Anti-aliasing filter for subpixel down-sampling based on frequency analysis

Nowadays, digital pictures are usually captured at very high resolution ranged up to 12 mega-pixels. Limited by low-resolution display, we have to shrink the image. Signal processing theory tells us that optimal decimation requires low-pass filtering with a suitable cut-off frequency followed by down-sampling. In doing so, we need to remove lots of details. Subpixel-based down-sampling, taking advantage of the fact that each pixel on a color LCD is actually composed of individual red, green, and blue subpixel stripes, can provide apparent higher resolution. In this paper, we use frequency domain analysis to explain what happens in subpixel-based downsampling and why it is possible to achieve a higher apparent resolution. According to our frequency domain analysis and observation, the cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter for subpixel-based decimation can be effectively extended beyond the Nyquist frequency using a novel anti-aliasing filter. Experimental results verify that the proposed subpixel down-sampling scheme based on frequency analysis (SDSFA) can give superior results compared with existing pixel-based down-sampling methods.