Digital Image Processing

Histogram Processing

Image is NOT Perfect Sometimes

http://www.eri.harvard.edu/faculty/peli/proje
cts/enhancement.html
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Histogram - Image Enhancement

Introduction
Spatial domain (histogram based)
techniques
Histogram stretching
Histogram equalization
Histogram (specification) matching
Local and adaptive contrast
enhancement

What is a Histogram?

In Statistics, Histogram is a graphical

representation showing a visual impression of
the distribution of data.
An Image Histogram is a type of histogram
that acts as a graphical representation of the
lightness/color distribution in a digital image.
It plots the number of pixels for each value.

What is a Histogram?

In Statistics, Histogram is a graphical

representation showing a visual impression of
the distribution of data.
An Image Histogram is a type of histogram
that acts as a graphical representation of the
lightness/color distribution in a digital image.
It plots the number of pixels for each value.

Example of Histogram

Why Histogram?

Histograms are the basis for numerous

spatial domain processing techniques
Histogram manipulation can be used
effectively for image enhancement
Histograms can be used to provide useful
image statistics
Information derived from histograms are quite
useful in other image processing applications,
such as image compression and
segmentation.

Histogram Processing

The histogram of a digital image with gray

levels in the range [0, L-1] is a discrete
function h(rk) = nk, where rk is the kth gray
level and nk is the number of pixels in the
image having gray level rk.

Histogram Processing

It is common practice to normalize a

histogram by dividing each of its values by
the total number of pixels in the image,
denoted by n. Thus, a normalized histogram
is given by p(rk) = nk / n, for k = 0, 1, , L -1.
Thus, p(rk) gives an estimate of the
probability of occurrence of gray level rk. Note
that the sum of all components of a
normalized histogram is equal to 1.

Histogram based Enhancement

Histogram of an image represents the relative frequency
of occurrence of various gray levels in the image
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Why Histogram stretching ?

4

x 10
4
3.5
3
2.5
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1.5
1
0.5
0
0

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It is a baby in the cradle!

Histogram information reveals that image is under-exposed

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Another Example
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Over-exposed image

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No stretch
0
0

64
64

128
128

input values
172
255
display level
172
255

Linear Stretch
0
64

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172 input values

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display level
172
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EE465: Introduction to Digital Image

Processing

Linear
Stretch
Minimum
Old DN

ie. 64 in this example

DN - MIN
DN = --------------- x 255
MAX - MIN
New DN

Linear Stretch
0
64

Maximum
ie. 172 in this example
128
EE465: Introduction to Digital Image
Processing

172 input values

255

How to Adjust the Image?

Histogram equalization

Basic idea: find a map f(x) such that the histogram

of the modified (equalized) image is flat (uniform).
Key motivation: cumulative probability function
(cdf) of a random variable approximates a uniform
distribution

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Histogram Equalization
x

y L h(t )
t 0

Uniform
Quantization
L

y s h(t )
t 0

Note:

h(t ) 1
t 0

cumulative probability function

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse_transform_sampling
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Implementation
1.Calculate histogram
2.Form the cumulative histogram
3.Normalize the values- divide by total value
4.Multiply with maximum grey value - round off
5.Map original value to result (step4) one to one correspondance

This Performs histogram

equalization

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Image Example

before

after
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Histogram Comparison
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before equalization

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after equalization

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Histogram Specification/Matching
Given a target image B, how to modify a given image A such that
the histogram of the modified A can match that of target image B?

histogram1

histogram2

S-1*T
T

?
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Implementation

Find mapping table of histogram equalization

Specify the desired histogram, equalize
desired histogram also
Perform mapping process above two
mapping tables

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before

after

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Adaptive contrast enhancement

Select neibourhood of image with spatial

window
Apply histogram equalization to that window
Move window centre pixel moved by one
pixel
Update histogram (histo equ)
Repeat above two steps for entire image

Adaptive Histogram Equalization

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_histogram_equalization
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Thank you