Yes, distinguish from, and/or recognise. Background noise is more 'indistinct information' - it is noise in the 'electronic signal' sense. So in this case, that noise might be indistinct objects, or even indistinct lighting, or a combination of both. Imagine some leaves on the ground, lit with light from behind a tree. It would be hard to see individual leaves, but if you look long enough, you eventually see that there is a bicycle partly buried under the leaves.