Patent ID: 7551213

Claim:
An image processing method for correcting a defective signal level of an image pickup sensor comprising image sensor elements two-dimensionally disposed and a transfer section for transferring charges stored in the image sensor elements along one direction on a surface where the image sensor elements are disposed, comprising: a first step of halting the transfer of the charges by the transfer section for a predetermined length of time; a second step of transferring the charges from the transfer section without reading the charges from the image sensor elements after the transfer of the charges is halted for the predetermined length of time; a third step of identifying a position where a defect is generated in the image pickup sensor based on signal levels of the charges transferred in the second step; and a fourth step of correcting the defective signal level of the image pickup sensor generated on a line including the defect-generating position identified in the third step and in parallel with the one direction, wherein the charges in the image sensor elements and the transfer section are erased temporally prior to the implementation of the first step, the transfer of the charges by the transfer section is halted until a volume of a dark current stored in the transfer section can reach a detectable signal level as a result of the halt of the transfer of the charges in the first step, and the defect-generating position is identified by comparing signal levels at respective positions on the image pickup sensor and a signal level in a periphery of the respective positions in the third step.