Abstract

There are many interesting applications of a pseudocoloring technique. These include image enhancement, radiographic image analysis, IR detection, and multicolor projection display.^1-3 We present an innovative real-time optical broadband pseudocolor encoding technique using a liquid crystal TV spatial light modulator (LCTV SLM). This technique is able to modify the gray-scale distribution of an input image via the nematic twist of the liquid crystals in the LCTV SLM. Spatial multiplexing is obtained with a dispersive optical element for multichannel processing. Input images carried by the three spectral bands of the primary colors (i.e., red, green, and blue) are processed separately in the Fourier plane of the white light processor by varying the polarization states of each of the three analyzers. A broad range of pseudocolor mapping to a multiple of gray levels can be obtained as a result of the mixture of the three primary colors. Theoretical analyses are given, and experimental results of the pseudocoloring of both continuous-tone image and gray-scale test pattern are also demonstrated.

© 1987 Optical Society of America