Convolutional Deblurring for Natural Imaging

In this paper, we propose a novel design of image deblurring in the form of one-shot convolution filtering that can directly convolve with naturally blurred images for restoration. The problem of optical blurring is a common disadvantage to many imaging applications that suffer from optical imperfections. Despite numerous deconvolution methods that blindly estimate blurring in either inclusive or exclusive forms, they are practically challenging due to high computational cost and low image reconstruction quality. Both conditions of high accuracy and high speed are prerequisites for high-throughput imaging platforms in digital archiving. In such platforms, deblurring is required after image acquisition before being stored, previewed, or processed for high-level interpretation. Therefore, on-the-fly correction of such images is important to avoid possible time delays, mitigate computational expenses, and increase image perception quality. We bridge this gap by synthesizing a deconvolution kernel as a linear combination of Finite Impulse Response (FIR) even-derivative filters that can be directly convolved with blurry input images to boost the frequency fall-off of the Point Spread Function (PSF) associated with the optical blur. We employ a Gaussian low-pass filter to decouple the image denoising problem for image edge deblurring. Furthermore, we propose a blind approach to estimate the PSF statistics for two Gaussian and Laplacian models that are common in many imaging pipelines. Thorough experiments are designed to test and validate the efficiency of the proposed method using 2054 naturally blurred images across six imaging applications and seven state-of-the-art deconvolution methods.Comment: 15 pages, for publication in IEEE Transaction Image Processin

Sparse Nonlinear MIMO Filtering and Identification

In this chapter system identification algorithms for sparse nonlinear multi input multi output (MIMO) systems are developed. These algorithms are potentially useful in a variety of application areas including digital transmission systems incorporating power amplifier(s) along with multiple antennas, cognitive processing, adaptive control of nonlinear multivariable systems, and multivariable biological systems. Sparsity is a key constraint imposed on the model. The presence of sparsity is often dictated by physical considerations as in wireless fading channel-estimation. In other cases it appears as a pragmatic modelling approach that seeks to cope with the curse of dimensionality, particularly acute in nonlinear systems like Volterra type series. Three dentification approaches are discussed: conventional identification based on both input and output samples, semi–blind identification placing emphasis on minimal input resources and blind identification whereby only output samples are available plus a–priori information on input characteristics. Based on this taxonomy a variety of algorithms, existing and new, are studied and evaluated by simulation

Blind Identification via Lifting

Blind system identification is known to be an ill-posed problem and without further assumptions, no unique solution is at hand. In this contribution, we are concerned with the task of identifying an ARX model from only output measurements. We phrase this as a constrained rank minimization problem and present a relaxed convex formulation to approximate its solution. To make the problem well posed we assume that the sought input lies in some known linear subspace.Comment: Submitted to the IFAC World Congress 2014. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1303.671

Blind deconvolution of medical ultrasound images: parametric inverse filtering approach

©2007 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or distribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE. This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.DOI: 10.1109/TIP.2007.910179The problem of reconstruction of ultrasound images by means of blind deconvolution has long been recognized as one of the central problems in medical ultrasound imaging. In this paper, this problem is addressed via proposing a blind deconvolution method which is innovative in several ways. In particular, the method is based on parametric inverse filtering, whose parameters are optimized using two-stage processing. At the first stage, some partial information on the point spread function is recovered. Subsequently, this information is used to explicitly constrain the spectral shape of the inverse filter. From this perspective, the proposed methodology can be viewed as a ldquohybridizationrdquo of two standard strategies in blind deconvolution, which are based on either concurrent or successive estimation of the point spread function and the image of interest. Moreover, evidence is provided that the ldquohybridrdquo approach can outperform the standard ones in a number of important practical cases. Additionally, the present study introduces a different approach to parameterizing the inverse filter. Specifically, we propose to model the inverse transfer function as a member of a principal shift-invariant subspace. It is shown that such a parameterization results in considerably more stable reconstructions as compared to standard parameterization methods. Finally, it is shown how the inverse filters designed in this way can be used to deconvolve the images in a nonblind manner so as to further improve their quality. The usefulness and practicability of all the introduced innovations are proven in a series of both in silico and in vivo experiments. Finally, it is shown that the proposed deconvolution algorithms are capable of improving the resolution of ultrasound images by factors of 2.24 or 6.52 (as judged by the autocorrelation criterion) depending on the type of regularization method used

Pilot-aided carrier synchronization using an approximate DCT-based phase noise model

This contribution deals with phase noise estimation from pilot symbols. The phase noise process is approximated by an expansion of DCT basis functions containing only a few terms. We propose an algorithm that estimates the DCT coefficients without requiring detailed knowledge about the phase noise statistics. We demonstrate that the resulting (linearized) mean-square estimation error consists of two contributions: a contribution from the additive noise, that equals the Cramer-Rao lower bound, and a noise-independent contribution that results from the phase noise modeling error. Performance can be optimized by a proper selection of the symbol block length and of the number of DCT coefficients to be estimated. For large block sizes, considerable performance improvement is found as compared to the case where only the time-average of the carrier phase is estimated