Parameter Estimation of Signal-Dependent Random Noise in CMOS/CCD Image Sensor Based on Numerical Characteristic of Mixed Poisson Noise Samples

Parameter estimation of Poisson-Gaussian signal-dependent random noise in the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor/charge-coupled device image sensor is a significant step in eliminating noise. The existing estimation algorithms, which are based on finding homogeneous regions, acquire the pair of the variances of noise and the intensities of every homogeneous region to fit the linear or piecewise linear curve and ascertain the noise parameters accordingly. In contrast to the existing algorithms, in this study, the Poisson noise samples of all homogeneous regions in every block image are pieced together to constitute a larger sample following the mixed Poisson noise distribution; then, the mean and variance of the mixed Poisson noise sample are deduced. Next, the mapping function among the noise parameters to be estimated—variance of Poisson-Gaussian noise and that of Gaussian noise corresponding to the stitched region in every block image—is constructed. Finally, the unbiased estimations of noise parameters are calculated from the mapping functions of all the image blocks. The experimental results confirm that the proposed method can obtain lower mean absolute error values of estimated noise parameters than the conventional ones

A Gaussian Process Model for Color Camera Characterization: Assessment in Outdoor Levantine Rock Art Scenes

[EN] In this paper, we propose a novel approach to undertake the colorimetric camera characterization procedure based on a Gaussian process (GP). GPs are powerful and flexible nonparametric models for multivariate nonlinear functions. To validate the GP model, we compare the results achieved with a second-order polynomial model, which is the most widely used regression model for characterization purposes. We applied the methodology on a set of raw images of rock art scenes collected with two different Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras. A leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) procedure was used to assess the predictive performance of the models in terms of CIE XYZ residuals and Delta E-ab* color differences. Values of less than 3 CIELAB units were achieved for Delta E-ab*. The output sRGB characterized images show that both regression models are suitable for practical applications in cultural heritage documentation. However, the results show that colorimetric characterization based on the Gaussian process provides significantly better results, with lower values for residuals and Delta E-ab*. We also analyzed the induced noise into the output image after applying the camera characterization. As the noise depends on the specific camera, proper camera selection is essential for the photogrammetric work.This research is partly funded by the Research and Development Aid Program PAID-01-16 of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, through FPI-UPV-2016 Sub 1 grant.Molada-Tebar, A.; Riutort-Mayol, G.; Marqués-Mateu, Á.; Lerma, JL. (2019). A Gaussian Process Model for Color Camera Characterization: Assessment in Outdoor Levantine Rock Art Scenes. Sensors. 19(21):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/s19214610S1221921Ruiz, J. F., & Pereira, J. (2014). The colours of rock art. Analysis of colour recording and communication systems in rock art research. 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