Texture analysis-based multi-focus image fusion using a modified Pulse-Coupled Neural Network (PCNN)

Abstract

Multi-focus image fusion is an effective method of information fusion that can take a series of source images and obtain a fused image where everything is in focus. In this paper, a multi-focus image fusion method based on image texture that adopts a modified Pulse-Coupled Neural Network (PCNN) approach is proposed. First, the texture of an image is obtained by means of image cartoon and texture decomposition. An ignition image is then acquired by inputting the image textures into a modified PCNN. Ignition images are compared to each other to obtain an initial decision map. A small object detection and bilateral filter is then applied to the initial decision map to reduce noise and enable smoother processing. Finally, the source images and decision map are used to produce the fused image. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively preserves the source images information while delivering good image fusion performance.