EE663 Image Processing Histogram Equalization

EE663
Image Processing
Histogram Equalization
Dr. Samir H. Abdul-Jauwad

Electrical Engineering Department
King Fahd University of Petroleum &
Minerals
Image Enhancement: Histogram
Based Methods
What is the histogram of a digital image?
The histogram of a digital image with gray values r0 , r1 ,, rL 1

is the discrete function
nk
p(rk ) 
n
nk: Number of pixels with gray value rk
n: total Number of pixels in the image
The function p(rk) represents the fraction of the total number

of pixels with gray value rk.
Histogram provides a global description of the appearance
of
the image.
If we consider the gray values in the image as realizations of
a
random variable R, with some probability density, histogram
provides an approximation to this probability density. In other
words, Pr( R  rk )  p(rk )
Some Typical Histograms
The shape of a histogram provides useful information for
contrast enhancement.
Dark image
Bright image
Low contrast image

High contrast image
Histogram Equalization
What is the histogram equalization?
he histogram equalization is an approach to enhance a given
image. The approach is to design a transformation T(.) such that
the gray values in the output is uniformly distributed in [0, 1].
Let us assume for the moment that the input image to be

enhanced has continuous gray values, with r = 0 representing
black and r = 1 representing white.
We need to design a gray value transformation s = T(r), based
on the histogram of the input image, which will enhance the
image.
As before, we assume that:
(1) T(r) is a monotonically increasing function for
0 r 1 (preserves order from black to white).
(2) T(r) maps [0,1] into [0,1] (preserves the range of allowed
Gray values).
Let us denote the inverse transformation by r T -1(s) . We
assume that the inverse transformation also satisfies the above
two conditions.
We consider the gray values in the input image and output
image as random variables in the interval [0, 1].
Let pin(r) and pout(s) denote the probability density of the

Gray values in the input and output images.
If pin(r) and T(r) are known, and r T -1(s) satisfies
condition 1, we can write (result from probability theory):
 dr 
pout ( s)   pin (r ) 
 ds  r T 1 ( s )
One way to enhance the image is to design a transformation

T(.) such that the gray values in the output is uniformly
distributed in [0, 1], i.e. pout (s) 1, 0  s1
In terms of histograms, the output image will have all

gray values in “equal proportion” .
This technique is called histogram equalization.

Next we derive the gray values in the output is uniformly
distributed in [0, 1].
Consider the transformation

r
s  T (r )   pin ( w)dw, 0  r 1
0
Note that this is the cumulative distribution function (CDF)

of pin (r) and satisfies the previous two conditions.
From the previous equation and using the fundamental

theorem of calculus,
ds
 pin (r )
dr
Therefore, the output histogram is given by
 1 
pout ( s )   pin (r )    1 r T 1 ( s )  1, 0  s 1
 pin (r )  r T 1 ( s )
The output probability density function is uniform,

regardless of the input.
Thus, using a transformation function equal to the CDF of

input gray values r, we can obtain an image with uniform
gray values.
This usually results in an enhanced image, with an

increase in the dynamic range of pixel values.
How to implement histogram equalization?
Step 1:For images with discrete gray values, compute:

nk
pin (rk )  0  rk  1 0  k  L 1
n
L: Total number of gray levels
nk: Number of pixels with gray value rk
n: Total number of pixels in the image
Step 2: Based on CDF, compute the discrete version of the
previous transformation :
k
s k  T (rk )   pin ( r j ) 0  k  L 1
j 0
Example:
Consider an 8-level 64 x 64 image with gray values (0, 1, …,
7). The normalized gray values are (0, 1/7, 2/7, …, 1). The
normalized histogram is given below:
NB: The gray values in output are also (0, 1/7, 2/7, …, 1).
# pixels Fraction
of # pixels
Gray value Normalized gray value

k
 Applying the transformation, sk  T (rk )   pin (r j ) we have
j 0
Notice that there are only five distinct gray levels --- (1/7,
3/7,
5/7, 6/7, 1) in the output image. We will relabel them as (s0,
s1, …, s4 ).
With this transformation, the output image will have
histogram
Histogram of output image
# pixels
Gray values
Note that the histogram of output image is only approximately,

and not exactly, uniform. This should not be surprising, since there
is no result that claims uniformity in the discrete case.
Example Original image and its histogram
Histogram equalized image and its histogram
 Comments:
Histogram equalization may not always produce desirable
results, particularly if the given histogram is very narrow. It
can produce false edges and regions. It can also increase
image “graininess” and “patchiness.”
Histogram Specification
(Histogram Matching)
Histogram equalization yields an image whose pixels are (in
theory) uniformly distributed among all gray levels.
Sometimes, this may not be desirable. Instead, we may want a

transformation that yields an output image with a pre-specified
histogram. This technique is called histogram specification.
Given Information
(1) Input image from which we can compute its histogram .
(2) Desired histogram.

