Retinex Image Processing--Publications--Journal of Electronic Imaging, 01/2004
Retinex Processing for Automatic Image Enhancement
Zia-ur Rahman, Daniel J. Jobson, and Glenn A. Woodell
Jornal of Electronic Imaging, Volume 13, Number 1, January 2004.
Abstract
There has been a revivification of interest in the Retinex computation
in the last six or seven years, especially in its use for
image enhancement. In his last published concept (1986) for a Retinex
computation, Edwin Land introduced a center/surround spatial form which
was inspired by the receptive field structures of neurophysiology. With
this as our starting point we developed the Retinex concept into a full
scale automatic image enhancement algorithm---the Multi-Scale Retinex
with Color Restoration (MSRCR)---which combined color constancy with
local contrast/lightness enhancement to transform digital images into
renditions that approach the realism of direct scene observation.
Recently we have been exploring the fundamental scientific questions
raised by this form of image processing: namely, (i) is the linear
representation of digital images adequate in visual terms in capturing
the wide scene dynamic range? (ii) can visual quality measures using
the MSRCR be developed? and (iii) is there a canonical, i.e.,
statistically ideal, visual image? The answers to these questions can
serve as the basis for automating visual assessment schemes, which, in
turn, are a primitive first step in bringing visual intelligence to
computers.
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