Patent ID: 6950133

Claim:
A method of detecting a defective pixel of an image-pickup apparatus having a plurality of solid-state image-pickup devices each receiving a respective one of spectral lights obtained by separating light incident to said image-pickup apparatus, said method comprising the steps of: generating a value relating to a defect of an inspected pixel on each solid-state image-pickup device based on a signal level produced from said inspected pixel and signal levels produced from a plurality of pixels in the vicinity of said inspected pixel on said solid-state image-pickup device; and detecting a defective pixel based on said value relating to a defect of said inspected pixel of said solid-state image-pickup device, wherein said generating step is a step of calculating a difference between a signal level from said inspected pixel and an average value of signal levels from said plurality of pixels in the vicinity of said inspected pixel on said solid-state image-pickup device, said difference being calculated in each solid-state image-pickup device, and wherein said detecting step comprises the steps of: calculating deviations of said difference of each said solid-state image-pickup device from average values of differences of at least other solid-state image-pickup devices, and comparing said calculated deviations with one another to determine the defective pixel on said solid-state image-pickup device.