Digital Image Processing

Image Enhancement in
Frequency Domain
 Image Enhancement

• Image enhancement techniques:

 Spatial domain methods
 Frequency domain methods

• Spatial (time) domain techniques are techniques that

operate directly on pixels.

• Frequency domain techniques are based on modifying

the Fourier transform of an image.

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 Fourier Transform: a review

• Basic ideas:
 A periodic function can be
represented by the sum of
sines/cosines functions of
different frequencies,
multiplied by a different
coefficient.
 Non-periodic functions can
also be represented as the
integral of sines/cosines
multiplied by weighing
function.

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 Fourier transform
basis functions

Approximating a
square wave as the
sum of sine waves.

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 Any function can be written as the
sum of an even and an odd function

E ( x) [ f ( x)  f (  x)] / 2

E(-x) = E(x)

O( x) [ f ( x)  f (  x)] / 2

O(-x) = -O(x)


f ( x ) E ( x )  O ( x )

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 Fourier Cosine Series
Because cos(mt) is an even function, we can write an even
function, f(t), as:

1
 
f(t)  Fm cos(mt)
m 0
where series Fm is computed as


Fm 


f (t ) cos(mt ) dt

Here we suppose f(t) is over the interval (–π,π).

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 Fourier Sine Series

Because sin(mt) is an odd function, we can write any

odd function, f(t), as:


f (t) 
1
 
m0
Fmsin(mt)

where the series F’m is computed as



Fm 


f (t ) sin(mt ) dt

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 Fourier Series

So if f(t) is a general function, neither even nor

odd, it can be written:
 
1 1
f (t ) 

 m 0
Fm cos(mt ) 

 m 0
Fm sin(mt )

Even component Odd component

where the Fourier series is

Fm 
 f (t) cos(mt) dt Fm
 f (t) sin(mt) dt

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 Our Interest in Fourier Transform

• We will be dealing only with functions (images) of

finite duration so we will be interested only in Fourier
Transform

903/
 Applications of Fourier Transforms

 1-D Fourier transforms are used in Signal Processing

 2-D Fourier transforms are used in Image Processing
 3-D Fourier transforms are used in Computer Vision
 Applications of Fourier transforms in Image processing: –
– Image enhancement, (Smoothing & Sharpening by removing high &
low frequency components)
– Image restoration,
– Image encoding / decoding,
– Image description
Change takes place over entire image.

1003/
Filters to be Discussed

1103/
 The Fourier Transform
Let F(m) incorporates both cosine and sine series coefficients,
with the sine series distinguished by making it the imaginary
component:

F (m) Fm  jFm' f (t ) cos(mt )dt  j f (t ) sin(mt )dt

Let’s now allow f(t) range from – to , we rewrite:


 f (t ) F (u )  f (t ) exp( j 2ut )dt

F(u) is called the Fourier Transform of f(t). We say that f(t)
lives in the “time domain,” and F(u) lives in the “frequency
domain.” u is called the frequency variable.

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 The Inverse Fourier Transform

We go from f(t) to F(u) by


Fourier
 f (t ) F (u )  f (t ) exp( j 2ut )dt

Transform

Given F(u), f(t) can be obtained by the inverse Fourier transform

 Inverse
 1F (u )  f (t )  F (u ) exp( j 2ut )du Fourier
 Transform

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 2-D Fourier Transform

Fourier transform for f(x,y) with two variables

 
{ f ( x, y )} F (u , v)   f ( x, y ) exp( j 2 (ux  vy))dxdy
 

and the inverse Fourier transform

 
 {F (u , v)}  f ( x, y ) 
1
 F (u, v) exp( j 2 (ux  vy ))dudv
 

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 Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)
• A continuous function f(x) is discretized as:
{ f ( x0 ), f ( x0  x), f ( x0  2x),..., f ( x0  ( M  1)x)}

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 Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)

