Single-image blind deconvolution using gradient saliency map

Identifiability is a key concern in ill-posed blind deconvolution problems arising in wireless communications and image processing. The single channel version of the problem is the most challenging and there have been efforts to use sparse models for regularizing the problem. Identifiability of the sparse blind deconvolution problem is analyzed and it is established that a simple sparsity assumption in the canonical basis is insufficient for unique recovery; a surprising negative result. The proof technique involves lifting the deconvolution problem into a rank one matrix recovery problem and analyzing the rank two nullspace of the resultant linear operator. A DoF (degrees of freedom) wise tight parametrized subset of this rank two null-space is constructed to establish the results.

The main inherent property of medical ultrasound imaging is speckle noise which generally obscures and reduces the diagnostic image resolution and contrast. Consequently, the substantial improvement of ultrasound images is an important prerequisite, whenever ultrasound is used as one of the most utilized diagnostic modalities. The problem of reconstruction of ultrasound images by means of blind deconvolution has long been recognized as a prerequisite in ultrasound imaging processing in the recent decades. Recently, the Total Variation (TV) regularization method has become extremely effective approach for image reconstruction, especially for restoring edges of the blurring image. In this paper, we present a new blind iterative TV deconvolution algorithm for reconstructing ultrasound images from blurry and noisy observations. First, it proposes the initial estimation of the point-spread function (PSF) based on a generalization of two-dimensional homomorphic filtering in cepstrum domain. It is demonstrated that the initial PSF can be effectively estimated by applying a proper smoothing low-pass filtering in cepstrum domain. Second, it introduces a novel blind iterative TV deconvolution which is derived from an alternating minimization algorithm. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is used in the pre-iteration computation. The innovative blind deconvolution is based on either concurrent or successive estimation of the PSF function and the image of interest. The iterative scheme is devised to recover the image and simultaneously identify the PSF function. The estimated PSF and restored image will be close to real values in the subsequent iterative deconvolution. Final, tests on phantom and clinical images have proven our novel blind iterative TV deconvolution gives more positive results of higher spatial resolution and better defined tissue structures than other deconvolution methods.

This paper proposes a technique for restoring the motion blurred images. Restoration of blurred images is very important problem in tracking and identification of criminals, where image of a human face or number plate of a running vehicle taken in hit and run situation gets blurred due to relative motion between the imaging system and object/face. For restoration of motion blurred images, knowledge of the point spread function (PSF) is very important. The motion blur PSF is characterized by two parameters, namely blur direction and blur length. This paper also presents a method to identify the parameters of the PSF from the blurred and noisy images using the log spectrum of the blurred images. These parameters are used to restore the images. The experimental results demonstrate that the image can successfully be restored from the image with substantial amount of natural and artificial blur.

Resolution enhancement of deconvolved ground penetrating radar images using singular value decomposition

The present paper illustrates a geodesic-based learning algorithm over a curved parameter space for blind deconvolution application. The chosen deconvolving structure appears as a single neuron model whose learning rule arises from criterion-function minimization over a smooth manifold. In particular, we propose here a learning stepsize selection theory for the algorithm at hand. We consider the blind deconvolution performances of the algorithm as well as its computational burden. Also, a numerical comparison with seven blind-deconvolution algorithms known from the scientific literature is illustrated and discussed. Results of numerical tests conducted on a noiseless as well as a noisy system will confirm that the algorithm discussed in the present paper performs in a satisfactory way. Also, the performances of the presented algorithm will be compared with those exhibited by other blind deconvolution algorithms known from the literature.

Blind deconvolution is a challenging problem, but in low-light it is even more difficult. Existing algorithms, both classical and deep-learning based, are not designed for this condition. When the photon shot noise is strong, conventional deconvolution methods fail because (1) the image does not have enough signal-to-noise ratio to perform the blur estimation; (2) While deep neural networks are powerful, many of them do not consider the forward process. When the noise is strong, these networks fail to simultaneously deblur and denoise; (3) While iterative schemes are known to be robust in the classical frameworks, they are seldom considered in deep neural networks because it requires a differentiable non-blind solver. This paper addresses the above challenges by presenting an <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">unsupervised</i> blind deconvolution method. At the core of this method is a reformulation of the general blind deconvolution framework from the conventional image-kernel alternating minimization to a purely kernel-based minimization. This kernel-based minimization leads to a new iterative scheme that backpropagates an unsupervised loss through a pre-trained non-blind solver to update the blur kernel. Experimental results show that the proposed framework achieves superior results than state-of-the-art blind deconvolution algorithms in low-light conditions.

