Bandwidth-Adaptive Lossless Inter-Channel Compression System

ABSTRACT: Space-based space situational awareness (SSA) for the surveillance and reconnaissance of deep space (DS) resident space objects (RSOs) requires advanced compression algorithms. Due to downlink availability and bandwidth limitations, gross loss compression is performed prior to transmitting mission data on the downlink towards the ground station. The on-board image processing methods currently used in space are unsuitable for SSA applications due to lossy compressions and high computational requirements. In order to meet the Air Force"s requirements for high performance electro-optic image transmission from space to ground, Broadata Communications, Inc. (BCI) proposes a Bandwidth-Adaptive Lossless Inter-Channel Compression (BALIC) System, based on our extensive experience in data processing, compression, and bandwidth-/processor-efficient transmissions. The proposed BALIC efficiently integrates our three novel innovationshighly sensitive detection of stars and streaks, efficient lossless image compression focusing on the regions of interest in the data, and bandwidth efficient TCP/IP. These innovations achieve superior compression performance, improve detection, tracking and estimation of remote targets, and provide processor- and bandwidth-efficient image delivery over space-to-ground dynamic communication links. Our approach can be used to tune both the compression ratio and transport operation adaptively based on intelligent network measurements. BALIC can work perfectly independent of the underlying network conditions. BENEFIT: Anticipated Benefits: The key benefits of the BALIC system include: High data-compression: BALIC achieves compression of the order of 106 (estimates based on analysis of data supplied by the government) by eliminating the redundancy in the image data and including only the regions of interest. Significantly enhanced accuracy and robustness for autonomous space activity detection. BALIC can achieve low false alarm rates with 1% or lower. It significantly outperforms current approaches with 10~50% of miss alarms over the benchmark test videos. Real-time performance and fast initial system/software configuration. BALIC significantly reduces the system processing time from seconds/frame in existing approaches to<0.05 sec/frame, achieving about 20 folds of performance gain over other state-of-the-art solutions. Commercial Applications: The commercial potential of the BALIC technology is tremendous. The image analysis technology developed in BALIC can be used in a wide variety of surveillance applications such as e.g., airports, borders and commercial, and residential buildings, and at any other place where security is important. The proposed BALIC technique can also operate 24/7 with little human intervention and provide automated notifications of significant events to local security personnel. Critical infrastructure, including such items as optic fiber backbone networks, bridges, railways, and cross-country electricity transmission pylons and cabling, can also greatly benefit from BALIC technology. The Motion detection algorithms developed in BALIC. These algorithms can be generalized as image change detection algorithms for wider commercial applications. Detecting regions of change in images of the same scene taken at different times is of widespread interest due to a large number of applications in diverse disciplines. Important applications of change detection include video surveillance, remote sensing, medical diagnosis and treatment, civil infrastructure, underwater sensing and driver assistance systems.