IEEE
International Conference on Image Processing, Oct. 2001
Wavelet-Based Foveated
Image Quality Measurement For Region
Of Interest Image Coding
Zhou
Wang1, Alan C. Bovik1,
and Ligang Lu2
1 Laboratory for Image and Video Engineering
(LIVE), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of
Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-1084
2 IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown
Heights, NY 10598
Abstract: Region of interest (ROI) image and video
compression techniques have been widely used in visual communication
applications in an effort to deliver good quality images and videos at limited
bandwidths. Most image quality metrics have been developed for uniform
resolution images. These metrics are not appropriate for the assessment of ROI
coded images, where space-variant resolution is necessary. The spatial
resolution of the human visual system (HVS) is highest around the point of
fixation and decreases rapidly with increasing eccentricity. Since the ROIs are
usually the regions "fixated" by human eyes, the foveation of HVS
supplies a natural approach for guiding the design of ROI image quality
measurement algorithms. We have developed an objective quality metric for ROI
coded images in the wavelet transform domain. This metric can serve to mediate
the compression and enhancement of ROI coded images and videos. We show its
effectiveness by applying it to an embedded foveated image coding system.