Pattern recognition using Markov random field models

In this paper, we propose Markov random field models for pattern recognition, which provide a flexible and natural framework for modelling the interactions between spatially related random variables in their neighbourhood systems. The proposed approach is superior to conventional approaches in many aspects. This paper introduces the concept of states into Markov random filed models, presents a theoretic analysis of the approach, discusses issues of designing neighbourhood system and cliques, and analyses properties of the models. We have applied our method to the recognition of unconstrained handwritten numerals. The experimental results show that the proposed approach can achieve high performance.     

基于模糊马尔可夫场的脑部MR图像分割算法

在传统马尔可夫场模型的基础上,建立了模糊马尔可夫场模型。通过对模型的分析得出图像像素对不同类的隶属度计算公式,提出了一种高效、无监督的图像分割算法,从而实现了对脑部MR图像的精确分割。通过对模拟脑部MR图像和临床脑部MR图像分割实验,表明新算法比传统的基于马尔可夫场的图像分割算法和模糊C-均值等图像分割算法有更精确的图像分割能力。     

Bayesian multiscale analysis of images modeled as Gaussian Markov random fields

A Bayesian multiscale technique for the detection of statistically significant features in noisy images is proposed. The prior is defined as a stationary intrinsic Gaussian Markov random field on a toroidal graph, which enables efficient computation of the relevant posterior marginals. Hence the method is applicable to large images produced by modern digital cameras. The technique is demonstrated in two examples from medical imaging.     

Parallel exact sampling and evaluation of Gaussian Markov random fields

Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms are computationally expensive for large models. Especially, the so-called one-block Metropolis-Hastings (M-H) algorithm demands large computational resources, and parallel computing seems appealing. A parallel one-block M-H algorithm for latent Gaussian Markov random field (GMRF) models is introduced. Important parts of this algorithm are parallel exact sampling and evaluation of GMRFs. Parallelisation is achieved with parallel algorithms from linear algebra for sparse symmetric positive definite matrices. The parallel GMRF sampler is tested for GMRFs on lattices and irregular graphs, and gives both good speed-up and good scalability. The parallel one-block M-H algorithm is used to make inference for a geostatistical GMRF model with a latent spatial field of 31,500 variables.     

Markov random fields for catadioptric image processing

Images obtained with catadioptric sensors contain significant deformations which prevent the direct use of classical image treatments. Thus, Markov random fields (MRF) whose usefulness is now obvious for projective image processing, cannot be used directly on catadioptric images because of the inadequacy of the neighborhood. In this paper, we propose to define a new neighborhood for MRF by using the equivalence theorem developed for central catadioptric sensors. We show the importance of this adaptation for segmentation, image restoration and motion detection.     

Colour and rotation invariant textural features based on Markov random fields

A visual appearance of natural materials significantly depends on acquisition circumstances, particularly illumination conditions and viewpoint position, whose variations cause difficulties in the analysis of real scenes. We address this issue with novel texture features, based on fast estimates of Markovian statistics, that are simultaneously rotation and illumination invariant. The proposed features are invariant to in-plane material rotation and illumination spectrum (colour invariance), they are robust to local intensity changes (cast shadows) and illumination direction. No knowledge of illumination conditions is required and recognition is possible from a single training image per material. The material recognition is tested on the currently most realistic visual representation - Bidirectional Texture Function (BTF), using CUReT and ALOT texture datasets with more than 250 natural materials. Our proposed features significantly outperform leading alternatives including Local Binary Patterns (LBP, LBP-HF) and texton MR8 methods.     

Image denoising based on hierarchical Markov random field

We propose a hierarchical Markov random field model-based method for image denoising in this paper. The method employs a Markov random field (MRF) model with three layers. The first layer represents the underlying texture regions. The second layer represents the noise free image. And the third layer is the observed noisy image. Iterated conditional modes (ICM) is used to find the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of the noise free image and texture region field. The experimental results show that the new method can effectively suppress additive noise and restore image details.     

