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US 8,428,385 B2Granted
Non-uniformity error correction with a bilateral filter
AssigneeFLIR Systems, Inc.
InventorsRandel S. Whiteside, Cynthia I. Archer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Correction of spatial nonuniformities among detectors in a focal plane array. Incoming image data is incident on the array, and the resulting image signals are corrected with a bilateral filter. The bilateral filter accounts for edge effects by filtering based both on spatial separation between image points and photometric separation between image points.
Claims26
A non-uniformity error correction system, comprising:
- a plurality of detectors disposed substantially within a planar array, the detectors configured to receive changing image data and to produce sequential image signals in response, each image signal corresponding to one respective pixel in an overall image;
- and
- a processor configured to receive the image signals produced by the detectors and to apply a bilateral filter to the signals, the bilateral filter being a function of both a spatial separation and a photometric separation between each pixel and each one of an associated neighborhood of pixels;
- wherein the bilateral filter is configured to at least partially correct the image signals for non-uniformity errors among the detectors;
- and
- wherein the associated neighborhood of pixels excludes pixels having a photometric separation greater than a threshold value.
3 more elements
A method of correcting focal plane array non-uniformity errors, comprising:
- receiving changing image data at a substantially planar array of detectors;
- producing image signals with the array of detectors in response to the received image data, each image signal corresponding to one respective pixel in an overall image;
- applying a bilateral filter to the image signals produced by the detectors to at least partially correct the signals for non-uniformity errors among the detectors, the bilateral filter being a function of both a spatial separation and a photometric separation between each pixel and each one of an associated neighborhood of pixels;
- and
- excluding from the associated neighborhood of pixels those pixels having a photometric separation greater than a threshold value.
2 more elements
A non-uniformity error correction system, comprising:
- a dithering mechanism configured to spatially translate image data on a focal plane array of infrared radiation detectors;
- and
- a processor configured to receive image signals produced by the array of detectors, to at least partially correct the image signals for non-uniformity errors among the detectors by applying a bilateral filter to the signals, and to remove translation effects of the dithering mechanism from the signals;
- wherein the bilateral filter is defined using the mathematical product of a function of spatial separation between the image signals and a function of photometric separation between the image signals, and wherein the bilateral filter does not consider image signals having a photometric separation greater than a threshold value.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.