JPH0636015A - Remote observation system by image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To selectively observe a ground surface area or spectrum band, which requires detailed information, in detail at need, even when the capacity of a transmission line is limited and to observe another ground surface area or spectrum band at the same time. CONSTITUTION:A command ground station 100 generates observation range data from observation area specification data and track data on an flying body which are supplied from outside and sends the data to the flying body 200 through the transmission line 400. The flying body 200 compresses the observation image data, inputted from an observation sensor, except the part specified by the observation range data, encodes the data together with the observation image data on the specified part, and sends the resulting data to a receiving ground station 300 through a transmission line 500, and the receiving ground station 300 decodes the received encoded data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image remote observation system for monitoring and investigating a surface environment or disaster using a flying object such as an artificial satellite or an aircraft.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional remote observation system is as follows, as described in Kiyoshi Tsuchiya, "Introduction to Remote Sensing," Asakura Shoten.

That is, an observation image obtained by equipping a flying object such as an artificial satellite with an observation sensor, capturing the emission from the ground surface or the reflection of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the sensor from the ground surface, and sampling and quantizing this The data is transmitted to the receiving ground station via the transmission path. The receiving ground station receives this and uses it for recording, monitoring, and investigation purposes. Alternatively, a data recorder is installed in the flying object, the obtained observation image data is once recorded in the data recorder, and when the flying object comes above the receiving ground station in response to a command from the command ground station, the data is recorded. The observation image data stored in the recorder is transmitted to the receiving ground station via the transmission line.

Here, the observation sensor is generally adapted to observe in a plurality of wavelength bands, that is, spectral bands. The elements of the observed image data obtained by sampling and quantizing are generally called pixels. Increasing the spectral resolution of the sensor increases the number of bands and increasing the spatial resolution of the sensor increases the number of pixels. On the other hand, since the transmission line has a limited capacity, there is an upper limit on the number of spectral bands and the number of pixels per band that can be transmitted to the receiving ground station via the transmission line. Therefore, there has been a method of reducing the number of spectrum bands or the number of pixels per band that are simultaneously transmitted, in accordance with the limitation of the transmission path capacity as needed.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In the event of an emergency, such as a sudden change in the environment, it is necessary to observe in detail the specific region of the surface of the earth where this situation occurred, or the specific spectrum with high spatial resolution, and at the same time, the need to observe other regions or even if the spectrum is rough. However, if the number of spectrum bands to be transmitted simultaneously or the number of pixels per band is reduced according to the limitation of the transmission line capacity, the spectrum information obtained will decrease, or the area of the ground surface that can be observed simultaneously will narrow. There is a problem in that information about a region other than the region and a spectrum band other than the focused spectrum band cannot be obtained at all.

An object of the present invention is to provide a remote observing means capable of observing a specific region of the earth's surface or a specific spectral band in detail with high spatial resolution, while at the same time observing other regions or spectral bands even if they are rough. To do.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a command ground station, a flying object and a commanding ground station in an image remote observation system comprising a commanding ground station, a flying object, and a receiving ground station. Can communicate with each other via a transmission path, and the flying body and the receiving ground station can communicate with each other via a transmission path.The command ground station has a processing device and a transmitting device, and the flying body has a receiving device. Memory, observation sensor,
The receiving ground station has a receiving device and a processing device, and the command ground station is an observation area designation data and a flying object provided from the outside. The processing device creates observation range data from the orbit data and the data and transmits the data to the flying object via the transmitting device and the transmission path. The flying object receives the data via the transmission path and the receiving device. After storing the observed range data in the memory, the processor compresses the data of the observation image data captured by the observation sensor, excluding the part specified by the observed range data stored in the memory. It encodes together with the observed image data of a part, and transmits the encoded data to the receiving ground station via the transmitting device and the transmission line, and the receiving ground station receives it via the transmission line and the receiving device. The encoded data, and the processing device is decoded.

