Image processing apparatus and method

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a selector to select, from a plurality of sub-pixels included in a first pixel, a sub-pixel to receive an anti-aliasing process;
• and
• a processor to calculate a color value of the first pixel by the anti-aliasing process with respect to the selected sub-pixel,
• wherein the selector performs ray tracing with respect to the first pixel and eight neighboring pixels adjacent to the first pixel using a single ray, to calculate an initial color value and a characteristic value of each of the first pixel and the eight neighboring pixels,
• wherein the selector performs additional ray tracing on the plurality of the sub-pixels,
• wherein the selector compares the characteristic value of the first pixel with the characteristic value of each of the eight neighboring pixels to select, from the plurality of sub-pixels included in the first pixel, the sub-pixel to receive the anti-aliasing process,
• wherein the characteristic value is a basic reference value used to determine whether each pixel is close to a boundary between objects, and
• wherein the additional ray tracing is performed a different number of times with respect to each of the plurality of sub-pixels.

An image processing method, comprising:

• determining, from a plurality of sub-pixels included in a first pixel, which sub-pixels of the plurality of sub-pixels should receive an anti-aliasing process;
• and
• calculating, using at least one processing device, a color value of the first pixel by performing the anti-aliasing process with respect to a selected sub-pixel of the first pixel having been determined to receive the anti-aliasing process,
• performing, using a selector, ray tracing with respect to the first pixel and neighboring pixels adjacent to the first pixel using a single ray, to calculate an initial color value and a characteristic value, and
• performing, using the selector, additional ray tracing on the plurality of sub-pixels,
• wherein the additional ray tracing is performed a different number of times with respect to each of the plurality of sub-pixels,
• wherein the anti-aliasing process of the selected sub-pixel of the first pixel includes performing ray-tracing a plurality of times with respect to the selected sub-pixel based on the determining,
• wherein the determining which sub-pixels of the plurality of sub-pixels should receive the anti-aliasing process is based on a comparison of the first pixel with surrounding pixels using the initial color value and the characteristic value of each of the first pixel and surrounding pixels, and
• wherein the characteristic value is a basic reference value used to determine whether each pixel is close to a boundary between objects.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a selector to determine, from a plurality of sub-pixels included in a first pixel, respectively which sub-pixels of the first pixel receive an anti-aliasing process;
• and
• a processor to calculate a color value of the first pixel based on anti-aliased sub-pixels and non-anti-aliased sub-pixels of the first pixel, as determined by the selector,
• wherein the selector determines which of the sub-pixels of the first pixel should receive the anti-aliasing process based on comparisons of a calculated characteristic value of the first pixel and calculated characteristic values of at least respectively different pixels surrounding the first pixel for each comparison, and
• wherein the characteristic value is a basic reference value used to determine whether each pixel is close to a boundary between objects,
• wherein the selector performs ray tracing with respect to the first pixel and neighboring pixels adjacent to the first pixel using a single ray, to calculate an initial color value and the characteristic value, and performs additional ray tracing on the plurality of sub-pixels,
• wherein the additional ray tracing is performed a different number of times with respect to each of the plurality of sub-pixels.

An image processing method, comprising:

• determining, from a plurality of sub-pixels included in a first pixel, respectively which sub-pixels of the first pixel receive the anti-aliasing process, the determining being based on comparisons of a calculated characteristic value of the first pixel and calculated characteristic values of at least respectively different pixels surrounding the first pixel for each comparison;
• and
• calculating a color value of the first pixel based on anti-aliased sub-pixels, performed based upon the determining, and non-anti-aliased sub-pixels of the first pixel,
• performing, using a selector, ray tracing with respect to the first pixel and neighboring pixels adjacent to the first pixel using a single ray, to calculate an initial color value and the characteristic value, and
• performing, using the selector, additional ray tracing on the plurality of sub-pixels,
• wherein the additional ray tracing is performed a different number of times with respect to each of the plurality of sub-pixels, and
• wherein the characteristic value is a basic reference value used to determine whether each pixel is close to a boundary between objects.