Stable non-Gaussian random processes , by G. Samorodnitsky and M. S. Taqqu. Pp. 632. £49.50. 1994. ISBN 0-412-05171-0 (Chapman and Hall).

MUCKE aims to mine a large volume of images, to structure them conceptually and to use this conceptual structuring in order to improve large-scale image retrieval. The last decade witnessed important progress concerning low-level image representations. However, there are a number problems which need to be solved in order to unleash the full potential of image mining in applications. The central problem with low-level representations is the mismatch between them and the human interpretation of image content. This problem can be instantiated, for instance, by the incapability of existing descriptors to capture spatial relationships between the concepts represented or by their incapability to convey an explanation of why two images are similar in a content-based image retrieval framework. We start by assessing existing local descriptors for image classification and by proposing to use co-occurrence matrices to better capture spatial relationships in images. The main focus in MUCKE is on cleaning large scale Web image corpora and on proposing image representations which are closer to the human interpretation of images. Consequently, we introduce methods which tackle these two problems and compare results to state of the art methods. Note: some aspects of this deliverable are withheld at this time as they are pending review. Please contact the authors for a preview.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/4524/12820/00592460.pdf

Image Processing

Compressed sensing (CS) is an emerging field that has attracted considerable research interest over the past few years. Previous review articles in CS limit their scope to standard discrete-to-discrete measurement architectures using matrices of randomized nature and signal models based on standard sparsity. In recent years, CS has worked its way into several new application areas. This, in turn, necessitates a fresh look on many of the basics of CS. The random matrix measurement operator must be replaced by more structured sensing architectures that correspond to the characteristics of feasible acquisition hardware. The standard sparsity prior has to be extended to include a much richer class of signals and to encode broader data models, including continuous-time signals. In our overview, the theme is exploiting signal and measurement structure in compressive sensing. The prime focus is bridging theory and practice; that is, to pinpoint the potential of structured CS strategies to emerge from the math to the hardware. Our summary highlights new directions as well as relations to more traditional CS, with the hope of serving both as a review to practitioners wanting to join this emerging field, and as a reference for researchers that attempts to put some of the existing ideas in perspective of practical applications.

Structured Compressed Sensing: From Theory to Applications

This paper describes a recently created image database, TID2013, intended for evaluation of full-reference visual quality assessment metrics. With respect to TID2008, the new database contains a larger number (3000) of test images obtained from 25 reference images, 24 types of distortions for each reference image, and 5 levels for each type of distortion. Motivations for introducing 7 new types of distortions and one additional level of distortions are given; examples of distorted images are presented. Mean opinion scores (MOS) for the new database have been collected by performing 985 subjective experiments with volunteers (observers) from five countries (Finland, France, Italy, Ukraine, and USA). The availability of MOS allows the use of the designed database as a fundamental tool for assessing the effectiveness of visual quality. Furthermore, existing visual quality metrics have been tested with the proposed database and the collected results have been analyzed using rank order correlation coefficients between MOS and considered metrics. These correlation indices have been obtained both considering the full set of distorted images and specific image subsets, for highlighting advantages and drawbacks of existing, state of the art, quality metrics. Approaches to thorough performance analysis for a given metric are presented to detect practical situations or distortion types for which this metric is not adequate enough to human perception. The created image database and the collected MOS values are freely available for downloading and utilization for scientific purposes. We have created a new large database.This database contains larger number of distorted images and distortion types.MOS values for all images are obtained and provided.Analysis of correlation between MOS and a wide set of existing metrics is carried out.Methodology for determining drawbacks of existing visual quality metrics is described.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01109219/document

Image database TID2013

In this paper, we investigate various channel estimators that exploit channel sparsity in the time and/or Doppler domain for a multicarrier underwater acoustic system. We use a path-based channel model, where the channel is described by a limited number of paths, each characterized by a delay, Doppler scale, and attenuation factor, and derive the exact inter-carrier-interference (ICI) pattern. For channels that have limited Doppler spread we show that subspace algorithms from the array processing literature, namely Root-MUSIC and ESPRIT, can be applied for channel estimation. For channels with Doppler spread, we adopt a compressed sensing approach, in form of Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) and Basis Pursuit (BP) algorithms, and utilize overcomplete dictionaries with an increased path delay resolution. Numerical simulation and experimental data of an OFDM block-by-block receiver are used to evaluate the proposed algorithms in comparison to the conventional least-squares (LS) channel estimator. We observe that subspace methods can tolerate small to moderate Doppler effects, and outperform the LS approach when the channel is indeed sparse. On the other hand, compressed sensing algorithms uniformly outperform the LS and subspace methods. Coupled with a channel equalizer mitigating ICI, the compressed sensing algorithms can effectively handle channels with significant Doppler spread.

