Image domain moving target tracking with advanced image registration and time-differencing techniques

Advanced image registration technique with sub-pixel accuracy has been developed and applied for TD (time-differencing) process [1]. The TD process can help to suppress heavy background clutter for improved moving target detection. After processing a CFAR (constant false alarm rate) thresholding detector on the time-differenced image frames, we have developed and applied an image domain moving target tracking (IDMTT) process for robust moving target tracking. The IDMTT process uses a unique location feature by mapping and associating the real moving targets in the previous time-differenced frame with the ghost moving targets in the current time-differenced frame. The accurate location mapping and associating information between time frames is provided by the registration process. Preliminary tests for the IDMTT process are promising. Robust moving target tracking can be achieved even under quite low signal-to-clutter noise-ratio (SCNR = 0.5).