During imaging, each infrared focal plane linear array scan detector detection unit determines a row of pixels in the image output. This sensor’s nonuniformity appears as horizontal stripes. Correcting nonuniformity in high-resolution images without destroying delicate details is challenging. In this paper, a single-frame-based nonuniformity correction algorithm is proposed. A portion of a single-frame picture is intercepted initially. The 1D column guided filter is applied to smooth the captured image in the vertical direction. Then, the smooth image and high-frequency component with horizontal stripes and texture information are obtained. The subsequent step is to use the smooth portion of the image as the guided image and the high-frequency portion of the image as the input, so that the estimated nonuniformity noise of the image may be extracted using a 1D row guided filter. The segment of the corrected image is then obtained by subtracting the estimated nonuniformity noise from the segment of the raw image. The correction coefficients could be obtained by performing a linear regression fit on the pre- and post-guided filtering image segments. With the correction coefficients, the entire image could be corrected. Based on qualitative and quantitative analysis, the proposed algorithm outperforms other current advanced algorithms in terms of nonuniformity correction and real-time performance.

Infrared linear array detectors frequently experience vertical, low-frequency, and periodic stripe noise during imaging, stemming from electro-mechanical interference. Unlike conventional periodic disturbances, this interference showcases long periodicities and is uniquely columnar in orientation. Its presence, especially within the low-frequency domain, renders conventional filtering techniques ineffective and, at times, detrimental to image quality. Addressing this challenge, we introduce Fourier-Assisted Correlative Denoising (FACD), a correlation-centric denoising approach tailored for such unique interference patterns. This mechanism begins with the capture of a pure background image, inclusive of periodic noise, during the non-uniform correction phase of the infrared detector. Leveraging the noise’s frequency domain attributes, we extract a one-dimensional single-cycle noise signal. The infrared image is subsequently segmented into parts, and using the detected noise periodicity, the one-dimensional signals for each segment are computed. By leveraging the correlation between these signals and the benchmark one-dimensional noise pattern, we ascertain the noise profile within each segment. This profile is then employed for spatial domain denoising across the entire image frame. Empirical assessments confirm that the FACD outperforms contemporary denoising techniques by augmenting the peak signal-to-noise ratio by approximately 2.5 dB, underscoring its superior robustness. Furthermore, in light of its specificity to this noise model, FACD rapidly denoises high-resolution real infrared linear array scans, thus meeting the stringent real-time and resolution imperatives of advanced infrared linear array scanning apparatuses.

In the realm of neural network-based noise reduction, conventional models predominantly address Gaussian and blur artifacts across entire images. However, they encounter notable challenges when directly applied to periodic noise characteristics of high-resolution infrared sequential imagery. The high resolution also complicates the construction of suitable datasets. Our study introduces an innovative strategy that transforms two-dimensional images into one-dimensional signals, eliminating the need for processing the full image. We have developed a simulated dataset that closely mirrors natural infrared line scanning images derived from the FLIR dataset. To address low-frequency periodic noise, we propose two neural-network-based denoising approaches. The first employs a neural network to deduce noise from the one-dimensional signal, while the second utilizes discrete Fourier transforms for noise prediction within the frequency domain. Our experimental results highlight the Restormer model’s exemplary performance in direct noise prediction, where denoised images attain a PSNR of around 41 and an SSIM close to 0.9 on simulated data, leaving minimal residual noise in the actual denoised images. Further, we investigate the influence of Fourier coefficients, as predicted by neural networks, on the denoising process in the second approach. Employing 12 frequency coefficients, the Restormer and NAFNet models both reach a PSNR near 34 and an SSIM of approximately 0.842.