Systems and methods for enhancing object visibility for overhead imaging
Systems and methods are provided for enhancing object feature visibility for overhead imaging. In one embodiment, a computing system can obtain information associated with one or more locations of an imaging platform and one or more locations of a solar source. The system can determine one or more positional ranges of the imaging platform relative to the solar source based, at least in part, on such information. The positional ranges can be indicative of positions at which the imaging platform is to obtain image frames depicting at least a portion of a target object. The system can send, to the imaging platform, a set of data indicative of the positional ranges and can receive, from the imaging platform, a set of data indicative of the image frames depicting at least a portion of the target object. The image frames being captured based, at least in part, on the positional ranges.
1. A computing system for enhancing object feature visibility for overhead imaging, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
obtaining a first set of information associated with one or more locations of an imaging platform;
obtaining a second set of information associated with one or more locations of a solar source;
determining one or more image capture conditions indicative of one or more constraints of the imaging platform while the imaging platform obtains one or more image frames, wherein the image capture conditions are indicative of one or more positional ranges of the imaging platform relative to the solar source based at least in part on the first and second sets of information, wherein the one or more positional ranges are indicative of one or more positions at which the imaging platform is to obtain the one or more image frames depicting at least a portion of a target object,
the one or more positional ranges are associated with one or more positions of the solar source at which radiation from the solar source causes a higher level of reflectance with the target object than with a surrounding of the target object;
sending, to the imaging platform, a first set of data indicative of the one or more positional ranges, wherein the imaging platform is configured to obtain a second set of data indicative of the one or more image frames depicting at least a portion of the target object based at least in part on the one or more positional ranges; and
receiving, from the imaging platform, a third set of data indicative of one or more of the image frames depicting at least a portion of the target object, wherein the one or more image frames were captured based at least in part on the one or more positional ranges.
2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more positional ranges comprise a first range associated with an elevation angle of the imaging platform and a second range associated with an azimuth angle of the imaging platform.
3. The computing system of claim 2 , wherein the first range comprises one or more elevation angles of the imaging platform that are within +/−5 degrees of the elevation angle of the solar source.
4. The computing system of claim 2 , wherein the second range comprises one or more azimuth angles of the imaging platform that are within 165 degrees to 195 degrees of the azimuth angle of the solar source.
5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging platform is further configured to determine whether a position of the imaging platform is within the one or more positional ranges.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the target object is at least one of an automobile, a shipping container, or an amount of coal.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging platform is included on a satellite.
8. A computer-implemented method of enhancing object feature visibility for overhead imaging, the method comprising:
obtaining, by one or more computing devices, a first set of information associated with one or more locations of an imaging platform and a second set of information associated with one or more locations of a solar source;
determining, by the one or more computing devices, one or more image capture conditions indicative of one or more constraints of the imaging platform while the imaging platform obtains one or more image frames, wherein the image capture conditions are indicative of one or more positional ranges of the imaging platform relative to the solar source based, at least in part, on the first and second sets of information, wherein the one or more positional ranges are indicative of one or more positions at which the imaging platform is to obtain data indicative of the one or more image frames depicting at least a portion of a target object;
sending, to the imaging platform, a first set of data that is indicative of the one or more positional ranges such that the imaging platform can obtain a second set of data indicative of the one or more image frames when the imaging platform is within the one or more positional ranges; and
receiving, from the imaging platform, a third set of data indicative of one or more of the image frames depicting at least a portion of the target object, wherein the one or more image frames were captured based at least in part on the one or more positional ranges.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more positional ranges are associated with one or more positions of the solar source at which radiation from the solar source causes a higher level of reflectance with the target object than with a surrounding of the target object, and
wherein the portion of the target object depicted in one or more of the image frames is associated with the higher level of reflectance than other portions of the image frames.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more positional ranges comprise a first range associated with an elevation angle of the imaging platform and a second range associated with an azimuth angle of the imaging platform.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the first range comprises one or more elevation angles of the imaging platform that are substantially similar to an elevation angle of the solar source.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the first range comprises one or more elevation angles of the imaging platform that are within +/−5 degrees of the elevation angle of the solar source.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the second range comprises one or more azimuth angles of the imaging platform that are within 165 degrees to 195 degrees of the azimuth angle of the solar source.
14. An imaging platform, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a first set of data indicative of one or more image capture conditions indicative of one or more constraints for the imaging platform to follow while the imaging platform obtains a plurality of image frames, wherein the one or more image capture conditions are indicative of one or more positional ranges of the imaging platform relative to a solar source,
the one or more positional ranges are associated with one or more positions of the solar source at which radiation from the solar source causes a higher level of reflectance with a target object than with at least one other portion of a region of interest that includes the target object;
determining whether a position of the imaging platform is within the one or more positional ranges;
obtaining a second set of data indicative of the plurality of image frames when the imaging platform is within the one or more positional ranges, wherein each image frame depicts at least a portion of the region of interest, and wherein one or more of the image frames depict at least a portion of the target object in the region of interest; and
sending, to one or more computing devices, a third set of data indicative of at least the one or more image frames that depict at least the portion of the target object.
15. The imaging platform of claim 14 , wherein the one or more positional ranges of the imaging platform relative to the solar source comprise a first range associated with an elevation angle of the imaging platform and a second range associated with an azimuth angle of the imaging platform.
16. The imaging platform of claim 15 , wherein the first range comprises one or more elevation angles of the imaging platform that are within +/−5 degrees of the elevation angle of the solar source.
17. The imaging platform of claim 16 , wherein the second range comprises one or more azimuth angles of the imaging platform that are within 165 degrees to 195 degrees of the azimuth angle of the solar source.
18. The imaging platform of claim 14 , wherein the first set of data is further indicative of a time range in which the imaging platform is within the one or more positional ranges of the imaging platform relative to the solar source, and wherein determining whether the position of the imaging platform is within the one or more positional ranges comprises:
determining whether a time associated with the imaging platform is within the time range.
19. The imaging platform of claim 18 , wherein the time range comprises a first time that is indicative of when the position of the imaging platform will enter a first range associated with an elevation angle of the imaging platform and a second range associated with an azimuth angle of the imaging platform, and a second time that is indicative of when the position of the imaging platform will exit at least one of the first range associated with the elevation angle of the imaging platform or the second range associated with the azimuth angle of the imaging platform.
20. The imaging platform of claim 14 , wherein the portion of the target object is associated with the higher level of reflectance than all other portions of the region of interest.