Patent ID: 7315658

Claim:
A digital camera that automatically corrects dust artifact regions within acquired images by compiling a statistical dust map from multiple images acquired under different image acquisition conditions, comprising: (a) an optical system for acquiring an image including a lens assembly and an aperture stop; (b) an electronic sensor array disposed approximately at an image focal plane of the optical system for collecting image data according to spectral information associated with multiple pixels that collectively correspond to the image; (c) digital processing electronics including a processor for converting the image data to digital data and processing the digital data according to programming instructions; (e) a memory having the programming instructions stored therein for performing a method of automatic image correction of dust defect regions, the image correction method comprising: (i) acquiring multiple original digital images with said digital acquisition device; (ii) determining probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust artifact regions within said images based at least in part on a comparison of suspected dust artifact regions within two or more of said images; (iii) associating probable dust artifact regions with one or more values of one or more extracted parameters relating to the lens assembly of the digital acquisition device when the images were acquired; (iv) forming a statistical dust map including mapped dust regions based on the dust artifact determining and associating; (v) correcting pixels corresponding to correlated dust artifact regions within further digitally-acquired images based on the associated statistical dust map.