Patent Document ID: 8212899
Application ID: 12109093
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An imaging apparatus which uses a defect correction circuit to perform predetermined signal processing with respect to image signals respectively output from an imaging section in which a plurality of pixels each formed of a photoelectric transducer with a color filter provided thereon are two-dimensionally arranged, wherein the defect correction circuit includes: a pattern extraction circuit which extracts image pattern information based on a signal of an adjacent pixel that is adjacent to a judgment target pixel and signals of peripheral pixels that are placed around the adjacent pixel with the adjacent pixel as the center and have the same color as the adjacent pixel in the image signals, the peripheral pixels excluding the judgment target pixel; a substitution circuit which substitutes a signal of the judgment target pixel by signals of peripheral pixels that are close to the judgment target pixel and have the same color as the judgment target pixel; and wherein the pattern extracting circuit performs: sorting the signal of the judgment target pixel and signals of peripheral pixels having the same color as the judgment target pixel in order of level; calculating a subtraction result by subtracting a signal at a predetermined rank excluding a smallest one in a smaller signal side from a signal at a predetermined rank excluding a largest one in a larger signal side and multiplying the subtraction result by a predetermined coefficient to obtain a first signal; adding the first signal to the signal at a predetermined rank in a larger signal side to obtain a second signal; subtracting the first signal from the signal at a predetermined rank in a smaller signal side to obtain a third signal; determining whether the signal of the judgment target pixel is larger than the second signal; determining whether the signal of the judgment target pixel is smaller than the third signal; and producing a control signal to control the substitution circuit in accordance with determination.