MULTIPLE IMAGE INTEGRATION PRINTER DESIGN PLAN FOR PHASE II

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04770A000200010047-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 2004
• Sequence Number: 47
• Publication Date: October 1, 1966
• Content Type: REQ

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Multiple Image Integration Printer
Design Plan for Phase II
October 1966
Declass Review by NGA.
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1. INTRODUCTION
This program on Image Integration techniques was initiated in April 1965
and consists of two phases. Phase I comprised a study of methods of electronic
image integration using automatic image registration and video processing.
Automatic image registration has obvious advantages in allowing material of
different geometry to be integrated. Video processing allows image character-
istics such as contrast, highlight detail and shadow detail to be optimized
for. combination with other inputs. Circuitry for this purpose was developed
and tested on the ARES viewer.
Phase I also included a design study for a 3-input image integration
viewer/printer with 3000 line resolution. The output of this system consisted
of a 3 x 3 inch transparency of the integrated image at a magnification between
3.7x and 12x with a limiting resolution of about 100 lines/mm referred to one
of the inputs. The proposed instrument and its expected performance were
described in the report on Phase I which was issued on 6 December 1965, and
the supplement which was issued on 8 April 1966. It was found that little im-
provement in resolution could be expected from the integration of fine grain
aerial photographs. However, potential advantages exist in the interpretation
of integrated imagery due to the increase in contrast, reduction of noise, and
addition of more detail.
At this stage it became apparent that the advantages to be gained by image
integration and the techniques required to obtain optimum results had not yet
been sufficiently well established to warrant fabrication of an operational
Image Integration Viewer/Printer. In this respect, theoretical investigations and
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performance predictions are of limited value because of the difficulty of
setting up adequate mathematical models of photographic imagery. An experi-
mental approach is therefore necessary to determine the value of image inte-
gration.
For the second phase of this contract therefore, I:Jroposes to place the STAT
main emphasis on an experimental investigation of the advantages that accrue
from multiple image integration. An electronic imaging system will be used
because of the greater flexibility it offers in video processing.
An electronic image integration system will be designed and built in the
laboratory to accept 3 inputs and to make a hard copy of the integrated image
using a 3000-line scanning system. This equipment will be used for a comprehensive
test program in which an evaluation of the benefits of image integration to the
general problem of photointerpretation will be thoroughly investigated. The
results of this investigation will enable a decision to be made as to the future
desirability of developing operational image integration equipment.
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2. PROPOSED MULTIPLE IMAGE INTEGRATION PRINTER
2.1 General Description
A block diagram of the proposed MII printer is shown in Figure 1. The
unit consists of three input scanner assemblies, designated channels A, B & C, a
high resolution printout assembly and a visual monitor. In addition, correlation
and transformation circuitry allow corrections to be applied automatically and/or
manually in order to register images in the three channels. When the images have
been registered, video processing circuitry permits the integration of up to
three images at the print-out station.
In operation, an image, designated the master, is placed in the channel
A scanner assembly, and the desired target area selected. This channel does not
have transformation capability, therefore the other images must be registered
with reference to the "master" image. A second image containing the target area
may be placed in scanner assembly B and automatically registered with A when it
is within pull-in range. In similar manner, a third image C may be registered
with A. The low resolution monitor will be used for initial adjustment to obtain
the target area and will also indicate approximate registration. In order to ad-
just for exact image registration, a "correlation quality" meter will be provided.
This will enable very small registration errors beyond the resolution of the
visual monitor to be detected. Fine manual adjustments of parallax and trans-
formations may then be made in order to maximize the correlation quality reading.
The main difference between this equipment and the viewer/printer described
in the Technical Report on Phase I dated 6 December 1965, is that a high resolu-
tion flying spot scanner will now be used in place of the image dissector tube
and follow-spot illuminator previously proposed. The improvement in resolution
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offered by the latter system was marginal and it is a highly expensive technique
still in the development stage. The use of a more conventional flying spot scan-
ner will offer greater flexibility.
A further improvement in the presently proposed equipment is the use
of the same crossed diagonal scanning pattern both for initial correlation and
for high resolution readout. This will enable the size and shape of the scan-
ning pattern to be controlled much more easily in the high resolution mode. A
further advantage is that accuracy of registration can be continuously monitored
right through the readout cycle. Instead of an analog memory, the transformation
errors will now be stored in digital form. The video processing, correlation
circuitry and readout systems will remain substantially as before.
Due to the high resolution requirements, the air bearing film handling
system accepting 92 x 92 film will be replaced by precise X-Y micrometer drives
capable of accepting film chips up to 22 x 22 inches at each of the 3 input
stations.
2.2 Scanner Assembly
Each scanner assembly includes a CRT, photomultipliers, video amplifier,
deflection amplifiers, optics, X-Y stage and drive. The CRT selected will be
similar to the WX-4647P16 which provides a 1 mil spot diameter at half amplitude.
The optics will reduce the raster 10:1 at the image thus giving a nominal scanned
area of about 5mm x 5mm with a 2.5 micron spot diameter.
A summary of the scanner parameters is given below.
1. Area scanned on film; max., 7mm x 7mm.
(at 10:1 reduction) min., 3.5mm x 3.5mm.
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2.
