If images from multiple sources (e.g. from the different bands of a multi-band sensor) are displayed in color, Signal and Noise may appear as luminance and color differences in the image. As a consequence, the perception of color differences may be important for Target Acquisition performance with fused imagery. Luminance and color can be represented in a 3-D space; in the CIE 1994 color difference model, the three perceptual directions are lightness (L*), chroma (C*) and hue (h*). In this 3-D color space, we performed two perception experiments. In Experiment 1, we measured human observer detection thresholds (JNDs) for uniformly distributed static noise (fixed pattern noise) in L*, C* or h* on a uniform background. The results show that the JND for noise in L* is significantly lower than for noise in C* or h*. In Experiment 2, we measured the threshold contrast for identification (orientation discrimination) of a Ushaped test target on a noisy background. With test symbol and background noise in L*, the ratio between signal threshold and noise level is constant. With the symbol in a different direction, we found little dependency on noise level. The results may be used to optimize the use of color to human detection and identification performance with multi-band systems. Keywords: Target Acquisition, detection, identification, color, noise, multi-band, human observer
In verband met de komst van multi-band infrarood camera's, die informatie in kleur kunnen aanbieden, werd onderzocht hoe goed een menselijke waarnemer in staat is om 1) kleurenruis waar te nemen en 2) een testsymbool in kleurenruis te identificeren.