Stochastic Rounding for Image Interpolation and Scan Conversion
This is an incremental improvement for image processing applications like medical ultrasound, focusing on a specific rounding technique.
The paper tackles the problem of image interpolation and scan conversion by proposing a stochastic rounding (SR) function to replace deterministic rounding in nearest-neighbor interpolation, with experimental results showing performance comparisons in simulations and cardiac ultrasound videos.
The stochastic rounding (SR) function is proposed to evaluate and demonstrate the effects of stochastically rounding row and column subscripts in image interpolation and scan conversion. The proposed SR function is based on a pseudorandom number, enabling the pseudorandom rounding up or down any non-integer row and column subscripts. Also, the SR function exceptionally enables rounding up any possible cases of subscript inputs that are inferior to a pseudorandom number. The algorithm of interest is the nearest-neighbor interpolation (NNI) which is traditionally based on the deterministic rounding (DR) function. Experimental simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of NNI-SR and NNI-DR algorithms before and after applying smoothing and sharpening filters of interest. Additional results are also provided to demonstrate the performance of NNI-SR and NNI-DR interpolated scan conversion algorithms in cardiac ultrasound videos.