Pixel Processing Apparatus for Bad Pixel Noise Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image sensors often include bad pixels due to manufacturing defects, which degrade image quality and require noise removal techniques to improve image quality without increasing power consumption or area.
Innovation Solution
A pixel processing apparatus with a bad pixel processing unit that determines if a target pixel is bad and generates a compensated pixel value, and a noise removal unit that uses this information to generate a second pixel value by removing noise from the first pixel value, based on weight information and bad pixel detection signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If noise removal techniques are applied to improve image quality, then image quality is improved, but power consumption and area increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses information generated during bad pixel detection (pixel data and weight information) to perform noise removal, allowing the system to serve multiple functions (bad pixel detection and noise removal) using the same processed data without requiring additional independent processing resources
Solution Approach 2:
The bad pixel processing unit generates both bad pixel detection signals and compensated pixel values that are reused by the noise removal unit, making the processing apparatus multi-functional and eliminating the need for separate noise removal hardware
2Measurement precision
If noise removal techniques are applied to improve image quality, then image quality is improved, but device area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the same pixel data and weight information generated during bad pixel detection to perform noise removal, allowing the processing apparatus to serve multiple functions without requiring additional independent processing resources or memory
Solution Approach 2:
The bad pixel processing unit generates both bad pixel detection signals and compensated pixel values that are reused by the noise removal unit, making the processing apparatus multi-functional and eliminating the need for separate noise removal hardware
3Measurement precision
If additional memory is added to store pixel data for noise removal, then noise removal accuracy is improved, but device area and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses information generated during bad pixel detection (pixel data and weight information) to perform noise removal, allowing the system to serve multiple functions (bad pixel detection and noise removal) using the same processed data without requiring additional independent processing resources
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the pixel data and weight information after bad pixel detection, the system recovers and reuses this information for noise removal, eliminating the need for additional memory storage
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a pixel processing apparatus, and an image signal processing apparatus and an image processing system each including the same. The pixel processing apparatus includes a bad pixel processing unit configured to determine whether a target pixel is a bad pixel based on pixel data of an image sensor, output a bad pixel detection signal according to a result of determining whether the target pixel is a bad pixel, compensate for a pixel value of the target pixel based on the pixel data, and output the compensated pixel value; and a noise removal unit configured to remove noise from the pixel value of the target pixel, based on the bad pixel detection signal, the pixel value, the compensated pixel value, and weight information.