A fast and efficient color image enhancement method based on fuzzy-logic and histogram

A new fuzzy logic and histogram based algorithm for enhancing low contrast color images has been proposed here. The method is computationally fast compared to conventional and other advanced enhancement techniques. It is based on two important parameters M and K, where M is the average intensity value of the image, calculated from the histogram and K is the contrast intensification parameter. The given RGB image is converted into HSV color space to preserve the chromatic information contained in the original image. To enhance the image, only the V component is stretched under the control of the parameters M and K. The proposed method has been compared with conventional contrast enhancement techniques as well as with advanced algorithms. All the above techniques were based on the principle of transforming the skewed histogram of the original image into a uniform histogram. The performance of the different contrast enhancement algorithms are evaluated based on the visual quality, Tenengrad, CII and the computational time. The inter comparison of different techniques was carried out on different low contrast color images. Based on the performance analysis, we advocate that our proposed Fuzzy Logic method is well suited for contrast enhancement of low contrast color images.     

Gray-level grouping (GLG): an automatic method for optimized image contrast enhancement--Part II: the variations.

This is Part II of the paper, "Gray-Level Grouping (GLG): an Automatic Method for Optimized Image Contrast Enhancement". Part I of this paper introduced a new automatic contrast enhancement technique: gray-level grouping (GLG). GLG is a general and powerful technique, which can be conveniently applied to a broad variety of low-contrast images and outperforms conventional contrast enhancement techniques. However, the basic GLG method still has limitations and cannot enhance certain classes of low-contrast images well, e.g., images with a noisy background. The basic GLG also cannot fulfill certain special application purposes, e.g., enhancing only part of an image which corresponds to a certain segment of the image histogram. In order to break through these limitations, this paper introduces an extension of the basic GLG algorithm, selective gray-level grouping (SGLG), which groups the histogram components in different segments of the grayscale using different criteria and, hence, is able to enhance different parts of the histogram to various extents. This paper also introduces two new preprocessing methods to eliminate background noise in noisy low-contrast images so that such images can be properly enhanced by the (S)GLG technique. The extension of (S)GLG to color images is also discussed in this paper. SGLG and its variations extend the capability of the basic GLG to a larger variety of low-contrast images, and can fulfill special application requirements. SGLG and its variations not only produce results superior to conventional contrast enhancement techniques, but are also fully automatic under most circumstances, and are applicable to a broad variety of images.     

Gray-level grouping (GLG): an automatic method for optimized image contrast enhancement--Part I: the basic method.

Contrast enhancement has an important role in image processing applications. Conventional contrast enhancement techniques either often fail to produce satisfactory results for a broad variety of low-contrast images, or cannot be automatically applied to different images, because their parameters must be specified manually to produce a satisfactory result for a given image. This paper describes a new automatic method for contrast enhancement. The basic procedure is to first group the histogram components of a low-contrast image into a proper number of bins according to a selected criterion, then redistribute these bins uniformly over the grayscale, and finally ungroup the previously grouped gray-levels. Accordingly, this new technique is named gray-level grouping (GLG). GLG not only produces results superior to conventional contrast enhancement techniques, but is also fully automatic in most circumstances, and is applicable to a broad variety of images. An extension of GLG, selective GLG (SGLG), and its variations will be discussed in Part II of this paper. SGLG selectively groups and ungroups histogram components to achieve specific application purposes, such as eliminating background noise, enhancing a specific segment of the histogram, and so on. The extension of GLG to color images will also be discussed in Part II.     

低对比度图像增强算法研究

低对比度图像具有灰度范围较窄、相邻像素的空间相关性高、灰度变化不明显等特点.文中对低对比度图像的增强问题进行研究,分析了传统增强算法对比度增强的实质和进行低对比度增强时存在的问题,针对存在的问题,在对图像二维直方图特性研究的基础上提出一种有效的解决方法,并通过实验证明了算法的有效性.     

基于分段直方图的图像对比度增强算法

在研究了图像基于灰度直方图的对比度增强算法基础上,提出一种对灰度直方图分段进行处理的技术。传统的基于图像直方图的对比度增强技术像直方图均衡化(HE)和灰度线性变换(LGT),在提高图像对比度的同时,灰度级也因此减少,导致图像中目标的不清晰,为后续图像处理带来麻烦。文中提出的分段直方图技术可避免此类问题产生。用阈值分割的方法将图像灰度直方图分为目标段、过渡段、背景段分别进行处理、再融合。该技术可以做到处理后的图像的灰度级依旧会分布整个0~255灰度区间,从而完整地保留了图像中目标和背景的细节特征,避免了灰度级合并带来的图像不生动、视觉效果差的问题,具有可操作性和细节完整的优越性。     

Contrast enhancement by modified octagon histogram equalization

Histogram equalization is the common method used for contrast enhancement. The mean brightness of the image is adjusted to middle of the permitted range and hence is not suitable for consumer electronics products. A novel contrast enhancement method using modified octagon histogram equalization is developed to overcome the drawback of conventional technique for gray scale images. The proposed algorithm is applied for boat image, microstructure of steel and human head. The contrast enhanced out of the images mentioned is obtained, and the efficiency of the algorithm is evaluated. Simulation results shows that the proposed method can enhance the different types of images effectively. Besides, the proposed contrast enhancement method using modified octagon histogram equalization has comparable performance with black and white stretching and adaptive histogram equalization.     

