of image degradation and was considered aesthetically objectional, need no 
longer be considered since it is unobservable, even at high magnifications. 
In fact, the scanning function, when considered in this light, can be used 
to good advantage in the enhancement of image quality. For example, CBS 
Laboratories is currently under contract to the U. S. Air Force for the 
fabrication of a Laser Image Processing Scanner which will scan an input 
image (100 1p/mm resolution), digitize the results, and feed it into a 
computer system. The computer system will process the digital data to 
compensate for image motion blur, lens aberrations, and other distortions 
introduced during image acquisition and processing. The corrected image 
will then be constructed from the computer output using the scanner in 
its recording mode. Also, CBS Laboratories has developed an aperture equali- 
zation system that permits selective sharpening of transitions that occur 
in the input image by emphasizing edge gradients that are detected by the 
scanning spot. Objects whose edges are blurred can be over-emphasized, 
if desired, which will cause the edges to stand out in marked contrast 
to their background. The net result is an improvement in contrast and an 
enhancement of contours and image detail. Aperture compensation techniques 
have long been applied to the image scanning and recording function. The 
uniqueness of this device, and a most necessary feature when considering its 
use with aerial reconnaissance imagery, is its ability to perform compensation 
both along the line of scan and perpendicular to it. Thus edges, for example, 
that occur at any orientation within the image will be emphasized. The 
advantages of this technique over the digital technique previously discussed 
is that it is a real-time function that can be used in image display systems 
as well as recording systems.