Edge detection using block truncation coding

In this paper, a new edge detection scheme based on block truncation coding (BTC) is proposed. As we know, the BTC is a simple and fast scheme for digital image compression. To detect an edge boundary using the BTC scheme, the bit plane information of each BTC-compressed block is exploited, and a simple block type classifier is introduced. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme clearly detects the edge boundaries of digital images while requiring very little computational complexity. Meanwhile, the edge detection process can be incorporated into all BTC variant schemes. In other words, the newly proposed scheme provides a good approach for the detection of edge boundaries using block truncation coding.