Underlay Device to Device Communication with Imperfect Interference Channel Knowledge

The objective of any night vision system is to enable a person to see in the dark. A low-contrast image puts a contrast constraint on the human observer visibility at night. This is the basic reason for the large number of accidents at night. This research presents two proposed approaches to enhance the visibility of the infrared (IR) night vision images through an efficient histogram processing. The first approach is based on contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization. The second proposed approach depends on histogram matching. The histogram matching uses a reference visual image for converting night vision images into good quality images. The obtained results are evaluated with quality metrics such as entropy, average gradient, contrast improvement factor and sobel edge magnitude.     

A robust approach to image enhancement based on fuzzy logic

In this paper, we propose a robust approach to image enhancement based on fuzzy logic that addresses the seemingly conflicting goals of image enhancement: (i) removing impulse noise, (ii) smoothing out nonimpulse noise, and (iii) enhancing (or preserving) edges and certain other salient structures. We derive three different filters for each of the above three tasks using the weighted (or fuzzy) least squares (LS) method, and define the criteria for selecting each of the three filters. The criteria are based on the local context, and they constitute the antecedent clauses of the fuzzy rules. The overall result of the fuzzy rule-based system is the combination of the results of the individual filters, where each result contributes to the degree that the corresponding antecedent clause is satisfied. This approach gives us a powerful and flexible image enhancement paradigm. Results of the proposed method on several types of images are compared with those of other standard techniques.     

指纹图像对比度模糊增强算法

指纹图像采集过程常会造成对比度不强等非线性失真,基于模糊逻辑的处理方法常用于改善指纹图像质量。研究了模糊特征平面增强算法和基于广义模糊算子的图像增强算法,将两种算法应用于指纹图像对比度增强,并对增强结果进行比较分析。实验结果表明,采用这2种方法均可以在一定程度上提高指纹图像低灰度区域和高灰度区域之间的对比度,从而提高图像的质量,使增强后的指纹图像结构更清晰。     

结合自适应窗口的二维直方图图像增强

针对成像过程中因各种因素导致图像细节和纹理表现不明显的问题,结合Turgay Celik 的二维直方图理论,提出了具有自适应动态窗口的二维直方图图像增强方法。该方法在考虑图像纹理和细节信息的基础上,分析了二维直方图与图像纹理信息的关系特性和固定窗口的弊端,采用基于平均梯度法建立以与区域特性相适应的窗口为单位的二维直方图,将其累积分布与理想分布进行比较优化,实现增强。通过大量实验对比表明,该方法克服固定窗口造成的适应性差、易出现过增强和局部被弱化等问题,其处理后的图像细节丰富,纹理突出,具有更好的视觉效果和工程应用价值。     

Automatic Histogram Threshold Using Fuzzy Measures

In this paper, an automatic histogram threshold approach based on a fuzziness measure is presented. This work is an improvement of an existing method. Using fuzzy logic concepts, the problems involved in finding the minimum of a criterion function are avoided. Similarity between gray levels is the key to find an optimal threshold. Two initial regions of gray levels, located at the boundaries of the histogram, are defined. Then, using an index of fuzziness, a similarity process is started to find the threshold point. A significant contrast between objects and background is assumed. Previous histogram equalization is used in small contrast images. No prior knowledge of the image is required.     

一种基于小波变换的图像增强方法

针对部分灰度图像分辨率和对比度低、噪声大、视觉特性差等特点,提出了一种基于小波变换和直方图均衡的新的图像增强方法。该方法将小波变换的多尺度、多分辨率的特点和直方图均衡化的方法相结合,同时再辅以中值滤波去噪和同态滤波增强,从而在很大程度上克服了单一的直方图均衡化进行图像增强时会丢失图像细节信息、增强图像噪声等的不足。实验结果验证文中方法对图像的分辨率和对比度增强有很好的效果。     

Image contrast enhancement using geometric mean filter

Histogram equalization HE is one of the most popular methods for image contrast enhancement. However, the intensity of the input image plays an important role on its performance. In particular, HE fails to enhance images with a dominant color. Therefore, several techniques were proposed to tackle this problem. Some are built for brightness preservation, and others aim to maximize the preservation of structural information. In this paper, we propose an efficient HE enhancement technique that is not only addresses brightness preservation but also both edge and structural information preservation. The proposed technique investigates the geometric mean filter for smoothing the peaks in the histogram before applying the HE. To support our claims, a set of experiments were conducted. Remarkably, through qualitative and quantitative evaluations, results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed method, when compared with a set of other state-of-the-art methods including HE, CLAHE, Log-Power, BPDFHE and DWT–SVD, shows a significant improvement especially in terms of structural and edge preservation.     

