18181183. CLOUD REMOVAL BY ILLUMINATION NORMALIZATION AND INTERPOLATION WEIGHTED BY CLOUD PROBABILITIES simplified abstract (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)

CLOUD REMOVAL BY ILLUMINATION NORMALIZATION AND INTERPOLATION WEIGHTED BY CLOUD PROBABILITIES

Organization Name

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Inventor(s)

Peder Andreas Olsen of Cortlandt Manor NY (US)

Roberto De Moura Estevao Filho of Rio de Janeiro (BR)

Leonardo de Oliveira Nunes of Rio de Janeiro (BR)

CLOUD REMOVAL BY ILLUMINATION NORMALIZATION AND INTERPOLATION WEIGHTED BY CLOUD PROBABILITIES - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18181183 titled 'CLOUD REMOVAL BY ILLUMINATION NORMALIZATION AND INTERPOLATION WEIGHTED BY CLOUD PROBABILITIES

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes a method for replacing clouds in a satellite image with a prediction of what lies beneath the clouds. This is achieved by interpolating the cloudy portion of the image from a series of satellite images taken over time, some of which are cloud-free in the target image's cloudy portion. The method also involves removing the effect of illumination on each image before interpolating the cloudy portion, and taking into account pixel availability when removing clouds.

• Interpolating cloudy portions of satellite images
• Removing clouds while considering pixel availability and illumination effects

Potential Applications

This technology could be used in weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, and land cover analysis.

Problems Solved

This technology solves the problem of obscured satellite imagery due to cloud cover, allowing for a clearer view of the Earth's surface.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include improved accuracy in satellite image analysis, better visualization of land features, and enhanced data for various applications.

Potential Commercial Applications

One potential commercial application of this technology could be in the development of advanced satellite imaging software for industries such as agriculture, urban planning, and disaster management.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art for this technology could be the use of image processing techniques to enhance satellite imagery in various fields such as remote sensing and geospatial analysis.

How does this technology handle different types of clouds in satellite images?

The method described in the abstract does not specify how it distinguishes between different types of clouds or if it treats all clouds uniformly during the interpolation process.

What is the computational complexity of this cloud removal and interpolation method?

The abstract does not provide information on the computational resources required to implement this technology or the time it takes to process satellite images using this method.

Original Abstract Submitted

Clouds in a satellite image are replaced with a prediction of what was occluded by those clouds. The cloudy portion of the image is interpolated from a series of satellite images taken over time, some of which are cloud-free in the target image's cloudy portion. In some configurations, clouds are removed taking into account each pixel's availability—a measure of certainty that a pixel is cloud-free. Furthermore, these images may have been taken under different amounts of illumination, making it difficult to determine whether a difference between two images is due to a change in illumination or a change to the location. The effect of illumination on each image is removed before interpolating the cloudy portion of the image. In some configurations, removing the effect of illumination also takes into account pixel availability.