Adaptive pixon represented segmentation (APRS) for 3D MR brain images based on mean shift and Markov random fields

In this paper, we proposed an adaptive pixon represented segmentation (APRS) algorithm for 3D magnetic resonance (MR) brain images. Different from traditional method, an adaptive mean shift algorithm was adopted to adaptively smooth the query image and create a pixon-based image representation. Then K-means algorithm was employed to provide an initial segmentation by classifying the pixons in image into a predefined number of tissue classes. By using this segmentation as initialization, expectation-maximization (EM) iterations composed of bias correction, a priori digital brain atlas information, and Markov random field (MRF) segmentation were processed. Pixons were assigned with final labels when the algorithm converges. The adoption of bias correction and brain atlas made the current method more suitable for brain image segmentation than the previous pixon based segmentation algorithm. The proposed method was validated on both simulated normal brain images from BrainWeb and real brain images from the IBSR public dataset. Compared with some other popular MRI segmentation methods, the proposed method exhibited a higher degree of accuracy in segmenting both simulated and real 3D MRI brain data. The experimental results were numerically assessed using Dice and Tanimoto coefficients.     

基于各向异性Markov随机场的遥感影像亚像元尺度建筑物提取

基于遥感影像的建筑物自动提取方法容易受混合像元影响,目标提取精度不高。亚像元定位可以提取亚像元尺度地物分布信息,减轻混合像元对目标提取结果造成的影响。传统亚像元定位模型采用各向同性邻域描述地物的空间相关性,并没有考虑地物特有的形状信息,难以满足建筑物提取的需要。在考虑建筑物光谱特征的基础上,建立了平行与垂直于目标建筑物主方向的各向异性邻域,并采用基于各向异性Markov随机场的亚像元定位模型进行了亚像元尺度的建筑物提取。基于QuickBird多光谱数据与AVIRIS高光谱数据的实验结果表明,该模型提取的建筑物不仅具有更高的空间分辨率,而且能够较好地保持建筑物边缘与角点的形状信息,是一种有效的亚像元尺度建筑物提取方法。     

学习高阶马尔可夫随机场：评分匹配方法

传统的马尔可夫随机场模型有两个内在的缺陷：邻域的低阶性和参数的手动选择。提出一种新的机器学习方法——评分匹配法,从训练图像数据中学习得到一组高阶马尔可夫随机场模型参数。为了验证通过学习得到的马尔可夫随机场模型的能力,将学习得到的参数向量通过贝叶斯规则应用于图像去噪。实验结果表明：不管是根据峰值信噪比的大小还是根据主观视觉,都能取得优秀的去噪效果,从而表明该学习方法的有效性。     

基于马尔可夫随机场的纹理图像并行分割

基于消息传递接口（Message Passing Interface,MPI）和消息传递并行编程模型,提出了一种针对计算机集群（Cluster）的纹理图像并行分割算法。该算法使用马尔可夫随机场作为纹理特征,通过将图像分块,把特征提取的计算量均匀的分布到并行系统中的各个节点上,从而极大地减少了计算时间。在遥感图像上的实验发现,该算法在4机并行的环境下可以取得与单机串行程序一样精确的分割,而耗时仅为串行程序的31.95％。令人满意的实验结果表明该并行算法不但可以有效的应用于纹理图像分割,而且也为使用计算机集群实现高时间复杂度的图像处理提供了有益的启示。     

Fast kriging of large data sets with Gaussian Markov random fields

Spatial data sets are analysed in many scientific disciplines. Kriging, i.e. minimum mean squared error linear prediction, is probably the most widely used method of spatial prediction. Computation time and memory requirement can be an obstacle for kriging for data sets with many observations. Calculations are accelerated and memory requirements decreased by using a Gaussian Markov random field on a lattice as an approximation of a Gaussian field. The algorithms are well suited also for nonlattice data when exploiting a bilinear interpolation at nonlattice locations.     

