Simultaneous speckle reduction and contrast enhancement for ultrasound images: Wavelet versus Laplacian pyramid

Speckle can be described as random multiplicative noise. It hampers the perception and extraction of fine details in the image. Speckle reduction techniques are applied to ultrasound images in order to reduce the noise level and improve the visual quality for better diagnoses. It is also used as preliminary treatment before segmentation and classification. Several methods have been proposed for speckle reduction in ultrasound images. Multiscale contrast enhancement has proven to be very efficient for x-ray images. A recent study by Dippel et al. doing a comparison, contrast enhancement of radiographs (x-ray and mammography), between the Laplacian pyramid and the wavelet one proves that the Laplacian pyramid method gives a better result than the wavelet one; the filtering aspect was not taken into account. In ultrasound images a strong contrast variation exists which is different from x-ray and mammography. In this paper a wavelet pyramid with simultaneous speckle reduction and contrast enhancement was applied for the first time on ultrasound images with the area of interest and compared to a Laplacian enhancement pyramid. The optimum choice of wavelet bases for ultrasound images is investigated in this study. In order to realize a fair comparison, the same nonlinear modification in both multiscale schemes is used. The comparison proves that the wavelet pyramid gives a much better result than the Laplacian one for simultaneous speckle reduction and contrast enhancement of ultrasound images. The text was submitted by the author in English. Ali Samir Saad, 1964. 1996 PhD in image processing, Polytechnics School of the Engineering University of Nantes, France. 1993 Masters in Electronics. 1990 Masters in Digital Image Processing, Institute of Computer Sciences and Communication University of Rennes, France. 1989 BS in Electrical Engineering, University of Saint-Etienne. Academy of Lyon, France. 1996–2000 Research associate at the National Center for Macromolecular Imaging. Baylor, Houston, Texas. Assistant professor at King Saud University, Dept. of Biomedical Technology. Area of research in medical image processing and analysis, 23 publications, member of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. Marquis Who’s Who in the World; Cambridge Blue Book 2006.     

CPH: A Compact Representation for Hierarchical Meshes Generated by Primal Refinement

We present CPH (Compact Primal Hierarchy): a compact representation of the hierarchical connectivity of surface and volume manifold meshes generated through primal subdivision refinements. CPH is consistently defined in several dimensions and supports multiple kinds of tessellations and refinements, whether regular or adaptive. The basic idea is to store only the finest mesh, encoded in a classical monoresolution structure that is enriched with a minimal set of labels. These labels allow traversal of any intermediate level of the mesh concurrently without having to extract it in an additional structure. Our structure allows attributes to be stored on the cells not only on the finest level, but also on any intermediate level. We study the trade‐off between the memory cost of this compact representation and the time complexity of mesh traversals at any resolution level.     

A robust approach for the single machine scheduling problem

This paper describes a robust approach for the single machine scheduling problem 1|r _i |L _max. The method is said to be robust since it characterizes a large set of optimal solutions allowing to switch from one solution to another, without any performance loss, in order to face potential disruptions which occur during the schedule execution. It is based on a dominance theorem that characterizes a set of dominant sequences, using the interval structure defined by the relative order of the release and the due dates of jobs. The performance of a set of dominant sequences can be determined in polynomial time by computing the most favorable and the most unfavorable sequences associated with each job, with regard to the lateness criterion. A branch and bound procedure is proposed which modifies the interval structure of the problem in order to tighten the dominant set of sequences so that only the optimal sequences are conserved.     

一种适用于纹理图象的FIRE滤波器

对于图象滤波系统，如何在降噪的同时保护细节结构是一个难点。文章提出一种新的FIRE（fuzzy inference ruled by else－action）滤波器，通过将对应于不同邻域尺寸下的象素分布模式的模糊规则集成在同一规则基中，将多分辨率图象分析引入到单一模块内。实验表明该方法对纹理图象的去噪效果明显。     

Hierarchical image fusion

A hierarchical image fusion scheme is presented that preserves those details from the input images that are most relevant to visual perception. Results show that fused images present a more detailed representation of the scene and provide information that cannot be obtained by viewing the input images separately. Detection, recognition, and search tasks may therefore benefit from this fused image representation.     

