A signal correction method and related apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to a signal correction method and related device. For a target pixel signal read out from a signal generation circuit to a signal processing circuit of an image sensor, pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal is compressed to obtain to-be-compared information; defect pixel coordinate information stored in a temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set; the to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set; if there is target reference information consistent with the to-be-compared information in the reference information set, the target pixel signal is subjected to correction processing. Through implementation of the application, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the current read-out signal is compressed and compared with the compressed defect pixel coordinate information, the amount of data to be processed can be effectively reduced, the requirement for memory resources is lower, system power consumption is saved, and processing efficiency is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of signal processing, in particular to a signal correction method and related device. BACKGROUND

[0002] An image sensor is a sensor integrating a plurality of pixels configured to convert a light signal into an electrical signal. The image sensor can include a plurality of transistors for each pixel, and the image sensor can control the on / off of the transistors, read out the electrical signal converted by the pixels, and then generate an image based on the read electrical signal.

[0003] However, due to the circuit design of the pixels and the production process of the chip, there are some defective pixels in the pixel array of the image sensor, so that in order to improve the imaging quality, it is usually necessary to correct the electrical signal corresponding to the defective pixels. However, in actual application, when determining whether the pixel corresponding to the current read signal is a defective pixel, the related art usually directly compares the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the current read signal with the pre-stored global defective pixel coordinate information, which consumes a large amount of memory resources and has a large system power consumption. SUMMARY

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a signal correction method and related device, which can at least solve the problem of large memory resource consumption and large system power consumption in the related art by directly comparing the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the current read signal with the pre-stored global defective pixel coordinate information.

[0005] The first aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a signal correction method applied to an image sensor, wherein the image sensor includes a signal generation circuit and a signal processing circuit, the signal generation circuit is provided with a pixel array, the signal processing circuit is provided with a temporary storage unit, and the temporary storage unit stores defective pixel coordinate information; the signal correction method includes:

[0006] For a target pixel signal read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal is compressed to obtain to-be-compared information;

[0007] The defective pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set;

[0008] The to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set;

[0009] If there is target reference information in the reference information set that is consistent with the to-be-compared information, the target pixel signal is corrected.

[0010] The second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a signal correction device, which is applied to an image sensor, the image sensor comprises a signal generation circuit and a signal processing circuit, the signal generation circuit is provided with a pixel array, the signal processing circuit is provided with a temporary storage unit, and the temporary storage unit stores defect pixel coordinate information; the signal correction device comprises:

[0011] a first compression module, configured to compress pixel coordinate information corresponding to a target pixel signal read from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit, to obtain to-be-compared information;

[0012] a second compression module, configured to compress the defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit, to obtain a reference information set;

[0013] a comparison module, configured to compare the to-be-compared information with the reference information set;

[0014] a correction module, configured to correct the target pixel signal if there is target reference information in the reference information set that is consistent with the to-be-compared information.

[0015] The third aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides an image sensor, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute a computer program stored in the memory, and the processor, when executing the computer program, implements each step of the signal correction method provided in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application.

[0016] The fourth aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements each step of the signal correction method provided in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application.

[0017] As can be seen from the above, according to the signal correction method and related device provided by the present application, for a target pixel signal read from a signal generation circuit to a signal processing circuit of an image sensor, pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal is compressed to obtain to-be-compared information; defect pixel coordinate information stored in a temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set; the to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set; and if there is target reference information in the reference information set that is consistent with the to-be-compared information, the target pixel signal is corrected. Through the implementation of the present application, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the current read signal is compressed and compared with the compressed defect pixel coordinate information, which can effectively reduce the amount of data to be processed, has a lower requirement for memory resources, saves system power consumption, and improves processing efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1A basic flow diagram of a signal correction method provided for the first embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] Figure 2a A structural diagram of a pixel array provided for the first embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 2.

[0020] Figure 2b A structural diagram of a memory unit provided for the first embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 3.

[0021] Figure 3 A detailed flow diagram of a signal correction method provided for the second embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 4.

[0022] Figure 4 A program module diagram of a signal correction device provided for the second embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 5.