基于改进直方图均衡化和SSR算法的灰度图像增强研究

为了提高偏亮和偏暗图像的增强效果,提出了一种改进的直方图均衡化和SSR算法相结合的灰度图像增强方法.对原始图像进行改进直方图均衡化增强,提取低频分量进行直方图均衡化,与高频分量融合;对原始图像进行SSR算法增强;将得到的2个图像进行加权融合.结果表明:新方法得到的图像比原始图像细节特征突出,视觉效果明显改善;对比度和信息熵得到提高、亮度得到调整.在医学X射线图像上验证了其可行性,与其他增强算法相比,新方法更有利于图像的准确分析.     

Automatic Contrast Enhancement by Transfer Function Modification

In this study, we propose an automatic contrast enhancement method based on transfer function modification (TFM) by histogram equalization. Previous histogram‐based global contrast enhancement techniques employ histogram modification, whereas we propose a direct TFM technique that considers the mean brightness of an image during contrast enhancement. The mean point shifting method using a transfer function is proposed to preserve the mean brightness of an image. In addition, the linearization of transfer function technique, which has a histogram flattening effect, is designed to reduce visual artifacts. An attenuation factor is automatically determined using the maximum value of the probability density function in an image to control its rate of contrast. A new quantitative measurement method called sparsity of a histogram is proposed to obtain a better objective comparison relative to previous global contrast enhancement methods. According to our experimental results, we demonstrated the performance of our proposed method based on generalized measures and the newly proposed measurement.     

基于改进直方图均衡的红外图像对比度增强算法

针对红外图像灰度分布集中、对比度低的特征,提出了一种基于改进直方图均衡的对比度增强算法。首先采用线性对比度增强将原始16位红外图像映射到8位图像A;然后采用改进的平台直方图均衡将原始16位红外图像映射到8位图像B;再根据输入图像的灰度级范围动态确定映射图像A和B的权值;最后以确定的权值将映射图像A和B合并,得到最终对比度增强的图像。该方法克服了传统平台直方图均衡算法噪声过大及亮度突变的缺点,动态结合了传统的灰度变换增强算法,能根据全图目标与背景灰度的分布情况自适应调整对比度。实验表明,该算法在增强目标对比度的同时有效保留了图像的整体信息,改善了视觉效果。     

A Histogram Modification Framework and Its Application for Image Contrast Enhancement

A general framework based on histogram equalization for image contrast enhancement is presented. In this framework, contrast enhancement is posed as an optimization problem that minimizes a cost function. Histogram equalization is an effective technique for contrast enhancement. However, a conventional histogram equalization (HE) usually results in excessive contrast enhancement, which in turn gives the processed image an unnatural look and creates visual artifacts. By introducing specifically designed penalty terms, the level of contrast enhancement can be adjusted; noise robustness, white/black stretching and mean-brightness preservation may easily be incorporated into the optimization. Analytic solutions for some of the important criteria are presented. Finally, a low-complexity algorithm for contrast enhancement is presented, and its performance is demonstrated against a recently proposed method.      

Contrast enhancement using feature-preserving bi-histogram equalization

A new contrast enhancement algorithm is proposed, which is based on the fact that, for conventional histogram equalization, a uniform input histogram produces an equalized output histogram. Hence before applying histogram equalization, we modify the input histogram in such a way that it is close to a uniform histogram as well as the original one. Thus, the proposed method can improve the contrast while preserving original image features. The main steps of the new algorithm are adaptive gamma transform, exposure-based histogram splitting, and histogram addition. The object of gamma transform is to restrain histogram spikes to avoid over-enhancement and noise artifacts effect. Histogram splitting is for preserving mean brightness, and histogram addition is used to control histogram pits. Extensive experiments are conducted on 300 test images. The results are evaluated subjectively as well as by DE, PSNR EBCM, GMSD, and MCSD metrics, on which, except for the PSNR, the proposed algorithm has some improvements of 2.89, 9.83, 28.32, and 26.38% over the second best ESIHE algorithm, respectively. That is to say, the overall image quality is better.     

Comparison of low-contrast detail perception on storage phosphor radiographs and digital flat panel detector images

A contrast detail analysis was performed to compare perception of low-contrast details on X-ray images derived from digital storage phosphor radiography and from a flat panel detector system based on a cesium iodide/amorphous silicon matrix. The CDRAD 2.0 phantom was used to perform a comparative contrast detail analysis of a clinical storage phosphor radiography system and an indirect type digital flat panel detector unit. Images were acquired at exposure levels comparable to film speeds of 50/100/200/400 and 800. Four observers evaluated a total of 50 films with respect to the threshold contrast for each detail size. The numbers of correctly identified objects were determined for all image subsets. The overall results show that low-contrast detail perception with digital flat panel detector images is better than with state of the art storage phosphor screens. This is especially true for the low-exposure setting, where a nearly 10% higher correct observation ratio is reached. Given its high detective quantum efficiency the digital flat panel technology based on the cesium iodide scintillator/amorphous silicon matrix is best suited for detection of low-contrast detail structures, which shows its high potential for clinical imaging.