Patent ID: 7304670

Claim:
A method for configuring an imaging system in a setup mode of operation so that in a run mode of operation said imaging system compensates image signals generated by said imaging system for fixed pattern noise, said imaging system having an image sensor including a pixel array and being in communication with a control processor, said method comprising the steps of: exposing said pixel array to a scene having a known radiance; capturing a predetermined number of image signal frames of said known radiance scene and finding a column white value for each column of said pixel array when said each frame is captured, wherein said finding step includes the step of discarding a predetermined number of pixel values in at least one column based on gray scale values of said pixel values; averaging said column white values to determine an average column white value for each column of said pixel array; comparing said each average column white value to a predetermined reference value for each column, and therefrom determining a correction value for each column of said array; and storing said each correction value into a storage location for retrieval by said processor when said processor processes image signals from said image sensor in said run mode of operation.