IP Library Granted Patent US 12,413,871
Granted Patent B2
US 12,413,871 · App. 18/021,013 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Imaging device

Inventor: Sho Kato (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: KOKUSAI DENKI Electric Inc.
H04N25/677H04N25/67H04N25/76
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,413,871
App. No.
18/021,013
Granted
Sep 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging device using a CMOS imaging element includes a memory that stores, as a correction reference value, a gain exceeding a gain obtained by the imaging element and at which a linear fixed pattern noise starts to occur in a captured image; and an image processor that suppresses the fixed pattern noise when the gain exceeding the gain obtained by the imaging element exceeds the correction reference value. The captured image includes multiple pixel lines, each pixel in each of the pixel lines being arranged according to one of a plurality of color scheme patterns. The image processor suppresses the fixed pattern noise when a pixel line of the fixed pattern noise is not continuous in the same color scheme pattern, or when the pixel lines of the fixed pattern noise are continuous in the same color scheme pattern and the number of continuous lines is two.

Claims (10)

1. An imaging device using a CMOS imaging element for imaging, comprising:

a memory configured to store, as a correction reference value, a gain exceeding a gain obtained by the CMOS imaging element and at which a linear fixed pattern noise starts to occur in a captured image; and

an image processor configured to perform processing for suppressing the fixed pattern noise on the captured image when a gain when providing the gain exceeding the gain obtained by the CMOS imaging element exceeds the correction reference value,

wherein the captured image includes a plurality of pixel lines,

each pixel in each of the plurality of pixel lines is arranged according to one of a plurality of color scheme patterns, and

the image processor performs processing for suppressing the fixed pattern noise on the capture image when a pixel line of the fixed pattern noise is not continuous in the same color scheme pattern, or when the pixel lines of the fixed pattern noise are continuous in the same color scheme pattern and the number of continuous lines is two.

2. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein when the pixel line of the fixed pattern noise is not continuous in the same color scheme pattern, the image processor corrects each pixel in the pixel line of the fixed pattern noise based on the same color pixels in the pixel lines having the same color scheme pattern on both sides of the pixel line.

3. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein when the pixel lines of the fixed pattern noise are continuous in the same color pattern and the number of continuous lines is two, the image processor corrects each pixel in a left pixel line of the two pixel lines based on the same color pixel in the pixel line having the same color scheme pattern on a left side of the pixel line, and corrects each pixel in a right pixel line of the two pixel lines based on the same color pixel in the pixel line having the same color scheme pattern on a right side of the pixel line.

4. The imaging device of claim 2 , wherein the image processor corrects each pixel in the pixel line of the fixed pattern noise based on the same color pixels at the same positions in the pixel line having the same color scheme pattern.

5. The imaging device of claim 3 , wherein the image processor corrects each pixel in the pixel line of the fixed pattern noise based on the same color pixels at the same positions in the pixel line having the same color scheme pattern.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 8, 2025
From: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
To: KOKUSAI DENKI ELECTRIC INC.
Reel/Frame 071843/0803 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2023
From: KATO, SHO
To: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
Reel/Frame 062673/0733 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230300482A1 · Sep 21, 2023
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