This paper presents a new image abstraction approach, aiming to improve typical image related pattern recognition tasks such as segmentation, tracking, and classification. The proposed image abstraction framework performs image denoising and homogeneous region simplification, along with border and region enhancement. The proposed framework consists in a novel generalized approach of common weighted averaging denoising algorithms mixed with Unsharp Masking (USM) border enhancement techniques, to avoid typical USM artifacts as ringing. Results of the different configurations within the image abstraction framework for a cell tracking application are presented.