Sensor Data Management via Unified Metadata Namespace
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Solution Overview
Problem
Satellites and aircraft face challenges in gathering and managing data from multiple sources effectively, and existing systems struggle to provide this data in a usable manner to applications that require it for operations like military, civilian observation, and weather monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to obtain sensor data from physical nodes, generate metadata based on their locations, and store it in data stores, allowing various applications to access and process the data using a unified namespace, ensuring efficient data management and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If sensor data from multiple satellites and aircraft is collected and stored, then data quantity and coverage are improved, but data management complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments sensor data into discrete data units with standardized metadata structures. Each data unit contains specific elements (sensor type, platform, location, timestamp, quality metrics) that can be independently processed and managed. This segmentation allows complex multi-source data to be broken down into manageable, standardized components that can be stored and retrieved efficiently without overwhelming management systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal data storage and management system that handles multiple sensor types (imaging, non-imaging), multiple platform types (satellites, aircraft, drones), and multiple data formats through a single standardized interface. The unified metadata structure and common storage protocol enable one system to serve multiple functions across diverse data sources, reducing overall management complexity despite increasing data quantity.
2Ease of operation
If sensor data is stored with detailed metadata for each physical node, then data accessibility and usability are improved, but storage space and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by including metadata elements selectively based on the specific sensor type and platform characteristics. Not all data units require all metadata fields - imaging sensors have location and timestamp metadata, while non-imaging sensors may have different requirements. This localized metadata approach provides sufficient information for data accessibility without uniformly adding overhead to every data unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary organization and tagging of sensor data with standardized metadata at the point of ingestion, before storage. By pre-structuring data with appropriate metadata labels, the system enables efficient later retrieval and processing without requiring extensive post-processing or reorganization. This preliminary action reduces the computational overhead during data access operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a unified namespace is implemented for data access, then application compatibility and ease of use are improved, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a unified namespace that creates a standardized view or copy of the underlying diverse data sources. Applications interact with a consistent interface and metadata structure, while the actual physical data may vary in format and origin. This copying approach provides application compatibility without requiring complex real-time transformations of the source data, simplifying the implementation of cross-platform data access.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and software described herein manage data from spaceborne and airborne nodes. In one implementation, a control system may obtain sensor data from sensors of spaceborne or airborne nodes. Once obtained, the control system may process the sensor data to determine metadata associated with the sensor data. Once processed, the sensor data may be stored in one or more data stores, such that applications may access the data based at least in part on the metadata.