Image Sequence Processing For Target Estimation In Forward-Looking Infrared Imagery

Zuhua Mao; Robin N. Strickland

doi:10.1117/12.7976720

1 July 1988 Image Sequence Processing For Target Estimation In Forward-Looking Infrared Imagery

Zuhua Mao, Robin N. Strickland

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 27, Issue 7, 277541 (July 1988). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.7976720

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology for estimating the silhouette of a target from a time sequence of forward-looking infrared (FLIR) imagery recorded at video rates. The major problems associated with this type of imagery are noise and frame-to-frame misregistration. We achieve registration and noise smoothing by a combination of spatial and temporal processing. Edge-preserving smoothing is applied to individual frames prior to gray level thresholding. A new algorithm for finding the optimum threshold is presented. The resulting sequence of binary image frames is registered by cross-correlating the 1-D x and y projections of each frame. The computationally efficient 1 -D registration technique is just as accurate as a much slower 2-D correlation method. Temporal smoothing is realized by using a binary median filter to process frame sequences. We show that binary temporal median filtering is comparable in performance with gray level median processing followed by thresholding. Our target estimation approach is applicable in situations in which a single target exists against a background of relatively uncorrelated noise.

Citation Download Citation

Zuhua Mao and Robin N. Strickland "Image Sequence Processing For Target Estimation In Forward-Looking Infrared Imagery," Optical Engineering 27(7), 277541 (1 July 1988). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.7976720

Published: 1 July 1988

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available