基于多层感知遗传算法的图象分割新方法

本文提出了一种新的灰度图象分割方法．该方法模拟了人类视觉由粗到细的分割过程，针对图象中各位置的不同内容采用不同的细节分辨率，形成多层感知的塔式结构；而在每一分辨率层上，采用小生境的遗传算法进行图象分割，使整个算法具有较强的鲁棒性、适用性、非监督性及高度的并行性，通过与单层遗传分割算法［1］相对比，显示了该方法具有更好的分割效果．     

一种非规则形状图象的变形合成技术

本文提出了一种针对非规则形状图象拼接的变形合成技术,即分区分步地运用多项式映射函数对图象进行变形处理,使拼接区域的边缘一致,并利用小波变换对图象进行多分辨分解,采用与频段宽度成正比的加权拼接宽度来消除拼缝的影响,实例表明,拼合图象平滑自然,效果较好。     

A fast technique for recursive scene matching using pyramids

An algorithm of a fast correlation technique for scene matching using pyramidal image representation is introduced. A mathematical model of the image registration process based on the pyramidal representation of a separable Markov random field is considered in order to evaluate threshold sequence for the algorithm. Experimental results are presented for matching images, both free of noise and corrupted by noise. Theoretical and experimental results given in the paper show that computational efficiency in scene matching could be improved in three orders of magnitude comparatively to the traditional correlation technique.     

VARIANT: A System for Terrain Modeling at Variable Resolution

We describe VARIANT (VAriable Resolution Interactive ANalysis of Terrain), an extensible system for processing and visualizing terrains represented through Triangulated Irregular Networks (TINs), featuring the accuracy of the representation, possibly variable over the terrain domain, as a further parameter in computation.VARIANT is based on a multiresolution terrain model, which we developed in our earlier research. Its architecture is made of a kernel, which provides primitive operations for building and querying the multiresolution model; and of application programs, which access a terrain model based on the primitives in the kernel.VARIANT directly supports basic queries (e.g., windowing, buffering, computation of elevation at a given point, or along a given line) as well as high-level operations (e.g., fly-over visualization, contour map extraction, viewshed analysis). However, the true power of VARIANT lies in the possibility of extending it with new applications that can exploit its multiresolution features in a transparent way.     

SML: A structured musical language

Most of the problems with existing computer musicological systems have to do with the lack of capability for capturing the important notion of musical structure. In the new language SML (AStructuredMusicalLanguage), this aspect is given foremost attention as a technique for encoding a musical score in a clear and vivid form. Musical structures are patterned after the control structures of Pascal, together with instrument representations modeled on the idea of a Pascal record type. A complete example of the SML encoding of a Schumann song is included.Ronald E. Prather is the Caruth Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78284. Stephen Elliott is a doctoral candidate in Computer Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309.     

PIFS多分辨率特性研究

本文在更一般的条件下（二维，不同大小ｒａｎｇｅ块）证明了分形图像上压缩中ＰＩＦＳ（Ｐａｒｔｉ－ｔｉｏｎｅｄＩｔｅｒａｔｅｄＦｕｎｃｔｉｏｎＳｙｓｔｅｍ）不动点的多分辨率特性，即低分辨率不动点可以通过对高分辨率不动点进行收缩变换得到，高分辨率不动点可以通过对低分辨率不动点进行仿射变换得到，所得结论是Ｂａｈａｒａｖ等文中结论的推广。     

A Wavelet-Based Multiresolution Method to Automatically Register Images

We present a method to automatically register images presenting bothglobal and local deformations. The image registration process isperformed by exploiting a multi-level/multi-image approach wherebyafter having wavelet-transformed the images, the subband images atdifferent levels are used in a non-feature-based way to determine themotion vectors between the reference and the target images. The crudemotion field determined by block matching at the coarsest level ofthe pyramid is successively refined by taking advantage of both theorientation sensitivity of the different subbands and thecontribution of the adjacent levels. The final registered image isobtained by applying the motion field to the lowest level of thepyramid and by inversely transforming it.     

