Phase local approximation (PhaseLa) technique for phase unwrap from noisy data.

The local polynomial approximation (LPA) is a nonparametric regression technique with pointwise estimation in a sliding window. We apply the LPA of the argument of cos and sin in order to estimate the absolute phase from noisy wrapped phase data. Using the intersection of confidence interval (HCI) algorithm, the window size is selected as adaptive pointwise varying. This adaptation gives the phase estimate with the accuracy close to optimal in the mean squared sense. For calculations, we use a Gauss-Newton recursive procedure initiated by the phase estimates obtained for the neighboring points. It enables tracking properties of the algorithm and its ability to go beyond the principal interval [-pi, pi] and to reconstruct the absolute phase from wrapped phase observations even when the magnitude of the phase difference takes quite large values. The algorithm demonstrates a very good accuracy of the phase reconstruction which on many occasion overcomes the accuracy of the state-of-the-art algorithms developed for noisy phase unwrap. The theoretical analysis produced for the accuracy of the pointwise estimates is used for justification of the HCI adaptation algorithm.     

Spatially Adaptive Estimation via Fitted Local Likelihood Techniques

This paper offers a new technique for spatially adaptive estimation. The local likelihood is exploited for nonparametric modeling of observations and estimated signals. The approach is based on the assumption of a local homogeneity of the signal: for every point there exists a neighborhood in which the signal can be well approximated by a constant. The fitted local likelihood statistics are used for selection of an adaptive size and shape of this neighborhood. The algorithm is developed for a quite general class of observations subject to the exponential distribution. The estimated signal can be uni- and multivariable. We demonstrate a good performance of the new algorithm for image denoising and compare the new method versus the intersection of confidence interval (ICI) technique that also exploits a selection of an adaptive neighborhood for estimation.     

Kernel density estimation with adaptive varying window size

A new method of kernel density estimation with a varying adaptive window size is proposed. It is based on the so-called intersection of confidence intervals (ICI) rule. Several examples of the proposed method are given for different types of densities and the quality of the adaptive density estimate is assessed by means of numerical simulations.     

Practical poissonian-gaussian noise modeling and fitting for single-image raw-data

We present a simple and usable noise model for the raw-data of digital imaging sensors. This signal-dependent noise model, which gives the pointwise standard-deviation of the noise as a function of the expectation of the pixel raw-data output, is composed of a Poissonian part, modeling the photon sensing, and Gaussian part, for the remaining stationary disturbances in the output data. We further explicitly take into account the clipping of the data (over- and under-exposure), faithfully reproducing the nonlinear response of the sensor. We propose an algorithm for the fully automatic estimation of the model parameters given a single noisy image. Experiments with synthetic images and with real raw-data from various sensors prove the practical applicability of the method and the accuracy of the proposed model.     

Lensless broadband diffractive imaging with improved depth of focus: wavefront modulation by multilevel phase masks

This paper introduces a novel lensless full colour diffractive computational imaging system with a planar Multilevel Phase Mask (MPM) as a diffractive optical element (DOE). The novelty concerns: a methodology of MPM design for improved depth of focus (DoF); design of PSFs for RGB imaging and an inverse imaging algorithm with sparse colour image modelling simultaneous for all RGB channels. MPMs are step-wise invariant. The cubic wavefront coding (WFC) is incorporated in MPMs with optimization of number of levels and width of invariant steps. This design of MPM makes the system robust with respect to defocus (improves DoF) and diminish chromatic aberrations typical for DOEs. Broadband multichannel test-images are exploited for design and testing of the lensless system. We consider two alternative optical setups: Wavelength Multiplexing (WM) and Wavelength Division (WD). In WM, the light beam is broadband multichannel with light sources radiating all wavelengths simultaneously and a CMOS sensor is equipped with a Bayer colour filter array (CFA) for registration of spectral measurements. In this setup, a single MPM is designed for the broadband multichannel light beams. In WD, separate exposures of RGB channels are registered by a broadband grey-scale CCD sensor. Different MPMs are designed for each of the RGB channels. Simulation experiments demonstrate the essentially extended DoF of the designed lensless systems and the advanced accuracy and quality of imaging with respect to the corresponding WM and WD systems with refractive lenses. Due to robustness of the designed lensless system to chromatic aberrations, this advantage has a place even with respect to the lens-system.     

BM3D frames and variational image deblurring

A family of the block matching 3-D (BM3D) algorithms for various imaging problems has been recently proposed within the framework of nonlocal patchwise image modeling , . In this paper, we construct analysis and synthesis frames, formalizing BM3D image modeling, and use these frames to develop novel iterative deblurring algorithms. We consider two different formulations of the deblurring problem, i.e., one given by the minimization of the single-objective function and another based on the generalized Nash equilibrium (GNE) balance of two objective functions. The latter results in the algorithm where deblurring and denoising operations are decoupled. The convergence of the developed algorithms is proved. Simulation experiments show that the decoupled algorithm derived from the GNE formulation demonstrates the best numerical and visual results and shows superiority with respect to the state of the art in the field, confirming a valuable potential of BM3D-frames as an advanced image modeling tool.     

System modeling and signal processing for a switch antenna array radar

A system composed of a single transmitter, M receiving antennas, and a single receiving channel is studied. Echo radar signals are acquired in a number of the cycles and used for estimation of the angle, velocity, and range in a multiple moving target scenario. The receiving antennas are switched to the single receiving channel periodically once every cycle. The developed algorithms are based on minimum variance (Capon) beamforming. A new nonstationary version of Capon beamforming is developed for the time-varying steering vector model. It is shown in simulations done for an automotive scenario that the proposed algorithms yield very good performance in terms of both estimation accuracy and multiple-target resolution. The Capon-based estimation gives results close to the corresponding Crame/spl acute/r-Rao lower bounds (CRLBs).     

Phase retrieval via spatial light modulator phase modulation in 4f optical setup: numerical inverse imaging with sparse regularization for phase and amplitude

The 4f optical setup is considered with a wave field modulation by a spatial light modulator located in the focal plane of the first lens. Phase as well as amplitude of the wave field are reconstructed from noisy multiple-intensity observations. The reconstruction is optimal due to a constrained maximum likelihood formulation of the problem. The proposed algorithm is iterative with decoupling of the inverse of the forward propagation of the wave field and the filtering of phase and amplitude. The sparse modeling of phase and amplitude enables the advanced high-accuracy filtering and sharp imaging of the complex-valued wave field. Artifacts typical for the conventional algorithms (wiggles, ringing, waves, etc.) and attributed to optical diffraction can be suppressed by the proposed algorithm.