Image correction across multiple spectral regimes

• US 20070003155A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miller, John, Archer, Cynthia, Worley, Milton
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/30 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths

Abstract

Systems, including apparatus and methods, for obtaining and/or correcting images, particularly from atmospheric and/or other distortions. These corrections may involve, among others, determining corrective information in a first (e.g., visible) wavelength regime, and then applying the corrective information in a second (e.g., longer) wavelength regime, such as infrared (IR) or millimeter-wave (MMW) wavelengths, in real time or with post-processing. For example, these corrections may include scaling a phase diversity correction from one wavelength to another. These systems may be useful in any suitable imaging context, including navigation, targeting, search and rescue, law enforcement, and/or surveillance, among others.

Claims

1. A method of image correction, comprising:

collecting a first set of image data in a first wavelength regime, along with phase diversity data;

collecting a second set of image data in a second wavelength regime, without phase diversity data;

processing the first set of image data to determine an image correction factor for correcting the second set of image data; and

correcting the second set of image data by applying the image correction factor to the second set of image data to obtain a corrected set of image data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of correcting the second set of image data is performed at least substantially in real time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength regime is the visible regime.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the first set of image data includes processing two phase diverse sets of image data using the phase diversity method of blind deconvolution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the first set of image data includes using the Richardson-Lucy extension method of blind deconvolution.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength regime is characterized by a first wavelength, and the second wavelength regime is characterized by a second wavelength, and wherein the step of processing the first set of image data includes resealing a phase portion of the first set of image data by a function involving the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the first set of image data includes using at least two methods of blind deconvolution to determine the image correction factor, and further comprising selecting one of the at least two methods to improve at least one of (A) the resolution of the corrected set of image data, and (B) the processing costs associated with obtaining the corrected set of image data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising correcting the first set of image data by applying the image correction factor to the first set of image data to obtain a corrected first set of image data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming a composite image using the corrected second set of image data and the corrected first set of image data.

3. The method of 1, wherein the first wavelength regime is any regime of shorter wavelength than the second wavelength regime.

11. An image correction system, comprising:

a first image-collecting device for collecting a first set of image data in a first wavelength regime;

a second image-collecting device for collecting a second set of image data in a second wavelength regime; and

a data processor configured to process the first set of image data to determine an image correction factor for the second set of image data, and further configured to obtain a corrected set of image data by applying the image correction factor to the second set of image data.

12. The image correction system of claim 11, wherein the first wavelength regime is any regime of shorter wavelength than the second wavelength regime.

13. The image correction system of claim 11, wherein the first wavelength regime is the visible regime.

14. The image correction system of claim 11, wherein the data processor is configured to process the first set of image data using a method of blind deconvolution.

15. The image correction system of claim 14, wherein the blind deconvolution method is the Richardson-Lucy extension method of blind deconvolution.

16. The image correction system of claim 11, wherein the data processor is configured to obtain the corrected set of image data at least substantially in real time.

17. The image correction system of claim 11, further comprising an aircraft, wherein the first image collecting device, the second image collecting device, and the data processor are mounted in the aircraft.

18. The image correction system of claim 17, further comprising a heads-up display, mounted in the aircraft, and configured to display the corrected set of image data to an operator of the aircraft.

19. The image collection system of claim 11, wherein the first set of image data arrives at the first image-collecting device after passing through a medium selected from the set comprising water, the atmosphere, and a solids.

20. The image collection system of claim 11, wherein the data processor is configured to correct wavefront errors caused by optical components of the system.