Black Level Correction Pipeline Noise Reduction

The patent applies preliminary action by performing noise reduction processing before black level correction. The noise reduction is executed in advance on the raw sensor data, removing black noise before the BLC operation. This prevents noise clipping during BLC while maintaining processing efficiency through a structured pipeline approach where NR precedes BLC.

The patent segments the image processing pipeline into distinct functional stages: sensor data acquisition, noise reduction processing, and black level correction. By separating these operations into sequential blocks, each can be optimized independently. The noise reduction stage processes raw data first, then the BLC stage operates on the cleaned data, minimizing noise clipping while maintaining efficient processing through modular architecture.

The patent introduces black level maintenance circuits as intermediary components between the noise reduction and BLC stages. These circuits act as mediators that preserve the black level information throughout the processing pipeline. The intermediary circuits ensure continuous black level reference without requiring complex re-processing, simplifying the overall architecture while preventing noise clipping.