Expected video S/N
30 db.
3.
Frame time, print
monitor
4.5 seconds.
1/30 second.
4.
Raster, dual diagonal scan
print mode, 3000 TV lines
monitor mode, 500 TV lines
2.3 Print-out Capability
The output CRT similar to the input CRT will be used, with a P11
phosphor, providing high efficiency. The line width at half amplitude will
be approximately 1 mil., and a 3 in. x 3 in. raster will be employed. A 4 x 5
inch camera will be provided to record the output, on either Polaroid or standard
4 x 5 cut film. Print time will be equal to one complete scanning period, or
4.5 seconds.
2.4 Video Processing
The automatic registration of several aerial photographs of the same
area taken under different conditions of illumination is sometimes difficult because
of the presence of shadows or specular reflections. Shadows are a dominant feature
of photographs taken with sunlight falling on the area from a low angle. Specular
reflecticns, while less common, cause obliteration of significant detail due to
saturation of the photographic material. If the shadows in the several photographs
are in different positions due to a change in the position of the illumination
source, or are present in only a few of the inputs, correlation is difficult to
achieve. A great improvement in the operation of automatic registration circuitry
can be realized if the effects of shadows can be eliminated.
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Electronic scanning allows great flexibility in processing of video
signals prior to print-out. For example, some of the techniques which may be
employed include black level clamping, variable gamma control and detail
sharpening. In addition, the mixing of video from up to 3 channels may be
carried out by straight addition or by more complex techniques using majority
voting or weighting. The design of the MII printer will allow various video
processing techniques to be investigated.
The first stage of the video processor will consist of a pre-amplifier
with polarity selector that will enable the display of either positive or nega-
tive material. The second stage of the video processor will consist of two non-
linear amplifiers in parallel. One amplifier produces a video signal which is
the square root of the input, the other produces a video signal which is the
square of the input. To establish a constant operating point, a keyed dc clamp
is provided which sets the operating point for the two non-linear amplifiers
during the blanking period which is at the turnaround of the scanning lines.
The outputs of the two non-linear amplifiers are fed to the two inputs
of a mixer where they are combined. The overall response can then be controlled
by varying the proportions of the "square root" and "square" signals that are
combined. By this means a continuous control of gamma between 0.5 and 2.0 is
obtained. The signal from the gamma amplifier is then fed to the aperture correc-
tor. This compensates for the gaussian shape of the scanning spot, and can also
be used to increase image sharpness. The amount of correction that can be intro-
duced is limited by the increase in noise that can be tolerated. In general it
is safe to assume that an approximate 6 db boost can be used at the higher frequen-
cies resulting in a noticeable increase in sharpness in the reproduced picture.
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2.5 Correlation & Transformation
Video signals from channel A (master) will be correlated with both
channel B and channel C in turn. The orthogonal correlator provides parallax
error signals for X-Y stage drive, as well as the basic signal for further
analysis into first- and second-order distortion components. A "normal" cor-
relator provides a signal output which is proportional to the quality of cor-
relation between the two images. This operates even during the high resolution
print-out cycle, so that image registration can be constantly checked.
Distortion corrections, which include all 1st and 2nd order corrections,
are applied to channel B and C scanning rasters by means of modulators. The mag-
nitude of the correction is controlled initially by the error signals developed
? automatically from the distortion analyzer, and then manually if required from
controls set by the operator.
Automatic registration is carried out only in the "monitor" mode at a
frame rate of 30 c/sec. Manual adjustments may be made to all corrections by
peaking the correlation quality signal.
Sequential sampling of the error components and a serial memory to
store the magnitude of the error signals is provided in order to simplify the
electronics involved and to permit stable steady-state corrections to be applied
to the scanning rasters during print-out.
2.6 Resolution Considerations
Various factors influencing resolution can be predicted in advance;
however, the final performance of equipment can only be evaluated by running
tests on the system response for known inputs. A calculated system MTF can be
? obtained from the scanning CRT spot size, optics response and print-out CRT spot
size. Assuming the use of optics which have a limiting resolution of 200 1/mm,
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the CRT will produce an equivalent resolution at a spot diameter of 1.6 mils
with a 10:1 reduction at the image. The individual and combined responses are
shown in Figure 2, giving a limiting system response of about 115 1/mm., referred
to the input.
A CRT spot size of 1 mil would provide somewhat higher system response. There
are, however, many factors influencing the actual spot size obtained and the 1.6
mil figure may be more realistic.
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3. STATEMENT OF WORK
The proposed program will consist of the following specific tasks:
1. Design and construct a laboratory model, 3-input Image Integration Printer as
described in Section 2. (6 months)
2. Check-out and evaluate equipment for resolution, signal/noise ratio,
stability, correction accuracy, operator convenience. (2 months)
3. Using the above equipment, evaluate multiple image integration with various
source materials to be specified and supplied by the customer (3 months).
4. Prepare a Final'Report. (1 month)
The period of performance for this work will be 12 months. A schedule of
work is shown below.
Deliverable items will be as follows:
11 Monthly letter-type progress reports due on or before 15th of
following month.
5 copies of Final Report due within 30 days of completion of contract.
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SCHEDULE
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Final Report
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Multiple Image Integration Printer
Design Plan for Phase II
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October 1966
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