Defective Pixel Analysis for Image Sensor Online Diagnostic and Self-Healing

Abstract

This paper presents an online and integrated solution for diagnosis and healing of the image sensors based on a defective pixel detection and concealment method. The proposed defective pixel detection method is based on the evaluation and analysis of the median, range and other local dispersion parameters of the pixel blocks in the images taken by the to-be-tested image sensor. Once a defective pixel is detected, the concealment process uses a median filter, which consists of the substitution of the defective value by the median value of the pixel block. For an error detected in the image sensor, a diagnostic process can be used to determine the origin of the problem. The global detection and concealment process was implemented on an FPGA platform to evaluate the computational complexity and to confirm the feasibility of integrating the proposed solutions in image sensors.