In this paper, a method for MIMO blind deconvolution is proposed. The method is applicable to the case of non-Gaussian i.i.d. input signals. The core of the method is an algorithm which extracts one of the input signals from the information of the output signals only. This algorithm is an non-trivial generalization of the Shalvi-Weinstein algorithm for SISO blind deconvolution and converges in super-exponential rate possibly after finite iterations. By recursive use of this algorithm, extraction of all input signals can be achieved.

In order to alleviate the shortcomings of most blind deconvolution algorithms, this paper proposes an improved fast algorithm for blind deconvolution based on decorrelation technique and broadband block matrix. Althougth the original algorithm can overcome the shortcomings of current blind deconvolution algorithms, it has a constraint that the number of the source signals must be less than that of the channels. The improved algorithm deletes this constraint by using decorrelation technique. Besides, the improved algorithm raises the separation speed in terms of improving the computing methods of the output signal matrix. Simulation results demonstrate the validation and fast separation of the improved algorithm.

We propose to use the blind deconvolution and its modification to extract the point spread function (PSF) of layered metamaterials from a SNOM measurement. The measurement results are processed using the blind deconvolution algorithm to reconstruct the real-valued non-coherent PSF, or using the modified blind deconvolution introduced in this paper to reconstruct the complex-valued coherent PSF. The two algorithms are tested in simulations with a layered metamaterial deposited on a thin metallic mask with test apertures. We show that the modified algorithm is capable of recovering the approximate shape of complex PSF with a sub-wavelength full width at half maximum from a measurement in which the apertures are larger than the wavelength.

Blurred image restoration: A fast method of finding the motion length and angle

In the field of ultrasonic nondestructive testing (NDT), robust and accurate detection of defects is a challenging task because of the attenuation and noising of the ultrasonic wave from the structure. For determining the reflection characteristics representing the position and amplitude of ultrasonic detection signals, sparse blind deconvolution methods have been implemented to separate overlapping echoes when the ultrasonic transducer impulse response is unknown. This letter introduces the ratio regularization function to model the deconvolution as a nonconvex optimization problem. The initialization influences the accuracy of estimation and, for this purpose, the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) combined with blind gain calibration is used to find the initial approximation to the real solution, given multiple observations in a joint sparsity case. The proximal alternating linearized minimization (PALM) algorithm is embedded in the iterate solution, in which the majorize-minimize (MM) approach accelerates convergence. Compared with conventional blind deconvolution algorithms, the proposed methods demonstrate the robustness and capability of separating overlapping echoes in the context of synthetic experiments.

Dependent component analysis for blind restoration of images degraded by turbulent atmosphere

We enhance the performance of the nonnegativity and support constraints recursive inverse filtering (NAS-RIF) algorithm for blind image deconvolution. The original cost function is modified to overcome the problem of operation on images with different scales for the representation of pixel intensity levels. Algorithm resetting is used to enhance the convergence of the conjugate gradient algorithm. A simple pixel classification approach is used to automate the selection of the support constraint. The performance of the resulting enhanced NAS-RIF algorithm is demonstrated on various images.

Total variation minimizing blind deconvolution with shock filter reference

Image restoration is the process of recovering the original image from the degraded image. Aspire of the project is to restore the blurred/degraded images using Blind Deconvolution algorithm. The fundamental task of Image deblurring is to de-convolute the degraded image with the PSF that exactly describe the distortion. Firstly, the original image is degraded using the Degradation Model. It can be done by Gaussian filter which is a low-pass filter used to blur an image. In the edges of the blurred image, the ringing effect can be detected using Canny Edge Detection method and then it can be removed before restoration process. Blind Deconvolution algorithm is applied to the blurred image. It is possible to renovate the original image without having specific knowledge of degradation filter, additive noise and PSF. To get the effective results, the Penalized Maximum Likelihood (PML) Estimation Technique is used with our proposed Blind Deconvolution Algorithm.