Wavelet Domain Image Separation

In this paper, we consider the problem of blind signal and image separation using a sparse representation of the images in the wavelet domain. We consider the problem in a Bayesian estimation framework using the fact that the distribution of the wavelet coefficients of real world images can naturally be modeled by an exponential power probability density function. The Bayesian approach which has been used with success in blind source separation gives also the possibility of including any prior information we may have on the mixing matrix elements as well as on the hyperparameters (parameters of the prior laws of the noise and the sources). We consider two cases: first the case where the wavelet coefficients are assumed to be i.i.d. and second the case where we model the correlation between the coefficients of two adjacent scales by a first order Markov chain. This paper only reports on the first case, the second case results will be reported in a near future. The estimation computations are done via a Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) procedure. Some simulations show the performances of the proposed method. Keywords: Blind source separation, wavelets, Bayesian estimation, MCMC Hasting-Metropolis algorithm.Comment: Presented at MaxEnt2002, the 22nd International Workshop on Bayesian and Maximum Entropy methods (Aug. 3-9, 2002, Moscow, Idaho, USA). To appear in Proceedings of American Institute of Physic

On Model-Based RIP-1 Matrices

The Restricted Isometry Property (RIP) is a fundamental property of a matrix enabling sparse recovery. Informally, an m x n matrix satisfies RIP of order k in the l_p norm if ||Ax||_p \approx ||x||_p for any vector x that is k-sparse, i.e., that has at most k non-zeros. The minimal number of rows m necessary for the property to hold has been extensively investigated, and tight bounds are known. Motivated by signal processing models, a recent work of Baraniuk et al has generalized this notion to the case where the support of x must belong to a given model, i.e., a given family of supports. This more general notion is much less understood, especially for norms other than l_2. In this paper we present tight bounds for the model-based RIP property in the l_1 norm. Our bounds hold for the two most frequently investigated models: tree-sparsity and block-sparsity. We also show implications of our results to sparse recovery problems.Comment: Version 3 corrects a few errors present in the earlier version. In particular, it states and proves correct upper and lower bounds for the number of rows in RIP-1 matrices for the block-sparse model. The bounds are of the form k log_b n, not k log_k n as stated in the earlier versio

Multiscale Discriminant Saliency for Visual Attention

The bottom-up saliency, an early stage of humans' visual attention, can be considered as a binary classification problem between center and surround classes. Discriminant power of features for the classification is measured as mutual information between features and two classes distribution. The estimated discrepancy of two feature classes very much depends on considered scale levels; then, multi-scale structure and discriminant power are integrated by employing discrete wavelet features and Hidden markov tree (HMT). With wavelet coefficients and Hidden Markov Tree parameters, quad-tree like label structures are constructed and utilized in maximum a posterior probability (MAP) of hidden class variables at corresponding dyadic sub-squares. Then, saliency value for each dyadic square at each scale level is computed with discriminant power principle and the MAP. Finally, across multiple scales is integrated the final saliency map by an information maximization rule. Both standard quantitative tools such as NSS, LCC, AUC and qualitative assessments are used for evaluating the proposed multiscale discriminant saliency method (MDIS) against the well-know information-based saliency method AIM on its Bruce Database wity eye-tracking data. Simulation results are presented and analyzed to verify the validity of MDIS as well as point out its disadvantages for further research direction.Comment: 16 pages, ICCSA 2013 - BIOCA sessio

Removal of Interferences from Partial Discharge Pulses using Wavelet Transform

 It is essential to detect partial discharge (PD) as a symptom of insulation breakdown in high voltage (HV) applications. However accuracy of such measurement is often degraded due to the existence of noise in the signal. Wavelet Transform (WT) seems to be more suitable than traditional Fourier Transform in analyzing signals with interesting transient information such as partial discharge (PD) signals. In this paper a WT method with soft thresholding is used for signal denoising. PD signals and corona obtained from actual measurements with different voltage magnitudes are processed. Processed signals show the better result.

