Image processing apparatus and method

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a first interpolating unit operable to generate a progressive interpolated signal by subjecting an input interlaced signal to an interpolation process;
• a correlation detecting unit operable to detect a correlation between pixels of adjacent scanning lines and a correlation between pixels of alternate scanning lines among a plurality of consecutive scanning lines including a scanning line to which a target pixel in the progressive interpolated signal belongs;
• and
• a replacing unit operable to replace the target pixel with a predetermined substitute signal if the correlation between the pixels of the alternate scanning lines is stronger than the correlation between the pixels of the adjacent scanning lines.

An image processing method for converting an interlaced signal into a progressive signal, the interlaced signal including a signal converted so as to be matched to a frame rate of an input video signal with original images arranged on a basis of a predetermined sequence as the video signal, the image processing method comprising:

• generating a progressive field-interpolated signal by interpolating a signal at a selected position corresponding to a scanning line to be interpolated in a present field, the signal at the selected position belonging to one of a field preceding the present field and a field succeeding the present field;
• determining whether a pixel in the field-interpolated signal forms a part of a double image of the field-interpolated signal;
• and
• replacing a pixel in the field-interpolated signal which forms a part of a double image in the field-interpolated signal with a predetermined substitute signal.

An image processing method, comprising:

• generating a progressive interpolated signal by subjecting an input interlaced signal to an interpolation process;
• detecting a correlation between pixels of adjacent scanning lines and a correlation between pixels of alternate scanning lines among a plurality of consecutive scanning lines including a scanning line to which a target pixel in the progressive interpolated signal belongs;
• and
• replacing the target pixel with a predetermined substitute signal if the correlation between the pixels of the alternate scanning lines is stronger than the correlation between the pixels of the adjacent scanning lines.