Research Article

A Comprative Analysis of Multitransform

Techniques for Enhancement of Multifocus
Image Fusion
Gurjot kaur1, Arun Begill2, Umesh Sehgal3

Abstract
Image Fusion is procedure of combination of the numerous images into particular image which provides
enhanced quality of fused image with high resolution than source images. Image fusion provides a
superior significance in defence, military affairs, civilian sector and medical area. So, now these days image
resolution and fusion enhancement is very necessary. By using different multi-transform techniques
image resolution and image fusion enhancement is possible. This Comparison paper delivers the study
of multi-transform techniques DWT+SWT and DWT+LWT.Execution performance of these image fusion
multi-transform techniques is evaluated by different parameters like Peak Signal to Noise Ratio, Root
mean square error, Entropy, Structural similarity index, spatial frequency and computation time. On the
basis of these techniques it is concluded that DWT+LWT is best multi-transform technique as compare
to DWT+SWT. In this paper merits and demerits of both techniques are also defined.

Keywords: Comparison, DWT+SWT, DWT+LWT, Image Fusion, Multi-transform techniques, Performance

parameters

Introduction
Image fusion is a substantial area in image and signal processing. Image fusion is a procedure of extracting useful
information from source images to reduce volume of data and create a composite and fused image [1].The foremost
objective of Image fusion is to compose the fused image suitable not only for human graphical system but also for
further image processing errands like image augmentation and de-noising, breakdown, compression, feature recognition,
classification and object recognition [2]. Image fusion has many applications in remote or satellite area for proper view
of satellite vision. It is also used in medical area for analysis of diseases through imaging vision. Image fusion is used in
military areas to detect the threats. It has so many applications in area of human vision, robotics and neural networks
also. When we click the image with digital camera then all objects are not focused together. Only the target plane look
sharp and other areas behind or frontage of target plane remain blur. So image fusion extracts the important information
from different images of a particular scene and makes a composite fused image with high resolution and high useful
information.The three main levels have been deal in literature of image fusion- pixel level, feature level, decision level.
Pixel-level could be the mixture of natural knowledge from numerous images into

single image. Feature-level perform the operations on features extracted from source images. Decision-level mix the
outcomes from numerous methods to provide the final merged image.

Research scholar, 2,3Assistant professor, Faculty of computational sciences at GNA university, punjab, india.
1

Correspondence: Gurjot kaur, Faculty of computational sciences at GNA university, punjab, india.

E-mail Id: kaur.gurjot2017@gmail.com

Orcid Id: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7104-7098

How to cite this article: kaur G, Begill A, Sehgal U. CA Comprative Analysis of Multitransform Techniques for Enhancement of
Multifocus Image Fusion. J Adv Res Image Proc Appl 2017; 4(3&4): 1-6.

© ADR Journals 2017. All Rights Reserved.

kaur G et al.
Figure 1.Levels of Image Fusion
Image fusion technique contains following domains
Spatial Domain
In Spatial field method we simply deal with pixels and mold
the pixels to get fused resultant image. It includes many
algorithms like Simple average, select maximum, select
minimum, PCA etc. Spatial domain includes region based
and block based techniques. Region based techniques
divide the images into regions and block based method
divides images into different blocks.
Transform Domain
In transform domain method images are decomposed
into multiple scales and transform coefficients are merged
together according to specific fusion rules. Finally, the fused
image is constructed with inverse transform of the fused
coefficients. Wavelet based algorithms are contained in
transform domain method.
Thispaper presents the comparison of two multi-transform
techniques based on different performance parameters
Peak signal noise ratio, Root mean square error, Spatial
frequency, Entropy, Structure similarity index and
computation time are used to compare the both multi-
transform techniques.
Literature Survey
There arenumerous algorithms that have been suggested
for the fusion of images.
Mohammed H. has proposed a procedure in which two
input images are merged together to get highly fused image.
Fused image is obtained with more useful information. This
method has objective to attain fusion metrics from image
related distinction metrics. In this procedure researcher
J. Adv. Res. Image Proc. Appl. 2017; 4(3&4)
identified many other fusion parameters to get improved
values of fusion results. This method is not suitable for
noise removal and irregularity of edges, curves etc. [1].
Yang Y. used Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) centeredon
multi-focus image fusion technique. DWT and inverse
DWT are achieved while coefficients of low and high
frequency sub-bands are mergingwith novel fusion rules.
Low frequency whichcomprises the maximum information
about perceptiveness focus strategy and high frequency
implements maximum energy strategy. DWT of an image
offers non-redundant image demonstration and gives better
spatial and spectral localization of image information.
The proposed method is not translation invariant. So,
performance will decline due to movement of objects in
source images [2].
N. paramanandham et al. proposed multi-transform
technique using DWT+SWT and its fusion quality not
too good and this technique is used with single level
decomposition because it takes more time. Otherwise
complexity can be increased. This technique has no faster
implementation. It produces some noise artifacts. But this
technique is better than DWT and SWT. It is not best for
filtering operations [3].
Lin XZ et al. has proposed a method which is based on
multi-wavelet transform. This method is known for its
advancement and its probability on various applications.
Lifting wavelet is used in this method as a tool to generate
new wavelet transform. By using multi-wavelet and lifting
scheme it gives better results than existing methods [4].
R. Vijayarajan has suggested a method of image fusion
for mixing suitable and matching data from source images
without deprivation to obtain a fused image. It is simple
pixel based image fusion method in which source images
are splitted in blocks and principal component averaging
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J. Adv. Res. Image Proc. Appl. 2017; 4(3&4) kaur G et al.