[0023] Figure 5 A structural diagram of an image sensor provided for the third embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the objectives, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0026] In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0027] In the embodiments of the present application, unless specifically defined and limited otherwise, the terms "mount", "connect", "connect", "fix", and the like should be broadly understood, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, or integrated; can be mechanical connection, can also be electrical connection; can be directly connected, can also be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and does not limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0029] In order to solve the problem that in the related art, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the current read-out signal is directly compared with the pre-stored global defective pixel coordinate information, which consumes large memory resources and has large system power consumption, the first embodiment of the present application provides a signal correction method applied to an image sensor, the image sensor comprising a signal generation circuit and a signal processing circuit, the signal generation circuit being provided with a pixel array, the pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels, the signal processing circuit being provided with a temporary storage unit, and the temporary storage unit storing defective pixel coordinate information. It should be understood that the image sensor of the present embodiment can be an APS (Active Pixel Sensor, Active Pixel Sensor) or an EVS (Event-based Vision Sensor, Event-based Vision Sensor), and the temporary storage unit can be an OTP (One Time Programmable, One Time Programmable) memory. In actual application, the image sensor is functionally tested, the defective pixels in the pixel array are detected, and the pixel coordinate information corresponding to all the finally determined defective pixels is written into the temporary storage unit.

[0030] As Figure 1 The basic flowchart of the signal correction method provided by the present embodiment comprises the following steps:

[0031] Step 101, for the target pixel signal read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal is compressed to obtain the to-be-compared information.

[0032] Specifically, in the embodiment, the signal generation circuit includes an array of light sensing pixels and an array of ADCs connected electrically, the array of light sensing pixels is configured to perform photoelectric conversion to convert light signals into electrical signals in an operating state, each pixel in the array of light sensing pixels includes a light sensing region and a readout circuit; the array of ADCs (Analog-to-Digital Converter) is configured to convert continuous analog signals into discrete signals in digital form, i.e., pixel signals generated by the final signal generation circuit. In addition, the signal processing circuit can be provided with a readout unit for reading out image signals of each pixel in the signal generation circuit.

[0033] In step 102, the defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set.

[0034] Specifically, in the embodiment, the temporary storage unit stores the coordinate information of all defect pixels in the pixel array, the x coordinate and the y coordinate in the pixel coordinate usually occupy a certain number of bytes, and when the pixel coordinates are compared, the defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit is usually transmitted to a memory unit for comparison processing. Since the original number of bytes of the defect pixel coordinate information is large, the storage space of the configured memory unit is also required to be large, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the image sensor chip. Based on this, when the defect pixel coordinate information in the temporary storage unit needs to be called, it is not directly transmitted to the memory unit, but compressed and then transmitted to the memory unit. The compressed data has a smaller data capacity and requires a smaller memory unit, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the chip.

[0035] It is worth noting that the compression unit of the embodiment can be defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to a specific pixel region, or defect pixel coordinate information of the entire pixel array, which can be flexibly set according to specific application scenarios, and the embodiment does not make a unique limitation. In addition, it should be noted that in the preferred embodiment of the embodiment, when the pixel coordinate information of the readout signal and the defect pixel coordinate information are compressed, a hash function can be used to achieve the compression.

[0036] In step 103, the to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set.

[0037] Specifically, in the embodiment, through compression processing of the pixel coordinate information of the read-out signal and the defective pixel coordinate information, the original bytes of the coordinate information are effectively simplified, so that the relevant system resources can be effectively reduced in the comparison process. For example, in a 1024*1024 pixel array, there are 200 defective pixels, and the coordinate information of each defective pixel needs to be marked with 20 bits (10 bits for x and y coordinates). When processing each pixel, the coordinate information of the current pixel and the pre-stored coordinate information of the defective pixel need to be compared, which requires constructing a 20-bit defective mark information space, consuming 1Mbit of memory, and requiring a large memory unit. However, by using the above method of the embodiment, the 20-bit defective pixel coordinate information can be mapped to a relatively small space, such as a 14-bit defective mark information space, which only needs to consume 16kbit of memory, effectively reducing the memory requirement, thereby facilitating the reduction of the sensor chip area.

[0038] Step 104, if there is target reference information consistent with the to-be-compared information in the reference information set, correcting the target pixel signal.

