Gabor transform applied to superresolution in optical systems

Carlos Jimeneza, Ronald Pérezb, and Cesar O. Torresc

a
GIFES group, University of Guajira; Colombia, bRED SUE Caribean, University of Guajira,
Colombia, cOptics and Computer Science Laboratory, University Popular of Cesar, Valledupar,
Colombia

ABSTRACT

Taking into account that the Gabor transform is the Fourier transform of the multiplication of the transfer function of a
system with the Fourier transform of the input signal to the system, was developed and implemented digital and optically
a system that achieves optical Gabor transform, if we consider the situation when the spectral transfer function becomes
very narrow and applies to images this technique will enable one to overcome the instrumental limitations of the optical
system, reaching superresolution.

Keywords: Gabor transform, optical transfer function, superresolution.

1. INTRODUCTION

The low resolution of images has been one of the major limitations in recognising humans from a distance using their
biometric traits; in conventional optical imaging the spatial resolution is essentially limited by the wavelength of light
and the finite numerical aperture of the optical system, and the obtainable resolution is roughly half of the wavelength of
light [1-3].

Super resolution is a process for obtaining one or more high-resolution image(s) from one or more low-resolution input
image(s). It has a wide range of applications such as remote sensing, video communication, surveillance, consumer
electronics, enlarging consumer photographs, medical imaging, computer vision, video surveillance systems et al. Recent
approaches on single image super-resolution (SR) have attempted to exploit self-similarity to avoid the use of multiple
images. Super-resolution (SR) techniques have previously been employed to address the low resolution problems of
imaging systems. There are two differing SR approaches: reconstruction-based and learning-based [4-8]. Reconstruction-
based approaches fuse the sub-pixel shifts among multiple low resolution images to obtain a higher resolution image.

A wide range of Super Resolution reconstruction algorithms have been developed in the field of image processing. In
2003, S. C. Park et al. [1] gave an excellent technical overview on the general super resolution techniques.SR
reconstruction techniques can be employed in the spatial or frequency domain. Spatial domain algorithms allow more
flexibility in incorporating a priori constraints , noise models, and spatially varying degradation models. A typical SR
image reconstruction algorithm consists of three stages, namely, registration, interpolation and restoration.

Gabor proposed his combined spectro-tempora1 representation of signals [9], at first connecting to the problem of
estimation of signal information content. Later the expansion of functions into the set of coherent states became widely
used [10-13]; and in fact that is the continuous version of the Gabor expansion. This was emphasized in Ref. [8].
Besides, the discrete Gabor expansions with different basic functions (usually called window-functions) were introduced
afterwards [14-18]. This paper considers the reconstruction of the signal from the modulus of its continuous Gabor
transform. The reconstruction procedure is developed with a view of applications to optics experiments.

Email: Cesartorres@unicesar.edu.co

8th Iberoamerican Optics Meeting and 11th Latin American Meeting on Optics, Lasers, and Applications,
edited by Manuel Filipe P. C. Martins Costa, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8785, 8785DR
© 2013 SPIE · CCC code: 0277-786X/13/$18 · doi: 10.1117/12.2026404

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 2. LINEAR OPTICAL SYSTEMS

An optical system is viewed as a linear system, which is fully characterized by its impulse, i.e., point-source, response.
The formalism can be applied to both coherent and incoherent illumination. In the coherent case, the system is linear in
the (complex) amplitude whereas in the incoherent case the system is linear in the intensity.
The imaging system can be described by an equation of the form:

( )
g ( x, y ) = ∫ ∫ f ( x ' , y ' )h x, x ' ; y, y ' dx ' dy ' (1)

Where f ( x ' , y ' ) is the object function g ( x, y ) , is the image function and h x − x ' h y − y ' ( )( ) is the point-spread
function (PSF) of the optical system. Here (x, y ) ' '
and ( x , y ) denote the transverse spatial coordinates in the image
and object planes, respectively.

