Slant-Range Atmospheric Correction Profiles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional atmospheric correction systems rely on a single vertical profile to represent the atmosphere, which is inadequate for environments with horizontal variability, such as weather fronts and low-pressure systems, leading to errors in data retrieval and intelligence assessments.
Innovation Solution
An atmospheric correction system that generates profiles along the actual target-to-sensor slant-range path, incorporating data from multiple sources and accounting for the geometry between the sensor and target, including horizontal inhomogeneities, to provide a more accurate and realistic atmospheric correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single vertical profile is used to represent the atmosphere over a large region, then the atmospheric correction system is simple and computationally efficient, but the accuracy of atmospheric correction deteriorates in environments with horizontal variability such as weather fronts and low-pressure systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the atmospheric correction process into multiple segments by using multiple vertical profiles corresponding to different horizontal locations along the sensor's field of view. Each profile corrects atmospheric effects for its specific horizontal location, allowing the system to account for horizontal variability in atmospheric conditions while maintaining a structured, manageable correction approach
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different atmospheric profiles to different horizontal locations within the sensor's field of view. Each location receives atmospheric correction based on its specific local conditions rather than a single uniform profile, enabling accurate representation of horizontal atmospheric variability in weather fronts and low-pressure systems
2Productivity
If a single vertical profile is used to represent the atmosphere, then the computational load is reduced and processing is faster, but the reliability of data retrieval deteriorates when horizontal atmospheric inhomogeneities are present
Solution Approach 1:
The atmospheric correction is segmented into multiple vertical profiles, each handling a specific horizontal location. This segmentation allows parallel processing of different locations while maintaining reliability through location-specific atmospheric representations, balancing computational efficiency with accurate correction
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a universal multi-profile approach that can handle both homogeneous and heterogeneous atmospheric conditions. The same correction framework processes multiple profiles simultaneously, providing reliable data retrieval across varying atmospheric conditions while maintaining consistent processing efficiency
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the accuracy of atmospheric compensation values, reducing errors and improving the quality of data retrievals by accounting for variable weather conditions along the slant path, particularly in complex environments like weather fronts and low-pressure systems.
Implementation Method 1
Radiative transfer is the physical phenomenon of energy transfer in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Radiative transfer models or codes are known in the art to calculate radiative transfer of electromagnetic radiation through an atmosphere.
Implementation Method 2
The spectral characteristics of the beam change due to losses of energy to absorption, gains of energy by emission, and redistribution of energy by scattering and optical refraction.
Implementation Method 3
The spectral characteristics of the beam change due to losses of energy to absorption, gains of energy by emission, and redistribution of energy by scattering and optical refraction.
Implementation Method 4
The spectral characteristics of the beam change due to losses of energy to absorption, gains of energy by emission, and redistribution of energy by scattering and optical refraction.
Data Source
AI summary
An atmospheric correction system (ACS) is proposed, which accounts for the errors resulting from the in-homogeneities in the operational atmosphere along the slant path by constructing atmospheric profiles from the data along the actual target to sensor slant-range path. The ACS generates a slant-range path based on the arbitrary geometry that models the sensor to target relationship. This path takes the atmosphere and obstructions between the two endpoints into account when determining the atmospheric profile. The ACS uses assimilation to incorporate weather data from multiple sources and constructs an atmospheric profile from the best available data. The ACS allows the user to take advantage of variable weather and information along the path that can lead to increased accuracy in the derived atmospheric compensation value.