Device and method for improving picture quality

1. A picture quality improvement device,

said device having a two-dimensional low-pass filter for taking as input a luminance signal that is obtained from a video signal and extracting low-pass components of said input luminance signal for a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of an image that is displayed by means of said video signal; and

said device adding an edge signal, which is obtained by subtracting said low-pass components that are extracted by said two-dimensional low-pass filter from said luminance signal, to said luminance signal;

wherein said two-dimensional low-pass filter is constituted such that extracted gain of the low-pass component of the vertical direction and the extracted gain of the low-pass component of the horizontal direction can be individually adjusted according to a magnification of enlargement of said image; and

wherein said two-dimensional low-pass filter comprises:

a vertical low-pass filter for extracting a low-pass component of the vertical direction of an input luminance signal;

a vertical delay unit for receiving as input said input luminance signal that has been branched and delaying said input luminance signal that has been branched and received by a prescribed delay time interval;

a vertical gain adjustment means for obtaining, from the low-pass component of the vertical direction that has been extracted by said vertical low-pass filter and a delayed luminance signal that has been delayed by said vertical delay unit, a vertical low-pass component that has undergone gain adjustment to become a prescribed gain;

a horizontal low-pass filter for receiving as input a luminance signal that is outputted from said vertical gain adjustment means and from which said vertical low-pass component has been extracted and extracting a low-pass component of the horizontal direction of said input luminance signal;

a horizontal delay unit for receiving as input the luminance signal that is outputted from said vertical gain adjustment means and branched and delaying the input luminance signal that has been branched and received by a prescribed delay time interval; and

a horizontal gain adjustment means for obtaining, from the low-pass component of the horizontal direction that has been extracted by said horizontal low-pass filter and a delayed luminance signal that has been delayed by said horizontal delay unit, a horizontal low-pass component that has undergone gain adjustment to become a prescribed gain.

2. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 1 , wherein filter response characteristics of said vertical low-pass filter and said horizontal low-pass filter are fixed.

3. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 2 , wherein each of said vertical gain adjustment means and said horizontal gain adjustment means comprises:

a first multiplier for multiplying the low-pass component that has been extracted by said low-pass filter by α;

a second multiplier for multiplying a delayed luminance signal by (1−α); and

an adder for adding outputs of said first and second multipliers;

wherein a value of α is set between 0 and 1.

4. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said vertical gain adjustment means and said horizontal gain adjustment means comprises:

a first multiplier for multiplying an input luminance signal by α;

a second multiplier for multiplying the low-pass component that has been extracted by said low-pass filter by (1−α); and

an adder for adding outputs of said first and second multipliers;

wherein a value of α is set between 0 and 1.

5. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 1 , wherein delay elements that constitute said vertical delay unit are common to delay elements that constitute said vertical low-pass filter.

6. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 1 , wherein delay elements that constitute said horizontal delay unit are common to delay elements that constitute said horizontal low-pass filter.

7. A picture quality improvement device comprising:

a two-dimensional low-pass filter for taking as input a luminance signal that is obtained from a video signal and extracting low-pass components of said input luminance signal for a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of an image that is displayed by means of said video signal and wherein the gain of the extracted low-pass component of the vertical direction and the gain of the extracted low-pass component of the horizontal direction are independently adjusted, said two-dimensional low-pass filter comprising:

a vertical low-pass filter for extracting a low-pass component of the vertical direction of an input luminance signal;

a vertical delay unit for receiving as input said input luminance signal that has been branched and delaying said input luminance signal that has been branched and received by a prescribed delay time interval;

a vertical gain adjustment means for obtaining, from the low-pass component of the vertical direction that has been extracted by said vertical low-pass filter and a delayed luminance signal that has been delayed by said vertical delay unit, a vertical low-pass component that has undergone gain adjustment to become a prescribed gain;

a horizontal low-pass filter for receiving as input a luminance signal that is outputted from said vertical gain adjustment means and from which said vertical low-pass component has been extracted and extracting a low-pass component of the horizontal direction of said input luminance signal;

