Patent ID: 7155069

Claim:
An image processing apparatus for performing enlargement processing of an original image represented by a large number of pixels to provide an enlarged image, said image processing apparatus comprising: a first image enlargement processing section for enlarging the original image at a preset enlargement ratio; a domain block extraction section for dividing the original image in first block units, thereby extracting a plurality of domain block images; a range block extraction section for extracting a range block image in a second block unit larger than the first block unit from an initial enlarged image provided by said first image enlargement processing section; an enlarged pseudo domain block preparation section for projecting the range block image extracted by said range block extraction section to an enlarged block unit provided by enlarging the first block unit at a preset enlargement ratio, and converting each of pixel values of the image placed in the enlarged block unit based on the relationship between the domain block image and the range block image, thereby preparing an enlarged pseudo domain block image; and an enlarged image acquisition section for acquiring an enlarged image provided by enlarging the original image at the preset enlargement ratio using each enlarged pseudo domain block image prepared by said enlarged pseudo domain block preparation section.