The Fourier transform of h( x, y ) is given by

∞ ∞
H (ν x ,ν y ) = ∫ ∫ h(x, y )exp(− iν x )exp(− iν y )dxdy
x y
(2)
− ∞−∞

( )
Where H ν x ,ν y is called the transfer function. The transfer function characterizes the imaging properties of the optical
system in the frequency domain. In the isoplanatic approximation the PSF of the imaging system depends only on the
( ) ( ) ( )( )
difference of the points ( x, y ) and x ' , y ' , i.e., h x, y; x ' , y ' = h x − x ' h y − y ' ; and the system is said to be space-
invariant. In a space-invariant system the object and its image are related as convolution in the form [19-23].:

g ( x, y ) = ∫ ∫ f ( x ' , y ' )h(x − x ' )h( y − y ' )dx ' dy ' (3)

From the convolution theorem of the Fourier transform it follows that the image spectrum is given by the product of the
transfer function and the object spectrum:

G (ν x ,ν y ) = H (ν x ,ν y )F (ν x ,ν y ) (4)

Hence the optical system can be viewed as a filter in the frequency domain, which alters the original object spectrum.
Due to diffraction effects all spatial frequencies are not transmitted by the pupil of the optical system. The impulse
response of the optical system is bandlimited, i.e., the transfer functions have finite support.

3. GABOR FUNCTIONS AND FILTERS

Let the notation for the Gabor Transform of the signal (image) I ( x ' , y ' ) be V ν x ,ν y , x, y : ( )

V (ν x ,ν y , x, y ) = ∫ ∫ I ( x , y )h(x − x )h(y − y )exp[iν (x − x )]exp[iν (y − y )]dx dy

1 ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
(5)
2π
x y

( )( ) ( )
Here h x − x ' h y − y ' is the window function. V ν x ,ν y , x, y can be expressed as well in terms of Fourier transforms
of the signal and of the window function:
~
( ' ~
)(
' ' '
) [
V (ν x ,ν y , x, y ) = ∫ ∫ I (ν x ,ν y )h ν x − ν x h ν y − ν y exp iν x x exp iν y y dν x dν y (6)
~ ' '
] [ ]

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 With Eqs. (5), (6) it is easy to obtain:

I ( x, y ) =
1
h0 ∫ ∫∫∫ V (ν x ) ( ) ( ) [ ( )] [ (
,ν y , x ' , y ' h* x ' − x h* y ' − y exp iν x x − x ' exp iν y y − y ' dx ' dy ' dν x dν y (7) )]
Or in the frequency domain:

∫ ∫∫∫ V (ν ) ( ) ( ) [ ]
~ 1 ~ ~
I (ν x ,ν y ) = ,ν y , x, y h * ν x −ν x h * ν y −ν y exp[iν x x ]exp iν y y dxdydν x dν y (8)
' ' ' ' ' '
x
h0

The constant h0 arises in the formulae when the window function is not normalized; is given by:

h0 = ∫∫ h(x, y ) dxdy = 2π ∫∫ h (ν x ,ν y ) dν x dν y
2 ~ 2
(9)

The formulae (7), (8) show that complete knowledge of the complex-valued function V ν x ,ν y , x, y ( ) is necessary for
signal reconstruction. Take into account the quadrate of Gabor-transform modulus, for reconstruction of a function from
its Gabor transform is:

E (ν x ,ν y; x, y ) = V (ν x ,ν y , x, y )V * (ν x ,ν y , x, y ) (10)

And introduce the quantities:

E0 (ν x ,ν y ) = ∫ ∫ E (ν x ,ν y , x, y )dxdy E1 (ν x ,ν y ) = ∫ ∫ E (ν x ,ν y , x, y )xydxdy (11)

~
( )
Substituting (6), (10) into (11), supposing h ν x ,ν y to vanish at ν x ,ν y → ∞ , we obtain ( )
E0 (ν x ,ν y ) = 2π ∫ ∫ I ν x ,ν y
~ ' '
( ) h~(ν
2
x −ν x ;ν y − ν y
'
) dν
' 2
x
'
dν y
'
(12)

E1 (ν x ,ν y ) =
2
⎛ d ⎞
2 (13)
⎛ d
2π ∫ ∫ ⎜⎜
d ν '
(( )(
~ ' ~
arg I ν x h ν x − ν x
'
)) ⎞ ~ '
⎟× I νx
⎟ ( ) ( ~
)
' 2
h ν x −ν x ⎜
⎜ dν '
~ ' ~
(( )(
arg I ν y h ν y − ν y
'
))
⎟
( ) h~(ν
⎟ × I~ ν y '
2
y −ν y ) dν
' 2
x dν y
' '

⎝ x ⎠ ⎝ y ⎠

Formulae (12), (13) are the equations that determine the complex-valued function I~ (ν x ,ν y ) . A similar procedure should
be performed to obtain the respective equations in direct spatial representation.

