Lossless image compression technique for infrared thermal images

Lloyd G. Allred; Gary E. Kelly

doi:10.1117/12.60564

1 July 1992 Lossless image compression technique for infrared thermal images

Lloyd G. Allred, Gary E. Kelly

Proceedings Volume 1702, Hybrid Image and Signal Processing III; (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.60564
Event: Aerospace Sensing, 1992, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

The authors have achieved a 6.5-to-one image compression technique for thermal images (640 X 480, 1024 colors deep). Using a combination of new and more traditional techniques, the combined algorithm is computationally simple, enabling `on-the-fly' compression and storage of an image in less time than it takes to transcribe the original image to or from a magnetic medium. Similar compression has been achieved on visual images by virtue of the feature that all optical devices possess a modulation transfer function. As a consequence of this property, the difference in color between adjacent pixels is a usually small number, often between -1 and +1 graduations for a meaningful color scheme. By differentiating adjacent rows and columns, the original image can be expressed in terms of these small numbers. A simple compression algorithm for these small numbers achieves a four to one image compression. By piggy-backing this technique with a LZW compression or a fixed Huffman coding, an additional 35% image compression is obtained, resulting in a 6.5-to-one lossless image compression. Because traditional noise-removal operators tend to minimize the color graduations between adjacent pixels, an additional 20% reduction can be obtained by preprocessing the image with a noise-removal operator. Although noise removal operators are not lossless, their application may prove crucial in applications requiring high compression, such as the storage or transmission of a large number or images. The authors are working with the Air Force Photonics Technology Application Program Management office to apply this technique to transmission of optical images from satellites.

Citation Download Citation

Lloyd G. Allred and Gary E. Kelly "Lossless image compression technique for infrared thermal images", Proc. SPIE 1702, Hybrid Image and Signal Processing III, (1 July 1992); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.60564

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