Patent ID: 7123781
Filing Date: 2006-10-17
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. In an image interpolating method for interpolating a pixel at an intermediate position between a first original pixel and a second original pixel adjacent to the first original pixel, an image interpolating method comprising: a first step of calculating an edge component for judging whether or not an interpolation pixel exists in the vicinity of an edge position of original image data; a second step of finding a range where pixel data on the interpolation pixel is settable on the basis of the edge component and pixel data on the first and second original pixels; a third step of selecting a plurality of sets of opposed pixels between which the interpolation pixel is sandwiched diagonally, and finding for each of the sets the pixel data on the interpolation pixel in a case where a correlation value represented by the sum of the absolute values of the differences between the pixel data on the interpolation pixel and pixel data on the opposed pixels and a correction value calculated on the basis of the pixel data on the original pixel peripheral to each of the opposed pixels is the minimum in the range where the pixel data on the interpolation pixel is settable and the minimum correlation value; a fourth step of finding temporary pixel data on the interpolation pixel on the basis of the pixel data on the interpolation pixel in the case where the correlation value is the minimum and the minimum correlation value which are found for each of the sets; a fifth step of calculating a linear correlation value and a linear interpolation value between the first original pixel and the second original pixel; and a sixth step of calculating the final pixel data on the interpolation pixel on the basis of the minimum correlation value found in the third step, the linear correlation value calculated in the fifth step, the temporary pixel data calculated in the fourth step, and the linear interpolation value calculated in the fifth step, wherein assuming that an original pixel adjacent to the first original pixel and opposite to the second original pixel is a third original pixel, and an original pixel adjacent to the second original pixel and opposite to the first original pixel is a fourth original pixel, and letting d a first edge component E is calculated on the basis of an equation for operation E=−d wherein letting E be the first edge component found in the first step, Es be the second edge component found in the first step, dc be the average of the pixel data on the first original pixel and the pixel data on the second original pixel, and γs and γ be predetermined factors, a range S where the pixel data on the interpolation pixel is settable is found on the basis of the following expressions in the second step: