Infrared Image Enhancement Based on Adaptive Guided Filter and Global–Local Mapping

Abstract

Infrared image enhancement technology plays a crucial role in improving image quality, addressing issues like low contrast, lack of sharpness, and poor visual effects within the original images. However, existing decomposition-based algorithms struggle with balancing detail enhancement, noise suppression, and utilizing global and local information effectively. This paper proposes an innovative method for enhancing details in infrared images using adaptive guided filtering and global–local mapping. Initially, the original image is decomposed into its base layer and detail layer through the adaptive guided filter and difference of the Gaussian filter. Subsequently, the detail layer undergoes enhancement using a detail gain factor. Finally, the base layer and enhanced detail layer are merged and remapped to a lower gray level. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in global and local contrast, as well as sharpness, with an average gradient enhancement of nearly 3% across various scenes.