Image processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and program

1. An image processing apparatus for generating an interpolation frame to be inserted between a first frame and a second frame of a moving picture contiguous with each other, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a repetitive pattern detection section configured to detect whether a repetitive pattern is present in at least one of the first and second frames;

a motion vector calculation section configured to calculate a motion vector of an object in the first and second frames; and

an interpolation frame generation section configured to compare a repetition cycle of the repetitive pattern in a first direction with a magnitude of the motion vector in the first direction so as to generate the interpolation frame through a process performed based on a result of the comparison.

2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interpolation frame generation section configured to generate, as the interpolation frame, a frame representing a transitional state between the first and second frames defined based on the motion vector if the magnitude of the motion vector in the first direction is less than a threshold value defined based on the repetition cycle of the repetitive pattern in the first direction, and otherwise generate, as the interpolation frame, a frame that is less dependent on the motion vector than the frame representing the transitional state.

3. The image processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the threshold value is set to be the same value as the repetition cycle of the repetitive pattern in the first direction.

4. The image processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the interpolation frame generation section is configured to generate, as the interpolation frame, a frame obtained through a process including an arithmetic mean between the first and second frames if the magnitude of the motion vector in the first direction is greater than the threshold value.

5. The image processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the interpolation frame generation section is configured to generate, as the interpolation frame, a synthetic frame between the frame representing the transitional state and a frame obtained by an arithmetic mean between the first and second frames if the magnitude of the motion vector in the first direction is greater than the threshold value.

6. The image processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the interpolation frame generation section is configured to generate the synthetic frame by synthesizing together the frame representing the transitional state and the frame obtained by an arithmetic mean between the first and second frames at a ratio which changes depending on the magnitude of the motion vector in the first direction if the magnitude of the motion vector in the first direction is greater than the threshold value.

7. The image processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the interpolation frame generation section is configured to use the first frame or the second frame as the interpolation frame if the magnitude of the motion vector in the first direction is greater than the threshold value.

8. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interpolation frame generation section is configured to further compare a repetition cycle of the repetitive pattern in a second direction different from the first direction with a magnitude of the motion vector in the second direction so as to generate the interpolation frame based on a result of the comparison.

9. The image processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first direction is a horizontal direction of an image represented by each frame, and the second direction is a vertical direction of an image represented by each frame.

10. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the motion vector calculation section is configured to divide each of the first and second frames into a plurality of portions, and performs a matching operation between the first and second frames for each of the divided portions to calculate the motion vector for the portion; and

the interpolation frame generation section is configured to generate the interpolation frame based on the calculated motion vector for each of the portions.

11. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

the image processing apparatus of claim 1 ; and

an image capturing section configured to generate data of a moving picture including the first and second frames through an image capturing operation.

12. A computer program, stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, to be executed by a computer mounted in an image processing apparatus for generating an interpolation frame to be inserted between a first frame and a second frame of a moving picture contiguous with each other, the program instructing the computer to execute the steps of:

detecting whether a repetitive pattern is present in at least one of the first and second frames;

calculating a motion vector of an object in the first and second frames;

comparing a repetition cycle of the repetitive pattern in a first direction with a magnitude of the motion vector in the first direction; and

generating the interpolation frame through a process performed based on a result of the comparison.