Extended range image processing for electro-optical systems

• US 20060188169A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Alderson, Timothy, Tener, Gene D., Benton, Richard W. Sr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing imagery using images acquired via any known Electro-Optical (EO) system. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a first frame of data is selected as a template frame (e.g., a given frame). A second frame of data can be captured using the EO system. At least a portion of the second frame can be correlated with the template frame to generate a shift vector. The second frame can then be registered with the template frame by interpolating the second frame using the shift vector and re-sampling at least a portion of the second frame to produce a registered frame. The template frame can also be re-sampled. The registered frame and the re-sampled template frame can then be combined to generate an averaged frame. The averaged frame can be spatially filtered to enhance edges within the averaged frame.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing visual images, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a first frame of image data as a template frame;

(b) capturing a second frame of image data;

(c) aligning the second frame of image data with the template frame of image data by correcting line-of-sight deviations therebetween;

(d) spatially oversampling at least a portion of the aligned second frame of image data by a factor greater than one;

(e) integrating the spatially oversampled portion of the aligned second frame of image data with image data of the template frame; and

(f) repeating steps (b) through (e) to process subsequently-captured frames of data into a continuous video stream, wherein the first and second frames of image data are based on an input data from a stationary infrared sensor.

2. A system for enhancing visual images, comprising:

a sensor for generating input data; and

a processor module coupled to the sensor, the processor module configured to;

(a) select a first frame of image data as a template frame;

(b) capture a second frame of image data;

(c) align the second frame of image data with the template frame of image data to correct line-of-sight deviations therebetween;

(d) spatially oversample at least a portion of the aligned second frame of image data by a factor greater than one;

(e) integrate the spatially oversampled portion of the aligned second frame of image data with image data of the template frame; and

(f) repeat steps (b) through (e) to process subsequently-captured frames of data into a continuous video stream, wherein the first and second frames of image data are based on an input data from a stationary infrared sensor.