IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

An image processing apparatus includes: a memory having a first field for storing image data and a second field for storing defective pixel position data; a counter for counting the number of pixels of image data sequentially transferred from an image sensor one line after another; a defect correction circuit for correcting the image data of each pixel sequentially transferred from the image sensor in accordance with image data of pixels adjacent to a pixel whose image data is currently transferred; and a controller for writing the corrected image data in the memory if the count becomes coincident with the position data of the defective pixel, and writing the image data not corrected and directly supplied from the image sensor in the memory, if the count is not coincident with the position data of the defective pixel. An image processing apparatus and method is provided which is capable of correcting defective pixel data at high speed with a simple circuit.