Single image-based ghost-free high dynamic range imaging using local histogram stretching and spatially-adaptive denoising

In this paper, we present a novel high dynamic range (HDR) imaging method using a single image. The existing multiple image-based HDR methods work only on condition that there is no camera and object movement when acquiring multiple, differently exposed low dynamic range (LDR) images. To overcome such an unrealistic restriction, we make three LDR images from a single input image using local histogram stretching. An edge-preserving spatially adaptive denoising method is also proposed to suppress the noise that is amplified in the histogram stretching process. Because the proposed method self-generates three histogram-stretched LDR images from a single input image, ghost artifacts that are the result of the relative motion between the camera and objects during exposure time, are inherently removed. Therefore, the proposed method can be applied to mobile imaging devices such as a mobile phone camera and a consumer compact camera to provide the ghost artifacts free HDR function in the form of either embedded or post-processing software.