Image compression with color interpolation for a single sensor image system

• US 5,172,227 A
• Filed: 12/10/1990
• Issued: 12/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Tsai, Yushing T., Daly, Scott J., Rabbani, Majid
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/625,232
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 358/133, 358/135, 358/138, 358/13, 358/41, 358/43, 358/44
• US Class Current: 375/240.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/58 Edge or detail enhancement; Noise or error suppression, e.g. colour misregistration correction H04N1/62 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/64 Systems for the transmission or the storage of the colour picture signal; Details therefor, e.g. coding or decoding means therefor H04N19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/042 Codec means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, the R,G,B color image signals from a single sensor having a color filter array are all transformed to Γ-space by changing them to R^1/Γ, G^1/Γ, B^1/Γ, respectively, where Γ is approximately 2.4. In this space, all operations such as color differencing, interpolation of those missing pixels required for color differencing, compression, decompression, edge enhancement and final interpolation of all missing pixels are performed without further transformation of the image signals. For the same final bit rate, noise in the reproduced image is reduced by refraining from interpolating the missing color pixels prior to compression of the image data. In order to avoid over-emphasizing features of the image which are already sufficiently sharp, the combined outputs of horizontal and vertical sharpening processes are subjected to a paring process of the invention which suppresses strong high-spatial frequency components as a function of their amplitude. In the compression-decompression process of the invention, each spatial frequency coefficient of the spatial frequency-transformed image is divided by a normalization factor determined by cascading in the spatial frequency domain the human visual system contrast sensitivity function, the edge enhancement modulation transfer function and the image display modulation transfer function and inversing the resulting matrix elements.

Claims

1. Apparatus for transmitting and receiving a color image signal representing the amplitudes of a single image plane of pixels, each one of said pixels representing a respective one of three different colors whereby pixels of pairs of said colors are missing at sites of respective individual pixels, one of said three colors being more closely related to luminance than the remaining colors, said apparatus comprising:

A) transmitting means comprising;

1) means for transforming the amplitude of each of said pixels to a Γ

-space amplitude by changing its original value A to A^1/Γ

, where Γ

is a real number, whereby the Γ

-space amplitudes of the pixels of said one color comprise a first input color data plane;

2) first means for inferring by interpolation the Γ

-space amplitudes of the missing pixels of said one color;

3) means for forming second and third input color data planes of respective color difference signals by subtracting the Γ

-space amplitudes of said missing pixels of said one color from the Γ

-space amplitudes of corresponding pixels of each of said remaining colors, respectively;

4) means for compressing each of said input color data planes to form corresponding first, second and third compressed color data planes;

B) receiving means comprising;

1) means for decompressing said first, second and third compressed color data planes to form, respectively, first, second and third decompressed color data planes;

2) means for converting said first, second and third decompressed color data planes to first, second and third output color data planes, respectively, of Γ

-space amplitudes of pixels of respective ones of said three colors;

3) means for edge enhancing said first, second and third output color data planes; and

4) means for back-transforming each of the Γ

-space amplitudes A^1/Γ

of the pixels of said output color data planes to amplitudes A.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image plane corresponds to a color filter array, said one color related to luminance is green and said remaining colors are red and blue and wherein Γ

is about 2.4.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transmitting means further comprise means for recording said compressed color data planes and wherein said receiving means further comprise means for playing back the compressed color data planes recorded by said means for recording.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for converting comprise means for determining from said decompressed color data planes Γ

-space amplitudes of missing pixels of said three colors.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for determining comprises:

first means for computing from said first decompressed color data plane interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of missing pixels of said one color to produce said first output color data plane;

first means for adding said interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of said one color to corresponding Γ

-space color difference signal amplitudes of said second and third decompressed color planes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for determining further comprises:

second means for computing from said second and third decompressed color data planes interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of color difference signals corresponding to missing pixels of said remaining colors; and

second means for adding Γ

-space amplitudes of pixels of said first decompressed color data plane to corresponding ones of said interpolated color difference signal Γ

