Video Processing System for Bandwidth-Constrained UAV Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image compression techniques for video data streams from cameras, such as those on unmanned aerial vehicles, do not adequately reduce bandwidth requirements for wireless communications, making it difficult for control stations to receive data from multiple sensor platforms efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that process images by identifying information about objects within the images and selecting a level of data reduction, allowing only relevant data to be transmitted, thereby reducing the amount of data sent over wireless communications links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If current compression techniques (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, E.264) are used to compress video data streams, then bandwidth requirements are reduced, but the reduction is insufficient for efficient transmission from multiple sensor platforms over wireless links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the most critical information from video frames - specifically motion vectors and selected macroblock data - rather than transmitting compressed video streams. This selective extraction of essential motion information achieves dramatically lower bandwidth requirements while maintaining the ability to reconstruct video content at the receiver
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified representations of video content by copying only the motion vector information and selected macroblock data from the original video frames. These copied elements serve as sufficient proxies for reconstructing the full video content at the receiving end, eliminating the need to transmit complete compressed video streams
2Reliability
If complete video data streams are transmitted over wireless communications links, then image quality is maintained, but bandwidth consumption increases and limits the number of platforms that can be monitored
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing of video data at the source platform to extract motion vectors and identify important macroblocks before transmission. This preliminary action of pre-processing and selecting only essential data elements ensures that the transmitted data, while reduced in volume, contains sufficient information to maintain effective image quality at the receiver
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different levels of data transmission quality to different regions of video frames by selecting which macroblocks to transmit based on their importance. Critical regions with significant motion or detail receive higher quality transmission, while less important regions use reduced data, optimizing the balance between perceived image quality and bandwidth consumption
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for processing images. A sequence of images is received from a sensor system. A number of objects is present in the sequence of images. Information about the number of objects is identified using the sequence of images and a selection of a level of reduction of data from different levels of reduction of data. A set of images from the sequence of images is identified using the selection of the level of reduction of data. The set of images and the information about the number of objects are represented in data. An amount of the data for the sequence of images is based on the selection of the level of reduction of data.