<title>Hybrid Optical/Digital Interframe Image Data Compression Scheme</title>

Abstract

AbstractImage data compression methods have been dominated by digital computations. In this pa-per we discuss a data compression concept which employs optical computations as part of thecompression process. Simple optical processes are used to separate an image into lowfrequency and high frequency components. These components are then subjected to temporalcompression, for multiframe imagery, by using a DPCM frame -buffer structure. Simulationsof the process are shown, with reasonable performance being seen at multiple frame com-pression rates of 1.75 bits per pixel.IntroductionImage data compression is a very active topic of research in image processing. This isnot surprising when one considers the extensive sources of imagery currently being used fora variety of purposes, e.g., LANDSAT imagery, medical imaging, non -destructive testing, etc.Many such imagery situations require either the point -to -point transmission of imagery and/or the archival storage of imagery. Given the economic costs associated with transmissionor archival storage of masses of image data, the desirability of image data compression toreduce these costs is obvious.Image data compression schemes have been dominated by digital processes. That is, therequired computations for an image data compression scheme have been implemented by digitalprocesses. This is not surprising, given the emphasis on compression schemes which requirethe inherent flexibility of a digital scheme, e.g., adaptive cosine transform compression.However, an investigation of different architectures for image data compression can revealfeasible data compression methods for which optical computations can replace digital compu-