Image Sharpening using Frequency Domain Filters

Image sharpening can be achieved in the frequency domain by highpass filtering,

which attenuates the low-frequency components without disturbing high-frequency
information in the Fourier transform.

A highpass filter is obtained from a given lowpass filter using the equation

HHP(u,v) = 1-HLP(u,v)

Where HLP is the transfer function of the lowpass filter. That is, when the lowpass
filter attenuates frequencies, the highpass filter passes them, and viceversa.

Some examples of highpass filters are:

 Ideal highpass filter

 Butterworth highpass filter
 Gaussian highpass filter
A. Ideal Highpass Filters
A 2-D ideal highpass filter (IHPF) is defined as
H(u,v) = {0 if D(u,v) <= D 0
1 if D(u,v) > D 0

a b c

(a) Perspective plot of an ideal lowpass-filter transfer function

(b) Filter displayed as an image

(c) Filter radial cross section

abcdef
(a) Original image

(b) (f) Results of filtering using ILPFs with cutoff frequencies set at radii
values 10,30,60,160 and 460

B. Butterworth Highpass Filters

A 2-D Butterworth highpass filter (BHPF) of order n and cutoff

frequency D0 is defined as:

H(u,v) = 1/(1 + [D0/ D(u,v)] 2n)

Where D(u,v) is given

 D(u,v) = [(u-p/2) 2 + (v – Q/2) 2] ½

as with lowpass filters, we can expect Butterworth highpass filters to

behave smoother than IHPFS.

(a) Perspective plot of a Butterworth lowpass-filter transfer function

(b) Filter displayed as an image

(c) Filter radial cross sections of orders 1 through 4

C. Gaussian Highpass Filters

The transfer function of the Gaussian highpass filter (GHPF) with
cutoff frequency locus at a distance D 0 from the center of the
frequency rectangle is given by :
H(u,v) = 1 - e -D*D(u,v/2D0*D0
The results obtained in gaussian highpass filters are gradual than with
the previous two filters. Even the filtering of the smaller objects and
thin bars is cleaner with the Gaussian filter.
The Laplacian in the Frequency Domain
The Laplacian can be implemented in the frequency domain using the
filter
H(u,v) = -4*pi*pi(u*u + v*v)
Or, with respect to the center of the frequency rectangle, using the
filter
H(u,v) = -4*pi*pi[(u – P/2)sq + (v – Q/2)sq]
= - 4*pi*piDsq(u,v)
 Unsharp Masking, Highboost Filtering, and high-Frequency-Emphasis
Filtering
gmask(x,y) = f(x,y) – fLp(x,y)
With
fLp(x,y) =
Where HLp(u,v) is a lowpass filter and F(u,v) is the Fourier transform of
f(x,y).
Homomorphic Filtering
An image f(x,y) can be expressed as the product of its illumination,i(x,y),
and
And reflectance, r(x,y), components:
f(x,y) = i(x,y)r(x,y)
(a) Perspective plot of a Butterworth lowpass-filter transfer function
(b) Filter displayed as an image
(c) Filter radial cross sections of orders 1 through 4