Digital Image Processing
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Example Histogram
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Example
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Example
Dark image
Components of
histogram are
concentrated on
the low side of
the gray scale.
Bright image
Components of
histogram are
concentrated on
the high side of
the gray scale.
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Example
Low-contrast image
histogram is
narrow and
centered toward
the middle of the
gray scale
High-contrast image
histogram covers
broad range of the
gray scale and the
distribution of pixels
is not too far from
uniform, with very
few vertical lines
being much higher
than the others
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Contrast stretching through histogram
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Digital Image Processing
Lecture 9:
Image Enhancement in Spatial Domain
Spatial Filtering: Order statistic filtering
and Image Sharpening
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Local enhancement through spatial filtering
The output intensity value at (x,y) depends not only on
the input intensity value at (x,y) but also on the specified
number of neighboring intensity values around (x,y)
Spatial masks (also called window, filter, kernel,
template) are used and convolved over the entire image
for local enhancement (spatial filtering)
The size of the masks determines the number of
neighboring pixels which influence the output value at
(x,y)
The values (coefficients) of the mask determine the
nature and properties of enhancing technique
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Local enhancement through spatial filtering
The mechanics of spatial
filtering
For an image of size M x N and
a mask of size m x n
The resulting output gray level
for any coordinates x and y is
given by
a b
g ( x, y ) w(s, t ) f ( x s, y t )
s a t b
where a (m 1) / 2, b (n 1) / 2
x 0, 1, 2,......, M 1, y 0, 1, 2,......, N 1,
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Basics of spatial filtering
Given the 3×3 mask with coefficients: w1, w2,…, w9
The mask cover the pixels with gray levels: z1, z2,…, z9
z gives the output intensity value for the processed image
(to be stored in a new array) at the location of z5 in the
input image
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Basics of spatial filtering
Mask operation near the image border
Problem arises when part of the mask is located outside the image
plane; to handle the problem:
1. Discard the problem pixels (e.g. 512x512input 510x510output if mask
size is 3x3)
2. Zero padding: expand the input image by padding zeros
(512x512input 514x514output)
– Zero padding is not good create artificial lines or edges on the border;
3. We normally use the gray levels of border pixels to fill up the
expanded region (for 3x3 mask). For larger masks a border
region equal to half of the mask size is mirrored on the expanded
region.
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Mask operation near the image border
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Spatial filtering for Smoothing
For blurring/noise reduction;
Blurring is usually used in preprocessing steps,
e.g., to remove small details from an image prior to object
extraction,
or to bridge small gaps in lines or curves
Equivalent to Low-pass spatial filtering in frequency domain
because smaller (high frequency) details are removed based on
neighborhood averaging (averaging filters)
Implementation: The simplest form of the spatial filter for averaging
is a square mask (assume m×m mask) with the same coefficients
1/m2 to preserve the gray levels (averaging).
Applications: Reduce noise; smooth false contours
Side effect: Edge blurring
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Smoothing filters
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Spatial filtering for Smoothing (example)
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Spatial filtering for Smoothing (example)
Original image Smoothed by
size: 500 x 500 3 x 3 box filter
Smoothed by Smoothed by
5 x 5 box filter 9 x 9 box filter
Smoothed by Smoothed by
15 x 15 box filter 35 x 35 box filter
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Spatial filtering for Smoothing (example)
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Order-statistics filtering
Nonlinear spatial filters
Output is based on order of gray levels in the masked
area (sub-image)
Examples: Median filtering, Max & Min filtering
Median filtering
Assigns the mid value of all the gray levels in the mask to
the center of mask;
Particularly effective when
– the noise pattern consists of strong, spiky components (impulse
noise, salt-and-pepper
– edges are to be preserved
– Force points with distinct gray levels to be more like their
neighbors
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Median Filtering
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Median Filtering (example)
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Spatial filtering for image sharpening
Background: to highlight fine detail in an image or to
enhance blurred detail
Applications: electronic printing, medical imaging,
industrial inspection, autonomous target
detection (smart weapons)......
Foundation:
Blurring/smoothing is performed by spatial averaging
(equivalent to integration)
Sharpening is performed by noting only the gray level
changes in the image that is the differentiation
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Spatial filtering for image sharpening
Operation of Image Differentiation
Enhance edges and discontinuities (magnitude of output
gray level >>0)
De-emphasize areas with slowly varying gray-level
values (output gray level: 0)
Mathematical Basis of Filtering for Image Sharpening
First-order and second-order derivatives
Approximation in discrete-space domain
Implementation by mask filtering
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First and second order derivatives
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Example for discrete derivatives
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Various situations encountered for derivatives
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Various situations encountered for derivatives
Ramps or steps in the 1D profile normally characterize
the edges in an image
f ″ is nonzero at the onset and end of the ramp:
produce thin (double) edges
f ′ is nonzero along the entire ramp produce thick edges
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Various situations encountered for derivatives
Thin lines
Isolated point
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Comparison between f" and f´
f´ generally produce thicker edges in an image
f" have a stronger response to file detail
f´ generally have a stronger response to a gray-level step
f" produces a double response at step changes in gray
level
f" responses given similar changes in gray-level values
line > point > step
For image enhancement, f" is generally better suited
than f´
Major application of f´ is for edge extraction;
f´ used together with f" results in impressive
enhancement effect
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Laplacian for image enhancement
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Laplacian for image enhancement
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Laplacian for image enhancement
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Laplacian for image enhancement (example)
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Laplacian for image enhancement (example)
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