4513sipij02 PDF
4513sipij02 PDF
4513sipij02 PDF
5, October 2013
ABSTRACT
Histogram Equalization is a contrast enhancement technique in the image processing which uses the
histogram of image. However histogram equalization is not the best method for contrast enhancement
because the mean brightness of the output image is significantly different from the input image. There are
several extensions of histogram equalization has been proposed to overcome the brightness preservation
challenge. Contrast enhancement using brightness preserving bi-histogram equalization (BBHE) and
Dualistic sub image histogram equalization (DSIHE) which divides the image histogram into two parts
based on the input mean and median respectively then equalizes each sub histogram independently. This
paper provides review of different popular histogram equalization techniques and experimental study based
on the absolute mean brightness error (AMBE), peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), Structure similarity index
(SSI) and Entropy.
KEYWORDS
Histogram Equalization, Contrast Enhancement, Brightness Preservation, Absolute Mean Brightness Error,
Peak Signal to Noise Ratio, Structure Similarity Index.
1. INTRODUCTION
Contrast enhancement is an important area in the field of digital image processing for human
visual perception and computer vision. It is extensively used for medical image processing and as
a preprocessing step in speech recognition, texture synthesis, and many other image/video
processing applications [1] [2] [3]. There are many different methods have been developed for
image contrast enhancement [4]-[22]. Here we discussed some popular image contrast
enhancement method for brightness preservation.
DOI : 10.5121/sipij.2013.4502 11
Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
of occurrence of all gray-levels in the image [5]. Histogram equalization well distributes the
pixels intensity over the full intensity range. But HE has "mean-shift" problem [6], it shifts the
mean intensity value to the middle gray level of the intensity range. So this technique is not useful
where brightness preservation is required. To overcome this problem BBHE (Brightness
Preserving by Histogram Equalization) has been proposed by Yeong-Taeg Kim [6] which
overcome the mean shift problem. BBHE divides the input image histogram into two parts based
on the mean value. Then histogram equalization is applied to the both separated parts with the
new intensity range, first minimum gray level to the mean value and for second mean value to the
maximum gray level.
Later, equal area dualistic sub-image histogram equalization (DSIHE) introduced by Yu Wan,
Qian Chen and Bio-Min Zang [7] and claimed that the performance of DSIHE is better than
BBHE in terms of brightness preservation and entropy. DSIHE uses the same concept as BBHE,
it divides the input image histogram into two parts based on cumulative probability density equal
to 0.5 instead of mean value as in BBHE. It divides the image in two parts with equal size which
contains equal number of pixel.
The extension of BBHE is RMSHE which perform recursively separation of input image
histogram based on mean value of input histogram to the satisfactory number of recursion levels.
Each new sub-histogram is separated based on respective mean. As the number of recursion level
increases the mean brightness of output image is closer to the input image mean brightness. The
recursive nature of RMSHE implies scalable brightness preservation which is very useful in
consumer electronic products [8]. A new method RSIHE is a novel extension of DSIHE and used
some characteristics of RMSHE. The RSIHE recursively separated the input image histogram
based on the cumulative distribution function (cdf) equal to 0.5. The RSIHE separates each new
sub histogram recursively to the specified satisfactory recursion level [10].
Chen and Ramil proposes Minimum Mean Brightness Error Bi-Histogram Equalization
(MMBEBHE), which is an extension of BBHE which offers maximum brightness preservation.
MMBEBHE method proposes to separate histogram into two sub-parts using threshold level
which is responsible for minimum absolute mean brightness error (AMBE) [9].
Mary Kim and Min Gyo Chung proposed another new method RSWHE (Recursively Separated
and Weighted Histogram Equalization) for brightness preservation and contrast enhancement.
The RSWHE offers better results in comparison to previous methods in all aspects. The RSWHE
segments the input histogram into two or more sub histogram recursively based on the mean or
median as used in RMSHE and RSIHE, then apply the weighting process based on normalized
power low function to modify the each sub-histogram. And then perform histogram equalization
to each weighted output sub-histogram independently [12].
