Imaging System Defective Pixel Reconstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Imaging systems face challenges in reducing the presence of defects such as dust, scratches, and hair artifacts in images, especially with improved optics and resolution, which become more apparent when images are enlarged.
Innovation Solution
An imaging system and method that processes image data to identify defective pixels, determines gradient information, and reconstructs these pixels by associating replacement data with the defective ones, using techniques like Quadratic Discriminant Analysis and median filtering to minimize the appearance of defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If improved optics and imaging systems are used to increase color accuracy and resolution, then image quality is improved, but defects such as dust, scratches, and hair become more apparent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes defective pixels from the image data through identification and replacement processes. The system separates defective pixels from valid pixels and replaces them with reconstructed values, effectively taking out the harmful defect elements from the image.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates replacement pixel values by copying information from neighboring valid pixels and surrounding blocks. The reconstruction process uses gradient information and pixel data from adjacent regions to generate substitute values that replicate the expected image content at defect locations.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If image data is processed to identify and replace defective pixels, then defect visibility is reduced, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing task into distinct stages: identification of defective pixels, calculation of gradient information, selection of replacement values from surrounding blocks, and reconstruction of defective areas. This segmentation allows each sub-task to be handled with specialized, optimized algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification of defective pixels before reconstruction, and pre-calculates gradient information from surrounding valid pixels. By preparing replacement candidate values in advance from neighboring blocks, the actual defect repair process is simplified and made more efficient.
Data Source
AI summary
Imaging systems, articles of manufacture, and imaging methods are described according to aspects of the disclosure. According to one embodiment, an imaging system includes processing circuitry configured to access image data of a plurality of pixels of an image, to provide a plurality of representations of the image data, to determine contrast difference between the representations of the image data for a respective one of the pixels, to identify the one of the pixels as being defective using the determined contrast difference, and to provide replacement image data for the one of the pixels identified as defective and which is different than the accessed image data for the one of the pixels identified as defective.