基于马尔科夫随机场的炉膛火焰图像分割

提出一种基于马尔科夫随机场模型的火焰图像分割算法。将由系统装置获取的原始火焰图像从RGB空间变换到HSV颜色空间,以提取颜色特征。分别对原始图像建立Potts标记场模型和有限正态混合观测场模型(FGMM),结合颜色特征,运用贝叶斯估计和ICM算法,计算最大后验概率(MAP),并完成图像分割。实验证明,该算法可以有效地分割炉膛火焰图像,为之后的工作奠定了基础。     

Mean fields and two-dimensional Markov random fields in image analysis

In this paper we compare two iterative approaches to the problem of pixel-level image restoration when the model contains unknown parameters. Pairwise interaction models are assumed to represent the local associations in the true scene. The first approach is a variation on the EM algorithm in which Mean-field approximations are used in the E-step and a variational approximation is used in the M-step. In the second approach, each iteration involves first restoring the image using the Iterated Conditional Modes (ICM) algorithm and then updating the parameter estimates by maximising the so-called pseudolikelihood. In addition, refinemenrs are made to the Mean-field approximation, and these are also used for restoration. The methods are compared empirically using both artificial and real noise-corrupted binary scenes. Within the comparisons the effects of using different convergence criteria for deciding when to stop the algorithms are also investigated.     

基于马尔可夫随机场的图像分割方法综述

系统地综述了基于MRF的图像分割方法。介绍了基于MRF模型的图像分割理论框架, 给出了当前MRF图像建模研究的热点问题。概括了基于MRF模型的图像分割算法, 包括图割算法、归一化割算法、置信度传播算法等, 指出了这些算法的发展方向。     

网页去重的改进算法

针对网页内容相似重复的特点,提出了一种改进算法对网页进行去重处理。该方法能够有效地对网页进行去重,并能对网页信息进行冗余识别处理。实验结果表明,与原有网页去重算法相比,该算法的执行效果提高了14.3%,对网页去重有了很明显的改善。     

Face detection and recognition of natural human emotion using Markov random fields

This paper presents an integrated system for emotion detection. In this research effort, we have taken into account the fact that emotions are most widely represented with eye and mouth expressions. The proposed system uses color images and it is consisted of three modules. The first module implements skin detection, using Markov random fields models for image segmentation and skin detection. A set of several colored images with human faces have been considered as the training set. A second module is responsible for eye and mouth detection and extraction. The specific module uses the HLV color space of the specified eye and mouth region. The third module detects the emotions pictured in the eyes and mouth, using edge detection and measuring the gradient of eyes’ and mouth’s region figure. The paper provides results from the system application, along with proposals for further research.     

Unsupervised multi-class segmentation of SAR images using triplet Markov fields models based on edge penalty

Non-Gaussian triplet Markov random fields (TMF) model is suitable for dealing with multi-class segmentation of nonstationary and non-Gaussian synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. However, the segmentation of SAR images utilizing this model still fails to resolve the misclassifications due to the inaccuracy of edge location. In this paper, we propose a new unsupervised multi-class segmentation algorithm by fusing the traditional energy function of TMF model with the principle of edge penalty. Through the introduction of the penalty function based on local edge strength information, the new energy function could prevent segment from smoothing across boundaries. Then we optimize the objective function that stems from the new energy function to obtain an iterative multi-region merging Bayesian maximum posterior mode (MPM) segmentation equation for the new segmentation algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by application to simulated data and real SAR images.     

基于马尔可夫随机场模型的运动对象分割算法

提出了一种基于马尔可夫随机场(MRF)模型的运动分割算法,仅使用了压缩流中的运动矢量和块编码模式信息,可以在复杂场景下对运动对象有很好的分割效果.利用运动矢量量化的方法来对运动矢量进行预处理,对运动矢量进行马尔可夫建模,利用能量最小函数进行优化得到运动对象分割的效果.实验表明:与现有的方法相比,该方法可从复杂场景中更准确地对运动对象进行分割.     

基于改进马尔可夫随机场的钢轨缺陷分割

为提高钢轨缺陷分割对噪声的鲁棒性,提出一种基于改进马尔可夫随机场(MRF)的钢轨缺陷分割方法。利用背景差分法对灰度进行预处理,消除灰度分布不均的干扰。对模糊if-then规则的前提部分采用马尔可夫随机场来利用图像中的空间约束,结果部分指定像素距离图算法,通过使用马尔可夫随机场(MRF)在相邻像素图像之间并入局部空间信息,推导出新的自适应模糊集和MRF相结合的钢轨表面缺陷自动分割方法。建立标准的FCM、GMM和该方法的钢轨缺陷分割对比实验,验证了算法的有效性和优越性。