Color noise in the form of clusters of color non-uniformity is a major negative quality factor in color images. This type of noise is significantly more pronounced in CMOS cameras with increasingly smaller pixel sizes (e.g., 1.75μm and 1.4μm pixel sizes). This paper identifies and quantifies temporal noise as the main factor for this type of noise. As well, it is shown how differences in R/G/B responses and as well possible presence of R/G/B-response non-linearity can exacerbate color-blotch noise. Furthermore, it is shown how run-time averaging can effectively remove this noise (to a large extent) from a color image-if capture condition permits.

Date Published: 19 January 2009
PDF: 14 pages
Proc. SPIE 7242, Image Quality and System Performance VI, 724215 (19 January 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.806119

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7242:
Image Quality and System Performance VI
Susan P. Farnand; Frans Gaykema, Editor(s)