[0039] Specifically, in the embodiment, when there is a result consistent with the to-be-compared information in the reference information set, it means that the pixel coordinate position corresponding to the to-be-compared information is the coordinate position of the defective pixel, and the pixel signal generated by the pixel coordinate position is an error pixel signal, which needs to be further corrected to ensure that the subsequent output quality meets the requirements of the image.

[0040] In an embodiment of the embodiment, the pixel array includes a plurality of sub-pixel arrays divided according to a preset pixel array unit. Correspondingly, the step of compressing the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit to obtain the to-be-compared information includes: uniformly reading out the target pixel signal corresponding to the target sub-pixel array from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit; and compressing the pixel coordinate information of the target sub-pixel array to obtain the to-be-compared information.

[0041] Specifically, in actual application, the pixel signal generated by the signal generation circuit can be read out by using a global shutter method. The global shutter method can read out the electrical signal converted by the pixel in a specific row unit or column unit order. Based on this, in the embodiment, the whole pixel array of the image sensor can be divided into a plurality of sub-pixel arrays, and the division unit of the sub-pixel array can be a row unit or a column unit, etc. The sub-pixel array includes a plurality of pixels, and then the electrical signals of all the pixels in the sub-pixel array are uniformly read out when reading out the signal.

[0042] Further, in an embodiment of the present embodiment, the step of compressing the defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit to obtain the reference information set comprises: compressing the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target sub-pixel array in the temporary storage unit to obtain the reference information set.

[0043] Specifically, in actual application, all the defect pixel coordinate information in the whole pixel array can be compressed for coordinate comparison of the target pixel signal to be compared. In the preferred embodiment of the present embodiment, only the part of the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target sub-pixel array to be compared is compressed as the comparison object of the to-be-compared information, which can effectively reduce the information entries required for comparison and further improve the information comparison efficiency.

[0044] Further, in an embodiment of the present embodiment, the signal processing circuit is further provided with a memory unit, the memory unit is electrically connected with the temporary storage unit, and the memory unit comprises a plurality of memory partitions. Correspondingly, the signal correction method further comprises: before comparing the to-be-compared information with the reference information set, writing the reference information set corresponding to the target sub-pixel array into a target memory partition of the memory unit; while comparing the to-be-compared information with the reference information set, compressing the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the sub-pixel array after the target sub-pixel array in the read-out sequence, and writing the corresponding reference information set into the memory partition after the target memory partition according to the partition writing sequence.

[0045] As shown in Figure 2a Fig. 2 shows a structure schematic diagram of a pixel array provided by the present embodiment, and Figure 2bAs shown is a structural schematic diagram of a memory unit provided by the embodiment, a pixel array includes a plurality of sub-pixel arrays, as shown in 201, 202, and the memory unit includes a plurality of memory partitions, as shown in 203, 204. Specifically, the embodiment first calls the compressed defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the sub-pixel array of the current read-out pixel signal array to obtain a reference information set before comparing the sub-pixel array, writes the reference information set into the corresponding memory partition of the memory unit, then compares the to-be-compared information of the pixel signal in the current sub-pixel array with the reference information set, and at the same time, for the sub-pixel array whose signal read-out sequence is after the current sub-pixel array, the corresponding defect pixel coordinate information is called to be compressed into a reference information set, and then written into the next memory partition of the memory unit. For example, the embodiment compares the to-be-compared information of the sub-pixel array 201 with the reference information set written in the memory partition 203 after writing the reference information set corresponding to the sub-pixel array 201 into the memory partition 203, and at the same time, writes the reference information set corresponding to the sub-pixel array 202 into the memory partition 204, and so on, until all the sub-pixel arrays are compared, thereby improving the overall efficiency of defect pixel correction.

[0046] It should be noted that when the pixel array is divided in the embodiment, it is assumed that for a 1024*1024 pixel array, it needs to be divided into 64 sub-pixel arrays of 128*128, and when the compression processing is performed, the number of 0-63 sub-pixel array regions is obtained according to the coordinate information (x coordinate and y coordinate are both 0-1023), and then the coordinates are zero-normalized according to the region position to which the coordinates belong, as shown in Table 1.

[0047]

[0048]

[0049] Further, in an embodiment of the embodiment, the number of memory partitions is less than the number of sub-pixel arrays divided by the pixel array, and the memory unit includes a plurality of cyclically written memory partitions; correspondingly, the step of comparing the to-be-compared information with the reference information set further includes deleting the reference information set written in the target memory partition.

