System for multi-sensor image fusion

• US 7,274,830 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Litton Systems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Ostromek, Timothy E., Hogan, Timothy B., Short, Jeffrey C., Bacarella, Antonio V., Denk, Gabriel H., Lund, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa; Yosef
• Application Number:
  US10/250,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 382/274, 382/282, 382/284, 382/294, 382/261, 382/275, 358/3.26, 358/3.27, 358/540, 358/450, 358/3.23, 358/1.2
• US Class Current: 382/276
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4061 by injecting details from different spectral ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen

Abstract

A method and system for fusing image data includes an electronic circuit (L) for synchronizing image frames. An adaptive lookup table unit (302a, 302b) receives the image frame data sets and applies correction factors to individual pixels. The size of an image is then scaled or otherwise manipulated as desired by data formatting processors (312a and 312b). Multiple images communicated within parallel circuit branches (P1 and P2) are aligned and registered together with sub-pixel resolution.

Claims

1. A method for fusing image data from two or more data sets into an output data stream, the method including the steps of:

synchronizing digitized image frame data records;

using an adaptive lookup table to apply correction factors to individual pixels in an image to be processed for formatting the image; and

aligning and registering multiple selected synchronized images together.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a fusion decision processor aligns and registers the multiple synchronized images.

3. The method of claim 1 further including scaling the size of an image record that has been processed with the adaptive lookup table.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein individual data streams are formatted following look up table processing and before the multiple data streams are fused.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the correction factors applied are selected from the group consisting of gamma correction, brightness adjustment, contrast adjustment, pixel bit-width conversion or image fusion ratio.

6. An image data set fusion system for producing an output data stream by fusing digitized image data records from two or more data sets comprising:

a plurality of parallel circuit branches each of which branches receive a data stream to he processed;

a data fusion processor component for controllably fusing image data records communicated from the parallel circuit branches; and

at least one of the parallel circuit branches having a look up table correction processing module to receive an input data stream corresponding to the parallel circuit branch and to apply desired correction parameters to the input data stream for formatting the image.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the fusion decision processor aligns and registers the multiple synchronized images.

8. The invention of claim 6 further including scaling the size of an image record that has been processed with the adaptive lookup table.

9. The invention of claim 6 wherein the correction factors applied by the look up table correction processing module are selected from the group consisting of gamma correction, brightness adjustment, contrast adjustment, pixel bit-width conversion or image fusion ratio.

10. The invention of claim 6 wherein individual data streams are formatted following look up table processing and before the multiple data streams are fused.

11. A method for fusing image data from two or more data stream the method including the steps of:

synchronizing digitized image frame data records;

using an adaptive lookup table to apply correction factors to individual pixels in an image to be processed for formatting the image;

formatting individual data streams following look up table processing and before the multiple data streams are fused; and

aligning and registering multiple selected images together.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a fusion decision processor aligns and registers the multiple synchronized images.

13. The method of claim 11 further including scaling the size of an image record that has been processed with the adaptive lookup table.

14. The method of claim ii wherein the correction factors applied are selected from the group consisting of gamma correction, brightness adjustment, contrast adjustment, pixel bit-width conversion or image fusion ratio.

15. An image data set fusion system for producing an output data stream by fusing digitized image data records from two or more data sets comprising:

a plurality of parallel circuit branches each of which branches receive a data stream to be processed;

a data fusion processor component for controllably fusing image data records communicated from the parallel circuit branches; and

at least one of the parallel circuit branches having a look up table correction processing module to receive an input data stream corresponding to the parallel circuit branch and to apply desired correction parameters to the input data stream, and, individual data streams are formatting following look up table processing and before the multiple data streams for formatting the image are fused.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein the fusion decision processor aligns and registers the multiple synchronized images.

17. The invention of claim 15 further including scaling the size of an image record that has been processed with the adaptive lookup table.

18. The invention of claim 15 wherein the correction factors applied by the look up table correction processing module are selected from the group consisting of gamma correction, brightness adjustment, contrast adjustment, pixel bit-width conversion or image fusion ratio.