Image deblurring using empirical Wiener filter in the curvelet domain and joint non-local means filter in the spatial domain

Abstract

In this paper, an efficient image deblurring algorithm is proposed. This algorithm restores the blurred image by incorporating a curvelet-based empirical Wiener filter with a spatial-based joint non-local means filter. Curvelets provide a multidirectional and multiscale decomposition that has been mathematically shown to represent distributed discontinuities such as edges better than traditional wavelets. Our method restores the image in the frequency domain to obtain a noisy result with minimal loss of image components, followed by an empirical Wiener filter in the curvelet domain to attenuate the leaked noise. Although the curvelet-based methods are efficient in edge-preserving image denoising, they are prone to producing edge ringing which relates to the structure of the underlying curvelet. In order to reduce the ringing, we develop an efficient joint non-local means filter by using the curvelet deblurring result. This filter could suppress the leaked noise while preserving image details. We compare our deblurring algorithm with a few competitive deblurring techniques in terms of improvement in signal-to-noise-ratio (ISNR) and visual quality.

Keywords:

• Image deblurring
• Curvelets
• Non-local means filter
• Empirical Wiener filter