[0050] Specifically, in actual application, the number of memory partitions of the memory unit can be equal to or even greater than the number of sub-pixel arrays divided by the pixel array, however, it will cause the memory space not to be fully utilized and occupy a large chip area, based on this, in the design of the memory unit, a memory unit with fewer memory partitions can be designed, and multiple sub-pixel arrays can correspond to the same memory partition. After the reference information set in each memory partition completes the information comparison, the information stored therein is emptied to restore the idle state for reuse by other sub-pixel arrays. It should be understood that the multiple cyclically written memory partitions in the embodiment are the execution of information writing from the start memory partition to the end memory partition in a loop.

[0051] As an exemplary illustration of the embodiment, assuming that the pixel array has multiple sub-pixel arrays a, b, c, … with sequentially readout signals, and the memory unit has only two memory partitions A and B, when the first comparison of the to-be-compared information corresponding to the sub-pixel array a with the reference information set stored in the memory partition A is performed, the reference information set corresponding to the sub-pixel array b is written to the memory partition B. After the first comparison is completed, the original stored information in the memory partition A is cleared, and the second comparison of the to-be-compared information corresponding to the sub-pixel array b with the reference information set stored in the memory partition B is performed, and at the same time, the reference information set corresponding to the sub-pixel array c is written to the memory partition A.

[0052] It is worth noting that for 64 sub-pixel arrays, 8 or fewer memory partitions can be reasonably used to store the reference information set, for example, for a 1024*1024 pixel array divided into 64 128*128 sub-pixel arrays, assuming that the memory unit with 8 memory partitions is configured to write the reference information set corresponding to the 64 sub-pixel arrays, 8*128*128=128Kbit is required; and for 128*128 space, it can be further compressed into 64*64 space by a Hash function, and finally only 8*64*64=32Kbit is required. Compared with the traditional method of requiring 1Mbit space, it is reduced by 32 times, thereby saving more memory space to reduce the chip area and reduce power consumption.

[0053] In an embodiment of the present embodiment, the step of correcting the target pixel signal includes: determining the corresponding neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information according to the pixel coordinate information of the target pixel signal; determining the correction signal based on the pixel signal corresponding to the neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the readout signal; and replacing the target pixel signal with the correction signal.

[0054] Specifically, in the correction processing of the pixel signal read out by the defective pixel, the embodiment acquires normal pixels adjacent to the defective pixel and having completed signal reading from the pixel array, and then determines the correction signal of the defective pixel based on the pixel signals of the normal pixels. Further, the embodiment can assign a weight parameter to the pixel signals corresponding to the coordinate information of the normal pixels in the multiple adjacent areas of the defective pixel, and then perform weighted average calculation on the pixel signals corresponding to the coordinate information of the normal pixels in the multiple adjacent areas of the defective pixel by referring to the weight parameter, to obtain the correction signal. Of course, in another embodiment, different correction signals can be configured in advance for different types of defects of the defective pixel, and then in actual application, the type of defect of the defective pixel is acquired, and the correction signal corresponding to the type of defect is called as the final pixel signal output by the defective pixel.

[0055] Based on the technical solution of the embodiment of the application, for the target pixel signal read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit of the image sensor, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal is compressed to obtain the to-be-compared information; the defective pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set; the to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set; and if there is target reference information in the reference information set that is consistent with the to-be-compared information, the target pixel signal is corrected. Through the implementation of the solution of the application, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the current read signal is compressed and compared with the compressed defective pixel coordinate information, which can effectively reduce the amount of data to be processed, has lower requirements for memory resources, saves system power consumption, and improves processing efficiency.

[0056] Figure 3 The method in the embodiment of the application provides a detailed signal correction method, which is applied to an image sensor. The image sensor includes a signal generation circuit and a signal processing circuit. The signal generation circuit is provided with a pixel array. The pixel array includes a plurality of sub-pixel arrays divided according to a preset pixel array unit. The signal processing circuit is provided with a temporary storage unit and a memory unit. The temporary storage unit stores defective pixel coordinate information. The memory unit includes a plurality of memory partitions. The signal correction method includes the following steps.

