Abstract

We analyze the optimization of low-flux coherent active imagery systems for target detection. We demonstrate that, unlike the Fisher ratio, the Bhattacharyya distance is an efficient figure of merit when one uses detection algorithms based on the generalized likelihood ratio test for realistic situations when the target and the background mean values are unknown. For example, we show that detection capabilities can be better if the pulse energy is divided into four shots, whereas using more than ten shots does not significantly improve the results.

© 2003 Optical Society of America

Photon-noise effect on detection in coherent active images

Philippe Réfrégier, François Goudail, and Guillaume Delyon
Opt. Lett. 29(2) 162-164 (2004)

Bhattacharyya distance as a contrast parameter for statistical processing of noisy optical images

François Goudail, Philippe Réfrégier, and Guillaume Delyon
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 21(7) 1231-1240 (2004)

Statistical techniques for target detection in polarization diversity images

F. Goudail and Ph. Réfrégier
Opt. Lett. 26(9) 644-646 (2001)

Automatic detection of small objects from their infrared state-of-polarization vectors

Firooz A. Sadjadi and Cornell S. L. Chun
Opt. Lett. 28(7) 531-533 (2003)

Improved robustness of target location in nonhomogeneous backgrounds by use of the maximum-likelihood ratio test location algorithm

Vincent Pagé, François Goudail, and Ph. Réfrégier
Opt. Lett. 24(20) 1383-1385 (1999)