Patent ID: 8253828

Claim:
An image capture device adapted to correct a pixel value of a pixel among a plurality of pixels of an image capture unit, the image capture unit making up an image of a subject, comprising: a pixel data acquisition unit adapted to sequentially acquire a first pixel data that represents a pixel value of a pixel of interest targeted for a defective pixel detection, and a second pixel data that represents pixel values of a plurality of neighboring pixels situated neighboring the pixel of interest; an edge direction determination unit adapted to make a high-frequency component of the pixel of interest, and to determine whether the pixel of interest, together with neighboring pixels, define a pattern of an edge of the subject in any direction, based on the high-frequency component, wherein the high-frequency component is derived based on differential between the first pixel data and the second pixel data; a defective pixel determination unit adapted to determine whether the pixel of interest is defective based on the first and second pixel data output by the pixel data acquisition unit; a correction unit adapted (i) to make a correction value derived from the first pixel data and second pixel data in a symmetrical array centered on the first pixel data, (ii) to determine whether a first and second condition are satisfied, and (iii) to correct the first pixel data based on the correction value when the first and second condition are satisfied, wherein the first condition is that the defective pixel determination unit determines that the pixel of interest is defective, and the second condition is that the edge direction determination unit determines that the pixel of interest does not lie in the pattern of the edge of the subject in any direction, and a color interpolation unit adapted to prepare a third pixel data based on the second pixel data that differs in color from the pixel of interest and is arrayed in the direction of the pattern of the edge determined by the edge direction determination unit, and to interpolate the third pixel data at location of the pixel of interest when the edge direction determination unit determines that the pixel of interest lies in the pattern of the edge of the substrate in any direction.