Image processing apparatus and method having defective pixel detection and correction ability

An image processing apparatus for processing an image signal output from an image sensor including a plurality of pixels, the image processing apparatus comprising:

• a storage unit configured to store a first group of defective pixel data including positional information on a defective pixel of the image sensor, information on a type of defect, and information on a degree of the defect for each defective pixel;
• a detection unit configured to detect a defective pixel of the image sensor from an image signal output from the image sensor and generate a second group of defective pixel data including positional information on the detected defective pixel, information on a type of defect, and information on a degree of the defect for the detected defective pixel;
• a combining unit configured to combine the first group with the second group to generate a third group of defective pixel data;
• and
• a correction unit configured to correct an image signal output from a defective pixel of the image sensor with the use of the third group,
• wherein the combining unit combines the first group and the second group into the third group by assigning a priority level corresponding to the type of defect to each piece of defective pixel data, and if there are multiple pieces of defective pixel data of different types of defects including positional information common to the first group and the second group, leaving the defective pixel data in the order of priority level, the highest the first and the lowest the last so that the number of types of defects corresponding to the common positional information is a predetermined number, that is two or more, or less.