Patent Document ID: 8009935
Application ID: 12178790
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A pixel interpolation circuit comprising: a pixel interpolation unit which determines, by using only a pixel value of a G pixel in a neighboring region around an interpolation target pixel having no G pixel value in Bayer data, a G pixel value for the interpolation target pixel, and generates an interpolation image signal by interpolating the determined G pixel value in the interpolation target pixel; a correlation calculation unit which calculates correlation in a horizontal direction and correlation in a vertical direction with respect to the neighboring region around the interpolation target pixel, by performing computations between a pixel value of a given pixel that is an R pixel, a G pixel, or a B pixel, and a pixel value of a neighboring pixel in a neighboring region around the given pixel, which is different from the given pixel in color component, in the Bayer data; a pixel value determination unit which determines a G pixel value for the interpolation target pixel, based upon pixel values of pixels adjacent to the interpolation target pixel along one of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction that exhibits a stronger correlation between the correlations calculated by the correlation calculation unit; a G image signal acquisition unit which acquires a G image signal including only G pixel values determined by the pixel value determination unit; a high-pass filter which removes low frequency components of the G image signal acquired by the G image signal acquisition unit; and an adding unit which adds a G pixel value in the G image signal whose low frequency components have been removed by the high-pass filter, to the interpolation image signal generated by the pixel interpolation unit; wherein the pixel value determination unit determines a pixel value, which is acquired by calculating a sum of an average value of pixel values of pixels adjacent to the interpolation target pixel along the one of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction that exhibits the stronger correlation between the correlations calculated by the correlation calculation unit, and an average value of pixel values of the pixels adjacent to the interpolation target pixel along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, according to a predetermined ratio, as the G pixel value.