[0057] In step 301, all target pixel signals corresponding to a target sub-pixel array are read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit.

[0058] Specifically, in the correction processing of the pixel signal read out by the defective pixel, the embodiment acquires normal pixels adjacent to the defective pixel and having completed signal reading from the pixel array, and then determines the correction signal of the defective pixel based on the pixel signals of the normal pixels. Further, the embodiment can assign a weight parameter to the pixel signals corresponding to the coordinate information of the normal pixels in the multiple adjacent areas of the defective pixel, and then perform weighted average calculation on the pixel signals corresponding to the coordinate information of the normal pixels in the multiple adjacent areas of the defective pixel by referring to the weight parameter, to obtain the correction signal. Of course, in another embodiment, different correction signals can be configured in advance for different types of defects of the defective pixel, and then in actual application, the type of defect of the defective pixel is acquired, and the correction signal corresponding to the type of defect is called as the final pixel signal output by the defective pixel.

[0059] In step 302, the pixel coordinate information of the target sub-pixel array is compressed to obtain to-be-compared information.

[0060] Specifically, the embodiment calculates the information digest of the pixel coordinate information by using a hash function, and uses the information digest as the to-be-compared information.

[0061] In step 303, the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target sub-pixel array in the temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set.

[0062] In step 304, the reference information set corresponding to the target sub-pixel array is written into the target memory partition in the memory unit.

[0063] Specifically, the embodiment writes the compressed defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit into the memory unit for comparison with the compressed coordinate information of the pixels of the current read signal.

[0064] In step 305, while comparing the to-be-compared information with the reference information set, the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the sub-pixel array after the target sub-pixel array in the read order is compressed, and the corresponding reference information set is written into the memory partition after the target memory partition according to the partition writing order.

[0065] Specifically, the embodiment calls the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the sub-pixel array from the temporary storage unit before comparing the sub-pixel array of the current read pixel signal, compresses the defect pixel coordinate information to obtain a reference information set, and writes the reference information set into the corresponding memory partition in the memory unit. Then, the to-be-compared information corresponding to the pixel signal in the current sub-pixel array is compared with the reference information set, and at the same time, the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the sub-pixel array after the current sub-pixel array in the signal read order is called, compressed to obtain a reference information set, and then written into the next memory partition in the memory unit. In this way, the overall efficiency of the defect pixel correction can be improved.

[0066] In step 306, if there is target reference information consistent with the to-be-compared information in the reference information set, the corresponding neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the pixel coordinate information of the defect pixel is determined.

[0067] In step 307, the correction signal is determined based on the pixel signal corresponding to the neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the read signal.

[0068] Specifically, for the defect pixel, the embodiment can assign weight parameters to the pixel signals corresponding to the multiple neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the read signal, and then perform weighted average calculation on the pixel signals corresponding to the multiple neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information by referring to the weight parameters to obtain the correction signal of the defect pixel.

[0069] In step 308, the correction signal is used to replace the target pixel signal corresponding to the defect pixel and then output.

[0070] Based on this, the embodiment compresses the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the current read signal and compares it with the compressed defect pixel coordinate information, which can effectively reduce the amount of data to be processed, has lower requirements for memory resources, saves system power consumption, improves processing efficiency, and ensures the quality of the output image.

[0071] It should be understood that the size of the serial number of each step in the embodiment does not mean the order of execution of the steps, and the execution order of each step should be determined by its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute the only limitation on the implementation process of the embodiment of the application.

[0072] Figure 4 A signal correction device provided by the third embodiment of the application is applied to an image sensor, the image sensor includes a signal generation circuit and a signal processing circuit, the signal generation circuit is provided with a pixel array, the signal processing circuit is provided with a temporary storage unit, and the temporary storage unit stores defect pixel coordinate information. As shown in the figure, the signal correction device mainly includes: Figure 4

[0073] The first compression module 401 is configured to compress the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit, to obtain to-be-compared information.

[0074] The second compression module 402 is configured to compress the defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit to obtain a reference information set.

[0075] The comparison module 403 is configured to compare the to-be-compared information with the reference information set.

[0076] The correction module 404 is configured to correct the target pixel signal if there is target reference information in the reference information set that is consistent with the to-be-compared information.

