Patent ID: 7170043

Claim:
Method of determining the local contrast at the level of each pixel (p C ) of an array (M p ) of photosensitive pixels disposed in at least one dimension (x, y), in which method, during respective successive image capture cycles, a signal (L C ) is generated that is representative of the local luminance captured by each pixel, the luminance signals (L pn , L p(n+1) , L p(n−1) ) being integrated values of the luminance values captured by respective pixels (p C , p L , p R , p A , p B ), said method consisting in sampling the integrated values of the signals representing the luminances captured by the pixels (p L , p R , p A , p B ) adjacent a pixel concerned (p C ) at a time in said cycle at which the integrated value of the luminance captured by said pixel concerned (p C ) becomes equal to a predetermined reference value (V ref , V WHITE ), and determining the local contrast of said pixel concerned (p C ) on the basis of the values sampled in this way.