Pre-processing SAR image stream to facilitate compression for transport on bandwidth-limited-link
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for processing a sequence of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image frames to facilitate compression of the sequence for transmission on a communication link, the apparatus configured to perform a plurality of acts, the plurality of acts comprising:
- receiving, at the apparatus, an input sequence of input SAR image frames that each contain scene content represented as a corresponding array of pixel intensity values, wherein the apparatus is located on an aircraft;
processing, at the apparatus, each of a plurality of said input SAR image frames to produce from said input sequence a plurality of processed image frames in an output sequence that is to be viewed at a viewing frame rate, the processing includes;
cropping at least one image in the plurality of said input SAR images to equalize range and azimuth extents across the plurality of said input SAR images; and
rotating at least one image in the plurality of said input SAR images to a rotational orientation that is shared with at least one other image in the plurality of said input SAR images, the rotational orientation being relative to a center of a scene captured in the plurality of said input SAR image frames; and
performing inter-frame compression over the processed image frames to generate a compressed video stream; and
transmitting the compressed video stream on a communication link between an airborne processing platform which includes the apparatus and a remotely located ground-station.
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Abstract
Pre-processing is applied to a raw VideoSAR (or similar near-video rate) product to transform the image frame sequence into a product that resembles more closely the type of product for which conventional video codecs are designed, while sufficiently maintaining utility and visual quality of the product delivered by the codec.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for processing a sequence of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image frames to facilitate compression of the sequence for transmission on a communication link, the apparatus configured to perform a plurality of acts, the plurality of acts comprising:
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receiving, at the apparatus, an input sequence of input SAR image frames that each contain scene content represented as a corresponding array of pixel intensity values, wherein the apparatus is located on an aircraft; processing, at the apparatus, each of a plurality of said input SAR image frames to produce from said input sequence a plurality of processed image frames in an output sequence that is to be viewed at a viewing frame rate, the processing includes; cropping at least one image in the plurality of said input SAR images to equalize range and azimuth extents across the plurality of said input SAR images; and rotating at least one image in the plurality of said input SAR images to a rotational orientation that is shared with at least one other image in the plurality of said input SAR images, the rotational orientation being relative to a center of a scene captured in the plurality of said input SAR image frames; and performing inter-frame compression over the processed image frames to generate a compressed video stream; and transmitting the compressed video stream on a communication link between an airborne processing platform which includes the apparatus and a remotely located ground-station. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 19)
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2. A method of processing a sequence of SAR image frames to facilitate compression of the sequence for transmission on a communication link, the method comprising:
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receiving an input sequence of input SAR image frames that each contain scene content represented as a corresponding array of pixel intensity values; processing each of a plurality of said input SAR image frames to produce from said input sequence a product comprising a plurality of processed image frames in an output sequence that is to be viewed at a viewing frame rate, the processing includes; cropping at least one image in the plurality of said input SAR images to equalize range and azimuth extents across the plurality of said input SAR images; and rotating at least one image in the plurality of said input SAR images to a rotational orientation that is shared with at least one other image in the plurality of said input SAR images, the rotational orientation being relative to a center of a scene captured in the plurality of said input SAR image frames; and
;performing inter-frame compression on the product to generate a compressed video stream; and responsive to performing the inter-frame compression, transmitting the compressed video stream on a communication link between an airborne processing platform which includes the apparatus and a remotely located ground-station. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20)
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Specification