of the captured additional digital images, wherein the image pixels are each associated with an electrical channel of the multi-channel image sensor, and wherein the gain value applied for each image pixel is the gain value determined for the associated electrical channel of the multi-channel image sensor.