Scene-based non-uniformity offset correction for staring arrays

An image processing system for processing image data received from a detector having a plurality of detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional array, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processing unit coupled to the memory, wherein the processing unit is programmed to carry out steps of
• correcting a frame of image data received from the detector using existing values of a set of correction coefficients, the set of correction coefficients comprising a plurality of offset coefficients corresponding to the plurality of detector elements,
• calculating an update parameter for each detector element using pixel data generated from said step of correcting, wherein the update parameter for a given detector element is calculated based upon multiple difference values determined from a given pixel value of the pixel data and multiple adjacent pixel values of the pixel data, the given pixel value corresponding to the given detector element, each difference value being determined by subtracting one of the multiple adjacent pixel values from the given pixel value,
• identifying offset coefficients whose existing values are to remain unchanged based upon the update parameters, and
• changing existing values of offset coefficients other than those identified to remain unchanged.

A computer-readable carrier containing a computer program adapted to cause a computer to execute steps of:

• correcting a frame of image data received from a detector having a plurality of detector elements using existing values of a set of correction coefficients, the set of correction coefficients comprising a plurality of offset coefficients corresponding to the plurality of detector elements;
• calculating an update parameter for each detector element using pixel data generated from said step of correcting, wherein the update parameter for a given detector element is calculated based upon multiple difference values determined from a given pixel value of the pixel data and multiple adjacent pixel values of the pixel data, the given pixel value corresponding to the given detector element, each difference value being determined by subtracting one of the multiple adjacent pixel values from the given pixel value;
• identifying offset coefficients whose existing values are to remain unchanged based upon the update parameters;
• and
• changing existing values of offset coefficients other than those identified to remain unchanged.