Patent ID: 8649636

Claim:
A super-resolution processor which performs super-resolution processing on an input image using a learning database to generate an output image with a resolution higher than a resolution of the input image, the learning database storing a plurality of patch pairs, in each of which a learned high frequency patch which is data obtained from a high frequency component in a learned image is associated with a learned characteristic quantity which is data obtained from at least a low frequency component in the learned image, the super-resolution processor comprising: a characteristic quantity extraction unit configured to extract a characteristic quantity from the input image on a block-by-block basis; a patch extraction unit configured to calculate, on a block-by-block basis, an evaluation value which indicates a similarity between each of the learned characteristic quantities stored in the learning database and a characteristic quantity, and to extract a learned high frequency patch from the learning database, the learned high frequency patch being associated with a learned characteristic quantity most similar to the characteristic quantity indicated by the calculated evaluation value; a motion estimation unit configured to estimate a motion on a block-by-block basis between the input image and a past input image which is an image preceding the input image; a motion compensation unit configured to motion-compensate past data on a block-by-block basis based on the motion estimated by the motion estimation unit, the past data being data in which identification information for identifying a learned characteristic quantity is mapped to a corresponding block of the past input image on a block-by-block basis, the learned characteristic quantity being extracted correspondingly to the past input image by the patch extraction unit; and an adding unit configured to generate the output image by adding together on a block-by-block basis the input image and the learned high frequency patch extracted by the patch extraction unit, wherein the patch extraction unit is configured to calculate the evaluation value, and modify the evaluation value to a value in the case where the identification information of the block of the past data is used, the value indicating a similarity greater than a similarity in the case where the identification information of the block of the past data is not used, where the evaluation value is calculated which indicates a similarity between the learned characteristic quantity identified based on the identification information of the block of the past data, and the characteristic quantity associated with the block of the input image, the block of the past data being motion-compensated by the motion compensation unit and associated with the block of the input image.