First Results in Perceptually-Based AM-FM Image Filtering

We combine an adaptation of the steerable image pyramid sub- band decomposition with a spline-based perfect reconstruction demodulation algorithm to obtain an invertible AM-FM image transform. For the first time, we achieve perceptually-based signal processing goals by applying filtering operations directly to the computed subband amplitude and frequency modulations. The results are dramatic and would be difficult or impossible to obtain by linear processing. In our most interesting example, a simple AM-FM filter succeeds in smoothly and naturally removing the bands from the hat in the well-known Lena image.