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A strategic approach towards contrast enhancement by two-dimensional histogram equalization based on total variational decomposition

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Abstract

The histogram equalization technique used for image enhancement diminishes the number of pixel intensities resulting in loss of details and artificial impression. This paper proposes to use a two-dimensional histogram equalization technique based on edge detail to increase contrast while conserving information and maintaining the image’s natural appearance. First, the total variational (TV)/L1 decomposition method retrieves the detailed information present in the low contrast image. The decomposition problem uses an augmented Lagrangian approach to address constraints and an alternate direction technique to determine solutions iteratively. Following that, a two-dimensional histogram is constructed using the detailed image created by the iterative method to determine the cumulative distribution function (CDF). Then the CDF is transferred to distribute the intensities in the whole dynamic range to yield the improved image. The algorithm’s effectiveness is tested on seven databases, including LIME, CSIQ, Dresden, and others, and validated using standard deviation (SD), contrast improvement index (CII), discrete entropy (DE), and the natural image quality evaluator (NIQE). Experimental results show that the proposed method provides better results than the other algorithms. Furthermore, it achieves higher uniformity than existing strategies for all seven databases, as determined by the Kullback-Leibler distance.

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Data Availability

The datasets used in this study are publicly available. The sources are mentioned in the reference Section.

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Acknowledgment

The work has been supported by the department of ECE, National Institute of Technology Puducherry, India.

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  1. Department of ECE, NIT Puducherry, Puducherry, India

    D. Vijayalakshmi & Malaya Kumar Nath

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  1. D. Vijayalakshmi
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Vijayalakshmi, D., Nath, M.K. A strategic approach towards contrast enhancement by two-dimensional histogram equalization based on total variational decomposition. Multimed Tools Appl 82, 19247–19274 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-13932-7

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