Pixel interpolation apparatus and method thereof

1. A pixel interpolation apparatus, comprising:

a first line buffer for storing pixel data of a first real pixel row;

a second line buffer for storing pixel data of a second real pixel row;

a block matching unit, coupled to the first line buffer and the second line buffer, for generating a plurality of first macroblocks on the first real pixel row, generating corresponding second macroblocks on the second real pixel row and performing block matching to find a minimum block difference and a detected direction of a target pixel belonging to a first interpolated pixel row;

an interpolation operation unit, coupled to the block matching unit and the first and second line buffers, for generating the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row and the detected direction; and

an analyzing unit, coupled to the block matching unit and the interpolation operation unit, for:

judging the detected direction to generate a direction type and analyzing direction types of the target pixel and pixels neighboring the target pixel to generate an indication label; and

analyzing the detected direction of the target pixel and detected directions of the pixels neighboring the target pixel to generate an interpolation direction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the analyzing unit further comprises a memory for storing the indication label.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the interpolation operation unit generates a first weighting coefficient according to the minimum block difference, and generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row, the interpolation direction and the first weighting coefficient.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the interpolation operation unit generates a second weighting coefficient according to the indication label of the target pixel, indication labels of the pixels neighboring the target pixel, and indication labels of pixels of an interpolated second interpolated pixel row, and generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row, the interpolation direction and the second weighting coefficient.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the interpolation operation unit generates a first weighting coefficient according to the minimum block difference, and generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row, the first and second weighting coefficients and the interpolation direction.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the interpolation operation unit generates a third weighting coefficient according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row and the pixel data of the second real pixel row, and generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row, the third weighting coefficient and the interpolation direction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the interpolation operation unit generates a first weighting coefficient according to the minimum block difference, and generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row, the first and third weighting coefficients and the interpolation direction.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the interpolation operation unit generates a second weighting coefficient according to the indication label of the target pixel, indication labels of the pixels neighboring the target pixel, and indication labels of pixels of an interpolated second interpolated pixel row, and generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row, the interpolation direction and the second and third weighting coefficients.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the interpolation operation unit generates a first weighting coefficient according to the minimum block difference, and generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row, the first, the second, the third weighting coefficients and the interpolation direction.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the analyzing unit further analyzes the indication label of the target pixel and indication labels of the pixels neighboring the target pixel to determine whether to set the detected direction of the target pixel as a specific direction or not before the interpolation direction is generated.

11. A pixel interpolation method, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a plurality of first macroblocks and a plurality of second macroblocks according to pixel data of a first real pixel row and pixel data of a second real pixel row, respectively;

(b) performing block matching on the first and second macroblocks to find a minimum block difference and a detected direction of a target pixel belonging to a first interpolated pixel row;

(c) generating the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row, the pixel data of the second real pixel row and the detected direction;

(e) judging the detected direction to generate a direction type and analyzing direction types of the target pixel and the pixels neighboring the target pixel to generate and storing an indication label; and

(f) analyzing the detected direction of the target pixel and detected directions of the pixels neighboring the target pixel to generate an interpolation direction.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of: (d) generating a first weighting coefficient according to the minimum block difference, wherein the step (c) generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation further according to the first weighting coefficient and the interpolation direction.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of: (g) generating a second weighting coefficient according to the indication label of the target pixel, indication labels of the pixels neighboring the target pixel and indication labels of pixels of an interpolated second interpolated pixel row, wherein the step (c) generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation further according to the second weighting coefficient and the interpolation direction.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:

(d) generating a first weighting coefficient according to the minimum block difference, wherein the step (c) generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation further according to the first weighting coefficient.

15. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of: (h) generating a third weighting coefficient according to the pixel data of the first real pixel row and the pixel data of the second real pixel row, wherein the step (c) generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation further according to the third weighting coefficient and the interpolation direction.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

(d) generating a first weighting coefficient according to the minimum block difference, wherein the step (c) generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation further according to the first weighting coefficient.

17. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

(g) generating a second weighting coefficient according to the indication label of the target pixel, indication labels of the pixels neighboring the target pixel, and indication labels of pixels of an interpolated second interpolated pixel row, wherein the step (c) generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation further according to the second weighting coefficient.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising the step of:

(d) generating a first weighting coefficient according to the minimum block difference, wherein the step (c) generates the target pixel of the first interpolated pixel row by way of interpolation further according to the first weighting coefficient.

19. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of:

(e′) analyzing, before the interpolation direction is generated, the indication label of the target pixel and indication labels of the pixels neighboring the target pixel to determine whether to set the detected direction of the target pixel as a specific direction.

20. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first macroblocks and the second macroblocks comprise the same number of pieces of pixel data.