Histogram Processing

► Histogram Equalization

► Histogram Matching

► Local Histogram Processing

► Using Histogram Statistics for Image Enhancement

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 Histogram Processing

Histogram h(rk )  nk
rk is the k th intensity value
nk is the number of pixels in the image with intensity rk

nk
Normalized histogram p( rk ) 
MN
nk : the number of pixels in the image of
size M  N with intensity rk

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 Histogram Equalization
The intensity levels in an image may be viewed as
random variables in the interval [0, L-1].
Let pr ( r ) and ps ( s) denote the probability density
function (PDF) of random variables r and s.

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 Histogram Equalization

s  T (r ) 0  r  L 1

a. T(r) is a strictly monotonically increasing function

in the interval 0  r  L -1;
b. 0  T (r )  L -1 for 0  r  L -1.

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 Histogram Equalization

s  T (r ) 0  r  L 1

a. T(r) is a strictly monotonically increasing function

in the interval 0  r  L -1;
b. 0  T (r )  L -1 for 0  r  L -1.

T (r ) is continuous and differentiable.

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 Histogram Equalization

r
s  T (r )  ( L  1)  pr ( w)dw
0

ds dT ( r ) d  r 
dr

dr
 ( L  1)

dr  0
pr ( w) dw

 ( L  1) pr (r )

pr (r )dr pr (r ) pr (r ) 1
ps ( s )    
ds  ds  ( L  1) pr (r )  L  1
 
 dr 
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 Example
Suppose that the (continuous) intensity values
in an image have the PDF

 2r
 2
, for 0  r  L-1
pr (r )   ( L  1)
 0, otherwise


Find the transformation function for equalizing

the image histogram.

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 Example
r
s  T (r )  ( L  1)  pr ( w)dw
0

r 2w
 ( L  1)  2
dw
0 ( L  1)
2
r

L 1

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 Histogram Equalization
Continuous case:
r
s  T (r )  ( L  1)  pr ( w)dw
0

Discrete values:
k
sk  T (rk )  ( L  1) pr (rj )
j 0
k nj L 1 k
 ( L  1)   nj k=0,1,..., L-1
j  0 MN MN j  0
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 Example: Histogram Equalization
Suppose that a 3-bit image (L=8) of size 64 × 64 pixels (MN = 4096)
has the intensity distribution shown in following table.
Get the histogram equalization transformation function and give the
ps(sk) for each sk.

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 Example: Histogram Equalization

0
s0  T (r0 )  7 pr (rj )  7  0.19  1.33 1
j 0
1
s1  T (r1 )  7 pr (rj )  7  (0.19  0.25)  3.08 3
j 0
s2  4.55  5 s3  5.67  6
s4  6.23  6 s5  6.65  7
s6  6.86  7 s7  7.00  7
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 Example: Histogram Equalization

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 Question
Is histogram equalization always good?

No

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 Histogram Matching
Histogram matching (histogram specification)
— generate a processed image that has a specified histogram
Let pr ( r ) and pz ( z ) denote the continous probability
density functions of the variables r and z. p z ( z ) is the
specified probability density function.
Let s be the random variable with the probability
r
s  T ( r )  ( L  1)  pr ( w) dw
0

Define a random variable z with the probability

z
G ( z )  ( L  1)  pz (t ) dt  s
0
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 Histogram Matching
r
s  T ( r )  ( L  1)  pr ( w)dw
0
z
G ( z )  ( L  1)  pz (t )dt  s
0

1
z  G (s)  G 1
T (r )

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 Histogram Matching: Procedure

► Obtain pr(r) from the input image and then obtain the values of s
r
s  ( L  1)  pr ( w)dw
0

► Use the specified PDF and obtain the transformation function G(z)
z
G ( z )  ( L  1)  pz (t )dt  s
0

► Mapping from s to z

z  G 1 ( s )

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 Histogram Matching: Example

Assuming continuous intensity values, suppose that an image has

the intensity PDF
 2r
 2
, for 0  r  L -1
pr (r )   ( L  1)
 0, otherwise

Find the transformation function that will produce an image
whose intensity PDF is
 3z 2
 3
, for 0  z  ( L -1)
pz ( z )   ( L  1)
 0, otherwise

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 Histogram Matching: Example