[0077] In some embodiments of the embodiment, the pixel array includes a plurality of sub-pixel arrays divided according to a preset pixel array unit. Correspondingly, the first compression module is specifically configured to: read out the target pixel signal corresponding to the target sub-pixel array from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit; and compress the pixel coordinate information of the target sub-pixel array to obtain the to-be-compared information.

[0078] Further, in some embodiments of the embodiment, the second compression module is specifically configured to: compress the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target sub-pixel array in the temporary storage unit to obtain the reference information set.

[0079] ​Further, in some embodiments of the present embodiment, the signal processing circuit further comprises a memory unit, and the memory unit comprises a plurality of memory partitions. Correspondingly, the signal correction device further comprises a writing module configured to write the reference information set corresponding to the target sub-pixel array into a target memory partition of the memory unit before the to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set; and the signal correction device further comprises a compression module configured to compress the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the sub-pixel array after the target sub-pixel array in the readout order while the to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set, and write the corresponding reference information set into a memory partition after the target memory partition in the partitioned writing order.

[0080] Further, in some embodiments of the present embodiment, the number of memory partitions is less than the number of sub-pixel arrays divided by the pixel array, and the memory unit comprises a plurality of cyclically written memory partitions. Correspondingly, the signal correction device further comprises a deleting module configured to delete the reference information set written in the target memory partition.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present embodiment, the correction module is specifically configured to: determine the corresponding neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information according to the pixel coordinate information of the target pixel signal; determine the correction signal based on the pixel signal corresponding to the neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the readout signal; and replace the target pixel signal with the correction signal.

[0082] Further, in some embodiments of the present embodiment, when the correction module performs the function of determining the correction signal based on the pixel signal corresponding to the neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the readout signal, the correction module is specifically configured to: assign a weight parameter to the pixel signal corresponding to the plurality of neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the readout signal; and perform weighted average calculation on the pixel signal corresponding to the plurality of neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the readout signal according to the weight parameter to obtain the correction signal.

[0083] It should be noted that the signal correction method in the first embodiment can be implemented based on the signal correction device provided in the present embodiment. It can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the signal correction device described in the present embodiment can refer to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described herein.

[0084] According to the signal correction device provided in this embodiment, for the target pixel signal read from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit by the image sensor, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal is compressed to obtain comparison information; the defective pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set; the comparison information is compared with the reference information set; if there is target reference information in the reference information set that matches the comparison information, the target pixel signal is corrected. By implementing the solution of this application, the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the currently read signal is compressed and compared with the compressed defective pixel coordinate information, which can effectively reduce the amount of data to be processed, lower the requirements for memory resources, save system power consumption, and improve processing efficiency.

[0085] Figure 5 An image sensor is provided in the fourth embodiment of this application. This image sensor can be used to implement the signal correction method in the foregoing embodiments, and mainly includes:

[0086] The system includes a memory 501, a processor 502, and a computer program 503 stored on the memory 501 and executable on the processor 502. The memory 501 and the processor 502 are connected via communication. When the processor 502 executes the computer program 503, it implements the method described in Embodiment 1 or 2 above. The number of processors can be one or more.

[0087] The memory 501 can be a high-speed random access memory (RAM) or a non-volatile memory, such as a disk storage device. The memory 501 is used to store executable program code, and the processor 502 is coupled to the memory 501.

[0088] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, which may be disposed in the image sensor described in the above embodiments. This computer-readable storage medium may be the aforementioned... Figure 5 The memory in the illustrated embodiment.

[0089] The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the signal correction method described in the foregoing embodiments. Furthermore, the computer-readable storage medium can also be a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, or any other medium capable of storing program code.

[0090] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method can be implemented by other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative, for example, the division of the modules is merely a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, a plurality of modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the displayed or discussed modules can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, apparatuses or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0091] The modules described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components displayed as modules can or can not be physical modules, i.e., can be located in one place or can be distributed to a plurality of network modules. Part or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment.

[0092] In addition, the function modules in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can be physically present alone, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated module can be realized in the form of hardware or in the form of a software function module.

[0093] If the integrated module is realized in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the present application essentially or the part of the prior art that contributes or the whole or part of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a readable storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, ROM, RAM, magnetic disk or optical disk, and various program code storage media.