-space amplitudes computed by said second means for computing, to produce interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of the missing pixels of said remaining colors.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said image plane comprises pixel columns and pixel rows in a planar array of said pixels and said color related to luminance is green and has missing pixels in every n^th pixel row of said image plane and said remaining colors are red and blue and have alternate pixels in every n^th pixel row of said image plane, whereby said color difference signals correspond to red minus green and blue minus green, and wherein:

said first means for computing comprises means for vertically interpolating Γ

-space amplitudes of missing green pixels within each pixel column of said first decompressed color data plane;

said second means for computing comprises;

(1) means for horizontally interpolating color difference signal Γ

-space amplitudes corresponding to missing red and blue pixels in respective rows of said second and third compressed color data planes, and

(2) means for vertically interpolating color difference signal Γ

-space amplitudes corresponding to missing red and blue pixels in each pixel column of said second and third compressed color data planes.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first output color data plane corresponds to said one color related to luminance and wherein said means for edge enhancing comprises:

means for bandpass filtering each pixel column of Γ

-space pixel amplitudes of said first output color data plane to produce a corresponding column of bandpass filtered Γ

-space pixel amplitudes;

means for bandpass filtering each pixel row of Γ

-space pixel amplitudes of said first output color data plane to produce a corresponding row of bandpass filtered Γ

-space pixel amplitudes;

means for combining said bandpass filtered pixel rows and columns to produce two-dimensionally bandpass filtered Γ

-space pixel amplitudes;

means for paring said two-dimensionally bandpass filtered Γ

-space amplitudes whereby to boost high spatial frequency components having lower amplitudes and suppress high spatial frequency components having higher amplitudes; and

means for adding the Γ

-space pixel amplitudes produced by said means for paring to amplitudes of corresponding pixels in each of said first, second and third output color data planes.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said columns of bandpass filtered amplitudes have greater high spatial frequency noise than said rows of bandpass filtered amplitudes, said apparatus further comprising:

means for low pass filtering said columns of bandpass filtered amplitudes.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising means for output color adjusting said amplitudes of the pixels of said output color data planes.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

A) said means for compressing comprises;

1) means for dividing each of said input color data planes into transform blocks,

2) means for transforming the Γ

-space amplitudes of each of said transform blocks into spatial frequency coefficients,

3) means for determining the number of encoded bits to represent each of said spatial frequency coefficients in compressed versions of said coefficients in accordance with a cascaded modulation transfer function corresponding to modulation transfer functions of selected elements of said apparatus,

4) encoding means for producing said encoded bits; and

B) wherein said means for decompressing comprises;

1) means for converting said encoded bits to decompressed spatial frequency coefficients,

2) means for back-transforming said decompressed spatial frequency coefficients of each transform block to pixel amplitudes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for determining the number of encoded bits to represent each spatial frequency coefficient comprises:

means for producing a normalization array corresponding to said cascaded modulation transfer function;

means for dividing each spatial frequency coefficient by a corresponding element of said normalization array whereby to produce first normalized coefficients; and

means for quantizing said first normalized coefficients.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising means for displaying an image of pixel amplitudes produced by the back-transforming means, wherein said cascaded modulation transfer function corresponds to modulation transfer functions of said means for edge enhancing and of said means for displaying.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said cascaded modulation transfer function further corresponds to a human visual contrast sensitivity function.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said means for producing said normalization array corresponding to said cascaded modulation transfer function comprises:

means for determining from the number of pixel rows and pixel columns in each of said transform blocks the number of cycles per pixel of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of a modulation transfer function of said means for edge enhancing at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per pixel whereby to form an edge enhancement modulation transfer function array;

means for determining from pixel spacing corresponding to said means for displaying the number of cycles per unit distance of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of a modulation transfer function of said means for displaying at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per unit distance whereby to form a display modulation transfer function array;

means for determining from a viewing distance corresponding to said means for displaying the number of cycles per degree of visual scan of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of a human visual contrast sensitivity function at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per degree whereby to form a human visual contrast sensitivity function array;

means for cascading said arrays together whereby to form a cascaded array of plural elements comprising said cascaded modulation transfer function; and

means for inversing each element of the cascaded array.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for converting said encoded bits to decompressed spatial frequency coefficients comprises:

means for decoding said encoded bits whereby to produce second normalized spatial frequency coefficients; and

means for multiplying said second normalized spatial frequency coefficients by corresponding elements of said normalization array whereby to produce said decompressed spatial frequency coefficients.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for reducing the bandwidth of said human visual contrast sensitivity function by a predetermined factor whenever said means for compressing compresses said second or third input color data planes.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the spatial patterns of the pixels of said three colors in said image plane are different, whereby said means for determining the number of cycles per unit distance of said spatial frequency coefficients produce different normalization arrays depending upon which one of said first, second or third input color data planes is being compressed.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said second and third input color data planes comprise red minus green and blue minus green color difference signals and wherein said predetermined factor is 2 for said second input color data plane and 4 for said third input color data plane.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for transforming to spatial frequency coefficients performs a discrete cosine transform process, and wherein said means for producing said encoded bits comprises means for encoding each of said spatial frequency coefficients in accordance with a minimum redundancy code.

21. Apparatus for transmitting and receiving image data as arrays of pixels comprising:

means for sectioning the arrays of pixels into plural blocks of pixels;

means for spatial frequency transforming each of said blocks of pixels to form two-dimensional arrays of spatial frequency coefficients;

means for determining the number of cycles per pixel of each of said spatial frequency coefficients from the number of pixels in each row and column of a two-dimensional array of pixels wherein each pixel is associated with two positional indices;

edge enhancement modulation transfer function means for associating the two positional indices of each spatial coefficient with an associated value of an edge enhancement modulation transfer function at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per pixel to form an edge enhancement modulation transfer function array;

means for determining the number of cycles per unit distance of each of said spatial frequency coefficients form pixel spacing;

display modulation transfer function means for associating the two positional indices of each spatial frequency coefficient with an associated value of the display modulation transfer function in cycles per unit distance to form a display modulation transfer function array;

means for determining the number of cycles per degree of visual angle of each of said spatial frequency coefficients from a viewing distance;

human visual contrast sensitivity means for associating the two positional indices of each spatial frequency coefficient with an associated value of a human visual contrast sensitivity function in cycle per degree to form a visual contrast sensitivity function array; and

means for combining said function arrays together to form a cascaded array the output of which is a normalization array.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said arrays represent, respectively, a luminance related component and a pair of color difference components of a color image, said apparatus further comprising means for reducing the bandwidth of said human visual contrast sensitivity function by a predetermined factor for applying the normalization array to different color difference component.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the spatial patterns of the pixels of said components are different, whereby said means for determining the number of cycles per unit distance of said spatial frequency coefficients produces different normalization arrays depending upon which one of the arrays of said image components is used.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said color difference components comprise red minus green and blue minus green color difference components and wherein said predetermined factor is 2 for the red minus green component and 4 for the blue minus green component.

25. Apparatus for edge enhancing a color image comprising three arrays of rows and columns of pixel amplitudes corresponding to three colors, one of said colors being more related to luminance than the others, comprising:

means for bandpass filtering each column of pixel amplitudes of said color related to luminance to produce a corresponding column of bandpass filtered pixel amplitudes;

means for bandpass filtering each row of pixel amplitudes of said color related to luminance to produce a corresponding row of bandpass filtered pixel amplitudes;

means for combining said bandpass filtered pixel rows and columns to produce two-dimensionally bandpass filtered pixel amplitudes;

means for paring said two-dimensionally bandpass filtered amplitudes so as to boost high spatial frequency components having lower amplitudes and so as to attenuate high spatial frequency components having higher amplitudes; and

means for adding the two-dimensionally bandpass filtered pixel amplitudes to corresponding amplitudes of the pixels of each of said three colors.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein each column of bandpass filtered amplitudes has more noise than each row, said apparatus further comprising:

means for low pass filtering each column of bandpass filtered amplitudes.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising means for output color adjusting said corresponding amplitudes of the pixels of said three colors.