Goal
Derive a point operation, H(r), that maps the input image

into an output image that has the user-specified histogram.
Again, we will assume, for the moment, continuous-gray

values.
Approach of derivation
z=H(r) = G-1(v=s=T(r))
Input Uniform Output

image s=T(r) image v=G(z) image
Suppose, the input image has probability density in p(r) . We
want to find a transformation z H (r), such that the probability
density of the new image obtained by this transformation is pout(z) ,
which is not necessarily uniform.
First apply the transformation

r
s  T (r )   pin ( w)dw, 0  r 1 (*)
0
This gives an image with a uniform probability density.
If the desired output image were available, then the following
transformation would generate an image with uniform density:
z
V  G ( z )   pout ( w)dw , 0  z 1 (**)
0
From the gray values we can obtain the gray values z by
using the inverse transformation, z  G-1(v)
If instead of using the gray values obtained from (**), we
use the gray values s obtained from (*) above (both are
uniformly distributed ! ), then the point transformation
Z=H(r)= G-1[ v=s =T(r)]
will generate an image with the specified density out p(z) ,

from an input image with density in p(r) !
For discrete gray levels, we have
k
sk  T (rk )   pin (r j ) 0  k  L 1
j 0
k
vk  G ( z k )   pout ( z j )  sk 0  k  L 1
j 0
 If the transformation zk G(zk)is one-to-one, the inverse

transformation skG-1 (sk), can be easily determined, since
we are dealing with a small set of discrete gray values.
In practice, this is not usually the case (i.e., ) zk G(zk)is not
one-to-one) and we assign gray values to match the given
histogram, as closely as possible.
Algorithm for histogram specification:
(1) Equalize input image to get an image with uniform

gray values, using the discrete equation:
k
sk  T (rk )   pin (r j ) 0  k  L 1
j 0
(2) Based on desired histogram to get an image with

uniform gray values, using the discrete equation:
k
vk  G ( z k )   pout ( z j )  sk 0  k  L 1
j 0
1 1
(3)   
z G ( v=s ) z G [T ( r )]
Example:
Consider an 8-level 64 x 64 previous image.
# pixels
Gray value
It is desired to transform this image into a new image, using a
transformation Z=H(r)= G-1[T(r)], with histogram as specified
below:
# pixels
Gray values
The transformation T(r) was obtained earlier (reproduced
below):
Now we compute the transformation G as before.

Computer z=G-1 (s)Notice that G is not invertible.
G-1(0) = ?
G-1(1/7) = 3/7
G-1(2/7) = 4/7
G-1(3/7) = ?
G-1(4/7) = ?
G-1(5/7) = 5/7
G-1(6/7) = 6/7
G-1(1) = 1
Combining the two transformation T and G-1 , compute
z=H(r)= G-1[v=s=T(r)]
Applying the transformation H to the original image yields an
image with histogram as below:
Again, the actual histogram of the output image does not exactly
but only approximately matches with the specified histogram. This
is because we are dealing with discrete histograms.
Original image and its histogram
Histogram specified image and its histogram

Desired histogram

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EE663

Dr. Samir H. Abdul-Jauwad

What is the histogram of a digital image?

The histogram of a digital image with gray values r0 , r1 ,, rL 1

The function p(rk) represents the fraction of the total number

Low contrast image

Let us assume for the moment that the input image to be

Let pin(r) and pout(s) denote the probability density of the

One way to enhance the image is to design a transformation

In terms of histograms, the output image will have all

This technique is called histogram equalization.

Consider the transformation

Note that this is the cumulative distribution function (CDF)

From the previous equation and using the fundamental

The output probability density function is uniform,

Thus, using a transformation function equal to the CDF of

This usually results in an enhanced image, with an

Step 1:For images with discrete gray values, compute:

Gray value Normalized gray value

Note that the histogram of output image is only approximately,

Sometimes, this may not be desirable. Instead, we may want a

(2) Desired histogram.

Derive a point operation, H(r), that maps the input image

Again, we will assume, for the moment, continuous-gray

Input Uniform Output

First apply the transformation

will generate an image with the specified density out p(z) ,

 If the transformation zk G(zk)is one-to-one, the inverse

(1) Equalize input image to get an image with uniform

(2) Based on desired histogram to get an image with

Now we compute the transformation G as before.

Histogram specified image and its histogram

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