Application of high efficiency data compression and 2-D digital filtering techniques to remote sensing data processing

Abstract. Remote sensing data, as received from earth resource satellites or obtained through digitization of aircraft photos, are to be processed by means of high efficiency techniques to improve the quality of the data and to obtain final useful results. Two data processing techniques of appreciable interest, namely, data compression and 2-D digital filtering are considered. By means of data compression the amount of data can be reduced solving storage and handling problems, while through 2-D digital filtering correction, enhancement and pattern recognition operations can be performed improving the quality of the data and extracting useful results. Efficient 2-D digital filters of FIR type using the Cappellini window and of IIR type using rotation and stabilization procedures are presented. Data compression techniques using local space operators and 2-D transformations with thresholds and variable length encoding are described. Practical software packages ready for the application of the above technique...