Abstract
This paper presents a new method for degraded-document binarization, inspired by the attributes of the Human Visual System (HVS). It can deal with various types of degradations, such as uneven illumination, shadows, low contrast, smears, and heavy noise densities. The proposed algorithm combines the characteristics of the OFF center-surround cells of the HVS with the classic Otsu binarization technique. Cells of two different scales are combined, increasing the efficiency of the algorithm and reducing the extracted noise in the final output. A new response function, which regulates the output of the cell according to the local contrast and the local lighting conditions is also introduced. The Otsu technique is used to binarize the outputs of the OFF center-surround cells. Quantitative experiments performed on a set of various computer-generated degradations, such as noise, shadow, and low contrast demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method against six other well-established techniques. Qualitative and OCR comparisons also confirm these results.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