[0008]

The processing device of the flying object compresses the data of the part of the observation image data captured by the observation sensor except the part specified by the observation range data, and encodes it together with the observation image data of the specified part. Then, the encoded data is transmitted to the receiving ground station via the transmitting device and the transmission path. Further, in the receiving ground station, the processing device decodes the encoded data received via the transmission line and the receiving device. As a result, detailed observation information can be obtained for the surface area or spectral band specified by the observation range data, and at the same time coarser observation information can be obtained for other surface areas or spectral bands. The band observation information is not lost.

[0009]

【Example】

<Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image-based remote observation system according to the present invention. The remote observation system is
Command ground station 100, flying body 200, receiving ground station 30
The command ground station 100 and the flying body 200 can communicate with each other via the transmission line 400, and the flying body 200 and the receiving ground station 300 can communicate with each other via the transmission line 500. 1 is the surface of the earth that is the target of observation by the remote observation system.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a method of compression-encoding an image according to the present invention. Generally, an observation sensor mounted on a flying object is capable of simultaneously observing in a plurality of wavelength bands, that is, spectral bands. The elements of the observed image data obtained by sampling and quantizing are generally called pixels. An array of pixels orthogonal to the traveling direction of the flying object is called a scanning line. In FIG. 2, 20-1 to 20-N are observed image data corresponding to each spectral band, 21 is a pixel, and 22 is a scanning line. The amount of data is reduced by compressing the other part of the observed image data, which is called the detailed observation range, and compressing the other part.

The distinction between the uncompressed part and the compressed part is designated as follows.

FIG. 2A shows the first method of designation. That is, the range of a specific scanning line and the range of pixel positions are set as the detailed observation range 23 and the remaining part is set as the compression target range 24 in common to all the spectral bands.

FIG. 2B shows a second method of designation. That is, the entire specific spectrum band is set as the detailed observation range 23, and the entire remaining spectrum band is set as the compression target range 24.

FIG. 2C shows a generalized designation method in which the first and second methods are combined. That is, the detailed observation range 23 is individually designated for each spectrum band. This designation is made here by the observation range data whose configuration will be described later.

The procedure of the process of compressing the image data while leaving this specific range, and coding it together is, for example, a paper by Miyaoka et al., Published in IPSJ Journal Vol. 28, No. 3, 268 to 276. There is a method described in a grayscale image coding method based on a certain non-uniform length block division.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the observation range data. Two
Two configuration examples are shown. (A) of the figure is a set of the observation start scan line and pixel position 31 and the observation end scan line and pixel position 32 for each spectral band, and (b) of the figure is the observation start scan for each spectral band. It is composed of a line / pixel position 31 and a scan line / pixel number 33.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the command ground station 100.

The command ground station 100 includes a processing device 101,
And a transmitter 102. Command ground station 10
0 indicates that the processing apparatus 101 creates observation range data from the observation area designation data and the trajectory data of the flying body, which are given from the outside, and transmits the data through the transmitting apparatus 102 and the transmission path 400. Send to 200.

The observation range data is created by the processor 101 as follows.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of observation area designation data that designates a surface area and a spectral band to be observed in detail. The following three types of configurations are possible by the designation method described later. (A) of the figure is area designation data 51, (b) of the figure is spectrum band number 52, (c) of the figure is a set of area designation data 51 and spectrum band number 52,
Is.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the area designation data 51. The following two types of configurations are possible by the designation method described later. (A) of the figure shows the position data 61 of the center point,
A set with the radius data 62, (b) of the figure is a set of position data 63 of three or more vertices.

The observation area can be designated in the following three types.

<Specification Method 1> This corresponds to (a) of FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a method of creating observation range data according to the designation method 1. Area designation data 5 shown in FIG.
The configuration of 1 can be further divided into two methods.

<Specification Method 1, Part 1> This is shown in FIG. 7A and corresponds to FIG. 6A. Area designation data 51 is center point position data 61 and radius data 6
It consists of two. These give the coordinates of the center point 71 of the circular region 70 of the ground surface to be observed in detail and the size of the radius 72. The processing device 101 first obtains a minimum rectangular area corresponding to the area 70 and including the range 73 in the observed image data 20, and sets this as the detailed observation area 23.

