A Block-Based Regularized Approach for Image Interpolation

This paper presents a new efficient algorithm for image interpolation based on regularization theory. To render a high-resolution (HR) image from a low-resolution (LR) image, classical interpolation techniques estimate the missing pixels from the surrounding pixels based on a pixel-by-pixel basis. In contrast, the proposed approach formulates the interpolation problem into the optimization of a cost function. The proposed cost function consists of a data fidelity term and regularization functional. The closed-form solution to the optimization problem is derived using the framework of constrained least squares minimization, by incorporating Kronecker product and singular value decomposition (SVD) to reduce the computational cost of the algorithm. The effect of regularization on the interpolation results is analyzed, and an adaptive strategy is proposed for selecting the regularization parameter. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is able to reconstruct high-fidelity HR images, while suppressing artifacts such as edge distortion and blurring, to produce superior interpolation results to that of conventional image interpolation techniques.