空间金字塔颜色直方图在图像分类中的应用

颜色直方图在图像分类系统中有着重要的应用。针对像颜色直方图特征的空间关系,提出空间金字塔颜色直方图作为图像的特征表示。它结合了图像的全局特征以及分块特征的优点。使用支持向量机（SVM）以及常用的4种核函数进行了测试。在corel图像库上的实验结果表明,该特征可以有效地结合全局与空间特征,提高了图像的分类准确率。     

机载SAR图像的动态金字塔实时显示技术

目的 随着机载SAR（合成孔径雷达）图像分辨率越来越高,幅宽越来越大,传统雷达显控系统将整幅图像放入内存、抽样显示的现有方法存在内存资源紧张、显示图像的等待时间过长等问题,为解决此类问题,提出一种动态金字塔实时显示技术。方法 机载SAR图像实时显示软件包括动态金字塔构建和显示技术。动态金字塔构建技术包括：当接收到一个瓦片的图像数据时,输出第0层级的金字塔瓦片;分6种情况,生成高层级瓦片,随着接收数据不断增多,逐步补全金字塔文件。动态金字塔显示技术是指在瓦片数据不全的情况下,采用递归算法,读取较低层级瓦片,合成、显示当前显示层级图像的技术。这两种技术分属两个独立线程,以硬盘文件（瓦片）为接口,实时交互,协同工作。结果 机载SAR图像实时显示软件仅仅占用30 MB内存,且与图像大小无关;显示第1块SAR图像瓦片的时延小于1 s,与传统显控系统对比,减少约一帧图像的传输时延;显示整帧图像的时延因存储介质读写文件的速率存在差异较大,固态硬盘的时延比较稳定,显示1 GB图像的时延为12.55 s;机械盘的时延受读写速度的影响,当发送时间间隔大于6 ms时,显示1 GB图像的时延仅比传输时延多1.47 s。结论 机载SAR图像实时显示软件能实时向用户呈现接收中的SAR图像,提高了机载SAR图像的显示时效性,降低了机载雷达显控终端的内存需求,改善了机载雷达显控终端的用户体验。     

The Applications of Wavelets in Hierarchical Representations and Smoothing of Curves and Surfaces

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BOXTREE: A Hierarchical Representation for Surfaces in 3D

We introduce the boxtree, a versatile data structure for representing triangulated or meshed surfaces in 3D. A boxtree is a hierarchical structure of nested boxes that supports efficient ray tracing and collision detection. It is simple and robust, and requires minimal space. In situations where storage is at a premium, boxtrees are effective alternatives to octrees and BSP trees. They are also more flexible and efficient than R-trees, and nearly as simple to implement.     

Hierarchical control of discrete-event systems

An abstract hierarchical control theory is developed for discrete-event systems, based on the concepts of control structures and observers. Control structure is an abstract generalization of the family of controllable sublanguages in the Ramadge-Wonham framework. We establish a general version of Zhong's hierarchical consistency by first achieving control consistency — preservation of control structures through the aggregation mapping in a two-level hierarchy. For a refinement of hierarchical consistency with preservation of nonblocking, the concept of observer is introduced via congruences on nondeterministic transition structures.     

The development of an enterprise resources planning system using a hierarchical design pyramid

Today, manufacturers are measured by their ability to respond quickly to sudden, often unpredictable changes in customer needs and wants. Competition beyond the twenty-first century places an increased emphasis upon receiving business information that is accurate and up to date. In order to achieve this, a business planning and closed-loop manufacturing execution system must reflect how work is done, in order to support the overall business objectives without being limited by any hardware, software and human resource constraints. Enterprise resources planning (ERP) is considered to be the most effective computer application in the modern manufacturing industry which meets these requirements. However, only a few manufacturers can design and implement the system successfully. They encounter various problems during the design and implementation cycle. One of the major reasons why they cannot implement the system successfully is the inappropriate use of design and implementation methodology. A systematic design and implementation methodology is therefore proposed for ERP. Called the hierarchical design pyramid (HDP), it encompasses recent research on the ICAM definition method (IDEF) and the object-oriented methodology (OOM) as well as an architecture for any manufacturers who seriously consider ERP implementation.