Here, the boundary of the rectangular area is parallel or perpendicular to the scanning line, and is obtained as follows. The pixel coordinates in the observed image are represented by the scanning line number (l) and the pixel number p on the scanning line. The scanning time t is obtained from the scanning line number l.
On the other hand, from the trajectory data of the flying object given to the processing device 101 from the outside, the position x in the space of the flying object at the time x
(T) is obtained. However, the spatial coordinates are defined in the earth fixed coordinate system, for example. Furthermore, the line-of-sight vector u (t (l), p) in space at time t and pixel number p can be obtained from the structure of the observation sensor mounted on the flying object. At this time, the coordinates r (l, p) of the observation point on the ground surface with respect to the focused pixel (l, p) are given by Equation 1.

R (l, p) = g (x (t (l)), u (t (l), p)) (Equation 1) where g () is x based on the shape of the ground surface. It is a non-linear function showing the geometrical relationship connecting the pair of and u with r.
Details are described in, for example, literature, edited by Kiyoshi Tsuchiya, Introduction to Remote Sensing, Asakura Shoten.

Generally, the pixel position in the observed image corresponding to the observation point r on the surface of the earth is not directly obtained, but the calculation by the equation 1 is repeated to obtain (l, p). By this iterative calculation, the detailed observation range 23 can be obtained as the smallest rectangular area corresponding to the area 70 and including the range 73 in the observed image data 20. Next, a set of the observation start scanning line and pixel position 31 and the observation end scanning line and pixel position 32 corresponding to the range 23, or the position 31 thereof,
The desired observation range data is obtained as a set of the scanning line and the number of pixels 33. Here, the observation range data is common to each spectral band.

<Specification Method 1, Part 2> This is shown in FIG. 7B, and corresponds to FIG. 6B. The area designation data 51 includes a set of three or more vertex position data 63. These are the polygonal areas 7 on the surface of the earth that should be observed in detail.
4 gives the coordinates of each vertex 75. Processor 1
00 is the observation image data 20 corresponding to the area 74.
The smallest rectangular region including the inner range 73 is obtained and is set as the detailed observation range 23. Here, the boundary of the rectangular area is set to be parallel or perpendicular to the scanning line, and is obtained in the same manner as in Designation Method 1 and 1. That is, the calculation of Formula 1 is repeated using the trajectory data of the flying body provided from the outside, and the range 23 is obtained as the minimum rectangular area including the range 73.

Next, in the same manner as in Designation Method 1 and Part 1, observation range data having a value common to each spectral band is created.

<Designation Method 2> This corresponds to (b) in FIG.

For each spectral band, it is individually designated whether the entire band is to be compressed or not. That is, the band designated by the spectrum band number 52 is not compressed, but the other bands are compressed. Therefore, as the observation range data, for a band that is not compressed, a value that means that the entire observation image is a range, that is, the observation start scanning line and the pixel position 31 (1, 1), Observation end scanning line and the position 32 of the pixel (NL, NP), or the position 31 (1, 1) and the combination of the scanning line and the number of pixels 33 (NL, NP). give.

Here, NL is the total number of scanning lines, and NP is the total number of pixels on the scanning line. For the band to be compressed, a value that means that there is no range, that is, for example,
It is the position (31) of the observation start scanning line and pixel (0,
0) and the observation end scanning line and the pixel position (32) (0,0) or the position (31) (0,0) and the scanning line and the number of pixels (33). Give a pair with some (0,0).

<Specifying Method 3> This corresponds to (c) in FIG.

A region to be observed in detail is individually designated for each band by a set of the region designation data 51 and the spectrum band number 52. In this, the specific band is set as the detailed observation area, and the specific band is set as the entire compression target. In this case, the observation range data having an individual value for each band can be obtained by performing the process of the specifying method 1 or the specifying method 2 for each band.

Through the above processing in the processing device 101, desired observation range data is obtained and transmitted to the flying object 200.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the flying vehicle 200.
The flying object 200 includes a receiving device 201, a memory 202,
Observation sensor 203, processing device 204, and transmission device 20
5 and.

