Digital Image Processing

 An image may be defined as a two-dimensional function, , where x and

y are spatial (plane) coordinates, and the amplitude of f at any pair of coordinates

(x, y) is called the intensity or gray level of the image at that point.

 When x, y, and the intensity values of f are all finite, discrete quantities, we call the image a
digital image.The field of digital image processing refers to processing digital images by means
of a digital computer.

Pixel

It is the term used most widely to denote the elements of a digital image.

Vision

It is the most advanced of our senses, so it is not surprising that images play the single most important
role in human perception.

 However, unlike humans, who are limited to the visual band of the electromagnetic (EM)
spectrum, imaging machines cover almost the entire EM spectrum, ranging from gamma to
radio waves. They can operate on images generated by sources that humans are not
accustomed to associating with images.

 These include ultrasound, electron microscopy, and computer-generated images. Thus, digital
image processing encompasses a wide and varied field of applications.

The Origins of Digital Image Processing

 One of the first applications of digital images was in the newspaper industry, when pictures
were first sent by submarine cable between London and New York.

 Introduction of the Bartlane cable picture transmission system in the early 1920s reduced the
time required to transport a picture across the Atlantic from more than a week to less than
three hours.

 Specialized printing equipment coded pictures for cable transmission and then reconstructed
them at the receiving end. The image was transmitted in this way and reproduced on a
telegraph printer fitted with typefaces simulating a halftone pattern.

 The early Bartlane systems were capable of coding images in five distinct levels of gray. This
capability was increased to 15 levels in 1929. The image is typical of the type of images that
could be obtained using the 15-tone equipment.

Improvement of Digital Image Processing

  In parallel with space applications, digital image processing techniques began in the late 1960s
and early 1970s to be used in medical imaging, remote Earth resources observations, and
astronomy.

 The invention in the early 1970s of computerized axial tomography (CAT), also called
computerized tomography (CT) for short, is one of the most important events in the application
of image processing in medical diagnosis.

 From the 1960s until the present, the field of image processing has grown vigorously. In addition
to applications in medicine and the space program, digital image processing techniques now are
used in a broad range of applications.

 Computer procedures are used to enhance the contrast or code the intensity levels into color
for easier interpretation of X-rays and other images used in industry, medicine, and the
biological sciences.

QUALITY CONTROL

 Quality control (QC) is an integral component of a digital imaging initiative to ensure that quality
expectations have been met. It encompasses procedures and techniques to verify the quality,
accuracy, and consistency of digital products. Quality control strategies can be implemented at
different levels:

 Initial Evaluation

 A subset of documents (to be converted in-house or by a service provider) is used to

verify the appropriateness of technical decisions made during benchmarking. This
evaluation occurs prior to implementing the project.

 On-going Evaluation

 The same quality assurance process used to confirm benchmarking decisions can be
scaled and extended to the whole collection to ensure quality throughout the digital
imaging initiative. 

Developing a Quality Control Program

1. Identify Your Products

Example:  Defining Image Quality Parameters for Different Project Goals

Assessing Image Quality

 The key factors in image quality assessment are resolution, color and tone, and overall
appearance.
  Resolution

 Resolution is the key factor in determining image quality for textual materials and other
distinct, edge-based representations. For graphical material, especially continuous tone
images, bit-depth, color representation, and dynamic range combine with resolution to
determine the quality. Resolution attributes to inspect are legibility, completeness,
darkness, contrast, sharpness, and uniformity. Measuring and evaluating stroke and
detail are useful in assessing image quality.

 Color and Tone

 For color, grayscale, and some monochrome images, color and tone reproduction are
significant indicators of quality, complementing the "detail" provided by resolution. The
goal behind assessing color and tone appearance is to determine the extent to which a
digital image conveys the same appearance as the color and tone ranges of the original
document (or intermediate used). Tone and color assessment may be highly subjective
and changeable according to the viewing environment and the characteristics of
monitors and printers.

 Overall Evaluation

 Image quality is cumulative, affected by a range of individual factors--capture system

performance, resolution, dynamic range, and color accuracy. The final evaluation should
be made on the overall image, appreciating all the individual factors that contribute to
quality.

DIGITIZATION CHAIN

 Technical infrastructure refers loosely to the components that make digital imaging possible.
The entire process is sometimes called the digitization chain, suggesting a series of logically
ordered steps. In actual practice, the digitization chain can have side branches, loops, and
recurring steps, but for simplicity's sake, we present it here as if it were linear.

 The technology necessary to navigate from one end of the digitization chain to the other
consists mainly of hardware, software, and networks. A truly comprehensive view of technical
infrastructure also includes protocols and standards, policies and procedures (for workflow,
maintenance, security, upgrades, etc.), and the skill levels and job responsibilities of an
organization's staff.

Three Major Components

 Image Creation deals with the initial capture or conversion of a document or object into digital
form, typically with a scanner or digital camera. There may then be one or more file or image
processing steps applied to the initial image, which may alter, add, or extract data. Broad classes
 of processing include image editing (scaling, compression, sharpening, etc.) and metadata
creation.

 File Management refers to the organization, storage, and maintenance of images and related
metadata.

 Image Delivery incorporates the process of getting images to the user and encompasses
networks, display devices, and printers.

Types of Scanners

Flatbed Scanners

Sheetfeed Scanners

Drum Scanners

Microfilm Scanners

Slide Scanners

Digital Cameras