A method for processing digital images includes acquiring a phase
difference image which includes one or more phase wraps, creating a
modulated phase difference image from the phase difference image,
comparing the modulated phase difference image to the phase difference
image to locate areas in the phase difference image to be unwrapped, and
unwrapping the phase difference image based on the areas located in the
comparing step. The unwrapping step is performed by replacing wrapped
pixels in the phase difference image with pixels in the modulated phase
difference image plus an integer multiple of .pi.. The integer multiplier
is computed by comparing overlapping pixels in the image segments. This
has a smoothing effect causing the wrapped pixels in the phase difference
image to become unwrapped. As a result of this pixel replacement process,
an image of improved quality and information content is produced compared
with conventional methods.
