Dot target detection in infrared image based on local enhancement

Results from using a novel local enhancement algorithm to detect the dot target in noisy images are present. The object of interest is assumed to have a very small spatial spread extent and is masked by correlated noise of such larger spatial extent. The proposed algorithm is to replace the central signal value inside a window by a generalized mean value of all the pixels inside the window. Thus the target pixel is enhanced by other target pixels inside the window and the background noise is suppressed relatively. For very low signal-to-noise, the detection systems show a high probability of detection (P_d). Experiment results are presented at the end of the paper