A Retinex-based Image Enhancement Scheme with Noise Aware Shadow-up Function

This paper proposes a novel image contrast enhancement method based on both a noise aware shadow-up function and Retinex (retina and cortex) decomposition. Under low light conditions, images taken by digital cameras have low contrast in dark or bright regions. This is due to a limited dynamic range that imaging sensors have. For this reason, various contrast enhancement methods have been proposed. Our proposed method can enhance the contrast of images without not only over-enhancement but also noise amplification. In the proposed method, an image is decomposed into illumination layer and reflectance layer based on the retinex theory, and lightness information of the illumination layer is adjusted. A shadow-up function is used for preventing over-enhancement. The proposed mapping function, designed by using a noise aware histogram, allows not only to enhance contrast of dark region, but also to avoid amplifying noise, even under strong noise environments.Comment: To appear in IWAIT-IFMIA 201

Objective and subjective assessment of perceptual factors in HDR content processing

The development of the display and camera technology makes high dynamic range (HDR) image become more and more popular. High dynamic range image give us pleasant image which has more details that makes high dynamic range image has good quality. This paper shows us the some important techniques in HDR images. And it also presents the work the author did. The paper is formed of three parts. The first part is an introduction of HDR image. From this part we can know why HDR image has good quality

Rendering non-pictorial (Scientific) high dynamic range images

In recent years, the graphics community is seeing an increasing demand for the capture and usage of high-dynamic-range (HDR) images. Since the production of HDR imagery is not solely the domain of the visualization of real life or computer generated scenes, novel techniques are also required for imagery captured from non-visual sources such as remote sensing, medical imaging, astronomical imaging, etc. This research proposes to integrate the techniques used for the display of high-dynamic-range pictorial imagery for the practical visualization of non-pictorial (scientific) imagery for data mining and interpretation. Nine algorithms were utilized to overcome the problem associated with rendering the high-dynamic-range image data to low-dynamic-range display devices, and the results were evaluated using a psychophysical experiment. Two paired-comparison experiments and a target detection experiment were performed. Paired-comparison results indicate that the Zone System performs the best on average and the Local Color Correction method performs the worst. The results show that the performance of different encoding schemes depend on the type of data being visualized. The correlation between the preference and scientific usefulness judgments (R2 = 0.31) demonstrates that observers tend to use different criteria when judging the scientific usefulness versus image preference. The experiment was conducted using observers with expertise (Radiologists) for the Medical image to further elucidate the success of HDR rendering on these data. The results indicated that both Radiologists and Non-radiologists tend to use similar criteria regardless of their experience and expertise when judging the usefulness of rendered images. A target detection experiment was conducted to measure the detectability of an embedded noise target in the Medical image to demonstrate the effect of the tone mapping operators on target detection. The result of the target detection experiment illustrated that the detectability of targets the image is greatly influenced by the rendering algorithm due to the inherent differences in tone mapping among the algorithms

Digital Color Imaging

This paper surveys current technology and research in the area of digital color imaging. In order to establish the background and lay down terminology, fundamental concepts of color perception and measurement are first presented us-ing vector-space notation and terminology. Present-day color recording and reproduction systems are reviewed along with the common mathematical models used for representing these devices. Algorithms for processing color images for display and communication are surveyed, and a forecast of research trends is attempted. An extensive bibliography is provided