Find the histogram equalization transformation for the input image

2
r 2w r r
s  T (r )  ( L  1)  pr ( w)dw  ( L  1)  dw 
0 0 ( L  1) 2
L 1

Find the histogram equalization transformation for the specified histogram

z z 3t 2 z3
G ( z )  ( L  1)  pz (t )dt  ( L  1)  3
dt  2
s
0 0 ( L  1) ( L  1)
The transformation function
2 1/3
2 1/3  2 r  2 1/3
z  ( L  1) s   ( L  1)    ( L  1)r 
 L  1 
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 2 1/3
2 1/3  2 r  2 1/3
z  ( L  1) s   ( L  1)    ( L  1)r 
 L  1 

► Thus, squaring the value of each pixel in

the original image, multiplying the result
by and raising the product to the power
will yield an image 1 > 3 (L - 1), whose
intensity levels, z, have the specified PDF.

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 Histogram Matching: Discrete Cases

► Obtain pr(rj) from the input image and then obtain the values of
sk, round the value to the integer range [0, L-1].
k
( L  1) k
sk  T (rk )  ( L  1) pr (rj )   nj
j 0 MN j 0
► Use the specified PDF and obtain the transformation function
G(zq), round the value to the integer range [0, L-1].
q
G ( zq )  ( L  1) pz ( zi )  sk
i 0

► Mapping from sk to zq
zq  G 1 ( sk )
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 Example: Histogram Matching
Suppose that a 3-bit image (L=8) of size 64 × 64 pixels (MN = 4096)
has the intensity distribution shown in the following table (on the
left). Get the histogram transformation function and make the output
image with the specified histogram, listed in the table on the right.

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 Example: Histogram Matching

Obtain the scaled histogram-equalized values,

s0  1, s1  3, s2  5, s3  6, s4  7,
s5  7, s6  7, s7  7.
Compute all the values of the transformation function G,
0
G ( z0 )  7 pz ( z j )  0.00  0
j 0

G ( z1 )  0.00 0 G( z2 )  0.00  0
G ( z3 )  1.05 1 G( z4 )  2.45  2
G ( z5 )  4.55  5 G ( z6 )  5.95  6
G ( z7 )  7.00  7

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 Example: Histogram Matching

Obtain the scaled histogram-equalized values,

s0  1, s1  3, s2  5, s3  6, s4  7,
s5  7, s6  7, s7  7.
Compute all the values of the transformation function G,
0
G ( z0 )  7 pz ( z j )  0.00  0
j 0

G ( z1 )  0.00 0 G( z2 )  0.00  0
G ( z3 )  1.05 1 s0 G( z4 )  2.45  2 s1
G ( z5 )  4.55  5 s2 G ( z6 )  5.95  6 s3
G ( z7 )  7.00  7 s4 s5 s 6 s 7

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 Example: Histogram Matching

s0  1, s1  3, s2  5, s3  6, s4  7,
s5  7, s6  7, s7  7.

rk
0
1
2
3
4
5
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7
 Example: Histogram Matching
rk  zq
03
1 4
25
36
47
57
67
77
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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Example: Histogram Matching

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 Local Histogram Processing
Define a neighborhood and move its center from pixel to pixel

At each location, the histogram of the points in the

neighborhood is computed. Either histogram equalization or
histogram specification transformation function is obtained

Map the intensity of the pixel centered in the neighborhood

Move to the next location and repeat the procedure

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 Local Histogram Processing: Example

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 Using Histogram Statistics for Image
Enhancement
Average Intensity L 1
1 M 1 N 1

m   ri p (ri ) 
MN
  f ( x, y )
x 0 y 0
i 0
L 1
un (r )   (ri  m) n p( ri )
i 0

Variance L 1
1 M 1 N 1
  u2 (r )   (ri  m)    f ( x, y )  m 
2 2 2
p(ri ) 
i 0
MN x 0 y 0

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 Using Histogram Statistics for Image
Enhancement

Local average intensity

L 1
msxy   ri psxy (ri )
i 0

sxy denotes a neighborhood

Local variance
L 1
 s2xy   (ri  msxy ) 2 psxy (ri )
i 0

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 Using Histogram Statistics for Image
Enhancement: Example
 E  f ( x, y ), if msxy  k0 mG and k1 G   sxy  k 2 G
g ( x, y )  
 f ( x, y ), otherwise

mG : global mean;  G : global standard deviation

k0  0.4; k1  0.02; k2  0.4; E  4

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