Let x denote the discrete values (x=0,1,2,…,M-1),

i.e.
f ( x)  f ( x0  xx)
then
{ f ( x0 ), f ( x0  x), f ( x0  2x),..., f ( x0  ( M  1)x)}

{ f (0), f (1), f (2),..., f ( M  1)}

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 Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)
• The discrete Fourier transform pair that applies to
sampled functions is given by:

M1
1
F (u ) 
M
 f ( x) exp( j 2ux / M )
x 0
u=0,1,2,…,M-1

and
M 1
f ( x)   F (u ) exp( j 2ux / M ) x=0,1,2,…,M-1
u 0

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 2-D Discrete Fourier Transform

• In 2-D case, the DFT pair is:

M 1N1
1
F (u , v) 
MN
  f ( x, y) exp( j 2 (ux / M  vy / N ))
x 0 y 0

u=0,1,2,…,M-1 and v=0,1,2,…,N-1

and:
M 1N1
f ( x, y )    F (u , v) exp( j 2 (ux / M  vy / N ))
u 0 v 0

x=0,1,2,…,M-1 and y=0,1,2,…,N-1

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 Polar Coordinate Representation of FT

• The Fourier transform of a real function is generally

complex and we use polar coordinates:

F (u , v) R (u , v)  j I (u , v)
Polar coordinate
F (u , v)  F (u , v) exp( j (u , v))
Magnitude: F (u , v) [ R 2 (u , v)  I 2 (u , v )]1/ 2
 I (u , v) 
1
Phase:  (u, v) tan  
 R (u , v) 
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 Fourier Transform: shift
• It is common to multiply input image by (-1)x+y prior to
computing the FT. This shift the center of the FT to (M/2,N/2).

 f ( x, y ) F (u , v)
 f ( x, y )( 1) x  y  F (u  M / 2, v  N / 2)

Shift

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 Symmetry of FT

• For real image f(x,y), FT is conjugate symmetric:

*
F (u , v) F ( u ,  v)
• The magnitude of FT is symmetric:

F (u , v)  F ( u ,  v)

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FT

IFT

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IFT

IFT

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The central part of FT, i.e.
the low frequency
components are responsible
for the general gray-level
appearance of an image.

The high frequency

components of FT are
responsible for the detail
information of an image.

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Frequency Domain Filtering

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Filtering using Fourier Transforms

2603/
 Frequency Domain Filtering

• Edges and sharp transitions (e.g., noise) in an

image contribute significantly to high-frequency
content of FT.
• Low frequency contents in the FT are
responsible to the general appearance of the
image over smooth areas.
• Blurring (smoothing) is achieved by attenuating
range of high frequency components of FT.

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 Convolution Theorem
Multiplication in
G(u,v)=F(u,v)●H(u,v) Frequency Domain

g(x,y)=h(x,y)*f(x,y) Convolution in
Time Domain
– f(x,y) is the input image
– g(x,y) is the filtered
– h(x,y): impulse response
• Filtering in Frequency Domain with H(u,v) is
equivalent to filtering in Spatial Domain with f(x,y).

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 Examples of Filters

Frequency
domain

Gaussian lowpass filter Gaussian highpass filter

Spatial
domain

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 Ideal low-pass filter (ILPF)

1 D(u, v) D0
H (u, v) 
0 D(u, v)  D0
2 2 1/ 2
D(u , v) [(u  M / 2)  (v  N / 2) ]

(M/2, N/2): center in frequency

domain
D0 is non negative and called the cutoff frequency.
D(u, v) distance from point (u, v)

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 Shape of ILPF

Frequency domain

Spatial domain

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 FT

ringing
and
Ideal in frequency blurring
domain means
non-ideal in
spatial domain,
vice versa.

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 Butterworth Lowpass Filters (BLPF)
• Smooth transfer function, 1
no sharp discontinuity, H (u, v)  2n
 D(u , v) 
no clear cutoff 1  
 D0 
frequency.

