Integrations of both high resolution reconstruction and non-uniformity correction of infrared image sequence based on regularized maximum a posteriori

During thermal imaging, it is vital importance to obtain high-performance images that non-uniformity noise in infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) should be eliminatined and the imaging spatial resolution should be improved as far as possible. Processing algorithms related to both of them have been hot topics, and attracted more and more attention of researchers. Considering that both high-resolution restoration algorithm of image sequences and scene-based non-uniformity correction (NUC) algorithm require multi-frame image sequences of target scene with micro-displacement, an integrated processing algorithm of high-resolution image reconstruction and NUC of infrared image sequences based on regularized maximum a posteriori (MAP) is proposed. Results of simulated and experimental thermal image suggested that this algorithm can suppress random noise and eliminate non-uniformity noise effectively, and high-resolution thermal imaging can be achieved. © 2011 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.