• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.51-71
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• 2014

This paper presents an image enhancement method in real road traffic scenes. The images captured by the camera on the car cannot keep the color constancy as illumination or weather changes. In the real environment, these problems are more worse at back light conditions and at night that make more difficult to the applications of the vision-based intelligent vehicles. Using the existing image enhancement methods without considering the position and intensity of the light source and their geometric relations the image quality can even be deteriorated. Thus, this paper presents a fast and effective method for image enhancement resembling human cognitive system which consists of 1) image preprocessing, 2) color-contrast evaluation, 3) alpha blending of over/under estimated image and preprocessed image. An input image is first preprocessed by gamma correction, and then enhanced by an Automatic Color Enhancement(ACE) method. Finally, the preprocessed image and the ACE image are blended to improve image visibility. The proposed method shows drastically enhanced results visually, and improves the performance in traffic sign detection of the vision based intelligent vehicle applications.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.32-39
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• 2012

This paper develops a robust image enhancement method by adjusting image signal energy according to the direction and the variation of image signal in DCT domain. To accomplish this, we measure the gradient of image signal directly in DCT domain and then adjust frequency components involved in sharpness, local contrast and global contrast using the direction and the magnitude of the measured gradient The experiment showed that the proposed method produces the best quality of an image without causing blocking, ringing artifacts and boosting noise.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.330-334
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to establish an injection protocol of a test bolus and a main bolus of contrast material for computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for visualizing optimal pulmonary arteries in normal beagle dogs. CTPA using a test bolus method from either protocol A or B were performed in each of four normal beagle dogs. In protocol A, CTPA was conducted with a scan duration for around 8 s, setting the contrast enhancement peak of the pulmonary trunk in the middle of the scan duration. The arrival time to the contrast enhancement peak was predicted from a previous dynamic scan using a test bolus (150 mg iodine/kg) injected with the same injection duration using for a main bolus (450 mg iodine/kg). In protocol B, CTPA was started at the predicted appearance time of contrast material in the pulmonary trunk based on a previous dynamic scan using a test bolus injected with the same injection rate as a main bolus. CTPA using protocol A showed the optimal opacification of the pulmonary artery with pulmonary venous contamination. Proper CTPA images in the absence of venous contamination were obtained in protocol B. CTPA with a scan duration for 8 s should be started at the appearance time of contrast enhancement in the pulmonary trunk, which can be identified exactly when a test bolus is injected at the same injection rate used for the main bolus.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.722-729
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• 2013

For low contrast images, a histogram equalization is possible to easily identify information when the intensity is concentrated in an image. Over contrast enhancement is the problem of generating an unnatural image cognitively because the focus of existing techniques was the contrast enhancement. In order to solve this problem, CLAHE method solves unnatural problems by limiting contrast using a maximum threshold. However, this method has an extra problem that concealed detail information in an image. This paper proposes a detail-map based on the multiple layers block overlapped histogram equalization in order to avoid loss of detail information. Loss of detail information has been made to minimize as combining images with limited contrast enhancement using a detail-map in each layers.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.10b
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• pp.137-138
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• 2008

This paper proposes the modified image contrast enhancement technique for small-sized display of mobile handset. Sample images are user interface images, in which scaled up wVGA($800{\times}480$) from qVGA($320{\times}240$) that we can see easily in mobile handset. The display size of mobile handset is relatively small, so the goal of this paper is to simplify image contrast enhancement algorithm based on conventional HE (Histogram Equalization) algorithm and improve computational effectiveness to minimize power consumption in real hardware IC. In this paper, we adopt HE technique, which is classical and widely used for image contrast enhancement. At first, the input frame image is partitioned to temporal sub-frames and then analyzes gray level histogram of each sub-frame. In case that the analyzed histogram of some sub-frames deviates so much from reference level (it means that the sub-frame image components consist of too bright ones or dark ones), apply DHE(Dynamic Histogram Equalization) algorithm. In the other case, apply classical Histogram Linearization (or Global HE) algorithm. Also we compare the HE technique with gamma LUT (Look-Up Table) method, which is known as the simplest technique to enhance image contrast.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 1999

