Method for the restoration of images disturbed by the atmosphere
US5841911A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 6, 1995 |
| Grant date | Nov 24, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 6, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2207/30181
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of real-time high resolution imaging through the atmosphere is presented. This technique is based on knowledge of average atmospheric Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) at the time the image is received. Atmospheric effects are characterized by a noise spatial frequency filter including an average component described by the average atmospheric Modulation Transfer Function, and a noisy component modeled by the atmospheric Point Spread Function's power spectral density. The noisy component represents random changes in atmospheric MTF. The new method of image restoration results in significant image quality improvement based upon knowledge of average atmospheric MTF which includes both turbulence and aerosol MTF components. This method can be used to help overcome the jitter characteristics of turbulence, and is capable of yielding real-time image restoration with resolution limited essentially only by the hardware itself. Turbulence blur, aerosol blur, and contrast degradation are all corrected simultaneously in real time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.