Image Processing Fundamentals

Introduction Digital Image Definitions Image Operations Tools Algorithms Techniques

Introduction
Image Processing: Image Analysis: Image Understanding: Image in Image in Image in ? ? ? Image out Measurements out High-level description out

Digital Image Definitions

Digital Image Definitions

The 2D continuous image a(x,y) is divided into N rows and M columns. The intersection of a row and a column is called a pixel . The image can also be a function other variables including depth ( z), color ( ), and time ( t).

columns

rows Value = a(x,y,z,,t)

Sampling

Analog image a(x,y)

Digital image a[m,n]

Digital Image Definitions

Grayscale images: Indexed color images: RGB color images: Typically 2k (2, 16, 256, 4096, ... ) gray levels Typically 256 colors (GIF-format) Red, green and blue channels, typically 256 levels each: 2(3*8) = 16777216 colors (e.g. TIF and JPEG formats) Multiple channels, including visible light, NIR, IR etc. (remote sensing, e.g. satellite imaging)

Digital Image Definitions

Grayscale images:

Multispectral images:

Digital Image Definitions

Indexed color images:

Digital Image Definitions

RGB color images:

R G B

Digital Image Definitions

Red Green and Blue as primary colors:

Image Operations
Point:
The output value at a specific coordinate is dependent only on the input value at that same coordinate.

Image Operations
Local:
The output value at a specific coordinate is dependent on the input values in the neighborhood of that same coordinate.

Image Operations
Global:
The output value at a specific coordinate is dependent on all the values in the input image.

Some Tools
Convolution Fourier Transforms Statistics

Convolution
c = a b = a b
Discrete convolution in 2D:

c[m, n] = a[m, n] b[m, n ] =

a[ j , k ]b [m
j = k =

j, n k ]

Convolution
(This was an animation in the presentation)

Fourier Transform
In 2D discrete space:

Discrete convolution in 2D:

Resul t:

A[1 , 2 ] =

m = n=

a[m, n] e

j( 1m + 2 n )

The resulting transform is generally complex.

Fourier Transform
Magnitude
Transform

Statistics
Probability distribution function of the brightnesses Probability density function of the brightnesses Average Standard deviation Coefficient-of-variation Percentiles

Phase

Statistics
Probability distribution function of the brightnesses
maximum

Average
The average brightness of a region is defined as the sample mean of the pixel brightnesses within that region. The average, ma , of the brightnesses over the pixels within a region (R ) is given by:

Probability density function of the brightnesses

ma =

1 a[m, n] ( m , n)

median

Alternatively, we can use a formulation based upon the (unnormalized) brightness histogram, h(a) = *p(a), with discrete brightness values a. This gives:

ma =
minimum

1 a h[a] a

The average brightness, ma , is an estimate of the mean brightness, ua , of the underlying brightness probability distribution

Standard Deviation
The unbiased estimate of the standard deviation, s a , of the brightnesses within a region (R) with pixels is called the sample standard deviation and is given by:

Other Statistics
Coefficient-of-variation The dimensionless coefficient-of-variation, CV, is defined as:

sa =

1 (a[m, n] ma ) 2 = 1 ( m, n)

( m ,n )

a [m, n] m
2

2 a

CV =

sa 100% ma

Using the histogram formulation gives:

2 2 a h[a ] ma sa = a 1
The standard deviation, s a , is an estimate of a of the underlying brightness probability distribution.

Percentiles The percentile, p%, of an unquantized brightness distribution is defined as that value of the brightness a such that: P(a) = p% Three special cases are frequently used in digital image processing: 0% the minimum value in the region 50% the median value in the region 100% the maximum value in the region

Algorithms
Histogram-based Operations Convolution-based Operations
Smoothing Operations Derivative- based Operations

Histogram-based Operations
Contrast stretching Equalization Other histogram- based operations

Morphology-based Operations

Histogram Equalization

Convolution-based Operations
Filtering (includes smoothing operations): High-pass, low-pass, mean,... Edge- detection (derivative- based operations) Image reconstruction (using deconvolution): Deblurring , defocus correction,

Morphology-based Operations
Dilation and Erosion
Opening and Closing

Dilation and Erosion

Dilation

Skeleton
Erosion

Opening and Closing

Opening Closing Erosion followed by dilation Dilation followed by erosion

Skeleton
The informal definition of a skeleton is a line representation of an object that is: i) one-pixel thick, ii) through the "middle" of the object, and, iii) preserves the topology of the object.

Techniques
Shading Correction Basic Enhancement and Restoration Techniques Segmentation