Efficient estimation of ideal-observer performance in classification tasks involving high-dimensional complex backgrounds

Subok Park, Eric Clarkson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Bayesian ideal observer is optimal among all observers and sets an absolute upper bound for the performance of any observer in classification tasks [Van Trees, Detection, Estimation, and Modulation Theory, Part I (Academic, 1968).]. Therefore, the ideal observer should be used for objective image quality assessment whenever possible. However, computation of ideal-observer performance is difficult in practice because this observer requires the full description of unknown, statistical properties of high-dimensional, complex data arising in real life problems. Previously, Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods were developed by Kupinski et al. [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 20, 430(2003) ] and by Park et al. [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 24, B136 (2007) and IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging 28, 657 (2009) ] to estimate the performance of the ideal observer and the channelized ideal observer (CIO), respectively, in classification tasks involving non-Gaussian random backgrounds. However, both algorithms had the disadvantage of long computation times. We propose a fast MCMC for real-time estimation of the likelihood ratio for the CIO. Our simulation results show that our method has the potential to speed up ideal-observer performance in tasks involving complex data when efficient channels are used for the CIO.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)B59-B71
JournalJournal of the Optical Society of America A: Optics and Image Science, and Vision
Volume26
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Efficient estimation of ideal-observer performance in classification tasks involving high-dimensional complex backgrounds'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this