Feature Matching using Variable Circular Template for Multi-resolution Image Registration

Image registration is an essential process for image fusion, change detection and time series analysis using multi-sensor images. For this purpose, we need to detect accurately the difference of scale and rotation between the multi-sensor images with difference spatial resolution. In this paper, we propose a new feature matching method using variable circular template for image registration between multi-resolution images. The proposed method creates a circular template at the center of a feature point in a coarse scale image and also a variable circular template in a fine scale image, respectively. After changing the scale of the variable circular template, we rotate the variable circular template by each predefined angle and compute the mutual information between the two circular templates and then find the scale, the angle of rotation and the center location of the variable circular template, respectively, in fine scale image when the mutual information between the two circular templates is maximum. The proposed method was tested using Kompsat-2, Kompsat-3 and Kompsat-3A images with different spatial resolution. The experimental results showed that the error of scale factor, the error of rotation angle and the localization error of the control point were less than 0.004, 0.3 degrees and one pixel, respectively.