Solid-state image pickup device

A solid-state image pickup device comprising:

• a pixel array that includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each of which receives an incident light and outputs a pixel signal;
• a gain adjusting unit that adjusts a gain of the pixel signal based on a gain value and outputs an image pickup signal;
• an A/D conversion unit that performs A/D conversion on the image pickup signal and outputs a digital image pickup signal;
• a plurality of fixed pattern noise detection units each of which detects a fixed pattern noise from the digital image pickup signal and stores a correction value calculated from the fixed pattern noise;
• a selecting unit that selects one output from outputs of the plurality of fixed pattern noise detection units and outputs the output that is selected;
• a fixed pattern noise correction unit that corrects the fixed pattern noise included in the digital image pickup signal, which is performed based on an output of the selecting unit;
• and
• a control unit that controls the gain adjusting unit setting a plurality of gain values, the control unit controlling the plurality of fixed pattern noise detection units detecting a plurality of fixed pattern noise based on the plurality of gain values and storing a plurality of correction values.

A solid-state image pickup device comprising:

• a pixel array that includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each of which receives an incident light and outputs a pixel signal;
• a gain adjusting unit that adjusts a gain of the pixel signal based on a first gain value or a second gain value and outputs an image pickup signal;
• an A/D conversion unit that performs A/D conversion on the image pickup signal and outputs a digital image pickup signal;
• a first fixed pattern noise detection unit that performs a first detection of a first fixed pattern noise from the digital image pickup signal and a first storing of a first correction value calculated from the first fixed pattern noise;
• a second fixed pattern noise detection unit that performs a second detection of a second fixed pattern noise from the digital image pickup signal and a second storing of a second correction value calculated from the second fixed pattern noise;
• a selecting unit that performs a selection of one output from outputs of either the first fixed pattern noise detection unit or the second fixed pattern noise detection unit and an outputting of a selected output;
• and
• a fixed pattern noise correction unit that corrects the first fixed pattern noise or the second fixed pattern noise included in the digital image pickup signal, which is performed based on an output of the selecting unit.

A solid-state image pickup device comprising:

• a pixel array that includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each of which receives an incident light and outputs a pixel signal;
• a gain adjusting unit that adjusts a gain of the pixel signal based on a first gain value, a second gain value or a third gain value and outputs an image pickup signal;
• an A/D conversion unit that performs A/D conversion on the image pickup signal and outputs a digital image pickup signal;
• a first fixed pattern noise detection units that performs a first detection of a first fixed pattern noise from the digital image pickup signal and a first storing of a first correction value calculated from the first fixed pattern noise;
• a second fixed pattern noise detection units that performs a second detection of a second fixed pattern noise from the digital image pickup signal and a second storing of a second correction value calculated from the second fixed pattern noise;
• a third fixed pattern noise detection units that performs a third detection of a third fixed pattern noise from the digital image pickup signal and a third storing of a third correction value calculated from the third fixed pattern noise;
• a selecting unit that performs a selecting of one output from outputs of either the first fixed pattern noise detection unit, the second fixed pattern noise detection unit or the third fixed pattern noise detection unit and an outputting of a selected output;
• and
• a fixed pattern noise correction unit that corrects the first fixed pattern noise, the second fixed pattern noise or the third fixed pattern noise included in the digital image pickup signal, which is performed based on an output of the selecting unit.

A method of correcting fixed pattern noise comprising:

• receiving an incident light and outputting a pixel signal;
• adjusting a gain of the pixel signal based on a gain value and outputting an image pickup signal;
• performing A/D conversion on the image pickup signal and outputting a digital image pickup signal;
• detecting a fixed pattern noise from the digital image pickup signal corresponding to the pixel signal generated by light blocked and storing a correction value calculated from the fixed pattern noise, which is performed in a blanking interval in one frame interval of the image pickup signal;
• selecting one correction value from the plurality of correction values based on the gain value and outputting a selected correction value, which is performed in a valid interval in one frame interval of the image pickup signal;
• correcting the fixed pattern noise included in the digital image pickup signal, which is performed based on the selected correction value;
• setting a plurality of gain values in the blanking interval;
• detecting a plurality of fixed pattern noise based on the plurality of gain values;
• and
• storing a plurality of correction values.