e describe a compact algorithm that can on the fly

The JScreenFix pixel fixing algorithm has been applied to millions of screens and is the most effective software solution available for repairing defective pixels. We describe a compact algorithm that can on the fly detect and correct isolated missing pixels in the output stream of an image sensor, without significantly degrading the image quality. The algorithm is in essence a small kernel non-linear filter. It is based on the prediction of the allowed range of gray values for a pixel, from the gray values of the neighborhood of that pixel. A few examples will illustrate the effect of the algorithm on realistic images. 1. IMAGE SENSOR PIXEL DEFECTS AND IMAGE QUALITY One of the most important specifications of an image sensor is the "cosmetic quality": a sensor's image should be flawless. Unfortunately, the technology is not perfect. Due to processing imperfections, statistics, etc., a finite number of pixels in a sensor array will be defective (hard faults) or yield a signal that deviates visibly from the "exact" pixel gray value (soft faults). Such faults appear as white or black (or gray) points in the image. For a human