The Use of Features Extracted from Noisy Samples for Image Restoration Purposes

An important feature of neural networks is the ability they have to learn from their environment, and, through learning to improve performance in some sense. In the following we restrict the development to the problem of feature extracting unsupervised neural networks derived on the base of the biologically motivated Hebbian self-organizing principle which is conjectured to govern the natural neural assemblies and the classical principal component analysis (PCA) method used by statisticians for almost a century for multivariate data analysis and feature extraction. The research work reported in the paper aims to propose a new image reconstruction method based on the features extracted from the noise given by the principal components of the noise covariance matrix.feature extraction, PCA, Generalized Hebbian Algorithm, image restoration, wavelet transform, multiresolution support set

Accuracy of MAP segmentation with hidden Potts and Markov mesh prior models via Path Constrained Viterbi Training, Iterated Conditional Modes and Graph Cut based algorithms

In this paper, we study statistical classification accuracy of two different Markov field environments for pixelwise image segmentation, considering the labels of the image as hidden states and solving the estimation of such labels as a solution of the MAP equation. The emission distribution is assumed the same in all models, and the difference lays in the Markovian prior hypothesis made over the labeling random field. The a priori labeling knowledge will be modeled with a) a second order anisotropic Markov Mesh and b) a classical isotropic Potts model. Under such models, we will consider three different segmentation procedures, 2D Path Constrained Viterbi training for the Hidden Markov Mesh, a Graph Cut based segmentation for the first order isotropic Potts model, and ICM (Iterated Conditional Modes) for the second order isotropic Potts model. We provide a unified view of all three methods, and investigate goodness of fit for classification, studying the influence of parameter estimation, computational gain, and extent of automation in the statistical measures Overall Accuracy, Relative Improvement and Kappa coefficient, allowing robust and accurate statistical analysis on synthetic and real-life experimental data coming from the field of Dental Diagnostic Radiography. All algorithms, using the learned parameters, generate good segmentations with little interaction when the images have a clear multimodal histogram. Suboptimal learning proves to be frail in the case of non-distinctive modes, which limits the complexity of usable models, and hence the achievable error rate as well. All Matlab code written is provided in a toolbox available for download from our website, following the Reproducible Research Paradigm

Full-plane block Kalman filter for image restoration, A

Includes bibliographical references.A new two-dimensional (2-D) block Kalman filtering method is presented which uses a full-plane image model to generate a more accurate filtered estimate of an image that has been corrupted by additive noise and full-plane blur. Causality is maintained within the filtering process by employing multiple concurrent block estimators. In addition, true state dynamics are preserved, resulting in an accurate Kalman gain matrix. Simulation results on a test image corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise are presented for various image models and compared to those of the previous block Kalman filtering methods

Multiresolution image modelling and estimation

Multiresolution representations make explicit the notion of scale in images, and facilitate the combination of information from different scales. To date, however, image modelling and estimation schemes have not exploited such representations and tend rather to be derived from two- dimensional extensions of traditional one-dimensional signal processing techniques. In the causal case, autoregressive (AR) and ARMA models lead to minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimators which are two-dimensional variants of the well-established Kalman filter. Noncausal approaches tend to be transform-based and the MMSE estimator is the two- dimensional Wiener filter. However, images contain profound nonstationarities such as edges, which are beyond the descriptive capacity of such signal models, and defects such as blurring (and streaking in the causal case) are apparent in the results obtained by the associated estimators. This thesis introduces a new multiresolution image model, defined on the quadtree data structure. The model is a one-dimensional, first-order gaussian martingale process causal in the scale dimension. The generated image, however, is noncausal and exhibits correlations at all scales unlike those generated by traditional models. The model is capable of nonstationary behaviour in all three dimensions (two position and one scale) and behaves isomorphically but independently at each scale, in keeping with the notion of scale invariance in natural images. The optimal (MMSE) estimator is derived for the case of corruption by additive white gaussian noise (AWGN). The estimator is a one-dimensional, first-order linear recursive filter with a computational burden far lower than that of traditional estimators. However, the simple quadtree data structure leads to aliasing and 'block' artifacts in the estimated images. This could be overcome by spatial filtering, but a faster method is introduced which requires no additional multiplications but involves the insertion of some extra nodes into the quadtree. Nonstationarity is introduced by a fast, scale-invariant activity detector defined on the quadtree. Activity at all scales is combined in order to achieve noise rejection. The estimator is modified at each scale and position by the detector output such that less smoothing is applied near edges and more in smooth regions. Results demonstrate performance superior to that of existing methods, and at drastically lower computational cost. The estimation scheme is further extended to include anisotropic processing, which has produced good results in image restoration. An orientation estimator controls anisotropic filtering, the output of which is made available to the image estimator

