A Generalization of Median Filtering Using Linear Combinations of Order Statistics

We consider a class of nonlinear filters whose output is given by a linear combination of the order statistics of the input sequence. Assuming a constant signal in white noise, the coefficients in the linear combination are chosen to minimize the output MSE for several noise distributions. It is shown that the optimal order statistic filter (OSF) tends toward the median filter as the noise becomes more impulsive. The optimal OSF is applied to an actual noisy image and is shown to perform well, combining properties of both the averaging and median filters. A more general design scheme for applications involving nonconstant signals is also given.