Yanfeng Gu

Representative Multiple Kernel Learning for Classification in Hyperspectral Imagery

Recently, multiple kernel learning (MKL) methods have been developed to improve the flexibility of kernel-based learning machine. The MKL methods generally focus on determining key kernels to be preserved and their significance in optimal kernel combination. Unfortunately, computational demand of finding the optimal combination is prohibitive when the number of training samples and kernels increase rapidly, particularly for hyperspectral remote sensing data. In this paper, we address the MKL for classification in hyperspectral images by extracting the most variation from the space spanned by multiple kernels and propose a representative MKL (RMKL) algorithm. The core idea embedded in the algorithm is to determine the kernels to be preserved and their weights according to statistical significance instead of time-consuming search for optimal kernel combination. The noticeable merits of RMKL consist that it greatly reduces the computational load for searching optimal combination of basis kernels and has no limitation from strict selection of basis kernels like most MKL algorithms do; meanwhile, RMKL keeps excellent properties of MKL in terms of both good classification accuracy and interpretability. Experiments are conducted on different real hyperspectral data, and the corresponding experimental results show that RMKL algorithm provides the best performances to date among several the state-of-the-art algorithms while demonstrating satisfactory computational efficiency.

A Kernel-Based Nonparametric Regression Method for Clutter Removal in Infrared Small-Target Detection Applications

Small-target detection in infrared imagery with a complex background is always an important task in remote-sensing fields. Complex clutter background usually results in serious false alarm in target detection for low contrast of infrared imagery. In this letter, a kernel-based nonparametric regression method is proposed for background prediction and clutter removal, furthermore applied in target detection. First, a linear mixture model is used to represent each pixel of the observed infrared imagery. Second, adaptive detection is performed on local regions in the infrared image by means of kernel-based nonparametric regression and two-parameter constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detector. Kernel regression, which is one of the nonparametric regression approaches, is adopted to estimate complex clutter background. Then, CFAR detection is performed on “pure” target-like region after estimation and removal of clutter background. Experimental results prove that the proposed algorithm is effective and adaptable to small-target detection under a complex background.

Integration of Spatial–Spectral Information for Resolution Enhancement in Hyperspectral Images

In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed for resolution enhancement in hyperspectral images (HSIs). The key techniques are included: spectral unmixing and superresolution mapping, by which spatial and spectral information of HSIs is substantially fused. The proposed algorithm first represents each pixel in scene as a linear combination of landcover spectra and noise. Then, a fully constrained least squares algorithm is used to obtain the proportion of each landcover in each pixel, i.e., abundance, subjecting to two constraints: nonnegativity and sum-to-one. After that, superresolution mapping is performed on high-resolution grids according to spectral unmixing abundances of each landcover and following spatial correlation of clutters. Thus, by reasonably integrating spatial and spectral information of landcovers in HSIs, the proposed algorithm realizes resolution enhancement of the HSIs based on a back-propagation neural network. The proposed algorithm is independent from the a priori information associated with original HSIs, i.e., a main merit of the algorithm. In order to evaluate the performance of the new algorithm, numerical experiments are conducted on both simulated images and real HSIs collected by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer. The proposed algorithm is compared with the traditional method in the experiments. The experimental results prove that the proposed algorithm effectively enhances the resolution of HSIs and indicate its applicability.

A Selective KPCA Algorithm Based on High-Order Statistics for Anomaly Detection in Hyperspectral Imagery

In this letter, a selective kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) algorithm based on high-order statistics is proposed for anomaly detection in hyperspectral imagery. First, KPCA is performed on the original hyperspectral data to fully mine the high-order correlation between spectral bands. Then, the average local singularity (LS) is defined based on the high-order statistics in the local sliding window, which is used as a measure for selecting the most informative nonlinear component for anomaly detection. By the selective KPCA, information on anomalous targets is extracted to maximum extent, and background clutters are well suppressed in the selected component. Finally, the selected component with maximum average LS is used as input for anomaly detectors. Numerical experiments are conducted on real hyperspectral images collected by the airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer. The results strongly prove the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Nonlinear Multiple Kernel Learning With Multiple-Structure-Element Extended Morphological Profiles for Hyperspectral Image Classification