4. HIGH SPECTRAL RESOLUTION

In the case of high spectral resolution; the practicability of the signal reconstruction procedure depends on the width of
~
( )
2
the h ν x ,ν y transfer function. A narrow function is desirable. The spectral interval resolved by the function

h (ν x ,ν y ) must not be much greater than the scale of variation of the spectrum. When this condition is not satisfied,
~ 2

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 inaccuracy of the data will strongly influence the solution, and so the errors in the calculated values of I ν x ,ν y will
~
( )
become abnormally large.

A very important aspect is that, for a very narrow transfer function, significant simplification of the reconstruction
~
( )
2
algorithm becomes possible. Because the width of h ν x ,ν y is much less than the scale of any structure of the initial

spectrum, the functions I ν x ,ν y

~⎛
(
⎜ dν
) 2⎞
⎟
( )
and ⎜ d arg I~ (ν ) ⎟ can be excluded of the integrand in (12) (13). This means that
⎝ ⎠
we immediately derive from (12), (13)

E0 (ν x ,ν y )
I (ν x ,ν y ) =
~ (14)
h0
⎛ d ⎞ E (ν ) h
⎜
⎜ dν
~
( )
arg I (ν ) ⎟ = 1 − 1
⎟ E0 (ν ) h0
(15)
⎝ ⎠

Where we denote:

2
⎛ d ~ ⎞~
h1 = ∫ ⎜
⎜ dν ⎟
( )
arg h (ν ) ⎟ h (ν ) dν (16)
⎝ ⎠

Derive from (3):

( )( ) (
T (ν x ,ν y , x, y ) = ∫ ∫ E ν x ,ν y , x ' , y ' m x − x ' m y − y ' dx ' dy ' ) (17)

( )
Where T ν x ,ν y , x, y is the intensity pattern (irradiance) on the screen; m x − x ' m y − y ' is the point- ( ) ( )
spread function (PSF) of the optical system, (ν x ,ν y , x, y ) are the coordinates in the screen plane. By
integration of (17), and using

TO (ν x ,ν y ) = ∫ ∫ T (ν x ,ν y , x, y )dxdy T1 (ν x ,ν y ) = ∫ ∫ T (ν x ,ν y , x, y )xydxdy (18)

mO = ∫ ∫ m( x, y )dxdy m1 = ∫ ∫ m(x, y )xydxdy (19)

( ) ( )
These formulae show that the functions E0 ν x ,ν y and E1 ν x ,ν y can be extracted from the data measured. Therefore,
we have all that is needed for obtaining the Fourier transform of the initial Image. Using equations (14) and (15)

T0 (ν x ,ν y )
I (ν x ,ν y ) =
~ (20)
m0 h0
⎛ d ⎞ T (ν ) m
⎜
⎜ dν
~
( )
arg I (ν ) ⎟ = 1
h
− 1 − 1
⎟ T0 (ν ) m0 h0
(21)
⎝ ⎠

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 ⎛ ⎞
I (ν x ,ν y ) and ⎜ d arg I~ (ν ) ⎟ in terms of the data measured. Thus, for high spectral
( )
Have the compact expressions for ~
⎜ dν ⎟
⎝ ⎠
resolution, have a simple procedure for signal reconstruction. It should be note that both the modulus and the phase of
the image can be reconstructed, and there is no need of a preliminary information on the form of the image.

5. CONCLUSIONS

In this work, an outline how to use a two-dimensional separable Gabor wavelet to an interest point superresolution was
proposed; some mathematical concepts and their applications to superresolution in linear optical systems have been
surveyed. Many aspects of superresolution can be understood by considering the properties of bandlimited functions or
entire functions of exponential type. When applied a narrow transfer function, this technique will enable one to
overcome the instrumental limitations of the electro-optics devices. These considerations are also important for analysing
the phenomenon of superoscillation, for example the method of point-spread function engineering for generating sub-
diffraction spots and superresolution algorithms for bandwidth extrapolation can be viewed as ways of constructing
superoscillatory functions.

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