Lecture 8

Linear Filtering and Convolution

Linear Filtering and Convolution

• Linear filtering is used in a wide variety of
applications including noise reduction, edge
detection, and edge enhancement.
• Linear filtering is defined as an action in which
the value of a pixel in the output image is a linear
combination of corresponding neighboring pixels
from the input image.
 Linear Filtering and Convolution
• Linear filtering can be accomplished through
convolution in the spatial domain. In the
convolution process the value of output pixels is
computed as the weighted sum of neighboring
pixels from the input image.
• The matrix of weighting factors is referred to as
the convolution kernel and represents the filter
implementation. For our purposes these matrices
will be of odd dimension (e.g. 3x3, 5x5, 7x7, etc.).

Linear Filtering and Convolution

• The weighting process may be expressed as:

R w1I1  w2 I2  wmnImn

mn

¦w I
i 1
i i

Where m,n are the indices of the kernel (often a

square matrix) and I represents the input image
pixel intensities. The weighting factors are given
by w.
 Convolution
• As an example, consider a portion of an image (A) and
a convolution kernel (h):

ª17 24 1 15º8
«23 16»»
« 5 7 14 ª8 1 6º
A «4 6 13 22» h ««3 5 7»»
20
« »
«10 12 19 21
3» «¬4 9 2»¼
«¬11 18 25 2 9 »¼

Convolution
• Convolution steps:
– Slide the center element of the kernel to the
pixel to be computed.
– Multiply the convolution weights in the kernel
by the corresponding pixel values in the input
image.
– Sum the individual products from the previous
step. The result is the pixel value for the output
image.
– Repeat over the entire image
 Convolution
• Referring to the example, if the kernel is acting on
A(2,4):
ª17 24 1(2) 8(9) 15(4)º
«23 5 7(7) 14(5) 16(3) »»
«
«4 6 13(6) 20(1) 22(8)»
« »
«10 12 19 21 3 »
«¬11 8 25 2 9 »¼

• The corresponding output pixel value is:

– 1x2 + 8x9 + 15x4 + 7x7 + 14x5 + 16x3 + 13x6 + 20x1 +
22x8 = 575

Convolution
• This process is repeated for all of the pixels in the
image, except those at the edges.
• I.e. for a 3x3 convolution kernel, the output image
is two pixels smaller in each dimension owing to
the need for the convolution kernel to act on
neighboring pixels.
 Convolution
• This method of “sliding” the kernel across the image
should be reminiscent of the classical definition of 2D
convolution:
gx, y f x, y ³³ f D, E ˜ gx D, y  E dDdE
• Where D and E are the dummy variables of
integration, the range of which is across the entire
image.

Convolution
• This is simply an extension of 1D convolution as you
have encountered in signal analysis:
f
f1t  f2 t  ³ f t  f t W dW
1 2
f

• Here f1 and f2 are both functions of time, and W is the

independent variable of integration.
• This example graphically shows the convolution of a
linear ramp and a rect function.
 Convolution
• If the Fourier transforms of f(x,y) and g(x,y) are F(u,v)
and G(u,v) respectively, then the convolution
operation in frequency space is simply the point-by-
point multiplication of the transforms:

gx, y f x, y Gu, vFu, v
 Linear Filtering and Convolution
• Some practical considerations: application of
kernels in the spatial domain avoids pixels near or
at the edge of the image, since adequate neighbors
do not exist.
• As an alternative, a one-sided kernel can be
applied at the edge, or the edge can be regarded as
a mirror.

Convolution
• Convolution can be accomplished in the frequency
domain, but recall that the transform regards the
image as one period of a periodic function of
infinite extent.
• Regarding the image in this “wraparound” fashion
will usually result in artifacts at the edges.
• The solution commonly used is to place the image
within a larger array in which the borders are
filled with a mean brightness value, or are
smoothly interpolated from the values of the edge
pixels.
 Linear Filtering and Convolution
• In many cases, the convolution kernel is separable.
That is, the matrix may be decomposed into a pair
of 1D vectors, that individually applied to rows
and columns, will produce the same result.
• If the separation operation can be performed, the
computation time for filtering can be substantially
reduced.