28. Apparatus for transmitting a color image signal representing the amplitudes of a single image plane of pixels, each one of said pixels representing a respective one of three different colors whereby pixels of pairs of said colors are missing at sites of respective individual pixels, one of said three colors being more closely related to luminance than the remaining colors, said apparatus comprising:

means for transforming the amplitude of each of said pixels to a Γ

-space amplitude by changing its original value A to A^1/Γ

, where Γ

is a real number, whereby the Γ

-space amplitudes of the pixels of said one color comprise a first input color data plane;

first means for inferring by interpolation the Γ

-space amplitudes of the missing pixels of said one color;

means for forming second and third input color data planes of respective color difference signals by subtracting the Γ

-space amplitudes of said missing pixels of said one color from the Γ

-space amplitudes of corresponding pixels of each of said remaining colors, respectively; and

means for compressing each of said input color data planes to form corresponding first, second and third compressed color data planes.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said image plane corresponds to a color filter array, said one color related to luminance is green and said remaining colors are red and blue and wherein Γ

is about 2.4.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising means for recording said compressed color data planes.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said means for compressing comprises:

1) means for dividing each of said input color data planes into transform blocks,

2) means for transforming the Γ

-space amplitudes of each of said transform blocks into spatial frequency coefficients,

3) means for determining the number of encoded bits to represent each of said spatial frequency coefficients in compressed versions of said coefficients in accordance with a cascaded modulation transfer function corresponding to modulation transfer functions of image output elements, and

4) encoding means for producing said encoded bits.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said means for determining the number of encoded bits to represent each spatial frequency coefficient comprises:

means for producing a normalization array corresponding to said cascaded modulation transfer function;

normalization means for dividing each spatial frequency coefficient by a corresponding element of said normalization array whereby to produce first normalized coefficients; and

means for quantizing said first normalized coefficients.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said cascaded modulation transfer function corresponds to modulation transfer functions of an edge enhancing apparatus and of an image displaying apparatus.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said cascaded modulation transfer function further corresponds to a human visual contrast sensitivity function.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said means for producing said normalization array corresponding to said cascaded modulation transfer function comprises:

means for determining from the number of pixel rows and pixel columns in each of said transform blocks the number of cycles per pixel of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of the modulation transfer function of said edge enhancing apparatus at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per pixel whereby to form an edge enhancement modulation transfer function array;

means for determining from pixel spacing corresponding to the displaying means the number of cycles per unit distance of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of the modulation transfer function of said image displaying apparatus at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per unit distance whereby to form a display modulation transfer function array;

means for determining from a viewing distance corresponding to said image displaying apparatus the number of cycles per degree of visual scan of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of the human visual contrast sensitivity function at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per degree whereby to form a human visual contrast sensitivity function array; and

means for cascading said arrays together whereby to form a cascaded array of plural elements comprising said cascaded modulation transfer function; and

means for inversing each element of the cascaded array to form said normalization array.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 further comprising means for reducing the bandwidth of said human visual contrast sensitivity function by a predetermined factor whenever said means for compressing compresses said second or third input color data planes.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the spatial patterns of the pixels of said three colors in said image plane are different, whereby said means for determining the number of cycles per unit distance of said spatial frequency coefficients produce different normalization arrays depending upon which one of said first, second or third input color data planes is being compressed.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said second and third input color data planes comprise red minus green and blue minus green color difference signals and wherein said predetermined factor is 2 for said second input color data plane and 4 for said third input color data plane.

39. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said means for transforming to spatial frequency coefficients comprises means for performing a discrete cosine transform, and wherein said means for producing said encoded bits comprises means for encoding each of said spatial frequency coefficients in accordance with a minimum redundancy code.

40. An apparatus for forming a normalization array, utilizing a two-dimensional array whose indices represent the spatial frequency coefficients resulting from the transformation of a digital image comprising:

means for determining the number of cycles per pixel of each of said spatial frequency coefficients from the number of pixels in each row and column of a two dimensional array of pixels wherein each pixel is associated with two positional indices;

edge enhancement modulation transfer function means for associating the two positional indices of each spatial coefficient with an associated value of an edge enhancement modulation transfer function at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per pixel to form an edge enhancement modulation transfer function array;

means for determining the number of cycles per unit distance of each of said spatial frequency coefficients form pixel spacing;

display modulation transfer function means for associating the two positional indices of each spatial frequency coefficient with an associated value of the display modulation transfer function in cycles per unit distance to form a display modulation transfer function array;

