Stochastic Image Modeling
Publications Monograph Abstracts Talk


Selected Abstracts

2-D Hidden Markov Model
  • Jia Li, Amir Najmi, Robert M. Gray, "Image classification by a two dimensional hidden Markov model," IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 48(2):517-33, February 2000.

    Abstract: For block-based classification, an image is divided into blocks and a feature vector is formed for each block by grouping statistics extracted from the block. Conventional block-based classification algorithms decide the class of a block by examining only the feature vector of this block and ignoring context information. In order to improve classification by context, a new algorithm models images by two dimensional hidden Markov models (HMMs). The HMM considers feature vectors statistically dependent through an underlying state process assumed to be a Markov mesh, which has transition probabilities conditioned on the states of neighboring blocks from both horizontal and vertical directions. Thus, the dependency in two dimensions is reflected simultaneously. The HMM parameters are estimated by the EM algorithm. To classify an image, the classes with maximum a posteriori probability are searched jointly for all the blocks. Applications of the HMM algorithm to documentary and aerial image segmentation show that the algorithm outperforms CART, LVQ, and Bayes VQ.
2-D Multiresolution Hidden Markov Model
  • Jia Li, Robert M. Gray, Richard A. Olshen, "Multiresolution image classification by hierarchical modeling with two dimensional hidden Markov models," IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 46(5):1826-41, August 2000.

    Abstract: This paper treats a multiresolution hidden Markov model for classifying images. Each image is represented by feature vectors at several resolutions, which are statistically dependent as modeled by the underlying state process, a multiscale Markov mesh. Unknowns in the model are estimated by maximum likelihood, in particular by employing the expectation-maximization algorithm. An image is classified by finding the optimal set of states with maximum a posteriori probability. States are then mapped into classes. The multiresolution model enables multiscale information about context to be incorporated into classification. Suboptimal algorithms based on the model provide progressive classification that is much faster than the algorithm based on single-resolution hidden Markov models.

    Applications
    • Image annotation the Automatic Linguistic Indexing for Pictures system

    • Distinguishing stroke styles of fine art paintings
Computationally efficient estimation of 2- and 3-D HMMs
  • Dhiraj Joshi, Jia Li, James Z. Wang, "A computationally efficient approach to the estimation of two- and three-dimensional hidden Markov models," IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 2005, to appear.

    Abstract: Statistical modeling methods are becoming indispensable in today's large-scale image analysis. In this paper, we explore a computationally efficient parameter estimation algorithm for two and three dimensional hidden Markov models and show applications to satellite image segmentation. The proposed parameter estimation algorithm is compared with the first proposed algorithm for 2-D HMMs based on variable state Viterbi. We also propose a 3-D hidden Markov model (3-D HMM) for volume image modeling and apply it to volume image segmentation using a large number of synthetic images with ground truth. Experiments have demonstrated the computational efficiency of the proposed parameter estimation technique for 2-D HMMs and a potential of 3-D HMM as a stochastic modeling tool for volume images.



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