The flying object 200 stores the observation range data received by the command ground station 100 via the transmission line 400 and the receiving device 201 in the memory 202, and then the processing device 204
Of the observation image data captured by the observation sensor 203, the data of the portion other than the portion specified by the observation range data stored in the memory 202 is compressed, encoded together with the observation image data of the specified portion, and coded. The converted data is transmitted to the receiving ground station 300 via the transmitting device 205 and the transmission path 500. Here, the encoding by the processing device 204 is based on the compression encoding method described in the above-mentioned reference by Miyaoka et al.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the receiving ground station 300. The receiving ground station 300 has a receiving device (301) and a processing device 302.

In the receiving ground station 300, the processing device 302 decodes the encoded data received via the transmission path 500 and the receiving device 301. Here, the decoding by the processing device 302 is based on the compression encoding method described in the above-mentioned reference by Miyaoka et al. By this processing, the receiving ground station can obtain detailed observation data for the surface area or spectral band specified by the observation area specifying data and coarse observation data for the other surface area or spectral band. As a result, it is possible to make effective use of the transmission line (500) having a limited capacity in accordance with the purpose of observation.

<Second Embodiment> FIG. 10 is a second block diagram of a command ground station 100 according to the present invention. Command ground station 10
0 has a transmitter 102. FIG. 11 is a second block diagram of the flying vehicle 200 according to the present invention. This projectile
The position sensor 206 and the processing device 2 are added to the configuration shown in FIG.
07 is added.

In this embodiment, only the observation area designation data is externally given to the command ground station 100. The command ground station transmits the observation area designation data to the flying object 200 via the transmission device 102 and the transmission path 400. In the flying object 200, the processing device 207 creates observation range data from the observation area designation data received via the transmission path 400 and the reception device 201 and the position data given from the position sensor 206, and stores it in the memory 202. After the storage, the processing device 204 compresses the data of the observation image captured by the observation sensor 203, excluding the portion specified by the observation image data stored in the memory 202, to obtain the observation data of the specified portion. The data is encoded together and the encoded data is received by the receiving ground station 30 via the transmitting device 205 and the transmission path 500.
Send to 0.

Here, the output of the position sensor 206 is position data in the space of the flying object every moment. The processing contents of the processing device 207 are the same as the processing of the processing device 101 of the command ground station in the first embodiment described above.

<Third Embodiment> FIG. 12 is a third block diagram of the command ground station 100 according to the present embodiment. The configuration of 1 is obtained by adding acceptance of a transmission command from the outside to the configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 13 shows a flying vehicle 20 according to this embodiment.
It is a 3rd block diagram of 0. This flying object is obtained by adding a memory 208 to the configuration shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the command ground station 100 has a function similar to that of the first embodiment described above, and in addition, transmits a transmission command given from the outside via the transmitter 102 and the transmission path 400. Send to. The flying object 200 stores the observation range data received via the transmission path 400 and the receiving device 201 in the memory 202, and then stores it in the processing device 204.
In the observation image captured by the observation sensor 203, the data of a portion other than the portion specified by the observation image data stored in the memory 202 is compressed, encoded together with the observation data of the specified portion, and encoded. Data in memory 2
08, and when the transmission command is received from the command ground station 100 via the transmission path 400 and the receiving device, the memory 2
The encoded data stored in 08 is transmitted to the receiving ground station 300 via the transmitting device 205 and the transmission path 500.

According to this configuration, since the observation data can be transmitted to the receiving ground station at a time different from the time when the flying object makes an observation, even when the flying object exists in a position where it cannot directly communicate with the receiving ground station. It enables observations and is effective in expanding the observation area.

In the above embodiments, the case of observing the earth from above was described, but the present invention is also applicable to the purpose of observing other celestial bodies from above.

According to the present embodiment, even when the capacity of the transmission line is limited, the ground surface area or the spectrum band for which detailed information is required is selectively observed in detail, and at the same time other It has the effect of making it possible to observe the surface area or spectral band.

