Color fusion algorithm for visible and infrared images based on color transfer in YUV color space

摘要

Color fusion algorithm for visible and infrared(IR) images based on color transfer in YUV color space under trees, lawn, or land background is presented. Considering the red color will alert observers to possible interested target or danger, this paper aims at working on an algorithm that emphasizes hot targets in IR image with intense red, and the background details in visible image present natural color similar to a color day-time image. V component of YUV space represents the difference between red and Y. Properly increasing the V value will obtain intense red color. Therefore, a nonlinear transfer method based on local mean value of the IR image is proposed. A window of size 5×5 is used to locate hot target in IR image. When the local gray mean value in this window is larger than the global mean value, we determine that this pixel is in a hot area. Then its V value is increased by the ratio of the local gray mean value to the global mean value. Tests show that this method pops out the hot targets with intense red color while the background rendered natural color appearance.