Patent ID: 7301571

Claim:
A method for correcting a defective pixel of a solid-state image sensor having a structure in which a large number of pixel cells each comprised of a combination of a main photosensitive pixel having high sensitivity and a subsidiary photosensitive pixel having low sensitivity are arranged according to a predetermined arrangement form, and a signal according to a signal charge photoelectrically converted with the main photosensitive pixel and a signal according to a signal charge photoelectrically converted with the subsidiary photosensitive pixel are selectively fetched, the method comprising the steps of: if for any cell of the solid-state image sensor, the main photosensitive pixel constituting the pixel cell is a normal pixel, and the subsidiary photosensitive pixel is a defective pixel, then determining whether or not the level of a signal obtained from a main photosensitive pixel of a pixel cell existing around the pixel cell including the defective subsidiary photosensitive pixel is lower than a predetermined saturation level indicating a saturated output; and if the level of the signal obtained from the main photosensitive pixel of the pixel cell existing around the pixel cell including the defective pixel is lower than the saturation level, then correcting the pixel value of the defective subsidiary photosensitive pixel according to the pixel value of the main photosensitive pixel in the pixel cell identical to that of the defective photosensitive pixel.