Image enlarging device and program

• US 20070171287A1
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Satoru
• Application Number:
  US11/579,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171287A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/240.990
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/403 Edge-driven scaling; Edge-based scaling

Abstract

An image input unit (10) receives input of a low-resolution image file. An edge detection unit (12) detects an edge in the low-resolution image. A number of continuously differentiable times estimation unit (14) calculates the Lipchitz exponent (corresponding to the number of continuously differentiable times). An interpolation function selection unit (16) selects an interpolation function (Fluency function) according to the Lipchitz exponent calculated by the number of continuously differentiable times estimation unit (14). An interpolation processing execution unit (18) performs interpolation processing according to the interpolation function selected. An image output unit (20) outputs a file of an enlarged image generated by the interpolation. The image enlarging device (100) having this configuration can correctly store edge information without performing iterative calculation.

Claims

1. An image enlarging device, for acquiring an image data of an enlarged image by setting the luminance value of an interpolation pixel from the pixel value of an original image data, comprising:

a detection means for detecting an edge position in the original image data;

an estimation means for estimating a number of continuously differentiable times at the edge position detected in the detection means;

a selection means for selecting an interpolation function based on the number of continuously differentiable times estimated in the estimation means;

an interpolation means for performing a pixel interpolation processing in an edge area based on the interpolation function selected in the selection means.

2. The image enlarging device of claim 1, wherein, the estimation means estimates the number of continuously differentiable times based on a Lipchitz exponent of the edge position.

4. The image enlarging device of claim 1, wherein the interpolation function is a Fluency function.

5. The image enlarging device of claim 1, wherein the selection means selects the interpolation function based on whether the angle of the line normal to the edge is closest to 0, 45, 90, or 135 degrees.

6. The image enlarging device of claim 5, wherein,

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on a right and left sides, and an edge exists in any of these original pixels, the selection means selects the interpolation function based on the number of continuously differentiable times or the Lipchitz exponent in these original pixels, when the normal line angle of the edge is closest to 0 degrees;

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on an upper and lower sides, and an edge exists in any of these original pixels, the selection means selects the interpolation function based on the number of continuously differentiable times or the Lipchitz exponent in these original pixels, when the normal line angle of the edge is closest to 90 degrees;

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on a 45 degrees diagonal sides, and an edge exists in any of these original pixels, the selection means selects the interpolation function based on the number of continuously differentiable times or the Lipchitz exponent in these original pixel, when the normal line angle of the edge is closest to 135 degrees; and

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on a 135 degrees diagonal sides, and an edge exists in any of these original pixels, the selection means selects the interpolation function based on the number of continuously differentiable times or the Lipchitz exponent in these original pixel, when the normal line angle of the edge is closest to 45 degrees.

7. The image enlarging device of claim 1, wherein the interpolation means selects a pixel to refer for the interpolation processing, according to the direction of the original pixels sandwiching the interpolating pixel.

8. The image enlarging device of claim 7, wherein,

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on the right and left hand directions, the interpolation means performs the interpolation processing referring to the original pixels on the right and left sides;

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on the upper and lower hand directions, the interpolation means performs the interpolation processing referring to the original pixels on the upper and the lower sides; and

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on the 45 or 135 degrees diagonal sides, the interpolation means performs the interpolation processing referring to the original pixels on the 45 or 135 degrees diagonal sides.

3. An image enlarging device, for acquiring an image data of an enlarged image by setting the luminance value of an interpolation pixel from the pixel value of an original image data, comprising:

a detection means for detecting an edge position in the original image data;

an operation means for calculating a Lipchitz exponent of the edge position detected in the detection means;

a selection means for selecting an interpolation function based on the Lipchitz exponent calculated in the operation means;

an interpolation means for performing a pixel interpolation processing in an edge area based on the interpolation function selected in the selection means.

9. A computer program usable with a programmable computer having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising computer program code for executing the steps of:

an edge detecting step for detecting an edge position from a digital image data;

an estimating step for estimating a number of continuously differentiable times at the edge position detected in the edge detecting step;

a selecting step for selecting the interpolation function based on the number of continuously differentiable times estimated in the estimating step;

and an interpolating step for performing a pixel interpolation processing in an edge area based on the interpolation function selected in the selecting step.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein, the number of continuously differentiable times is estimated based on a Lipchitz exponent of the edge position in the estimating feature.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the interpolation function is a Fluency function.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the interpolation function is selected based on whether the normal line angle of the edge is the closest to 0, 45, 90, or 135 degrees in the selecting step.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein,

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on the right and left sides, and an edge exists in any of these original pixels, the interpolation function is selected based on the number of continuously differentiable times or the Lipchitz exponent in these original pixels, when the normal line angle of the edge is closest to 0 degrees in the selecting step;

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on the upper and lower sides, and an edge exists in any of these original pixels, the interpolation function is selected based on the number of continuously differentiable times or the Lipchitz exponent in these original pixels, when the normal line angle of the edge is closest to 90 degrees in the selecting step;

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on the 45 degrees diagonal side, and an edge exists in any of these original pixels, the interpolation function is selected based on the number of continuously differentiable times or the Lipchitz exponent in these original pixels, when the normal line angle of the edge is closest to 135 degrees in the selecting step;

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on the 135 degrees diagonal side, and an edge exists in any of these original pixels, the interpolation function is selected based on the number of continuously differentiable times or the Lipchitz exponent in these original pixels, when the normal line angle of the edge is closest to 45 degrees in the selecting step.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the referring pixel for an interpolation processing is selected according to the direction of the original pixels sandwiching the interpolation pixel in the interpolating step.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein,

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on a right and left sides, the interpolation processing is performed referring to the original pixels on the right and left sides in the interpolating step,

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on an upper and lower sides, the interpolation processing is performed referring to the original pixels on the upper and lower sides in the interpolating step,

when the interpolation pixel is sandwiched by original pixels on an diagonal side, the interpolation processing is performed referring to the original pixels on the diagonal side in the interpolating step.

11. A computer program product usable with a programmable computer having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising computer program code for executing the steps of:

an edge detecting step for detecting an edge position from a digital image data;

an operating step for calculating a Lipchitz exponent at the edge position detected in the edge detecting step;

a selecting feature for selecting the interpolation function based on the Lipchitz exponent estimated in the estimating step; and

an interpolating step for performing a pixel interpolation processing in an edge area based on the interpolation function selected in the selecting step.