A Max-Product EM Algorithm for Reconstructing Markov-tree Sparse Signals from Compressive Samples

We propose a Bayesian expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm for reconstructing Markov-tree sparse signals via belief propagation. The measurements follow an underdetermined linear model where the regression-coefficient vector is the sum of an unknown approximately sparse signal and a zero-mean white Gaussian noise with an unknown variance. The signal is composed of large- and small-magnitude components identified by binary state variables whose probabilistic dependence structure is described by a Markov tree. Gaussian priors are assigned to the signal coefficients given their state variables and the Jeffreys' noninformative prior is assigned to the noise variance. Our signal reconstruction scheme is based on an EM iteration that aims at maximizing the posterior distribution of the signal and its state variables given the noise variance. We construct the missing data for the EM iteration so that the complete-data posterior distribution corresponds to a hidden Markov tree (HMT) probabilistic graphical model that contains no loops and implement its maximization (M) step via a max-product algorithm. This EM algorithm estimates the vector of state variables as well as solves iteratively a linear system of equations to obtain the corresponding signal estimate. We select the noise variance so that the corresponding estimated signal and state variables obtained upon convergence of the EM iteration have the largest marginal posterior distribution. We compare the proposed and existing state-of-the-art reconstruction methods via signal and image reconstruction experiments.Comment: To appear in IEEE Transactions on Signal Processin

A Method for Compressing Parameters in Bayesian Models with Application to Logistic Sequence Prediction Models

Bayesian classification and regression with high order interactions is largely infeasible because Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) would need to be applied with a great many parameters, whose number increases rapidly with the order. In this paper we show how to make it feasible by effectively reducing the number of parameters, exploiting the fact that many interactions have the same values for all training cases. Our method uses a single ``compressed'' parameter to represent the sum of all parameters associated with a set of patterns that have the same value for all training cases. Using symmetric stable distributions as the priors of the original parameters, we can easily find the priors of these compressed parameters. We therefore need to deal only with a much smaller number of compressed parameters when training the model with MCMC. The number of compressed parameters may have converged before considering the highest possible order. After training the model, we can split these compressed parameters into the original ones as needed to make predictions for test cases. We show in detail how to compress parameters for logistic sequence prediction models. Experiments on both simulated and real data demonstrate that a huge number of parameters can indeed be reduced by our compression method.Comment: 29 page

Latent tree models

Latent tree models are graphical models defined on trees, in which only a subset of variables is observed. They were first discussed by Judea Pearl as tree-decomposable distributions to generalise star-decomposable distributions such as the latent class model. Latent tree models, or their submodels, are widely used in: phylogenetic analysis, network tomography, computer vision, causal modeling, and data clustering. They also contain other well-known classes of models like hidden Markov models, Brownian motion tree model, the Ising model on a tree, and many popular models used in phylogenetics. This article offers a concise introduction to the theory of latent tree models. We emphasise the role of tree metrics in the structural description of this model class, in designing learning algorithms, and in understanding fundamental limits of what and when can be learned

Wavelet domain compounding for speckle reduction in optical coherence tomography

Visibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) images can be severely degraded by speckle noise. A computationally efficient despeckling approach that strongly reduces the speckle noise is reported. It is based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT), but eliminates the conventional process of threshold estimation. By decomposing an image into different levels, a set of sub-band images are generated, where speckle noise is additive. These sub-band images can be compounded to suppress the additive speckle noise, as DWT coefficients resulting from speckle noise tend to be approximately decorrelated. The final despeckled image is reconstructed by taking the inverse wavelet transform of the new compounded sub-band images. The performance of speckle reduction and edge preservation is controlled by a single parameter: the level of wavelet decomposition. The proposed technique is applied to intravascular OCT imaging of porcine carotid arterial wall and ophthalmic OCT images. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique for speckle noise reduction and simultaneous edge preservation. The presented method is fast and easy to implement and to improve the quality of OCT images.published_or_final_versio