SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CORRECTING BAD PIXEL DATA IN A DIGITAL CAMERA

A bad pixel detection and correction system and method in which two estimates are computed in real time for the value of a given pixel. The two estimates are based on the values of pixels surrounding the given pixel. One of the estimates is a minimum value and the other of the two estimates is a maximum value. When the value of the given pixel exceeds the maximum value, the given pixel value is reset to the maximum value. When the value of the given pixel is less than the minimum value, the given pixel value is reset to the minimum value. Otherwise, the given pixel value is not changed. The given pixel value after updating is injected in real time into the stream of pixel data provided for additional graphics processing, such as RGB interpolation. This prevents bad pixel data from affecting the values of other pixels computed in the additional graphics processing. The bad pixel detection and correction system can operate with both monochrome and color pixel data.