Patent EP0645736A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0645736A2
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EP
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Image processing apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1994-09-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-09-26
Abstract
Abstract An image processing apparatus for converting low-resolution information to high-resolution information and increasing the number of pixels of input image information by a factor of (N × M) includes interpolating unit for interpolating one pixel of low-resolution information to (N × M) pixels, quantizing unit for quantizing, to n values (n ≧ 2), image information within a block of (N × M) pixels after interpolation by the interpolating unit corresponding to a low-resolution pixel of interest, and arithmetic unit for summing and combining, at a set allocation ratio, information quantized by the quantizing unit and interpolated information from the interpolating unit, thereby making it possible to convert a low-resolution image to a high-resolution image and to obtain a high picture quality.
Inventors
- 👤 Nobutaka Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Miyake
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:01
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T3/00; G06T3/40; G06T3/403
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
An image processing apparatus for converting low-resolution information to high-resolution information and increasing the number of pixels of input image information, comprising: interpolating means for interpolating one pixel of low-resolution information to plural pixels; quantizing means for quantizing, to n values (n ≧ 2), image information within a block of plural pixels after interpolation by said interpolating means corresponding to a low-resolution pixel of interest; and arithmetic means for summing and combining, at a set allocation ratio, information quantized by said quantizing means and interpolated information from said interpolating means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a quantization representative after quantization by said quantizing means in said arithmetic means is calculated from peripheral pixels of the low-resolution pixel of interest.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when said quantization is binarization, maximum and minimum values in a group of peripheral pixels are allocated to a quantization representative of binarization.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
35 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein a threshold value at the time of quantization in said quantizing means is calculated from peripheral pixels of the low-resolution pixel of interest.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said quantization is binarization, a binarization threshold value is the average of the maximum and minimum values.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
33 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the allocation ratio in said arithmetic means is decided by width of pixel values peripheral to the low-resolution pixel of interest.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
36 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the allocation ratio in said arithmetic means is decided by a change in width of pixel values peripheral to the low-resolution pixel of interest.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
36 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein size of a referential area peripheral to the low-resolution pixel of interest which decides the allocation ratio in said arithmetic means is made variable.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
36 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 8, wherein size of a referential area peripheral to the low-resolution pixel of interest which decides the quantization representative in said arithmetic means is made variable.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
39 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 9, wherein size of a referential area peripheral to the low-resolution pixel of interest which decides quantization conditions such as threshold value in said quantizing means is made variable.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
An image processing apparatus for converting low-resolution information to high-resolution information and increasing the number of pixels of input image information, comprising: smoothing means for smoothing the low-resolution information; interpolating means for interpolating one pixel of low-resolution information to plural pixels; and quantizing means for quantizing, to n values (n ≧ 2), image information within a block of plural pixels after interpolation corresponding to a low-resolution pixel of interest.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising subsampling means for subsampling high-resolution information after quantization; wherein processing by said smoothing means, said interpolating means and said quantizing means is each repeatedly executed a plurality of times.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the number repetitions is controlled based upon a comparison between an image which has undergone repetitive processing and an unprocessed image.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
33 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 through 13, wherein smoothing processing by said smoothing means is changed over adaptively based upon pixel values peripheral to the low-resolution pixel of interest.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein smoothing processing by said smoothing means is changed over in dependence upon the number of repetitions.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
49 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 through 15, wherein the quantizing means quantizes pixel values peripheral to the pixel of interest to n values (n ≧ 2); wherein smoothing conditions of said smoothing means are changed over by a pattern after quantization by said quantizing means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said interpolating means performs interpolation processing by linear interpolation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
88 words
An image processing apparatus for enlarging a low-resolution pixel of interest to a block of plural pixels and converting a low-resolution image to a high-resolution image, comprising: detecting means for detecting first and second values from peripheral pixels of the pixel of interest; deciding means for deciding an allocation ratio at which the first and second values detected by said detecting means are placed inside the block; and placing means for placing the first and second values in dependence upon the allocation ratio decided by said deciding means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said deciding means decides an area ratio of all first and second values to be placed inside the block as well as the numbers of pixels so as to preserve the density of the pixel of interest.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising: interpolating means for interpolating low-resolution pixels; and sorting means for sorting pixels interpolated by said interpolating means; said placing means placing the first and second values at pixels, which have been sorted by said sorting means, in dependence upon the area ratio and numbers of pixels.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said placing means places the first and second values inside the block depending upon size relationship and ratio between the peripheral pixels.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said placing means calculates a corner having the largest value among four corners surrounding the pixels of interest and places the first and second values inside the block depending upon the ratio between pixels neighboring said corner on both sides thereof.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said placing means places the first and second values inside the block depending upon the ratio between pixels above the pixel of interest and or the ratio between pixels to the left and right of the pixel of interest.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
63 words
An image processing apparatus for enlarging a low-resolution pixel of interest to a block of plural pixels and converting a low-resolution image to a high-resolution image, comprising: detecting means for detecting first and second values from peripheral pixels of the pixel of interest; placing means for placing the first and second values inside the block; and smoothing means for smoothing information after placement.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
57 words
An image processing apparatus for converting low-resolution information to high-resolution information and enlarging one pixel to (N × M) pixels, comprising: means for forming low-resolution information into (W × h) pixel units; and means for partitioning the interior of a block of [(w × N) × (h × M)] pixel units to be resolution-converted into binary values.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the binary values allocate maximum and minimum values of a group of peripheral pixels of the block.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein when window size of the group of peripheral pixels is w' pixels horizontally and h' pixels vertically, w≦w' and h≦h' hold with respect to a block of interest of w pixels horizontally and h pixels vertically.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
74 words
The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising: means for calculating an area ratio a which satisfies Dav = aA + (1-a)B (0≦a≦1) based upon binary values A, B detected from the window; and means for substituting A into (a × w × N × h × M) pixels and B into [(1-a) × w × N × h × M] pixels inside a block of corresponding [(w × N) × (h × M)].
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising: means for linearly interpolating low-resolution information; sorting means for sorting linearly interpolated information inside the block of interest; and means for situating the value of A for (a × w × N × h × M) pixels in descending order of pixel values and situating the value of B for other pixels (where A≦B holds and a is the surface ratio of A).
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein linearly interpolated information inside a block of [(w × N) × (h × M)] pixels is binarized using an average value of the maximum and minimum values as a threshold value.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein items of information partitioned into binary values and items of linearly interpolated information are added, based upon a certain allocation ration, in block units of [(w × N) × (h × M)] pixels.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
23 words
Image processing apparatus comprising means for interpolating pixels into image data, and means for selectively quantizing blocks of pixel data including interpolated pixels.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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