technique is applied on input images has been discovered Multitransform techniques

to calculate the principal components. Basically it is iterative
block level principal component averaging fusion method
[5].
Galande and Ashwani have proposed the medical image
fusion method based on non-identical imaging tools like
magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography
to improve the information of images during fusion. This
method is based on both spatial and transforms domain
categories and merging the MRI and CT images. Quantitative
analysis is done on the basis of fusion symmetry; entropy
etc. fuzzy inference system gives better results on the basis
of visual perspective. It is very difficult to design a universal
fusion method which is suitable for all applications and
algorithms [6].
DWT+SWT Multi-transform Method
This is multi-transform technique which is combination
of DWT and SWT. In this technique DWT is applied on
source images for decomposition. Then source images
decomposed into four frequency bands LL, LH, HLand HH.
Further decomposition of wavelet coefficients is performed
by SWT. Apply different fusion rules to fuse the coefficients
and inverse DWT and SWT are used for reconstruction. In
the end final fused image is obtained. DWT&SWT is method
which is used in many applications like pattern recognition,
Object identification, and Image enhancement. This method
is good for enhancement of image fusion but it has many
limitations also. SWT increases the redundant data [7].

Figure 2.DWT+SWT Multi-transform Method

This figure shows the source images are loaded and wavelet Further decomposition of wavelet coefficients is performed
decomposition is applied on them by using DWT&SWT. by LWT. In this method LWT is applied on LL frequency band
After that fusion rules are applied to fuse the coefficients because LL band contains average information of image
and inverse wavelet transform is applied. In the end fused and other bands contain directional information. Apply
image is obtained. This technique can be used in speech different fusion rules to fuse the coefficients and inverse
recognition, pathological brain detection, image de-noising DWT and LWT are used for reconstruction. In the end final
etc. [8]. fused image is obtained. LWT has easiest implementation
and it is best for filtering operation.It takes half calculations
DWT+LWT Multi-transform Method less time than other methods [9].
This is multi-transform technique which is combination Flow Chart
of DWT and LWT. In this technique DWT is applied on
source images for decomposition. Then source images Flow chart of this method includes the many steps. It shows
decomposed into four frequency bands LL, LH, HL and HH. the whole process of DWT&LWT.

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kaur G et al. J. Adv. Res. Image Proc. Appl. 2017; 4(3&4)

Figure 3.DWT+LWT Multi-transform Method.

This figure represents the source images left and right Performance Parameters
blurred images and normalization is applied on source
images to make consistent and look like same. Wavelet Peak Signal to Noise Ratio
transform applied on these images and fusion rules
are used to fuse the coefficients. In the end inverse It is proportion of maximum possible value of signal and
power of distorting noise. Higher value of PSNR gives higher
wavelet transform is used to get final fused image. This
visual quality of image [11]. To measure the PSNR we use
technique can be used in feature detection, lossless image
following formula:
compression, fingerprint detection etc. This method has
many advantages. This method takes less computation
time. It takes half calculations during processing than
other methods. This method has high fusion quality on
the basis of different performance parameters like spatial
frequency, peak signal to noise ratio, entropy etc [10]. In Where F is fused image and M, N is no. of rows and
this method if source images are decomposed at multi- columns respectively. i is index of row and j is index of
levels then fusion quality increases at further levels than column.
previous levels. This method is best for noise removal
because after fusion fused image gets some mix noise that Entropy
can be remove by using any filter. This method preserves The amount of information content in an image is measured
the edges, corners of image. by the metric entropy. A higher value of entropy greater
variation captured through fusion. The formula for
High frequency components preserve the directional
calculation of entropy is:
information also.

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J. Adv. Res. Image Proc. Appl. 2017; 4(3&4) kaur G et al.

Spatial Frequency

It measures The overall clarity, information levels, sharpness

in fused image. The equation is given below:
Where pi is the probability and i-th intensity level.

Root Mean Square Error

It calculates the change per pixel that occurs during

processing[12]. The formula to calculate RMSE between
source images and composite image is given by:

Table 1.Comparison of Multi-transform Methods on the basis of Different performance parameters.

Performance Parameters DWT+SWT Multi-transform Method DWT+LWT Multi transform Method
PSNR Less than DWT+LWT More than DWT+SWT
RMSE More than DWT+LWT Less than DWT+SWT
Spatial Frequency Less than DWT+LWT More than DWT+SWT
Entropy Less than DWT+LWT More than DWT+LWT
Computation Time More than DWT+SWT Less than DWT+SWT
Table 2.Merits and Demerits of Multi-transform Methods
DWT+SWT Multi-transform Method DWT+LWT Multi-transform Method
Advantages Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages
This method has good This method does not pro- This method is suitable for In this method little
results at single level vide good results for mul- multilevel decompositions bit computation
decomposition tilevel decompositions due with no artifacts and blur- time increases when
to complexity. ring. moves toward further
decomposition levels.
This method has better This method has less fu- This method has high fu-
results than DWT, SWT, sion quality than DWT+L- sion quality than existing
DT-CWT. WT method on the basis method on the basis of
of performance parame- performance parameters
ters PSNR, RMSE, SF, EN- PSNR, RMSE, SF, ENTROPY,
TROPY etc. SSIM
This method removes This method take more This method is fast and Visual quality of image
the lack of translation computation time than takes less time for compu- may be affected after
invariance DWT+LWT tation fusion.
In this method distortion This method has no any
may occur in fused image. distortion problem.

Conclusion that DWT+LWT based multi-transform technique provides

This paper is carried out the comparison of two multi-
transform domain techniques that help to enhance the
multi-focus image fusion. These techniques are more suited
for image fusion than other techniques. From comparison
analysis of both multitransform techniques, it is observed
best results in enhancement of multifocus image fusion and
provides fused images with high fusion quality andmore
resolution. So DWT+LWT based technique is much better
than DWT+SWT based technique with high fusion quality
and many other advantages. This technique is better than
many other methods also.

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