Natural Image Deblurring Based on Ringing Artifacts Removal via Knowledge-Driven Gradient Distribution Priors

Blind image deblurring, composed of estimating blur kernel and non-blind deconvolution, is an extremely ill-posed problem. However, previous deblurring methods still cannot solve delta kernel or noise problem well and avoid ringing artifacts in restored image, because the reliable kernel estimation...

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Main Authors: Hongtian Zhao, Hua Yang, Hang Su, Shibao Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2020-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9136686/
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author Hongtian Zhao
Hua Yang
Hang Su
Shibao Zheng
author_facet Hongtian Zhao
Hua Yang
Hang Su
Shibao Zheng
author_sort Hongtian Zhao
collection DOAJ
description Blind image deblurring, composed of estimating blur kernel and non-blind deconvolution, is an extremely ill-posed problem. However, previous deblurring methods still cannot solve delta kernel or noise problem well and avoid ringing artifacts in restored image, because the reliable kernel estimation and image restoration could not be given from information-deficiency input without using natural image priors. In this work, we find that the blur process changes the distribution of the image gradient, and thus attempt to use the priori knowledge for guiding blind deblurring. For the sake of convenience of modeling, we come up with a simplified approximate formulation of the image gradient distribution prior, thus the restoration model using it can be solved by the method of iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS). We also concentrate on how to optimize the models and develop an algorithm based on gradient prior and image structure: first, we computed image structure based on the total variation model and adaptive weight strategy and then estimated the strong edges from it. Those strong edges (structure) that have a possible adverse effect on blur kernel estimation can be removed. Next, we followed an alternate iterative framework to obtain high-quality blur kernel estimation by estimating blur kernel from strong structure and then restoring a latent image guided by the formulated clear image priors. Finally, we proposed a non-blind deconvolution method based on fitted multi-order gradient priors as regularization to restore the latent image. In addition, we analyze the effectiveness of the knowledge-driven prior in image deblurring and demonstrate that it can favor clear images over blurred ones and restrain ringing artifacts effectively. Extensive experiments verify the superiority of the proposed method over state-of-the-art algorithms compared, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
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spelling doaj.art-d1fc2740e0ce433280f49a04982e45a32022-12-21T22:55:23ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362020-01-01812997512999110.1109/ACCESS.2020.30079729136686Natural Image Deblurring Based on Ringing Artifacts Removal via Knowledge-Driven Gradient Distribution PriorsHongtian Zhao0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2659-8955Hua Yang1Hang Su2Shibao Zheng3Institute of Image Processing and Network Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, ChinaInstitute of Image Processing and Network Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, ChinaInstitute of Image Processing and Network Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, ChinaBlind image deblurring, composed of estimating blur kernel and non-blind deconvolution, is an extremely ill-posed problem. However, previous deblurring methods still cannot solve delta kernel or noise problem well and avoid ringing artifacts in restored image, because the reliable kernel estimation and image restoration could not be given from information-deficiency input without using natural image priors. In this work, we find that the blur process changes the distribution of the image gradient, and thus attempt to use the priori knowledge for guiding blind deblurring. For the sake of convenience of modeling, we come up with a simplified approximate formulation of the image gradient distribution prior, thus the restoration model using it can be solved by the method of iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS). We also concentrate on how to optimize the models and develop an algorithm based on gradient prior and image structure: first, we computed image structure based on the total variation model and adaptive weight strategy and then estimated the strong edges from it. Those strong edges (structure) that have a possible adverse effect on blur kernel estimation can be removed. Next, we followed an alternate iterative framework to obtain high-quality blur kernel estimation by estimating blur kernel from strong structure and then restoring a latent image guided by the formulated clear image priors. Finally, we proposed a non-blind deconvolution method based on fitted multi-order gradient priors as regularization to restore the latent image. In addition, we analyze the effectiveness of the knowledge-driven prior in image deblurring and demonstrate that it can favor clear images over blurred ones and restrain ringing artifacts effectively. Extensive experiments verify the superiority of the proposed method over state-of-the-art algorithms compared, both qualitatively and quantitatively.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9136686/Blind image deblurringKernel estimationknowledge-driven gradient priorspiece-wise fractional functionstrong structure
spellingShingle Hongtian Zhao
Hua Yang
Hang Su
Shibao Zheng
Natural Image Deblurring Based on Ringing Artifacts Removal via Knowledge-Driven Gradient Distribution Priors
IEEE Access
Blind image deblurring
Kernel estimation
knowledge-driven gradient priors
piece-wise fractional function
strong structure
title Natural Image Deblurring Based on Ringing Artifacts Removal via Knowledge-Driven Gradient Distribution Priors
title_full Natural Image Deblurring Based on Ringing Artifacts Removal via Knowledge-Driven Gradient Distribution Priors
title_fullStr Natural Image Deblurring Based on Ringing Artifacts Removal via Knowledge-Driven Gradient Distribution Priors
title_full_unstemmed Natural Image Deblurring Based on Ringing Artifacts Removal via Knowledge-Driven Gradient Distribution Priors
title_short Natural Image Deblurring Based on Ringing Artifacts Removal via Knowledge-Driven Gradient Distribution Priors
title_sort natural image deblurring based on ringing artifacts removal via knowledge driven gradient distribution priors
topic Blind image deblurring
Kernel estimation
knowledge-driven gradient priors
piece-wise fractional function
strong structure
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9136686/
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AT hangsu naturalimagedeblurringbasedonringingartifactsremovalviaknowledgedrivengradientdistributionpriors
AT shibaozheng naturalimagedeblurringbasedonringingartifactsremovalviaknowledgedrivengradientdistributionpriors