Patent ID: 6016164
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An apparatus for converting a first image signal having a first resolution into a second image signal having a second resolution greater than the first resolution by producing pixels of the second image signal in accordance with pixels of the first image signal, said apparatus comprising:means for detecting an amount of a characteristic near a picture element of the second image signal to be produced using picture elements of the first image signal near the picture element to be produced;means for selecting surrounding picture elements corresponding to the detected amount of the characteristic, the surrounding picture elements of the first image signal being adjacent to the picture element of the second image signal to be produced;means for determining a class corresponding to the picture element to be produced in accordance with the selected surrounding picture elements;memory having stored therein predicted data for each of a plurality of classes, the predicted data being retrieved from the memory in response to the determined class;means for producing the picture element of the second image signal to be produced in accordance with the predicted data andwherein predictive data for each of a plurality of classes is produced by comprising the steps of:detecting an amount of a characteristic near a picture element to be targeted of the second reference image signal having the second resolution using picture elements of the first reference image signal having the first image signal near a picture element to be targeted, the picture element to be targeted corresponding to a picture element to be produced;selecting surrounding picture elements corresponding to the detected amount of the characteristic, the surrounding picture elements of the first reference image signal being adjacent to the picture element to be targeted of the second reference image signal;determining a class corresponding to the picture element to be targeted of the second reference image signal in accordance with the selected surrounding picture elements of the first reference image signal;determining predicted data for each class by using the first reference image signal and the second reference image signal; and for storing the determined predictive data in the memory.