A signal component amount calculation unit calculates dispersion or standard deviation of multiple times of infrared detection signals detected by each detector element to be processed, and calculates the amount of a signal component dependent on infrared rays incident on the infrared detector included in the infrared detection signals, on the basis of the calculated dispersion or standard deviation. A fixed pattern noise calculation unit calculates the amount of a fixed pattern noise component on the basis of the infrared detection signals and the calculated amount of a signal component. A data update unit updates the fixed pattern noise data with the calculated amount of a fixed pattern noise component.

A noise data update processing unit calculates the amount of a fixed pattern noise component on the basis of a detection signal of infrared rays detected by an infrared detector in a state where an optical system is controlled to be in a non-focused state, and updates an FPN data storage unit with the calculated amount of the FPN component. The noise data update processing unit calculates an average value of detection signals of each detector element and a plurality of peripheral detector elements, and calculates a signal component dependent on incident infrared rays included in the detection signal of each detector element by subtracting an average value of fixed pattern noise data before update from the calculated average value. The amount of the fixed pattern noise component is calculated by subtracting the calculated signal component from the detection signal of each detector element.

An imaging device includes: a pixel array section having an array of pixels, each of which has a photoelectric converting device and outputs an electric signal according to an input photon; a sense circuit section having a plurality of sensor circuits each of which makes binary decision on whether there is a photon input to a pixel in a predetermined period upon reception of the electric signal therefrom; and a decision result IC section which integrates decision results from the sense circuits, pixel by pixel or for each group of pixels, multiple times to generate imaged data with a gradation, the decision result IC section including a count circuit which performs a count process to integrate the decision results from the sense circuits, and a memory for storing a counting result for each pixel from the count circuit, the sense circuits sharing the count circuit for integrating the decision results.

An image processing apparatus comprises: a memory which stores an address of a defective pixel that satisfies a predetermined condition, among defective pixels included in an image sensor covered with color filters; and a correction circuit which corrects, among pixel data of an image obtained by exposing the image sensor, the pixel data of the defective pixel at the address stored in the memory. The defective pixel is a pixel having pixel data whose difference from a value determined using the pixel data of surrounding pixels is greater than a threshold value, and the predetermined condition includes at least one of a condition that a plurality of defective pixels among pixels corresponding to different or the same color filters are adjacent to each other.

Various techniques are provided to compensate for and/or update ineffective (e.g., stale) calibration terms due to calibration drifts in infrared imaging devices. For example, a virtual-shutter non-uniformity correction (NUC) procedure may be initiated to generate NUC terms to correct non-uniformities when appropriate triggering events and/or conditions are detected that may indicate presence of an object or scene to act as a shutter (e.g., a virtual shutter). Scene-based non-uniformity correction (SBNUC) may be performed during image capturing operations of the infrared imaging device, for example, when a virtual-shutter scene is not available. Further, snapshots of calibration data (e.g., NUC terms) produced during the virtual-shutter NUC procedure, the SBNUC process, and/or other NUC process may be taken. Such snapshots may be utilized to provide useful NUC data when the infrared imaging device starts up or is otherwise reactivated, so that the SBNUC or other NUC methods may produce effective results soon after the start-up. Such snapshots may also be utilized to update ineffective calibration terms.

Provided is an image pickup apparatus including pixels each divided into subpixels that receive respective rays of a pencil having passed through different pupil subregions in an optical system, the apparatus having a viewpoint image generation unit that generates viewpoint images based on pixel signals outputted by the subpixels, an image deviation amount calculation unit that calculates an image deviation amount from the viewpoint images, a conversion factor calculation unit that calculates a conversion factor for use in conversion of the image deviation amount into a defocus amount, and a recording unit that records at least two of the conversion factor, the image deviation amount, and the defocus amount in a storage medium as metadata in association with the viewpoint images or an image obtained from the viewpoint images.

An image pickup apparatus which, when performing image-plane phase-difference AF, eliminate a noise difference in phase difference information obtained based on signals read from pupil-dividing pixels of an image pickup device, which are arranged in rows and columns in a two-dimensional form. A first image signal is read from one pixel of each pupil-dividing pixels, and a second image signal is read from the other pixel. The order in which they are read is alternately switched on a row-by-row basis. Each of the first and second image signals is subtracted from a third image signal, which is a sum of the first image signal and the second image signal, to obtain first and second separated image signals. The first image signal and the first separated image signal are added together, and the second image signal and the second separated image signal are added together in the column direction.

A partially attenuating shutter may be used to identify and reduce fixed pattern noise (FPN) associated with imaging devices. In one example, a system includes an image capture component configured to capture images in response to incident radiation from a scene along an optical path. The system includes a shutter configured to attenuate a first portion of the incident radiation and permit a second portion of the incident radiation to pass. The system also includes an actuator configured to translate the shutter between an open position out of the optical path, and a closed position in the optical path between the scene and the image capture component. The system also includes a processor configured to determine a plurality of FPN correction terms using images captured by the image capture component while the shutter is in the open and closed positions. Related systems and methods are also provided.

Some examples described herein include a noise-reduction circuit for an image sensor. The noise-reduction circuit can include a reference frame generator configured to generate a reference frame based on a set of image frames received from an image sensor during a calibration phase. The noise-reduction circuit can also include a memory coupled to the reference frame generator. The memory can receive the reference frame from the reference frame generator and store the reference frame for subsequent use during a noise-reduction phase. The noise-reduction circuit can further include a processor coupled to the memory. The processor can retrieve the reference frame from the memory and use the reference frame to reduce noise in an image frame received from the image sensor during the noise-reduction phase.

Various techniques are disclosed to provide for detection of temporally anomalous flickering pixels. In one example, a method includes capturing, by a thermal imager of an imaging device, a plurality of thermal images in response to infrared radiation received from a uniform black body, wherein the thermal images comprise a plurality of pixels having associated pixel values. The method also includes determining, for each pixel, a standard deviation of the associated pixel values for the thermal images. The method also includes comparing the standard deviations with a threshold. The method also includes identifying a subset of the pixels as temporally anomalous pixels in response to the comparing. Additional methods, devices, and systems are also provided.