In this paper, we propose a novel multiple kernel learning (MKL) framework to incorporate both spectral and spatial features for hyperspectral image classification, which is called multiple-structure-element nonlinear MKL (MultiSE-NMKL). In the proposed framework, multiple structure elements (MultiSEs) are employed to generate extended morphological profiles (EMPs) to present spatial-spectral information. In order to better mine interscale and interstructure similarity among EMPs, a nonlinear MKL (NMKL) is introduced to learn an optimal combined kernel from the predefined linear base kernels. We integrate this NMKL with support vector machines (SVMs) and reduce the min-max problem to a simple minimization problem. The optimal weight for each kernel matrix is then solved by a projection-based gradient descent algorithm. The advantages of using nonlinear combination of base kernels and multiSE-based EMP are that similarity information generated from the nonlinear interaction of different kernels is fully exploited, and the discriminability of the classes of interest is deeply enhanced. Experiments are conducted on three real hyperspectral data sets. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves better performance for hyperspectral image classification, compared with several state-of-the-art algorithms. The MultiSE EMPs can provide much higher classification accuracy than using a single-SE EMP.

A Novel MKL Model of Integrating LiDAR Data and MSI for Urban Area Classification

A novel multiple-kernel learning (MKL) model is proposed for urban classification to integrate heterogeneous features (HF-MKL) from two data sources, i.e., spectral images and LiDAR data. The features include spectral, spatial, and elevation attributes of urban objects from the two data sources. With these heterogeneous features (HFs), the new MKL model is designed to carry out feature fusion that is embedded in classification. First, Gaussian kernels with different bandwidths are used to measure the similarity of samples on each feature at different scales. Then, these multiscale kernels with different features are integrated using a linear combination. In the combination, the weights of the kernels with different features are determined by finding a projection based on the maximum variance. This way, the discriminative ability of the HFs is exploited at different scales and is also integrated to generate an optimal combined kernel. Finally, the optimization of the conventional support vector machine with this kernel is performed to construct a more effective classifier. Experiments are conducted on two real data sets, and the experimental results show that the HF-MKL model achieves the best performance in terms of classification accuracies in integrating the HFs for classification when compared with several state-of-the-art algorithms.

Multiple Kernel Learning via Low-Rank Nonnegative Matrix Factorization for Classification of Hyperspectral Imagery

In this paper, a novel multiple kernel learning (MKL) algorithm is proposed for the classification of hyperspectral images. The proposed MKL algorithm adopts a two-step strategy to learn a multiple kernel machine. In the first step, unsupervised learning is carried out to learn a combined kernel from the predefined base kernels. In our algorithms, low-rank nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) is used to carry out the unsupervised learning and learn an optimal combined kernel. Furthermore, the kernel NMF (KNMF) is introduced to substitute NMF for enhancing the ability of the unsupervised learning with the predefined base kernels. In the second step, the optimal kernel is embedded into the standard optimization routine of support vector machine (SVM). In addition, we address a major challenge in hyperspectral data classification, i.e., using very few labeled samples in a high-dimensional space. Experiments are conducted on three real hyperspectral datasets, and the experimental results show that the proposed algorithms, especially for KNMF-based MKL, achieve the outstanding performance for hyperspectral image classification with few labeled samples when compared with several state-of-the-art algorithms.

Class-Specific Sparse Multiple Kernel Learning for Spectral–Spatial Hyperspectral Image Classification

In recent years, many studies on hyperspectral image classification have shown that using multiple features can effectively improve the classification accuracy. As a very powerful means of learning, multiple kernel learning (MKL) can conveniently be embedded in a variety of characteristics. This paper proposes a class-specific sparse MKL (CS-SMKL) framework to improve the capability of hyperspectral image classification. In terms of the features, extended multiattribute profiles are adopted because it can effectively represent the spatial and spectral information of hyperspectral images. CS-SMKL classifies the hyperspectral images, simultaneously learns class-specific significant features, and selects class-specific weights. Using an

Spectral Unmixing in Multiple-Kernel Hilbert Space for Hyperspectral Imagery

L_{1}

L1-graph semisupervised learning for hyperspectral image classification

-norm constraint (i.e., group lasso) as the regularizer, we can enforce the sparsity at the group/feature level and automatically learn a compact feature set for the classification of any two classes. More precisely, our CS-SMKL determines the associated weights of optimal base kernels for any two classes and results in improved classification performances. The advantage of the proposed method is that only the features useful for the classification of any two classes can be retained, which leads to greatly enhanced discriminability. Experiments are conducted on three hyperspectral data sets. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves better performances for hyperspectral image classification compared with several state-of-the-art algorithms, and the results confirm the capability of the method in selecting the useful features.