Linear Filtering and Convolution

• The requirement for separability is that the kernel
matrix must be of rank = 1.
• If the separation is performed correctly,
multiplication of the two vectors will return the
original kernel.
• MATLAB provides functions for rank
determination and separation.
 Filtering
• In general, we will be dealing with finite impulse
response (FIR) filters. These filters have a
response to an impulse function that is finite in
extent.
• FIR filters are simple to represent as matrices and
are natural extensions of the 1D filters used in
signal processing.
• There are many reliable methods for implementing
FIR filters.

Filtering
• FIR filters can have linear phase response, which
aids in preventing distortion (just as in the 1D
signal case).
• Infinite impulse response (IIR) filters are difficult
to implement, and tend to be unstable.
• The MATLAB image processing toolbox does not
support IIR filters.
 Low-pass Filtering
• Functions such as low-pass filtering would appear
as obvious uses for convolution. There are a
number of additional ones that include:
– Edge sharpening
– Edge detection
– Median filtering

Filtering
• Low pass filtering in medical imaging is most
often used for noise reduction.
• Noise reduction is easily accomplished, but
blurring will result as a byproduct of the filtering
process, and is generally considered undesirable.
• Blurring can be useful however, for elimination of
small details, and joining of gaps in boundaries
prior to segmentation.
 Filtering
• The simplest low pass filter implementation is the
averaging filter.
• In this case the output pixel value is simply the
average of the input pixel values taken to some
extent (e.g. 3x3, 5x5, etc.).
• In this case, the elements of the convolution kernel
all have a value of 1.

Averaging Filter
• The effect of the averaging filter is to reduce the
magnitude of sharp transitions.
• These transitions can be either random noise, or
edges – the filter cannot distinguish between the
two.
• In general, blurring is desirable only when
preparing images for segmentation.
 Weighted Filtering
• The blurring problem can sometimes be mitigated
using a weighted filter.
• In this case, the weighting factors are determined
as a function of distance from the center (input
pixel) of the convolution kernel.
• Weighting factors decrease with increasing
distance from the center (input pixel).

Filtering
• Compare:
ª1 1 1º
W
1«
1 1 1»
9« » Non-weighted
«¬1 1 1»¼
ª1 2 1º
1« »
W 2 4 2
16 « » Weighted
«¬1 2 1»¼
• The coefficients in front of the kernels preserve
the intensity scaling.
 Linear Filtering and Convolution
• The general form of the convolution can be given as
(where the denominator is the sum of the values in
the kernel):
a b

¦ ¦ wk , t  f x  k , y  t 
g  x, y  k a t a
a b

¦ ¦ wk , t 
k  a t b

m 1
a
2
n 1
b
2

Linear Filtering and Convolution

• Generally, 3x3 and 5x5 filters are used for noise
reduction.
• Larger kernels are used for the deliberate
elimination of small features prior to a
segmentation effort or some other automated
process, such as edge detection or region growing.
 Linear Filtering and Convolution
• If you are beginning with a magnitude
reconstructed image, the filtering steps in
frequency space typically include:
– 2D FFT
– Center (fftshift) if necessary
– Apply filter function (scalar array multiplication)
– 2D IFT
– Magnitude
– Scaling

Linear Filtering and Convolution

• The filter function is implemented by computing
an array of weighting factors on a pixel basis.
• This resulting array will have a pixel-by-pixel
correspondence to the (centered) frequency
domain representation of the input image.
• Scalar multiply the transform of the input image
by this array (in MATLAB, use the .* syntax for
multiplication, not * alone which performs true
matrix multiplication).
 Linear Filtering and Convolution
• Filter examples:
– Low Pass (typically for noise reduction)
– High Pass (typically for edge enhancement)
– High Emphasis