Dynamic-Range Compression For Infrared Imagery

Abstract

Photorefractive crystals covering detectors prevent saturation. To make full use of information in image, desirable to compress dynamic range of input intensity to within region of approximately linear response of detector. Dynamic-range compression exhibited by measurements of attenuation in photorefractive GaAs. Effective dynamic-range-compressor plate, film, or coating reduces apparent contrast of scene imaged on detector plane to within dynamic range of detectors; original image contrast or intensity data recovered subsequently in electronic image processing because range-compression function and inverse known.