[0048]

According to the present invention, even when the capacity of the transmission line is limited, the surface area or the spectrum band for which detailed information is required can be selectively observed in detail, and at the same time, other Since it is possible to observe the ground surface region or the spectral band, it has the effect of expanding its application to the purpose of detailed monitoring of a specific region or spectral band in case of emergency, in addition to the usual wide-area observation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall explanatory view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image compression encoding method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of observation range data according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a ground command station according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of observation area designation data according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of area designation data according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a method of creating observation range data according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a flying object according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a receiving ground station according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a second block diagram of a command ground station according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a second block diagram of a flying vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a third block diagram of a command ground station according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a third block diagram of a flying vehicle according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Ground surface, 100 ... Command ground station, 200 ... Flying body, 30
0 ... Receiving ground station, 400 ... Transmission line, 500 ... Transmission line

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A remote observation system using an image, which comprises a command ground station, a flying object, and a receiving ground station, wherein the command ground station and the flying object are transmission lines, and the flying object and the receiving ground station are transmission lines. The command ground station has a processing device and a transmitting device.
The flying object has a receiving device and a memory, an observation sensor, a processing device, and a transmitting device, the receiving ground station has a receiving device and a processing device, and the command ground station is given from the outside. The processing device creates observation range data from the observation area designation data and the trajectory data of the flying object, and transmits the data to the flying object through the transmitting device and the transmission path. After storing the observation range data received via the channel and the receiving device in the memory, the processing device extracts the part of the observation image data captured by the observation sensor excluding the part specified by the observation range data stored in the memory. It compresses data, encodes it with the observed image data of the specified part, and transmits the encoded data to the receiving ground station via the transmitting device and the transmission line.
An image-based remote observation system characterized in that coded data received via a transmission line and a receiving device is decoded by a processing device. 2. The image remote observing system according to claim 1, wherein the command ground station has a transmitting device, and the flying object has a receiving device, a memory, an observing sensor,
In addition to the processing device and the transmission device, it has a position sensor and a processing device, and the command ground station transmits the observation area designation data given from the outside via the transmission device and the transmission path. The aircraft creates an observation range data from the observation area data received via the transmission line and the receiving device and the position data given by the position sensor, and the processing device creates it in the memory. After the storage, the processing device compresses the data of the observation image data captured by the observation sensor except for the portion specified by the observation range data stored in the memory, and the observation image data of the specified portion. An image-based remote observation system that is encoded together and transmits encoded data to a receiving ground station via a transmitter and a transmission line. 3. The flying object according to claim 1, further comprising a second memory in addition to the receiving device, the first memory, the observation sensor, the processing device, and the transmitting device. The station was given from the outside,
The processing device creates observation range data from the observation area designation data and the trajectory data of the flying object, transmits the data to the flying object through the transmitting device and the transmission path, and a transmission command given from the outside. Is transmitted to a flying object via a transmitting device and a transmission line, and the flying object stores the observation range data received via the transmission line and the receiving device in a memory, and then the processing device sets the observation sensor. Of the observation image data captured by, the data of the portion other than the portion specified by the observation range data stored in the memory is compressed, encoded together with the observation image data of the specified portion, and the encoded data is converted into the second data. Stored in the memory of, when the transmission command is received from the command ground station via the transmission line and the receiving device,
An image remote observation system for transmitting coded data stored in a second memory to a receiving ground station via a transmitter and a transmission path. 4. An image remote observation system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the encoding method performed by the processing device mounted on the flying object is a grayscale image encoding method by non-uniform block division. 5. The observation area designating data according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the observation area designating data is composed of a region designating data, a spectrum band number, or a combination of a region designating data and a spectrum band number. An image-based remote observation system consisting of a set of center point position data and radius data, or a set of position data of three or more vertices. 6. The observation range data according to claim 1, wherein the observation range data is a set of an observation start scanning line and a pixel position and an observation end scanning line and a pixel position for each spectral band, or an observation start scanning line. And an image remote sensing system consisting of a set of pixel position and scan line and pixel number.