/pdf/sparse-channel-estimation-for-multicarrier-underwater-1z3523gkr6.pdf

Sparse channel estimation for multicarrier underwater acoustic communication: From subspace methods to compressed sensing

In this paper, ultra-wideband (UWB) channel estimation based on the theory of compressive sensing (CS) is developed. The proposed approach relies on the fact that transmitting an ultra-short pulse through a multipath UWB channel leads to a received UWB signal that can be approximated by a linear combination of a few atoms from a pre-defined dictionary, yielding thus a sparse representation of the received UWB signal. The key in the proposed approach is in the design of a dictionary of parameterized waveforms (atoms) that closely matches the information-carrying pulseshape leading thus to higher energy compaction and sparse representation, and, therefore higher probability for CS reconstruction. Two approaches for UWB channel estimation are developed under a data-aided framework. In the first approach, the CS reconstruction capabilities are exploited to recover the composite pulse-multipath channel from a reduced set of random projections. This reconstructed signal is subsequently used as a referent template in a correlator-based detector. In the second approach, from a set of random projections of the received pilot signal, the Matching Pursuit algorithm is used to identify the strongest atoms in the projected signal that, in turn, are related to the strongest propagation paths that composite the multipath UWB channel. A Rake like receiver uses those atoms as templates for the bank of correlators in the detection stage. The bit error rate performances of the proposed approaches are analyzed and compared to that of traditional correlator-based detector. Extensive simulations show that for different propagation scenarios and UWB communication channels, detectors based on CS channel estimation outperform traditional correlator using just 1/3 of the sampling rate leading thus to a reduced use of analog-to-digital resources in the channel estimation stage.

/pdf/ultra-wideband-compressed-sensing-channel-estimation-2nzgxehehm.pdf

Ultra-Wideband Compressed Sensing: Channel Estimation

Impulsive or heavy-tailed processes with infinite variance appear naturally in a variety of practical problems that include wireless communications, teletraffic, hydrology, geology, and economics. Most signal processing and statistical methods available in the literature have been designed under the assumption that the processes possess finite variance, and they usually break down in the presence of infinite variance. Although methods based on fractional lower-order statistics (FLOS) have proven successful in dealing with infinite variance processes, they fail in general when the noise distribution has very heavy algebraic tails. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to statistical moment characterization which is well defined over all processes with algebraic or lighter tails. Unlike FLOS, these zero-order statistics (ZOS), as we will call them, provide a common ground for the analysis of basically any distribution of practical use known today. Three new parameters, namely the geometric power, the zero-order location and the zero-order dispersion, constitute the foundation of ZOS. They play roles similar to those played by the power, the expected value and the standard deviation, in the theory of second-order processes. We analyze the properties of the new parameters, and derive a ZOS framework for location estimation that gives rise to a novel mode-type estimator with important optimality properties under very impulsive noise. Several simulations are presented to illustrate the potential of ZOS methods

Zero-Order Statistics: A Mathematical Framework for the Processing and Characterization of Very Impulsive Signals

A recursive weighted median (RWM) filter structure admitting negative weights is introduced. Much like the sample median is analogous to the sample mean, the proposed class of RWM filters is analogous to the class of infinite impulse response (IIR) linear filters. RWM filters provide advantages over linear IIR filters, offering near perfect "stopband" characteristics and robustness against noise. Unlike linear IIR filters, RWM filters are always stable under the bounded-input bounded-output criterion, regardless of the values taken by the feedback filter weights. RWM filters also offer a number of advantages over their nonrecursive counterparts, including a significant reduction in computational complexity, increased robustness to noise, and the ability to model "resonant" or vibratory behavior. A novel "recursive decoupling" adaptive optimization algorithm for the design of this class of recursive WM filters is also introduced. Several properties of RWM filters are presented, and a number of simulations are included to illustrate the advantages of RWM filters over their nonrecursive counterparts and IIR linear filters.

Recursive weighted median filters admitting negative weights and their optimization

Compressed sensing (CS) provides an efficient way to acquire and reconstruct natural images from a reduced number of linear projection measurements at sub-Nyquist sampling rates. A key to the success of CS is the design of the measurement ensemble. This paper addresses the design of a novel variable density sampling strategy, where the “a priori” information about the statistical distributions that natural images exhibit in the wavelet domain is exploited. Compared to the current sampling schemes for compressed image sampling, the proposed variable density sampling has the following advantages: 1) The number of necessary measurements for image reconstruction is reduced; 2) The proposed sampling approach can be applied to several transform domains leading to simple implementations. In particular, the proposed method is applied to the compressed sampling in the 2D ordered discrete Hadamard transform (DHT) domain for spatial domain imaging. Furthermore, to evaluate the incoherence of different sampling schemes, a new metric that incorporates the “a priori” information is also introduced. Extensive simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed sampling methods.

Variable density compressed image sampling

A class of robust weighted median (WM) sharpening algorithms is developed in this paper. Unlike traditional linear sharpening methods, weighted median sharpeners are shown to be less sensitive to background random noise or to image artifacts introduced by JPEG and other compression algorithms. These concepts are extended to include data dependent weights under the framework of permutation weighted medians leading to tunable sharpeners that, in essence, are insensitive to noise and compression artifacts. Permutation WM sharpeners are subsequently generalized to smoother/sharpener structures that can sharpen edges and image details while simultaneously filter out background random noise. A statistical analysis of the various algorithms is presented, theoretically validating the characteristics of the proposed sharpening structures. A number of experiments are shown for the sharpening of JPEG compressed images and sharpening of images with background film-grain noise. These algorithms can prove useful in the enhancement of compressed or noisy images posted on the World Wide Web (WWW) as well as in other applications where the underlying images are unavoidably acquired with noise.

José Luis Paredes

Papers

Ultra-Wideband Compressed Sensing: Channel Estimation

Zero-Order Statistics: A Mathematical Framework for the Processing and Characterization of Very Impulsive Signals

Recursive weighted median filters admitting negative weights and their optimization

Variable density compressed image sampling

Weighted median image sharpeners for the World Wide Web