Abstract | This paper describes continuing research concerned with the measurement and modeling of human spatial contrast sensitivity and discrimination functions, using complex pictorial stimuli. The relevance of such functions in image quality modeling is also reviewed. Previously1,2 we presented the choice of suitable contrast metrics, apparatus and laboratory set-up, the stimuli acquisition and manipulation, the methodology employed in the subjective tests and initial findings. Here we present our experimental paradigm, the measurement and modeling of the following visual response functions: i) Isolated Contrast Sensitivity Function (iCSF); Contextual Contrast Sensitivity Function (cCSF); Isolated Visual Perception Function (iVPF); Contextual Visual Perception Function (cVPF). Results indicate that the measured cCSFs are lower in magnitude than the iCSFs and flatter in profile. Measured iVPFs, cVPFs and cCSFs are shown to have similar profiles. Barten’s contrast detection model3 was shown to successfully predict iCSF. For a given frequency band, the reduction, or masking of cCSF compared with iCSF sensitivity is predicted from the linear amplification model (LAM)4. We also show that our extension of Barten’s contrast discrimination model1,5 is capable of describing iVPFs and cVPFs. We finally reflect on the possible implications of the measured and modeled profiles of cCSF and cVPF to image quality modeling. |
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