Linear estimation for 2-D nearest-neighbor models

Cover title.Includes bibliographical references.Supported in part by the National Science Foundation. ECS-8700903 Supported in part by the Army Research Office. DAAL03-86-K-0171Milton B. Adams, Bernard C. Levy and Alan S. Willsky

Two-dimensional recursive parameter identification for adaptive Kalman filtering

Includes bibliographical references (page 1081).This paper is concerned with the development of a 2-D adaptive Kalman filtering by recursive adjustment of the parameters of an autoregressive (AR) image model with non symmetric half-plane (NSHP) region of support. The image and degradation models are formulated in a 2-D state-space model, for which the relevant 2-D Kalman filtering equations are given. The recursive parameter identification is achieved using the extension of the stochastic Newton approach to the 2-D case. This process can be implemented on-line to estimate the image model parameters based upon the local statistics in every processing window. Simulation results for removing an additive noise from a degraded image are also presented

Two-dimensional block Kalman filtering for image restoration

Includes bibliographical references.This paper is concerned with developing an efficient two-dimensional (2-D) block Kalman filtering for digital image restoration. A new 2-D multiinput, multioutput (MIMO) state-space structure for modeling the image generation process is introduced. This structure is derived by arranging a vector autoregressive (AR) model with a causal quarter-plane region of support in block form. This model takes into account the correlations of the image data in successive neighboring blocks and, as a result, reduces the edge effects prominent in the available Kalman strip filtering techniques. The degradation model for an infinite extent Linear space invariant (LSI) blur and white Gaussian (WG) noise is also modeled by an MIMO block state-space equation stemmed from a single-input single-output (SISO) 2-D state-space structure. The image generation model and the degradation model are combined to yield a composite block-state dynamic structure. The block Kalman filtering equations are obtained for this dynamic structure and then used to compute the suboptimal filter estimates of a noisy and blurred image

Digital Signal Processing

Contains an introduction and reports on fifteen research projects.National Science Foundation FellowshipU.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-81-K-0742)National Science Foundation (Grant ECS 84-07285)Sanders Associates, Inc.U.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research (Contract F19628-85-K-0028)AT&T Bell Laboratories Doctoral Support ProgramCanada, Bell Northern Research ScholarshipCanada, Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et /'Aide a la Recherche Postgraduate FellowshipCanada, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council Postgraduate FellowshipAmoco Foundation FellowshipFannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowshi

Virtually Lossless Compression of Astrophysical Images

We describe an image compression strategy potentially capable of preserving the scientific quality of astrophysical data, simultaneously allowing a consistent bandwidth reduction to be achieved. Unlike strictly lossless techniques, by which moderate compression ratios are attainable, and conventional lossy techniques, in which the mean square error of the decoded data is globally controlled by users, near-lossless methods are capable of locally constraining the maximum absolute error, based on user's requirements. An advanced lossless/near-lossless differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) scheme, recently introduced by the authors and relying on a causal spatial prediction, is adjusted to the specific characteristics of astrophysical image data (high radiometric resolution, generally low noise, etc.). The background noise is preliminarily estimated to drive the quantization stage for high quality, which is the primary concern in most of astrophysical applications. Extensive experimental results of lossless, near-lossless, and lossy compression of astrophysical images acquired by the Hubble space telescope show the advantages of the proposed method compared to standard techniques like JPEG-LS and JPEG2000. Eventually, the rationale of virtually lossless compression, that is, a noise-adjusted lossles/near-lossless compression, is highlighted and found to be in accordance with concepts well established for the astronomers' community