Patent ID: 7936950

Claim:
An apparatus that interpolates an interpolation frame between a first reference frame and a second reference frame, the apparatus comprising: a motion vector detecting unit that detects a primary motion vector of each interpolation block in the interpolation frame by referring to the first reference frame and the second reference frame; an area detecting unit that detects a first matching area in a first reference block in the first reference frame, a second matching area in a second reference block in the second reference frame, a first mismatching area in the first reference block and a second mismatching area in the second reference block, wherein the both the first matching area and the second matching area are matching and corresponding to each other, the both the first mismatching area and the second mismatching area are mismatching and corresponding to each other, both the first reference block and the second reference block have equal size and identical shape to the interpolation block, and each of the first reference block and the second reference block is specified based on the primary motion vector of the interpolation block; a first assigning unit that assigns the primary motion vector of the each interpolation block to an interpolation matching area in the each interpolation block, wherein the interpolation matching area corresponds to the first matching area and the second matching area; a second assigning unit that assigns a secondary motion vector to be assigned to an interpolation mismatching area in the each interpolation block based on surrounding interpolation blocks around the interpolation mismatching area, wherein the interpolation mismatching area corresponds to the first mismatching area and the second mismatching area, the first mismatching area and the second mismatching area being determined as mismatching each other by the area detecting unit; and a motion compensating unit that assigns an image onto the interpolation frame based on all of at least one motion vector of the primary motion vector assigned to the interpolation matching area by the first assigning unit, and the secondary motion vector settled for the interpolation mismatching area by the second assigning unit.