1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for generating high-definition image data suitable for an output device used in image output.
2. Description of the Related Art
Moving images generated by a moving image generation device such as a digital video camera are constituted of a plurality of comparatively small-sized images (for example, frame images). Herein, the expression “image size” of an image means the number of pixels constituting the image. Size of an image is represented as Wx×Wy where Wx is the number of pixels in the horizontal direction of the image, and Wy is the number of pixels in the vertical direction.
A technology is known for using image data representing an source image composing such a moving image to generate high-definition image data representing a high-definition image higher in definition than the source image (e.g. JP2000-244851A). In the present specification, “high definition” or “high resolution” means a small pixel pitch, and “low definition” or “low resolution” means a large pixel pitch. With such technology, it is possible to arbitrarily set size of the high-definition image to be generated.
When a high-definition image generated using the above-mentioned technology is printed with a printer, if image size of the generated high-definition image differs from image size suited for printing with the printer determined somewhat from the printer's printing resolution, print medium size, or the like, image size conversion processing is carried out. When image size conversion processing is carried out at the time of printing with the printer, there is a tendency for the image quality of the print image to decrease due to interpolation processing and the like. There was thus the problem that size of the high-definition image to be generated might invite a decrease in image quality during printer output.
Such a problem is not limited to printing with a printer, but is common to cases where a high-definition image is outputted with an output device. Such a problem is also not limited to image data constituting moving images, but is common to cases where high-definition pixel data is generated from a plurality of image data.