a horizontal delay unit for receiving as input the luminance signal that is outputted from said vertical gain adjustment means and branched and delaying the input luminance signal that has been branched and received by a prescribed delay time interval; and

a horizontal gain adjustment means for obtaining, from the low-pass component of the horizontal direction that has been extracted by said horizontal low-pass filter and a delayed luminance signal that has been delayed by said horizontal delay unit, a horizontal low-pass component that has undergone gain adjustment to become a prescribed gain; and

said device adding an edge signal, which is obtained by subtracting said low-pass components that are extracted by said two-dimensional low-pass filter from said luminance signal, to said luminance signal.

8. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 7 , wherein filter response characteristics of said vertical low-pass filter and said horizontal low-pass filter are fixed.

9. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 7 , wherein each of said vertical gain adjustment means and said horizontal gain adjustment means comprises:

a first multiplier for multiplying an input luminance signal by α;

a second multiplier for multiplying a delayed luminance signal by (1−α); and

an adder for adding outputs of said first and second multipliers;

wherein a value of α is set between 0 and 1.

10. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 8 , wherein each of said vertical gain adjustment means and said horizontal gain adjustment means comprises:

a first multiplier for multiplying an input luminance signal by α;

a second multiplier for multiplying a delayed luminance signal by (1−α); and

an adder for adding outputs of said first and second multipliers;

wherein a value of α is set between 0 and 1.

11. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 7 , wherein delay elements that constitute said vertical delay unit are common to delay elements that constitute said vertical low-pass filter.

12. A picture quality improvement device according to claim 7 , wherein delay elements that constitute said horizontal delay unit are common to delay elements that constitute said horizontal low-pass filter.

13. A picture quality improvement method, comprising:

a first step for extracting low-pass components of a luminance signal that is obtained from a video signal for each of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of an image that is displayed by means of said video signal thereby obtaining a low-pass extraction signal;

a second step for subtracting said low-pass extraction signal that was extracted in said first step from said luminance signal to obtain an edge signal and adding the obtained edge signal to said luminance signal; and

a third step for controlling individually extracted gain of the low-pass component of the vertical direction and extracted gain of the low-pass component of the horizontal direction according to a magnification of enlargement of said image,

wherein said third step comprises:

a step for obtaining a vertical low-pass component that has undergone gain adjustment to become a prescribed gain, from the extracted low-pass component of the vertical direction from said luminance signal and a first delayed luminance signal in which said luminance signal has been delayed by a prescribed delay time interval; and

a step for receiving as input a luminance signal from which said vertical low-pass component has been extracted; extracting a low-pass component of the horizontal direction of the input luminance signal; and obtaining, from the extracted horizontal direction low-pass component and a second delayed luminance signal in which said input luminance signal has been delayed by a prescribed delay time interval, a horizontal low-pass component that has undergone gain adjustment to become a prescribed gain.

14. A picture quality improvement method, comprising:

a first step for extracting low-pass components of a luminance signal that is obtained from a video signal for each of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of an image that is displayed by means of said video signal; and

a second step for subtracting a low-pass extraction signal that was extracted in said first step from said luminance signal to obtain an edge signal and adding the obtained edge signal to said luminance signal;

wherein extracted gain of the low-pass component of the vertical direction and extraction gain of the low-pass component of the horizontal direction in said first step are independently adjusted; and

wherein said first step comprises:

a step for extracting a low-pass component of the vertical direction of a luminance signal, and obtaining, from the extracted low-pass component of the vertical direction and a first delayed luminance signal in which said luminance signal has been delayed by a prescribed delay time interval, a vertical low-pass component that has undergone gain adjustment to become a prescribed gain; and

a step for receiving as input a luminance signal from which said vertical low-pass component has been extracted; extracting a low-pass component of the horizontal direction of the input luminance signal; and obtaining, from the extracted horizontal direction low-pass component and a second delayed luminance signal in which said input luminance signal has been delayed by a prescribed delay time interval, a horizontal low-pass component that has undergone gain adjustment to become a prescribed gain.