A
wavelet-based band difference-sum
ratio method reduces the computation cost of classification and
feature extraction (identification) tasks. A Generalized Difference Feature Index (GDFI), computed using wavelets such as Daubechies wavelets, is employed in a method to automatically generate a large sequence of generalized
band ratio images. In select embodiments of the present invention, judicious
data mining of the large set of GDFI bands produces a small subset of GDFI bands suitable to identify specific
Terrain Category / Classification (TERCAT) features. Other wavelets, such as Vaidyanathan, Coiflet, Beylkin, and Symmlet and the like may be employed in select embodiments. The classification and
feature extraction (identification) performance of the
band ratio method of the present invention is comparable to that obtained with the same or similar data sets using much more sophisticated methods such as discriminants, neural net classification,
endmember Gibbs-based partitioning, and genetic algorithms.