means for determining the number of cycles per degree of visual angle of each of said spatial frequency coefficients from a viewing distance;

human visual contrast sensitivity means for associating the two positional indices of each spatial frequency coefficient with an associated value of a human visual contrast sensitivity function in cycle per degree to form a visual contrast sensitivity function array; and

means for combining said function arrays together to form a cascaded array the output of which is a normalization array.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said arrays of pixels represent, respectively, a luminance related component and a pair of color difference components of a color image, said apparatus further comprising means for reducing the bandwidth of said human visual contrast sensitivity function by a predetermined factor for applying the normalization array to different color difference component.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the spatial patterns of the pixels of said components are different, whereby said means for determining the number of cycles per unit distance of said spatial frequency coefficients produces different normalization arrays depending upon which one of the arrays of said image components is used.

43. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said color difference components comprise red minus green and blue minus green color difference components and wherein said predetermined factor is 2 for the red minus green component and 4 for the blue minus green component.

44. Apparatus for receiving a color image signal comprising compressed data corresponding to Γ

-space amplitudes A^1/Γ

of a single image plane of pixels, each one of said pixels representing a respective one of three different colors whereby pixels of pairs of said colors are missing at sites of respective individual pixels, one of said three colors being more closely related to luminance than the remaining colors, said compressed data comprising a first compressed color data plane comprising the Γ

-space amplitudes of the pixels of said one color and second and third compressed color data planes comprising respective color difference signals formed by subtracting interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of missing pixels of said one color from the Γ

-space amplitudes of corresponding pixels of each of said remaining colors, respectively, said apparatus comprising;

means for decompressing said compressed data to form first, second and third decompressed color data planes of Γ

-space amplitudes corresponding to said first, second and third compressed color data planes, respectively;

means for converting said first, second and third decompressed color data planes to first, second and third output color data planes, respectively, of Γ

-space amplitudes of pixels of respective ones of said three colors;

means for edge enhancing said first, second and third output color data planes; and

means for back-transforming each of the Γ

-space amplitudes A^1/Γ

of the pixels of said output color data planes to amplitudes A.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said image plane corresponds to a color filter array, said one color related to luminance is green and said remaining colors are red and blue and wherein Γ

is about 2.4.

46. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said color image signal has been previously recorded, said apparatus further comprising means for playing back said color image signal.

47. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said means for converting comprises means for determining from said decompressed color data planes Γ

-space amplitudes of missing pixels of said three colors.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said means for determining comprises:

first means for computing from said first decompressed color data plane interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of missing pixels of said one color to produce said first output color data plane;

first means for adding said interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of said one color to corresponding Γ

-space color difference signal amplitudes of said second and third decompressed color planes.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein said means for determining further comprises:

second means for computing from said second and third decompressed color data planes interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of color difference signals corresponding to missing pixels of said remaining colors; and

second means for adding Γ

-space amplitudes of pixels of said first decompressed color data plane to corresponding ones of said interpolated color difference signal Γ

-space amplitudes computed by said second means for computing, whereby to produce interpolated Γ

-space amplitudes of the missing pixels of said remaining colors.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said image plane comprises pixel columns and pixel rows in a planar array of said pixels and said color related to luminance is green and has missing pixels in every n^th pixel row of said image plane and said remaining colors are red and blue and have alternate pixels in every n^th pixel row of said image plane, whereby said color difference signals correspond to red minus green and blue minus green, and wherein:

said first means for computing comprises means for vertically interpolating Γ

-space amplitudes of missing green pixels within each pixel column of said first decompressed color data plane;

said second means for computing comprises;

means for horizontally interpolating color difference signal Γ

-space amplitudes corresponding to missing red and blue pixels in respective pixel rows of said second and third compressed color data planes, and

means for vertically interpolating color difference signal Γ

-space amplitudes corresponding to missing red and blue pixels in each pixel column of said second and third compressed color data planes.

51. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said first output color data plane corresponds to said one color related to luminance and wherein said means for edge enhancing comprises:

means for bandpass filtering each pixel column of Γ

-space pixel amplitudes of said first output color data plane to produce a corresponding column of bandpass filtered Γ

-space pixel amplitudes;

means for bandpass filtering each pixel row of Γ

-space pixel amplitudes of said first output color data plane to produce a corresponding row of bandpass filtered Γ

-space pixel amplitudes;

means for combining said bandpass filtered pixel rows and columns to produce two-dimensionally bandpass filtered Γ

-space pixel amplitudes;

means for paring said two-dimensionally bandpass filtered Γ

-space amplitudes whereby to boost high spatial frequency components having lower amplitudes and suppress high spatial frequency components having higher amplitudes; and

means for adding the Γ

-space pixel amplitudes produced by said means for paring to amplitudes of corresponding pixels in each of said first, second and third output color data planes.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein said columns of bandpass filtered amplitudes have greater high spatial frequency noise than said rows of bandpass filtered amplitudes, said apparatus further comprising:

means for low pass filtering said columns of bandpass filtered amplitudes.

53. The apparatus of claim 51 further comprising means for output color adjusting said amplitudes of the pixels of said output color data planes.

54. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said compressed data comprises compressed normalized spatial frequency coefficients and wherein said means for decompressing comprises:

1) means for producing decompressed normalized coefficients from said compressed normalized coefficients,

2) means for denormalizing said decompressed coefficients in accordance with a cascaded modulation transfer function corresponding to modulation transfer functions of selected elements of said apparatus, whereby to produce denormalized spatial frequency coefficients,

3) means for back-transforming respective transform blocks of the denormalized spatial frequency coefficients to blocks of pixel amplitudes whereby to produce said first, second and third decompressed color data planes.

55. The apparatus of claim 54 wherein said means for producing decompressed normalized coefficients comprises:

means for decoding said recorded data in accordance with a minimum redundancy code whereby to produce said decompressed normalized spatial frequency coefficients; and

wherein said means for denormalizing comprise;

means for multiplying said decompressed normalized spatial frequency coefficients by corresponding elements of a normalization array corresponding to said cascaded modulation transfer function whereby to produce said denormalized spatial frequency coefficients.

56. The apparatus of claim 55 further comprising means for displaying an image comprising pixel amplitudes produced by the back-transforming means, wherein said cascaded modulation transfer function corresponds to modulation transfer functions of said means for edge enhancing and of said means for displaying.

57. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein said cascaded modulation transfer function further corresponds to a human visual contrast sensitivity function.

58. The apparatus of claim 57 further comprising means for producing said normalization array corresponding to said cascaded modulation transfer function, comprising:

means for determining from the number of pixel rows and pixel columns in each of said transform blocks the number of cycles per pixel of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of a modulation transfer function of said edge enhancing means at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per pixel whereby to form an edge enhancement modulation transfer function array;

means for determining from pixel spacing corresponding to said means for displaying the number of cycles per unit distance of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of a modulation transfer function of said displaying means at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per unit distance whereby to form a display modulation transfer function array;

means for determining from a viewing distance corresponding to said displaying means the number of cycles per degree of visual scan of each of said spatial frequency coefficients and means for associating each coefficient with a value of a human visual contrast sensitivity function at a corresponding spatial frequency in cycles per degree whereby to form a human visual contrast sensitivity function array;

means for cascading said arrays together whereby to form a cascaded array of plural elements comprising said cascaded modulation transfer function; and

means for inversing the elements of said cascaded array.

59. The apparatus of claim 58 further comprising means for reducing the bandwidth of said human visual contrast sensitivity function by a predetermined factor whenever said means for compressing compresses said second or third input color data planes.

60. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the spatial patterns of the pixels of said three colors in said image plane are different, whereby said means for determining the number of cycles per unit distance of said spatial frequency coefficients produce different normalization arrays depending upon which one of said first, second or third input color data planes is being compressed.

61. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein said second and third input color data planes comprise red minus green and blue minus green color difference signals and wherein said predetermined factor is 2 for said second input color data plane and 4 for said third input color data plane.

62. The apparatus of claim 54 wherein said means for back-transforming said decompressed spatial frequency coefficients performs an inverse discrete cosine transform.