Super-resolution imaging for IoT bandwidth constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
IoT networks face bandwidth limitations due to excessive sensor data generation, leading to network congestion and potential loss of critical data, especially in multi-sensor environments where redundant data is transmitted, exceeding available bandwidth and causing service degradation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dynamic image resolution rules and super-resolution imaging techniques that adjust image resolution based on available bandwidth, combining low-resolution images from multiple sensors to create high-resolution images while reducing data transmission, using proximity and temporal alignment to optimize data collection and transmission, and employing multi-resolution formats like JPEG wavelet technology to incrementally increase resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high resolution images are collected and transmitted by multiple image sensors, then image quality is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image data transmission by dividing the image into multiple resolutions. Full high-resolution images are only transmitted when necessary (e.g., when motion is detected or upon request), while lower-resolution thumbnails are transmitted routinely for monitoring purposes. This segmentation allows the system to maintain image quality when needed while reducing overall bandwidth consumption during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic resolution adjustment where the image resolution transmitted by sensors is not fixed but changes based on system conditions. The resolution can be dynamically modified according to available bandwidth, network conditions, and operational requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to varying bandwidth availability and only transmit high-resolution data when absolutely necessary.
2Reliability
If all sensor data is transmitted to maintain data completeness, then data reliability is improved, but network congestion occurs due to excessive bandwidth usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by transmitting different resolutions of the same image data to different destinations or for different purposes. Critical portions of images or specific regions of interest can be transmitted at higher resolution while other areas use lower resolution. This allows the system to maintain data reliability for critical information while reducing overall bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transmits only the necessary portion of image data at full resolution rather than transmitting all sensor data at maximum quality. By using lower-resolution thumbnails for general monitoring and reserving high-resolution transmission for specific events or requests, the system achieves sufficient data reliability without the excessive bandwidth consumption that would result from transmitting all data at full resolution.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple high resolution images are transmitted simultaneously, then surveillance coverage is improved, but bandwidth availability is exceeded causing service degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple low-resolution image streams into a single composite high-resolution image. Instead of transmitting multiple full-resolution images from different sensors simultaneously, the system collects lower-resolution images from multiple sensors and combines them through image fusion techniques to create a single high-resolution surveillance image. This approach maintains comprehensive surveillance coverage while significantly reducing total bandwidth consumption compared to transmitting multiple independent high-resolution streams.
Data Source
AI summary
Image combination techniques are provided for a multi-sensor Internet of Things environment. An exemplary method comprises: dynamically determining an image resolution for at least a portion of an image to be collected by and/or transmitted by a plurality of image sensors within a distributed network based on one or more predefined image resolution rules with respect to an available bandwidth; and combining the image portions from the plurality of image sensors to generate at least one higher resolution image, such as a super-resolution image. The predefined image resolution rules specify, for example, that the portions of an image that have changed should be transmitted with a higher resolution relative to portions of the image that have not changed; and/or that multiple versions of a given image should be combined when the given image is degraded by noise. A plurality of low resolution images having a substantially similar alignment are optionally obtained and combined to obtain at least one high resolution image.