1
2

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 Butterworth Lowpass Filters (BLPF)

n=1 n=2 n=5 n=20

1
H (u , v)  2n
 D(u , v) 
1  
 D0 
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No serious
ringing
artifacts

35
 Gaussian Lowpass Filters (GLPF)
• Smooth transfer function,
2
smooth impulse 
D ( u ,v )
2 D 20
response, no ringing H (u , v) e

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 GLPF

Frequency
domain

Gaussian lowpass filter

Spatial
domain

37
No ringing
artifacts

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Examples of Lowpass Filtering

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 Examples of Lowpass Filtering

Low-pass filter H(u,v)

Original image and its FT Filtered image and its FT

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 Sharpening High-pass Filters
• Hhp(u,v)=1-Hlp(u,v)
1 D(u, v)  D0
• Ideal: H (u, v) 
0 D(u, v) D0

2 1
• Butterworth: | H (u , v) |  2n
 D0 
1  
 D (u , v ) 

 D 2 ( u ,v ) / 2 D02
• Gaussian: H (u , v) 1  e

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42
High-pass Filters

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 Ideal High-pass Filtering

ringing artifacts

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Butterworth High-pass Filtering

45
Gaussian High-pass Filtering

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 Gaussian High-pass Filtering

Gaussian filter H(u,v)

Original image

Filtered image and its FT

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 Laplacian in Frequency Domain

 2 f ( x , y )  2 f ( x, y )
[  ]   2
 2
(u v ) F (u, v)
x 2
y 2

H1 (u, v)   2

(u v )2

Frequency
2 2
Spatial domain
2  f  f domain
 f  2  2 Laplacian operator
x y

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49
 Subtract Laplacian from the Original
Image to Enhance It

enhanced Original Laplacian

image image output

Spatial 
g ( x, y ) f ( x, y )   2
f ( x, y )
domain

Frequency
G (u, v)  F (u, v)  (u 2  v 2 ) F (u, v)
domain
new operator H 2 (u , v) 1  (u 2  v 2 ) 1  H 1 (u , v)

Laplacian

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f 2 f

2
f f

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 Unsharp Masking, High-boost Filtering

• Unsharp masking: fhp(x,y)=f(x,y)-flp(x,y)

• Hhp(u,v)=1-Hlp(u,v)
One more
parameter to
• High-boost filtering: adjust the
enhancement
fhb(x,y)=Af(x,y)-flp(x,y)
• fhb(x,y)=(A-1)f(x,y)+fhp(x,y)
• Hhb(u,v)=(A-1)+Hhp(u,v)
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 An image formation model
• We can view an image f(x,y) as a product of two
components:
f x, y  i x, y r x, y 
0  i ( x, y )  
0  r ( x, y )  1

• i(x,y): illumination. It is determined by the

illumination source.
• r(x,y): reflectance (or transmissivity). It is
determined by the characteristics of imaged objects.

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 Homomorphic Filtering

• In some images, the quality of the image has reduced

because of non-uniform illumination.
• Homomorphic filtering can be used to perform
illumination correction.

f x, y  i x, y r x, y 

• The above equation cannot be used directly in order
to operate separately on the frequency components of
illumination and reflectance.

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 Homomorphic Filtering
ln : z x, y  ln f x, y  ln ix, y  ln r x, y 
DFT : Z u , v  Fi u , v  Fr u , v 
H(u,v) : S (u , v ) H (u , v ) Z u , v 
' '
(DFT) : -1 s ( x, y ) i ( x, y )  r ( x, y )
exp : g ( x, y ) e s ( x , y ) i0 ( x, y )r0 ( x, y )

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 Homomorphic Filtering

• By separating the illumination and reflectance

components, homomorphic filter can then
operate on them separately.
• Illumination component of an image generally
has slow variations, while the reflectance
component vary abruptly.
• By removing the low frequencies (highpass
filtering) the effects of illumination can be
removed .

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Homomorphic Filtering

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Homomorphic Filtering: Example 1

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 Homomorphic Filtering: Example 2

Original image Filtered image

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