A novel method for performing color image recognition by the use of the coherent joint-transform correlator is introduced. The input plane of the proposed method is a spatial rearrangement of the separation into color channels of both the color input scene and the color target. This input plane is gray scaled and monochromatic, thus it can be displayed by the use of amplitude spatial light modulators to achieve real-time operation. The system provides a single output-plane result of the optical coherent addition of the separate channels' correlation outputs. At the output plane no electronic postprocessing is needed, and the detection decision is achieved simply by the application of threshold detection. Experimental results and computer simulations are presented to demonstrate the abilities of this system.

We present a single-channel system for color image recognition that is based on a joint-transform correlator setup. The color images are encoded as phase and amplitude functions, inspired from the Munsell color representation. A real-time implementation of the new codification method can be achieved by the use of a spatial light modulator operating in phase-only modulation mode. We determine the optimal codification for a linear color-phase code. Its performance is compared with a conventional multichannel correlator by means of computer simulations. Experimental results are also presented.

The role of fluoroscopic imaging is critical for diagnostic and image guided therapy. However, fluoroscopic imaging can require significant radiation leading to increased cancer risk and non-stochastic effects such as radiation burns. Our purpose is to reduce the exposure and dose to the patient by an order of magnitude in these procedures by use of the region of interest method. Method and Materials: Region of interest fluoroscopy (ROIF) uses a partial attenuator. The central region of the image has full exposure while the image periphery, there to provide context only, has a reduced exposure rate. ROIF using a static partial attenuator has been shown in our previous studies to reduce the dose area product (DAP) to the patient by at least 2.5 times. Significantly greater reductions in DAP would require improvements in flat panel detectors performance at low x-ray exposures or a different x-ray attenuation strategy. Thus we have investigated a second, dynamic, approach. We have constructed an x-ray shutter system allowing a normal x-ray exposure in the region of interest while reducing the number of x-ray exposures in the periphery through the rapid introduction, positioning and removal of an x-ray attenuating shutter to block radiation only for selected frames. This dynamic approach eliminates the DQE(0) loss associated with the use of static partial attenuator applied to every frame thus permitting a greater reduction in DAP. Results: We have compared the two methods by modeling and determined their fundamental limits.

Extension of the joint transform correlator (JTC) operation to include complex reference image has been presented. Such amplitude and phase reference images are common when using a single harmonic (circular, radial, logarithmic, etc.) in correlation setups or when implementing composite filters. The analysis of an aspect view (tilt) invariant pattern recognition system, using logarithmic harmonics decomposition, JTC principles and composite filter techniques, is described followed by experimental results that can be obtained in real time.

Holography-based associative memories are of interest because of their large storage capacities. These systems require a nonlinear element, such as a phase-conjugate mirror or a square-law detector.