Earth Observation Data Analytics Platform for Custom Area Queries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Earth Observation (EO) imagery data providers require customers to purchase minimum size 'scenes' even if they only need a smaller area, leading to wasteful and expensive transactions, and employ manual ordering processes resulting in long delivery times, while also necessitating software developers to create code for each new use case for analytics.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows customers to acquire EO images of specific geographical areas of interest by configuring use case queries, including EO data types and analytical operations, using an EO image classification module to divide and associate imagery data with geographical coordinates, and an analysis module to generate and visualize resulting images, eliminating the need for manual ordering and software code development.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If customers purchase minimum size scenes from EO imagery providers, then they can obtain complete EO imagery data, but they pay for unused areas and incur wasteful expenses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the minimum size EO scenes into smaller sub-scenes or tiles that can be individually selected and purchased. This allows customers to buy only the specific geographical areas they need rather than the entire minimum scene, eliminating payment for unused coverage areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and isolates only the relevant portions of EO imagery data that match the customer's area of interest from the complete minimum size scenes. This extraction process enables customers to receive precisely the data they need without paying for extraneous coverage.
2Quantity of substance
If customers purchase overlapping scenes to cover a geographical area of interest, then they can ensure complete coverage, but they incur increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple overlapping EO scenes into a unified dataset, automatically identifying and consolidating the area of interest across scene boundaries. This merging process eliminates the need for customers to manually purchase and manage multiple overlapping scenes, reducing redundant costs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If EO imagery providers employ manual ordering processes, then they can handle custom customer requests, but the delivery time extends to several weeks
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service functionality where customers can independently configure their own use case queries, select areas of interest, choose EO data types, and initiate analytics processing through an automated interface. This eliminates manual ordering while maintaining custom request handling capabilities, reducing delivery time from weeks to minutes or hours.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary processing of EO imagery data by pre-segmenting scenes, pre-tagging geographical areas, and pre-configuring analytics pipelines. This preliminary action enables rapid fulfillment of custom customer requests without requiring manual intervention during the actual order processing phase.
4Measurement precision
If software programmers develop custom code for each new use case, then they can achieve precise analytics, but the development time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal analytics engine that can handle multiple different use cases and analytical operations through a single configurable system. Instead of requiring separate custom code for each analytics type, the system provides a multi-functional platform where users can select from various pre-built analytical operations (change detection, object recognition, classification, etc.) through a standardized interface, maintaining precision while eliminating development complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for providing earth observation (EO) data and analytics are provided. An example method may include providing EO images of geographical areas of a pre-determined size. The EO images can be associated with geographical coordinates and an EO data type. The method may include providing a user interface to configure a use case query. The use case query may include a use case geographical area and a use case EO data type. The method may include determining, based on the use case query, a subset of the EO images overlapping with the use case geographical area and associated with the use case EO data type. The method may include generating, by the analysis module and based on the subset of the EO images, a resulting EO image corresponding to the use case geographical area and displaying, via a graphic user interface, the resulting EO image.