Patent ID: 7835573

Claim:
A color interpolation method, comprising: forming, by a difference channel forming unit, a difference image channel by subtracting an R or B color value from a G color value in each pixel adjacent to a pixel to be interpolated; detecting, by edge direction detection unit, a direction of an edge to which the pixel to be interpolated belongs and selecting adjacent pixels to be used for color interpolation among adjacent pixels using the difference image channel; obtaining, by a weight value calculation unit, a weight value with respect to the detected edge direction for each of the selected adjacent pixel and providing the weight value to each of the adjacent pixels used for color interpolation; and obtaining, by a color interpolation unit, a color component missing in the pixel to be interpolated using difference image values of the adjacent pixels to be used for color interpolation and the weight values, wherein the detecting of the direction of the edge to which the pixel to be interpolated belongs comprises: detecting a first edge direction of the pixel to be interpolated using a straight line connecting two pixels selected among pixels immediately above, immediately below, immediately to the left of, and immediately to the right of the pixel to be interpolated; and detecting a second edge direction of the pixel to be interpolated using a straight line connecting two pixels facing each other from opposite sides of the pixel to be interpolated, among neighboring pixels excluding immediately adjacent pixels.