Image capturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9794502-B2
Application number	US-201615014379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Feb 5, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels are arranged two-dimensionally, and a control unit configured to control a band gap of the pixels of the image sensor, wherein the control unit, in a case where defective pixel detection processing is performed on the image sensor, controls the band gap so as to be smaller than in a case where normal image capture is performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels are arranged two-dimensionally; and
at least one processor; and
a memory storing instructions which cause the at least one processor to perform operations of a control unit, wherein:
the control unit is configured to control a band gap of the pixels of the image sensor, and
wherein the control unit, in a case where defective pixel detection processing is performed on the image sensor, controls the band gap so as to be smaller than in a case where normal image capture is performed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is
configured to apply external force to the image sensor, and
wherein the control unit controls the band gap by controlling to generate stress on each pixel of the image sensor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the defective pixel detection processing is performed based on dark current that is generated in the pixels of the image sensor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit, in the case where normal image capture is performed, performs processing to correct defective pixels detected by the defective pixel detection processing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the defective pixel detection processing is performed prior to the normal image capture.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit captures a light-shielded image in a state in which the image sensor is shielded and performs defective pixel detection processing on a captured image using the light-shielded image.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , a charge accumulation time of the image sensor in the case where the defective pixel detection processing is performed is set to be longer than in the case where normal image capture is performed.

8. An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels are arranged two-dimensionally; and
at least one processor; and
a memory storing instructions which cause the at least one processor to perform operations of a control unit, wherein:
the control unit is configured to control a curvature of the image sensor,
wherein the control unit, in a case where defective pixel detection processing is performed on the image sensor, controls the curvature so as to be smaller than in a case where normal image capture is performed.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the defective pixel detection processing is performed based on dark current that is generated in the pixels of the image sensor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit, in the case where normal image capture is performed, performs processing to correct defective pixels detected by the defective pixel detection processing.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the defective pixel detection processing is performed prior to the normal image capture.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit captures a light-shielded image in a state in which the image sensor is shielded and performs defective pixel detection processing on a captured image using the light-shielded image.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a charge accumulation time of the image sensor in a case where the defective pixel detection processing is performed is set to be longer than it is in the case where normal image capture is performed.

14. An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image sensor in which a plurality of pixels are arranged two-dimensionally; and
at least one processor; and
a memory storing instructions which cause the at least one processor to perform operations of a control unit, wherein:
the control unit is configured to control a curvature of the image sensor,
wherein the control unit, in a case where defective pixel detection processing is performed on the image sensor, controls the curvature such that dark current that is generated on the image sensor is greater than in a case where normal image capture is performed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the defective pixel detection processing is performed based on the dark current that is generated in the pixels of the image sensor.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit, in the case where normal image capture is performed, performs processing to correct defective pixels detected by the defective pixel detection processing.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the defective pixel detection processing is performed prior to the normal image capture.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit captures a light-shielded image in a state in which the image sensor is shielded and performs defective pixel detection processing on a captured image using the light-shielded image.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein a charge accumulation time of the image sensor in a case where the defective pixel detection processing is performed is set to be longer than in the case where normal image capture is performed.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Motonaga Yusaku

Classifications

• H04N25/683 Primary

  by defect estimation performed on the scene signal, e.g. real time or on the fly detection · CPC title

• H04N25/63

  applied to dark current · CPC title

• H04N5/361

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/367 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic