Image-pickup device, and device and method for correcting defective pixel

1. An image-pickup device which picks up an image, the image-pickup device comprising:

a solid-image-pickup element operable to select a plurality of reading modes including an ordinary mode wherein signals of all of a plurality of pixels are read in sequence and at least one pixel-addition mode wherein signals of the plurality of pixels corresponding to filters of the same color are added to one another and output;

defective-information-storage means which stores position information of a defective pixel on the solid-image-pickup element, where the defective pixel is detected when the ordinary mode is selected;

signal-correction means which corrects a pixel signal of at least one picked-up-image signal obtained by the solid-image-pickup element based on the position information stored in the defective-information storage means, where the pixel signal corresponds to the position information; and

position-information conversion means that converts the stored position information when the pixel-addition mode is selected, so that the converted position information agrees with information about an arrangement of pixels, the pixel-arrangement information corresponding to the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode, and that transmits the converted position information to the signal-correction means.

2. The image-pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein when at least one defective pixel detected based on the position information is included in a group of pixels provided in the solid-image-pickup element, the defective pixel occurring in the pixel arrangement corresponding to the picked-up-image signal obtained in the ordinary mode and the pixel group being read as a single pixel through addition performed when the pixel-addition mode is selected, the position-information-conversion means transmits information about a position of the pixel corresponding to the pixel group to the signal-correction means as the converted position information, the pixel-position information being obtained by using the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode.

3. The image-pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the pixel-addition mode, the solid-image pickup element adds signals of x adjacent pixels provided in a horizontal direction and y adjacent pixels provided in a vertical direction to one another and outputs the added signals, where the adjacent pixels correspond to filters of the same color and where each of x and y represents an integer equal to or larger than one,

wherein the position-information-conversion means includes:

a plurality of multiplication means that multiply a horizontal-direction component of the position information by x and that multiply a vertical-direction component of the position information by y;

a plurality of addition means that add integers from 1 to (x−1) to values output from the multiplication means corresponding to the horizontal direction, respectively, and that add integers from 1 to (y−1) to values output from the multiplication means corresponding to the vertical direction, respectively; and

logical-operation means which transmits information about a horizontal-direction address and a vertical-direction address to the signal-correction means as the converted position information when a value output from the multiplication means and/or any of the addition means corresponding to the horizontal-direction component agrees with the horizontal-direction address of the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode and a value output from the multiplication means and/or any of the addition means corresponding to the vertical-direction component agrees with the vertical-direction address of the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode.

4. The image-pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein

the solid-image-pickup element is operable to select an addition-and-thinning mode as the pixel-addition mode, so that signals of the adjacent pixels corresponding to the same-color filters are added to one another and read, and signals of pixels provided on either a predetermined number of lines or a predetermined number of columns, or both the predetermined number of lines and the predetermined number of columns are thinned out, where the lines and columns are adjacent to a group of the added pixels; and

when at least one defective pixel detected based on the position information is included in the pixel group when the addition-and-thinning mode is selected, the defective pixel occurring in the pixel arrangement corresponding to the picked-up-image signal obtained in the ordinary mode, the position-information-conversion means transmits information about a position of the pixel corresponding to the pixel group to the signal-correction means as the converted position information, the pixel-position information being obtained by using the picked-up-image signal generated in the addition-and-thinning mode.

5. The image-pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the solid-image pickup element is operable to select an addition-and-thinning mode as the pixel-addition mode, so that signals of x adjacent pixels provided in a horizontal direction and y adjacent pixels provided in a vertical direction are added and output, where the adjacent pixels correspond to the same-color filters and where each of x and y represents an integer equal to or larger than one, and signals of pixels provided on m lines and n columns are thinned out, where the m lines and the n columns are adjacent to a group of the added pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively, and where each of n and m is an integer equal to or larger than zero, and

wherein the position-information-conversion means includes:

a plurality of multiplication means that multiply a horizontal-direction component of the position information by (x+m) and that multiply a vertical-direction component of the position information by (y+n);

a plurality of addition means that add integers from 1 to (x−1) to values output from the multiplication means corresponding to the horizontal direction, respectively, and that add integers from 1 to (y−1) to values output from the multiplication means corresponding to the vertical direction, respectively; and

logical-operation means which transmits information about a horizontal-direction address and a vertical-direction address to the signal-correction means as the converted position information when a value output from the multiplication means and/or any of the addition means corresponding to the horizontal-direction component agrees with the horizontal-direction address of the picked-up-image signal generated in the addition-and-thinning mode and a value output from the multiplication means and/or any of the addition means corresponding to the vertical-direction component agrees with the vertical-direction address of the picked-up-image signal generated in the addition-and-thinning mode.

6. The image-pickup device according to claim 1 , further comprising defective-pixel-detection means which detects the defective pixel based on the picked-up-image signal obtained by the solid-image-pickup element and stores the position information of the defective pixel in the defective-information-storage means when the ordinary mode is selected.

