Abstract

We present a nonlinear optical processor that can perform image deconvolution in real time. This processor may be used to remove the distortion effects from an optical image, such as restoration of a smeared or out-of-focus photographic image. In this technique, both the degraded image and the distorting function are displayed side by side at the input plane of the optical processor. The Fourier transform interference intensity is obtained using a Fourier transform lens and a square law device such as a CCD array. A hard clipping nonlinearity is used to threshold the modified Fourier transform interference intensity to only two values, 1 and − 1. The effect of the nonlinearity is to remove the distorted amplitude entirely and to restore the correct phase of the original signal. An amplitude mask averaged over an ensemble of images is used at the Fourier plane to provide the amplitude spectrum. An inverse Fourier transform of the average amplitude spectrum with the recovered correct phase information can yield the original image with considerably reduced distortion.

© 1988 Optical Society of America