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Realization of the Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) for Real-Time Image Enhancement

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Abstract

Acquired real-time image sequences, in their original form may not have good viewing quality due to lack of proper lighting or inherent noise. For example, in X-ray imaging, when continuous exposure is used to obtain an image sequence or video, usually low-level exposure is administered until the region of interest is identified. In this case, and many other similar situations, it is desired to improve the image quality in real-time. One particular method of interest, which extensively is used for enhancement of still images, is Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) proposed in [1] and summarized in [2]. This approach is computationally extensive and it is usually used for off-line image enhancement. Because of its performance, hardware implementation of this algorithm for enhancement of real-time image sequences is sought. In this paper, a system level realization of CLAHE is proposed, which is suitable for VLSI or FPGA implementation. The goal for this realization is to minimize the latency without sacrificing precision.

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Reza, A.M. Realization of the Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) for Real-Time Image Enhancement. The Journal of VLSI Signal Processing-Systems for Signal, Image, and Video Technology 38, 35–44 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VLSI.0000028532.53893.82

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VLSI.0000028532.53893.82

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