The invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting
infrared dim small targets under a complex background, belonging to the technical field of
infrared target detection. At first, the invention adopts a bilateral filtering
algorithm to preprocess the single-frame
infrared images in an
image sequence successively, so as to reduce
noise interference in the image and enhance the
signal-to-
noise ratio at the target; then, a single-frame infrared target detection
algorithm based on block extremum is used to detect the
potential candidate target sets in each preprocessed
image frame by frame; based on the spatio-
temporal continuity of small targets in multi-frame images, a pipeline filtering
algorithm is used to identify the possible real targets in the candidate target set; finally the
false alarm removal strategy is used to eliminate the false target and finally confirm the true target. Through the process, the invention overcomes the shortcomings of weakening target intensity, blurring edge, enlarging contour and the like brought by the prior
infrared image processing technology, and can better retain and enhance the dim
small target information, improve the target detectionrate, and reduce the missed
detection rate and
false alarm rate of the target.