A Fast Dynamic Range Compression With Local Contrast Preservation Algorithm and Its Application to Real-Time Video Enhancement

This study addresses low dynamic range (LDR) image/video enhancement for digital video cameras. A new fast dynamic range compression format with a local-contrast-preservation (FDRCLCP) algorithm resolves this problem efficiently. The proposed FDRCLCP algorithm can combine with any continuously differentiable intensity transfer function to achieve LDR image enhancement. In combination with the FDRCLCP algorithm, a new intensity-transfer function is proposed, adaptively accomplishing dynamic range compression and edge-contrast enhancement depending on the local mean value of the input luminance image. The proposed method also extends to a linear color remapping approach, not only preserving the original image's color information, but also controlling color saturation of the resulting image. Moreover, a look-up-table (LUT) acceleration approach improves the processing speed of the proposed FDRCLCP algorithm in processing video signals, allowing real-time video enhancement processing. Experimental results show that the proposed method not only provides good visual representation in both quantitative and visual comparisons, but also achieves real-time performance for video processing.