A. HISTOGRAM EQUALIZATION-
Histogram equalization is contrast enhancement technique in a spatial domain in image
processing using histogram of image. Histogram equalization usually increases the global contrast
of the processing image. This method is useful for the images which are bright or dark.
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
Implementation
Consider the discrete grayscale input Image X = x(i,j), with the L discrete levels, where x(i,j)
represents the intensity levels of the image at the spatial domain (i,j) Let histogram of Image X is
H(X).. Now the probability density function pdf(X) can be defined as-
(1)
Where, 0 1
From the pdf(X) (1) the cumulative distribution function cdf(Xi) is defined as-
∑ (2)
(a)
(b)
(c) (d)
Fig. 1. (a) shows input image having low contrast, (b) shows histogram of input image, (c) shows
histogram equalized image and (d) shows histogram of processed image
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
Histogram equalization is a scheme that maps the input image into the entire dynamic range
[ , ] by using the cumulative distribution function as a transform function. Let's define the
transform function using cumulative distribution function as-
The above describe the histogram equalization on gray scale image. However it can also be used
on color image by applying the same method separately to the Red, Green and Blue Component
of the RGB color image.
The BBHE firstly decomposes an input image histogram H(X) into two sub-images based on the
mean of the input image. Now let input image is decomposed into two sub-images XL and XU by
using the input mean Xm, where . ∈ { , , 0 … }.
∪ 3 (6)
where
{($, %| ($, % . ∀ ($, % ∈ }
and
3 {($, %| ($, % > . ∀ ($, % ∈ }
'∑:;<
9=> .789 )
. (7)
'∑:;<
9=> 789 )
Next, define the respective probability density function (pdf) of the sub-image XL and XU as-
(8)
AℎC
C, 0,1,2 … E.
and
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
3
3
(9)
3
AℎC
C, E + 1, E + 2, … 1.
Where NL and NU represents the total number or pixels in the XL and XU respectively. The
respective cumulative distribution function (cdf) is-
∑.
F (10)
and
Now defining transformation function as defined in histogram equalization for each sub image-
and
3 3 .? + .? 3 (13)
Based on these transformation functions, sub images are equalized independently and the output
of BBHE is composition of equalized sub images. Now the output of BBHE, Y can be expressed
as-
where
$, %|∀$, % ∈ (15)
and
Equalize the sub-image over the range [ , . ] whereas 3 3 equalize the
subimage 3 over the range [.? , ].
, AℎC
C 0,1,2 … S. (19)
and
3
3
, AℎC
C S + 1, S + 2, S + 3 … 1. (20)
3
and
3 3 G + G 3 (24)
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
Equalize the sub-image over the range [ , G ] whereas 3 3 equalize the
subimage 3 over the range [G , ].
This method proposes the novel extension of BBHE referred to as Minimum mean brightness
error bi-histogram equalization. It performs the separation based on the threshold level which
would return minimum absolute mean brightness error (AMBE) [9]. MMBEBHE works in these
three steps defined by the following-
1). First it calculates the AMBE for each of the threshold level.
2). Then it finds the minimum threshold level, XT that yield minimum MBE,
3). Finally it separates the input histogram based on the XT found in step 2 and applies histogram
equalization each of the separated histograms as in BBHE.
This is a new histogram equalization method named recursively separated and weighted
histogram equalization for brightness preservation and contrast enhancement (RSWHE). To
enhance the image contrast as well as preserve the image brightness. RSWHE consists of three
modules Histogram segmentation, Histogram weighting, and Histogram equalization module
[12].
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
This module decomposes the input image histogram in the same way as RMSHE of RSIHE
does. It divides the input histogram H(X) recursively up to the some precise recursion level.
Histogram segmentation is done on the two ways first one is based on the mean and
another based on the median of the sub-histograms.