[0094] It should be noted that, for the foregoing method embodiments, in order to facilitate description, they are all expressed as a combination of a series of actions, but those skilled in the art should know that the present application is not limited by the order of the actions described, because according to the present application, some steps can be performed in other order or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should know that the embodiments described in the specification all belong to preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to the present application.

[0095] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus, and the parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment can be referred to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0096] The above is the description of the signal correction method and related device provided by the present application. For those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the embodiments of the present application, there will be changes in specific implementation and application range. In summary, the content of the specification should not be understood as a limitation of the present application.

Claims

1. A signal correction method characterized by, The application is applied to an image sensor, the image sensor comprises a signal generation circuit and a signal processing circuit, the signal generation circuit is provided with a pixel array, the signal processing circuit is provided with a temporary storage unit, and defect pixel coordinate information is stored in the temporary storage unit; the signal correction method comprises the following steps: For a target pixel signal read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit, pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal is compressed to obtain to-be-compared information; The defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set; The to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set; If there is target reference information consistent with the to-be-compared information in the reference information set, the target pixel signal is corrected.

2. The signal correction method according to claim 1, characterized by, The pixel array comprises a plurality of sub-pixel arrays divided according to a preset pixel array unit; the step of compressing the pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target pixel signal to obtain to-be-compared information for a target pixel signal read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit comprises the following steps: The target pixel signal corresponding to the target sub-pixel array is read out from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit; The pixel coordinate information of the target sub-pixel array is compressed to obtain to-be-compared information.

3. The signal correction method according to claim 2, characterized by, The step of compressing the defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit to obtain a reference information set comprises the following steps: The defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to the target sub-pixel array in the temporary storage unit is compressed to obtain a reference information set.

4. The signal correction method according to claim 3, characterized by, The signal processing circuit is further provided with a memory unit, the memory unit comprises a plurality of memory partitions; the signal correction method further comprises the following steps: Before the to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set, the reference information set corresponding to the target sub-pixel array is written into a target memory partition of the memory unit; While the to-be-compared information is compared with the reference information set, the defect pixel coordinate information corresponding to a sub-pixel array after the target sub-pixel array in a read-out sequence is compressed, and the corresponding reference information set is written into a memory partition after the target memory partition according to a partitioned writing sequence.

5. The signal correction method according to claim 4, characterized by, The number of memory partitions is less than the number of sub-pixel arrays divided by the pixel array, and the memory unit comprises a plurality of memory partitions written in cycles; After the step of comparing the to-be-compared information with the reference information set, the following step is further included: The reference information set written in the target memory partition is deleted.

6. The signal correction method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by, The step of correcting the target pixel signal comprises the following steps: According to the pixel coordinate information of the target pixel signal, corresponding neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information is determined; Based on the pixel signal corresponding to the neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the read-out signal, a correction signal is determined; The correction signal is used to replace the target pixel signal.

7. The signal correction method according to claim 6, characterized by, The step of determining the correction signal based on the pixel signal corresponding to the neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the read-out signal comprises: allocating a weight parameter for the pixel signal corresponding to the neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the read-out signal; performing weighted average calculation on the pixel signal corresponding to the neighborhood normal pixel coordinate information of the read-out signal according to the weight parameter to obtain the correction signal.

8. A signal correction device, characterized by The signal correction device is applied to an image sensor, the image sensor comprises a signal generation circuit and a signal processing circuit, the signal generation circuit is provided with a pixel array, the signal processing circuit is provided with a temporary storage unit, and defect pixel coordinate information is stored in the temporary storage unit; the signal correction device comprises: a first compression module configured to compress pixel coordinate information corresponding to a target pixel signal read from the signal generation circuit to the signal processing circuit to obtain to-be-compared information; a second compression module configured to compress the defect pixel coordinate information stored in the temporary storage unit to obtain a reference information set; a comparison module configured to compare the to-be-compared information with the reference information set; a correction module configured to correct the target pixel signal if target reference information consistent with the to-be-compared information exists in the reference information set.

9. An image sensor, characterized by The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the steps in the method of any one of claims 1 to 7. The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the steps in the method of any one of claims 1 to 7. The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the steps in the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, ​

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