7. The image-pickup device according to claim 1 , further comprising selection-and-input means which receives information about an operation performed by a user so as to select the reading mode.

8. A defective-pixel-correction device which corrects an output signal of a defective pixel detected on a solid-image-pickup element upon receiving an input signal of an image picked up by the solid-image-pickup element which can select a plurality of reading modes including an ordinary mode wherein signals of all of a plurality of pixels are read in sequence and at least one pixel-addition mode wherein signals of the plurality of pixels corresponding to filters of the same color are added to one another and output, the defective-pixel-correction device comprising:

defective-information-storage means which stores position information of a defective pixel on the solid-image-pickup element, where the defective pixel is detected when the ordinary mode is selected;

signal-correction means which corrects a pixel signal of at least one picked-up-image signal obtained by the solid-image-pickup element based on the position information stored in the defective-information storage means, where the pixel signal corresponds to the position information; and

position-information conversion means that converts the stored position information when the pixel-addition mode is selected, so that the converted position information agrees with information about an arrangement of pixels, the pixel-arrangement information corresponding to the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode, and that transmits the converted position information to the signal-correction means.

9. A defective-pixel-correction method which corrects an output signal of a defective pixel detected on a solid-image-pickup element upon receiving an input signal of an image picked up by the solid-image-pickup element which can select a plurality of reading modes including an ordinary mode wherein signals of all of a plurality of pixels are read in sequence and at least one pixel-addition mode wherein signals of the plurality of pixels corresponding to filters of the same color are added to one another and output, the defective-pixel-correction method comprising:

storing position information of the defective pixel detected on the solid-image-pickup element when the ordinary mode is selected;

correcting a pixel signal of at least one picked-up-image signal obtained by the solid-image-pickup element based on the stored position information, where the pixel signal corresponds to the position information and the correction step is performed by signal-correction means; and

converting the stored position information when the pixel-addition mode is selected so that the converted position information agrees with information about an arrangement of pixels, the pixel-arrangement information corresponding to the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode, and transmitting the converted position information to the signal-correction means.

10. An image-pickup device which picks up an image, the image-pickup device comprising:

a solid-image-pickup element operable to select a plurality of reading modes including an ordinary mode wherein signals of all of a plurality of pixels are read in sequence and at least one pixel-addition mode wherein signals of the plurality of pixels corresponding to filters of the same color are added to one another and output;

a defective-information-storage unit operable to store position information of a defective pixel on the solid-image-pickup element, where the defective pixel is detected when the ordinary mode is selected;

a signal-correction unit operable to correct a pixel signal of at least one picked-up-image signal obtained by the solid-image-pickup element based on the position information stored in the defective-information storage unit, where the pixel signal corresponds to the position information; and

a position-information conversion unit operable to convert the stored position information when the pixel-addition mode is selected so that the converted position information agrees with information about an arrangement of pixels, the pixel-arrangement information corresponding to the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode, and that transmits the converted position information to the signal-correction unit.

11. A defective-pixel-correction device which corrects an output signal of a defective pixel detected on a solid-image-pickup element upon receiving an input signal of an image picked up by the solid-image-pickup element which can select a plurality of reading modes including an ordinary mode wherein signals of all of a plurality of pixels are read in sequence and at least one pixel-addition mode wherein signals of the plurality of pixels corresponding to filters of the same color are added to one another and output, the defective-pixel-correction device comprising:

a defective-information-storage unit operable to store position information of a defective pixel on the solid-image-pickup element, where the defective pixel is detected when the ordinary mode is selected;

a signal-correction unit operable to correct a pixel signal of at least one picked-up-image signal obtained by the solid-image-pickup element based on the position information stored in the defective-information storage unit, where the pixel signal corresponds to the position information; and

a position-information conversion unit operable to convert the stored position information when the pixel-addition mode is selected, so that the converted position information agrees with information about an arrangement of pixels, the pixel-arrangement information corresponding to the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode, and that transmits the converted position information to the signal-correction unit.

12. A defective-pixel-correction method which corrects an output signal of a defective pixel detected on a solid-image-pickup element upon receiving an input signal of an image picked up by the solid-image-pickup element which can select a plurality of reading modes including an ordinary mode wherein signals of all of a plurality of pixels are read in sequence and at least one pixel-addition mode wherein signals of the plurality of pixels corresponding to filters of the same color are added to one another and output, the defective-pixel-correction method comprising:

storing position information of the defective pixel detected on the solid-image-pickup element when the ordinary mode is selected;

correcting a pixel signal of at least one picked-up-image signal obtained by the solid-image-pickup element based on the stored position information, where the pixel signal corresponds to the position information and the correction step is performed by a signal-correction unit; and

converting the stored position information when the pixel-addition mode is selected so that the converted position information agrees with information about an arrangement of pixels, the pixel-arrangement information corresponding to the picked-up-image signal generated in the pixel-addition mode, and transmitting the converted position information to the signal-correction unit.