Smart DRM (dynamic range management) for optimal IR seeker sensitivity and dynamic range control

Hai-Wen Chen; Teresa L. P. Olson; Steven R. Frey Jr.

doi:10.1117/12.487285

22 August 2003 Smart DRM (dynamic range management) for optimal IR seeker sensitivity and dynamic range control

Hai-Wen Chen, Teresa L. P. Olson, Steven R. Frey Jr.

Proceedings Volume 5076, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing XIV; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.487285
Event: AeroSense 2003, 2003, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

For an IR (infrared) sensor, the raw digital images coming out from the FPA (focal plane array) A/D converter contain strong non-uniformity/fixed pattern noise (FPN) as well as permanent and blinking dead pixels. Before performing the target detection and tracking functions, these raw images are processed by a CWF (chopper-wheel-free) MBPF NUC (Measurement-Based-Parametric-Fitting Non-Uniformity Correction) system to replace the dead pixels and to remove or reduce the FPN, as shown in Figure 1. The input to MBPF NUC is RIM_i,j(the raw image), where 1⩽i, j⩽256, and the output is CIM_i,j, the corrected image. It is important to note that as shown in Figure 1 the IT (integration time) for the FPA input capacitors is a critical parameter to control the sensor's sensitivity and temperature DR (dynamic range). From the results of our FPN measurement, the STD (standard deviation) of FPN from a raw uncorrected image can be as high as 300-400 counts. This high count FPN will severely reduce the sensor's sensitivity (we would like to detect a weak target as low as a couple of counts) and hamper the target tracking and/or ATR functions because of the high counts FPN artifacts. Therefore, the major purpose of the NUC system is to reduce FPN for early target detection, and the secondary purpose is to reduce FPN artifacts for reliable target tracking and ATR.

Citation Download Citation

Hai-Wen Chen, Teresa L. P. Olson, and Steven R. Frey Jr. "Smart DRM (dynamic range management) for optimal IR seeker sensitivity and dynamic range control", Proc. SPIE 5076, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing XIV, (22 August 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.487285

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