INTERPOLATION METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FAST IMAGE MAGNIFICATION

Methods and apparatus for generating pixel values in a magnified destination image of an object are provided. The pixel values in the destination image are generated from a source image of the object. A value of a first pixel in each row of the destination image is determined by transforming the first pixel to a first resampled point in the source image and by vertical interpolation between vertically-aligned neighbor pixels to provide intermediate pixel values followed by horizontal interpolation between the intermediate pixel values to provide the value of the first pixel. Each subsequent pixel value that has the same neighbor pixels as a previous resampled point is determined by transforming the subsequent pixel to a subsequent resampled point and by a single horizontal interpolation between the intermediate pixel values of the previous resampled point. The value of each subsequent pixel in each row that has different neighbor pixels from the previous resampled point is determined by transforming the subsequent pixel to a subsequent resampled point and by a single vertical interpolation followed by a single horizontal interpolation to provide the value of the subsequent pixel.