An enhancement technique for phase dependent image contrast in MRI(Manetic Resonance Imaging) is proposed. Because the method can enhance inherent phase contrast it is suited for susceptibility imaging and flow imaging where intravoxel phase is a source of image contrast. In this paper, applying external phase in the voxel enhances phase contrast. The external phase is generated by a tailored RF pulse so that one can control the phase contrast and even produces phase only contrast. Signal intensity due to both inherent phase and external phase is analyzed and the proposed technique is applied to a susceptibility effect only imaging and a flow effect only imaging. To verify the proposed technique, computer simulations are performed and their results are given.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.108-108
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• 2001

Purpose： To correlate the histological differentiation of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) with finding on triple contrast-enhanced MR imaging using gadolinium-chelates, superparamganetic ire oxides (SPIO), and mangafodipir trisodium. Method： Ten patients with proven HCC underwent triple contrast-enhanced MRI befo surgical resection. Subjective ratings of the enhancement pattern and degree were compare with the histological grades determined on surgical specimen. Quantitative measurements signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the lesion and the lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio C/N on the enhanced MR images, and the degree of S/N and C/N changes between the unenhanced and enhanced images were also correlated with the histological grades.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06b
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• pp.176-180
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• 2001

In this paper, we have studies the images have been reconstructed by using combination of images which has been acquired by the variation of operating frequency. When inner images has been reconstructed, inner image has been superposition by surface state effect. In this case, image enhancement the phase object and enhance the contrast of inner image. In the result of the specimen for the round defect with 2mm diameter, for the types of the depth are 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, and 3mm, it has been show that the shape of defect has better than before this processing and phase contrast grow large twice. And we have constructed the acoustic microscope by using quadrature detector that is able simultaneously to acquired the amplitude and phase of the reflected signal. Father more we have studied the reconstruction method of the amplitude and phase images and the enhancement method of the defect images' contrast.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.173-185
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• 2009

This paper proposes two new image contrast enhancement methods, RSWHE (Recursively Separated and Weighted Histogram Equalization) and RSWHS (Recursively Separated and Weighted Histogram Specification). RSWHE is a histogram equalization method based on histogram decomposition and weighting, whereas RSWHS is a histogram specification method based on histogram decomposition and weighting. The two proposed methods work as follows: 1) decompose an input histogram based on the image's mean brightness, 2) compute the probability for the area corresponding to each sub-histogram, 3) modify the sub-histogram by weighting it with the computed probability value, 4) lastly, perform histogram equalization (in the case of RSWHE) or histogram specification (in the case of RSWHS) on the modified sub-histograms independently. Experimental results show that RSWHE and RSWHS outperform other methods in terms of contrast enhancement and mean brightness preservation as well.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.86-90
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• 2013

Various methods have been proposed for enhancing the contrast of laser speckle contrast image (LSCI) in subcutaneous blood flow measurements. However, the LSCI still suffers from low image contrast due to tissue turbidity. Herein, a physicochemical tissue optical clearing (PCTOC) method was employed to enhance the contrast of LSCI. Ex vivo and in vivo experiments were performed with porcine skin samples and male ICR mice, respectively. The ex vivo LSCIs were obtained before and 90 min after the application of the PCTOC and in vivo LSCIs were obtained for 60 min after the application of the PCTOC. In order to obtain the skin recovery images, saline was applied for 30 min after the application of the PCTOC was completed. The visible appearance of the tubing under ex vivo samples and the in vivo vasculature gradually enhanced over time. The LSCI increased as a function of time after the application of the PCTOC in both ex vivo and in vivo experiments, and properly recovered to initial conditions after the application of saline in the in vivo experiment. The LSCI combined with the PCTOC was greatly enhanced even in deep vasculature. It is expected that similar results will be obtained in in vivo human studies.