Smart fusion of visible and infrared image data

摘要

A method combines two digital images, one in the visible range and the other in the infrared range. The combined image provides an intensity band of pixels and shows detected warm objects that are superimposed on the intensity band of pixels. A user of the present invention may (1) view increased detail in the fused image of a scene and (2) have high confidence that an object in the scene is warm or hot. Hot objects collected by the infrared channel, but not visible in the visible channel may also be seen by the viewer in the fused image.

主权项

1. A method for fusing two images comprising:
separately receiving (a) intensity values of a thermal image and (b) intensity values of a visual image; separately adjusting contrast of (a) the intensity values of the thermal image and (b) the intensity values of the visual image; combining (a) contrast adjusted intensity values of the thermal image and (b) contrast adjusted intensity values of the visual image, to form combined brightness values; separating a target region from a background region in the thermal image; assigning hue values to the target region in the thermal image, after separating the target region from the background region in the thermal image; and displaying a fused image, based on the assigned hue values obtained in the thermal image and the combined brightness values; wherein assigning hue values to the target region in the thermal image includes: computing an ambient threshold value for the target region, assigning a hue value of zero to a pixel from the thermal image, if the pixel has an intensity value less than the ambient threshold value, and assigning a hue value of non-zero to a pixel from the thermal image, if the pixel has an intensity value greater than or equal to the ambient threshold value.