Now we know that at recursion level r, the histogram segmentation module has generated 2r
sub histograms, i.e. UV , {1 $ 2V }. The histogram weighting module specially
modifies the probability density function of each sub histogram using the normalized power
law function.
For each sub-histogram UV , corresponding original PDF , the weighted PDF
W , probability density equation is described in (26)-
78[ 7\9] a9
W .XY Z 7 ` + b, c (26)
\^_ 7\9]
Where,
.XY R .d are maximum and minimum probability value from original histogram
respectively. e is an accumulative probability value for ith sub-histogram UV . e is
calculated for each sub-histogram.
3
e ∑
9
9
(27)
b is a value which is ≥ (grater then) 0. The degree of mean brightness and contrast
enhancement of output image can be controlled by adjusting b. It is experimentally found that
the output image with the satisfactory quality can be produced, when b is around
.XY . |f − g |⁄(.XY − .d ), where .XY R .d are the greatest and the least gray
levels of the input image, respectively [12]. After weighting process normalization is
required to normalize the weighted histogram.
3. Histogram equalization Module:-
The resultant weighted and normalized PDF called Wd ( ), where the ith sub histogram is
UV () where (1 ≤ $ ≤ 2V ) over the range [9 , 39 ]. The task of histogram equalization
module is to separately equalize each of all 2V sub histogram by using the histogram
equalization method. Now finally combining all the resultant sub-images produce output of
RSWHE method.
2. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
We have processed many images to show the performance of different histogram equalization
techniques discussed above. We have selected some standard images and apply HE, BBHE,
DSIHE, RMSHE, RSIHE, MMBEBHE, RSWHE methods to evaluate their performance. The
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
performance is assessed on the basis of absolute mean brightness error (AMBE), peak signal to
noise ratio (PSNR), and structure similarity index measure (SSIM).
∑r p
9=< ∑q=< |8(,m)n(,m)|
o
Klk = (29)
f×s
()o
Fl
t = 10 log fwx
(30)
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
• Entropy:-
The entropy is a valuable tool to measure the richness of the details in the output image. For a
given PDF p, entropy Entropy[p] is computed by (32)
k
#[] = − ∑
( ) log 0 ( ) (32)
(a) (b)
Fig.3. (a) Shows chart of AMBE for different HE methods and (b) shows chart of PSNR for different HE
methods
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
Table-3: For Structure Similarity Index (SSI)
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
Table 4, presents the Entropy values compared with original image entropy to other HE based
methods for some standard images. Entropy is used to measure the rich
richness
ness of details in image.
RSWHE-M and RSWHE-D D performs batter then others in terms of entropy.
(e) RMSHE (r=2) (f) RSIHE (r=2) (g) MMBEBHE (h) RSWHE-M
M (r=2)
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
3. CONCLUSION
This paper presents comparative study of different histogram equalization based image
enhancement methods. After observation of experimental results for brightness preservation we
observed that the brightness preservation is not handled well by HE, BBHE and DSIHE, but it
can be handled properly by RMSHE, RSIHE, and RSWHE. RSWHE RSWHE-M offers better ter brightness
preservation, better contrast enhancement and better structure similarity index as compared to
other methods. RSWHE-D D is the second best method for brightness preservation and contrast
enhancement. The RSWHE method also offers scalable brigh brightness
tness preservation because of its
recursive nature. From our study it is observed that a huge work has already been done in this
field but still there exist much space for future work.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We would like to thank Dr. Song Der Chen, Putra Malaysia Univ., Serdang, Malaysia for giving
help in MMBEBHE[9].
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Signal & Image Processing : An International Journal (SIPIJ) Vol.4, No.5, October 2013
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AUTHORS
Omprakash Patel
He was born in Jabalpur, India. He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in
Computer Science & Engineering from GGITS Jabalpur affiliated from RGPV Bhopal,
in 2010. He is currently pursuing Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Computer
Science & Application from School of Information Technology, UTD, RGPV, Bhopal,
India. His research interest includes image enhancement and medical image processing.
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