A Perceptual Image Coding method of High Compression Rate

Authors: Fahmi Kammoun, Mohamed Salim Bouhlel

Abstract:

In the framework of the image compression by Wavelet Transforms, we propose a perceptual method by incorporating Human Visual System (HVS) characteristics in the quantization stage. Indeed, human eyes haven-t an equal sensitivity across the frequency bandwidth. Therefore, the clarity of the reconstructed images can be improved by weighting the quantization according to the Contrast Sensitivity Function (CSF). The visual artifact at low bit rate is minimized. To evaluate our method, we use the Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and a new evaluating criteria witch takes into account visual criteria. The experimental results illustrate that our technique shows improvement on image quality at the same compression ratio.

Keywords: Contrast Sensitivity Function, Human Visual System, Image compression, Wavelet transforms.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1083367

References:

[1] W. Pennebaker, JPEG still image data compression standard. New York: Van Nostrand Reihold, 1993.
[2] G. K. Wallace, "Overview of the JPEG (ISO/CCITT) still image compression standard," in Proc. SPIE/SPSE Symposium on Electronic Imaging Science & Technologies, Feb. 1990.
[3] N. Ahmed, T. Natarajan, and K. R. Rao, "Discrete cosine transform," IEEE Trans. on Computers, vol. C23, no. 1, pp. 90-93, Jan. 1974.
[4] W. K. Cham, "Development of integer cosine transforms by the principle of dyadic symmetry," IEEE Proceedings-I, vol. 136, no. 4, pp. 276-282, Aug. 1989.
[5] S. C. Diego, E. Touradj, A. Joel, L. Mathias, and C. Charilaos, "JPEG 2000 still image coding versus other standards," in Proc. of SPIE, vol..4115, Applications of digital image processing XXIII, Ed. Andrew G. Tesher, Dec. 2000, pp. 446-454.
[6] J. Rissanen, and G. Langdon, "Arithmetic coding," IBM Journal of research and development, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 35-43, Mar. 1979.
[7] D. A. Huffman, "A method for the construction of minimum redundancy codes," Proc. of the IEEE, vol. 40, no. 9, pp. 1089-1101, Sept. 1952.
[8] A. Lempel, and J. Ziv, "Compression of individual sequences via Variable-Rate-Coding," IEEE Trans. on Information Theory, vol. IT-24, pp. 530-536, 1978.
[9] J. Mannos, and D. Sakrison, "The effects of a visual fidelity criterion on the encoding of images," IEEE Trans. on Information Theory, vol. IT- 20, pp. 525-536, 1974.
[10] A. Watanabe, T. Mori, S. Nagata, and K. Hiwatashi, "Spatial sine-wave responses of the human visual system," Vision Research, vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 1245-1263, Sep. 1968.
[11] F. W. Cambell, and J. G. Robson, "Application of Fourier analysis to the visibility of gratings," Journal of physiology, of gratings, vol. 197, pp. 551-566, 1966.
[12] K. Ngan, K. Rao, and H. Singh, "Cosine transform coding incorporating human visual system model," in Proc. SPIE fiber'86, 1986.
[13] A. B. Watson, G. Y. Yang, J. A. Solomon, and J. Villasenor, "Visibility of wavelet quantization noise," Ames Research Center, July 1996.