System for texture-based automatic detection of man-made objects in representations of sensed natural environmental scenes
First Claim
1. A method for texture-based automatic detection of targets comprising the steps of:
- sensing a natural environment scene;
digitizing the sensed scene into a first plurality of spatially coordinated picture elements (pixels) with associated digital signals;
storing the spatially coordinated digital signals;
partitioning the first plurality of spatially coordinated pixels into a second plurality of spatially overlapping groups of pixels arranged spatially sequentially in orthogonal rows and columns with an identical fraction of pixels of the first plurality of pixels in each group of pixels, said spatially sequentially arranged groups having a sequential arrangement extending along successive straight paths across the scene;
storing the digital signals associated with the partitioned groups of pixels;
determining simultaneously a plurality of texture measure values and a composite texture measure value from the digital signals associated with each partitioned spatially coordinated group of pixels;
storing the spatially coordinated composite texture measure values of the groups of pixels; and
identifying said target in the scene from said texture measure values, and wherein said identifying step includes the steps of;
self calibrating the composite texture measure values of the stored spatially coordinated groups of pixels along both the rows and the columns;
storing the spatially coordinated self-calibrated composite texture measure values;
deciding the identity of an area or areas of interest (AOI) as the spatially coordinated group or groups of pixels most likely to contain a target;
routing the AOI identity decision obtained in said deciding step;
detecting automatically the presence of a target within the AOI or AOIs;
displaying the spatial location coordinates of the target within the AOI or AOIs;
reporting the spatial location coordinates of the target or targets; and
resetting the automatic detection system for acceptance of a subsequent representation of a sensed scene.
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Abstract
A system for texture-based automatic detection of man-made objects or targets or features of scenes (automatic target recognition, ATR or detection, ATD) in representations of sensed natural environmental scenes spatially partitions digitized picture elements (pixels) of the scene into plural spatially coordinated groups of pixels and simultaneously determines texture measures including a composite texture measure for each group of pixels. Following self-calibration of the spatially coordinated composite texture measure values along spatially delineated row and orthogonal column directions of groups of pixels, areas of interest (AOIs) are identified as the groups of pixels most likely to contain a man-made object, target or feature in a decision logic which performs a group of statistical tests. Automatic detection of the spatial location of a man-made object, target, or feature within each AOI occurs by a single-threshold segmentation of pixels associated with each AOI into a grouping of target pixels and a grouping of non-target pixels. The spatial location of the man-made object, target, or feature within each AOI can be visually displayed, and the target location coordinates within the entire scene reported, whereupon the automatic detection system is reset for sensing and processing of a subsequent scene.
73 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for texture-based automatic detection of targets comprising the steps of:
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sensing a natural environment scene; digitizing the sensed scene into a first plurality of spatially coordinated picture elements (pixels) with associated digital signals; storing the spatially coordinated digital signals; partitioning the first plurality of spatially coordinated pixels into a second plurality of spatially overlapping groups of pixels arranged spatially sequentially in orthogonal rows and columns with an identical fraction of pixels of the first plurality of pixels in each group of pixels, said spatially sequentially arranged groups having a sequential arrangement extending along successive straight paths across the scene; storing the digital signals associated with the partitioned groups of pixels; determining simultaneously a plurality of texture measure values and a composite texture measure value from the digital signals associated with each partitioned spatially coordinated group of pixels; storing the spatially coordinated composite texture measure values of the groups of pixels; and identifying said target in the scene from said texture measure values, and wherein said identifying step includes the steps of; self calibrating the composite texture measure values of the stored spatially coordinated groups of pixels along both the rows and the columns; storing the spatially coordinated self-calibrated composite texture measure values; deciding the identity of an area or areas of interest (AOI) as the spatially coordinated group or groups of pixels most likely to contain a target; routing the AOI identity decision obtained in said deciding step; detecting automatically the presence of a target within the AOI or AOIs; displaying the spatial location coordinates of the target within the AOI or AOIs; reporting the spatial location coordinates of the target or targets; and resetting the automatic detection system for acceptance of a subsequent representation of a sensed scene. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for texture-based automatic detection of targets comprising:
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means for sensing a natural environment scene; means for digitizing the sensed scene into a first plurality of spatially coordinated picture elements (pixels) with associated digital signals; means for storing the spatially coordinated digital signals; means for partitioning the first plurality of spatially coordinated pixels into a second plurality of overlapping groups of pixels arranged spatially sequentially in rows and orthogonal columns with an identical fraction of pixels of the first plurality of pixels in each group of pixels, said spatially sequentially arranged groups having a sequential arrangement extending along successive straight paths across the scene; means for storing the digital signals associated with the partitioned groups of pixels; means for determining simultaneously a plurality of texture measure values and a composite texture measure value from the digital signals associated with each partitioned spatially coordinated group of pixels; means for storing the spatially coordinated composite texture measure values of the groups of pixels; and means for identifying said target in the scene from said texture measure values, and further comprising; means for self calibrating the composite texture measure values of the stored spatially coordinated groups of pixels along both the rows and the columns; means for storing the spatially coordinated self-calibrated composite texture measure values; means for deciding the identity of an area or areas of interest (AOI) as the spatially coordinated group or groups of pixels most likely to contain a target; means for routing the AOI identity decision obtained by said deciding means; means for detecting automatically the presence of a target within the AOI or AOIs; means for displaying the spatial location coordinates of the target within the AOI or AOIs; means for reporting the spatial location coordinates of the target or targets; and means for resetting the automatic detection system for acceptance of a subsequent representation of a sensed scene. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification