1461128277-521695e4-1993-4ebd-9713-248547897ea6

1. A method for determining nonuniformity correction parameters for a detector array, the method comprising the steps of:
for each element of the detector array, generating a plurality estimated and observed intensity pairs, wherein the estimated intensities for each element is calculated based upon corresponding observed intensities for that element;
generating a plurality of estimates of uncorrupted images, each of the estimates being generated by fitting a parametric patch model to the plurality estimated and observed intensity pairs for a neighborhood of noisy image samples, each uncorrupted image uniquely corresponding to one of a plurality of noisy images; and
determining at least one nonuniformity correction parameter by fitting a parametric curve to the plurality of estimates and the plurality of noisy images corresponding to each of the estimates;
identifying whether one or more elements of the detector array is faulty based upon the fitted parametric model and, if at least one detector is determined to be faulty, suppressing the output of the at least one faulty detector.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parametric patch model comprises a second-order model.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein fitting the parametric patch model comprises minimizing a predefined merit function using a least-squares procedure.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predefined merit function expresses a mathematical relationship between the plurality of noisy images and a plurality of parametric patch models, the mathematical relationship being defined by a coefficient matrix and an inverse covariance matrix.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein fitting the parametric curve comprises minimizing a predefined merit function using a least-squares procedure.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined merit function expresses a mathematical relationship between the plurality of estimates and the plurality of noisy images corresponding to each of the estimates, the mathematical relationship being defined by coefficient matrix and an inverse covariance matrix.
7. A method of updating nonuniformity correction parameters for a detector array, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a plurality of noisy image samples;
(b) for each element of the detector array, generating a plurality estimated and observed intensity pairs, wherein the estimated intensities for each element is calculated based upon corresponding observed intensities for that element, and generating a plurality of estimates of uncorrupted images by fitting a curve to the plurality of estimated and observed intensity pairs for the plurality of noisy image samples and an initial set of correction parameters, each of the estimates of uncorrupted images corresponding to a unique one of the plurality of noisy images;
(c) generating a plurality of noise-reduced estimates of uncorrupted images using a set of spatial-neighborhood observations, each of the noise-reduced estimates of uncorrupted images corresponding to a unique one of the estimates of uncorrupted images; and
(d) determining an updated set of correction parameters based upon a predefined mathematical relation between each of the noise-reduced estimates of uncorrupted images and corresponding one of the estimates of uncorrupted images, identifying whether one or more elements of the detector array is faulty based upon the fitted curve, and, if at least one detector is determined to be faulty, suppressing the output of the at least one faulty detector.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:
(e) setting the initial set of correction parameters equal to the updated set of correction parameters and repeating steps (a) through (d) to determine a different set of update correction parameters if the updated set of correction parameters and a previously determined updated set of correction parameters does not converge.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of correction parameters comprises an offset parameter and a gain parameter.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating a plurality of noise-reduced estimates of uncorrupted images comprises computing a weighted average of the set of spatial-neighborhood observations.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining an updated set of correction parameters is based upon a linear relationship between each of the noise-reduced estimates of uncorrupted images and corresponding one of the estimates of uncorrupted images.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the linear relationship is determined using a robust least-squares procedure.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining the updated set of correction parameters further comprises determining the updated set of correction parameters based upon a predetermined set of damping coefficients.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the damping coefficients define a recursive relation between a currently determined set of updated correction parameters and a previously determined set of updated correction parameters.
15. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:
(f) determining when the element of the array fails to function accurately.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:
(g) suppressing a contribution of the element of the array to the determination of correction parameters if the element of the array is determined to be functioning inaccurately.
17. An imaging system for imaging a scene with a detector array having an array of imaging elements, the system comprising:
an image estimation module for generating a plurality estimates of uncorrupted images based upon a plurality of noisy images generated by the detector array, wherein the image estimation module is configured to generate a plurality estimated and observed intensity pairs for each element of the detector array, the estimated intensities for each element being calculated based upon a corresponding observed intensities for that element, and to generate the estimates of the uncorrupted images by fitting a curve to the plurality of estimated and observed intensity pairs; and
a parameter determination module for determining at least one nonuniformity correction parameter based upon the estimates of uncorrupted images.
18. The imaging system of claim 17, wherein the image estimation module generates the plurality of estimates of uncorrupted images by fitting a parametric patch model into a neighborhood of noisy image samples such that each estimate and uniquely corresponds to one of a plurality of noisy images; and wherein the parameter determination module determines at least one nonuniformity correction parameter by fitting a parametric curve to the plurality of estimates and the plurality of noisy images corresponding to each of the estimates.
19. The imaging system of claim 17, wherein the image estimation module generates a plurality of estimates of uncorrupted images based upon a plurality of noisy image samples and an initial set of correction parameters, each of the estimates of uncorrupted images corresponding to a unique one of the plurality of noisy images; and wherein the image estimation module further generates a plurality of noise-reduced estimates of uncorrupted images using a set of spatial-neighborhood observations, each of the noise-reduced estimates of uncorrupted images corresponding to a unique one of the estimates of uncorrupted images.
20. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein the parameter determination module determines an updated set of correction parameters based upon a predefined mathematical relation between each of the noise-reduced estimates of uncorrupted images and corresponding ones of the estimates of uncorrupted images.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An anticorrosion ferrite-based pigment for use in a paint to coat a substrate, the pigment being derived from a hydrometallurgical purification process of EAF dust, said EAF dust being generated:
in an electric arc furnace or the like for producing carbon steel by processing source materials chosen from the group comprising scrap metals, direct reduced iron and pre-reduced hematite, and using a CaO-rich slag; and
from a condensation reaction of metal vapors of Fe, of Zn and of metals chosen from the group consisting of Mn, Mg, Si and Al, and suspended CaO-based particles and oxygen;

the pigment comprising:
condensed metal oxides, comprising a plurality of different ferrites of the general formula MOFe2O3, wherein M comprises Zn, Fe, Mn, Mg and complexes thereof for the different ferrites, and having ferrite or ferrite-like structures substantially preserved from the EAF dust, and forming aggregates of said ferrite or ferrite-like structures;
CaO entrapped by the ferrite or ferrite-like structures and being at least partially available to react with humid air andor water to protect the substrate against corrosion; and
from about 0.5% to about 20% by weight calcium.
2. The pigment of claim 1, wherein the source materials comprise scrap metals.
3. The pigment of claim 1, wherein the amount of Zn present in the ferrites is in greater amount than Mn or Mg and the ferrites are franklinite-based.
4. The pigment of claim 1, wherein the pigment has from about 20% to about 60% by weight Fe.
5. The pigment of claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of metal susceptible to corrosion.
6. An additive for use in paint, primer or coating formulations to produce an anticorrosive formulation, comprising the pigment defined in claim 1.
7. The pigment of claim 1, wherein the pigment has from about 4% to about 12% by weight calcium.
8. The pigment of claim 1, wherein the pigment has from about 5% to 40% by weight Zn.
9. The pigment of claim 8, wherein the pigment has from about 30% to about 35% by weight Zn.
10. The pigment of claim 1, having a granulometry presenting a bell curve like distribution with a median between 0.2 pm and 1.2 pm.
11. The pigment of claim 10, having a granulometry presenting a bell curve like distribution with a median between 0.3 pm and 0.8 pm.
12. The pigment of claim 1, wherein the pigment has undergone leaching with a solvent during the hydrometallurgical purification process.
13. The pigment of claim 12, wherein the solvent is water and the pigment produced is a ferrite pigment of a first grade.
14. The pigment of claim 12, wherein the solvent is sulfuric acid, the leaching is performed at a pH of 0.5 to 3 and the pigment produced is a ferrite pigment of a second grade.
15. The pigment of claim 12, wherein the solvent is nitric acid, the leaching is performed at a pH of 0 to 3, and the pigment produced is a ferrite pigment of a third grade.
16. The pigment of claim 1, wherein said pigment has a thermal color resistivity at about 250\xb0 C.
17. The pigment of claim 16, wherein said pigment has a thermal color resistivity 10 at about 300\xb0 C.
18. An antifouling formulation comprising the pigment defined in claim 1.
19. The antifouling formulation of claim 18, wherein the antifouling formulation is applied to a partially or fully submerged structure, for antifouling against selected organisms.
20. The pigment of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the CaO is physically entrapped within the aggregates.
21. The pigment of claim 20, wherein a second portion of the CaO is physically entrapped within the ferrite or ferrite-like structure.
22. The pigment of claim 21, wherein the first portion of CaO is available as a source of sacrificial calcium to react with humid air andor water to produce Ca(OH)2 and locally increase the pH.
23. The pigment of claim 22, wherein the second portion of CaO becomes increasingly available once the first portion of CaO is depleted, as a source of the sacrificial calcium.
24. The pigment of claim 22, wherein the Ca(OH)2 locally maintains the pH at or above 12.
25. The pigment of claim 22, wherein the sacrificial calcium further triggers the formation of at least one protective hydroxide phase.
26. The pigment of claim 25, wherein the at least one protective hydroxide phase are selected from amorphous calcium hydroxide phases and crystalline portlandite.
27. The pigment of claim 25, wherein the at least one protective hydroxide phase comprises Zn(OH)2.
28. The pigment of claim 25, wherein the at least one protective hydroxide phase presents a DTA fingerprint as shown in the graph of FIG. 21.
29. The pigment of claim 25, wherein the at least one protective hydroxide phase presents a TGA fingerprint as shown in the graph or FIG. 21.
30. The pigment of claim 25, wherein the at least one protective hydroxide phase comprises a calcium-zinc hydroxide.
31. The pigment of claim 30, wherein the calcium-zinc hydroxide is a crystallographic phase of CaZn2(OH)6 hydrate.
32. The pigment of claim 25, wherein the at least one protective hydroxide phase forms a physical protective layer on the metal substrate.
33. The pigment of claim 32, wherein the protective layer comprises from 25% to 70% by weight Zn from Zn(OH)2.
34. The pigment of claim 32, wherein the protective layer comprises from 35% to 55% by weight Zn from Zn(OH)2.
35. An anticorrosion ferrite-based pigment for use in a paint to coat a substrate, the pigment being derived from a hydrometallurgical purification process of EAF dust, said EAF dust being generated:
in an electric arc furnace or the like for producing carbon steel by processing source materials chosen from the group comprising scrap metals, direct reduced iron and pre-reduced hematite, and using a CaO-rich slag; and
from a condensation reaction of metal vapors of Fe, of Zn and of metals chosen from the group consisting of Mn, Mg, Si and Al, and suspended CaO-based particles and oxygen;