Integration of thematic vector data in the analysis of remotely sensed images for reconnaissance

The operation of high resolution sensors can enhance the reconnaissance capability, but as a consequence it is accompanied by an increasing amount of data. Therefore, it is necessary to relieve the data down link and the image analyst, e.g. by a screening process. This task filters out regions of interest (ROI) and recognizes hypotheses of potential objects. In this paper, we describe the support of image analysis by thematic vector data from a GIS. First, the image is automatically or interactively geocoded based on matched objects in the image and map. Three different ways on the use of GIS depending on its information content are presented. In the first approach, the desired ROIs are selected by a thematic query to the GIS and then extracted from the image. Inside these ROIs a subsequent detail analysis can be performed. In the second case in which objects are not integrated in the vector data or interesting objects are not maintained, a structural image analysis approach is used to detect extended objects like, for example, airfields. The GIS is then supplemented by the result of structural image analysis. In the third case, thematic vector data is used to extract training areas for classification and parameter settings for image segmentation.