Patent ID: 8405886

Claim:
A pixel interpolation apparatus, comprising: a weighting interpolation section configured to calculate a pixel value for a missing pixel in an input image signal having the missing pixel by using, as reference pixels, pixels located in a neighborhood of the missing pixel, and configured to generate a primarily interpolated image signal in which a pixel having the pixel value is inserted at a position of the missing pixel in the input image; a frequency decomposition section configured to decompose the primarily interpolated image signal generated by the weighting interpolation section into frequency components of a plurality of frequency regions; a halftone dot degree calculation section configured to calculate a halftone dot degree indicating a degree how a vicinity of the missing dot is located in a halftone dot region, by using a high frequency component of the frequency components obtained by the frequency decomposition section; a correction value calculation section configured to calculate a correction value for the pixel value, by using a low frequency component of the frequency components; and a correction section configured to output, as a result of interpolation, a signal in which the correction value is added to the pixel value for the missing pixel in the primarily interpolated image signal in accordance with the halftone dot degree, wherein the correction value calculation section calculates the correction value based on a difference between a low frequency component, for the missing pixel, of the frequency components obtained by decomposing the primarily interpolated image signal in the frequency decomposition section, and a low frequency component, for the reference pixels in the neighborhood of the missing pixel, of the frequency components.