Donald S. Ross 



Philco-Forcl Corporation 



Space & Re-entry Systems Division 



Palo Alto, California 



Ptimary interests lie in acquisition and data processing of all types of 

 earth sciences aerospace imagery, but with particular emphasis on oceano- 

 graphiw subjects. Data processing is accomplished by a variety of photo- 

 graphic, optical and electronic techniques, whereby image grey levels are 

 converted from analog to digital form to emphasize or suppress pre-selected 

 sets of information. "Data processing" as used here includes enhancing 

 images to aid visual interpretation, as well as quantizing grey levels for 

 assessing luminance characteristics of the subject. Similar treatment is 

 given to images taken in different spectral bands which are added to or sub- 

 tracted from each other to enhance the information. 



For oceanographic applications, a typical example would be optical or 

 electronic digitization of variations in scattered light intensity within 

 the water (as recorded by the camera) and conversion of each level into 

 highly contrasting colors, for relative water depth assessment. In another 

 example, the image of the water surface, taken in an infra-red spectral band, 

 would be combined in opposite sign (positive- to-negative masking) with an 

 ima^e taken simultaneously in a blue or green spectral band, to suppress 

 image information common to both spectral bands; in this case the image of 

 the water surface. The remaining iraage is that of sub-surface illumination 

 which is not recordable in the infra-red spectral band, but which is found 

 in the blue and green bands. 



The photo-optical image enhancing methods retain, or even yield apparent 

 improvement of, the inherent resolution of the input image; but laboratory 

 processing time is required. Electronic false color image enhancement is 



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