Logical Observation Sensors For Airborne And Spaceborne Nodes

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software described herein provide enhancements for the deployment and management of resources across spaceborne, airborne, and ground-based physical nodes to perform user tasks and applications. In one implementation, physical nodes of a system collect sensor data from physical sensors. Once collected, the physical nodes apportion the sensor data among logical sensors associated with the physical sensors and provides data streams to data requestors as originating from the logical sensors.

1 . A method comprising:
 collecting sensor data from a plurality of physical sensors;   compositing selected portions of the sensor data to define one or more logical sensors based at least on location data associated with one or more physical nodes housing the plurality of physical sensors, and wherein at least one physical node of the one or more physical nodes comprises an airborne or spaceborne node; and   providing one or more data streams to application data requestors as originating from the one or more logical sensors.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application data requestors comprise logical nodes executing on at least one physical node. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising persisting at least a portion of the one or more data streams as apportioned among the one or more logical sensors to allow transfer of the one or more data streams delayed from a time of collection by the plurality of physical sensors. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 in a first data requestor of the application data requestors, obtaining first sensor data of the sensor data from a data stream of the one or more data streams; 
 processing the first sensor data to generate processed sensor data; 
 apportioning the processed sensor data among one or more second logical sensors; and 
 providing one or more second data streams to second data requestors as originating from the one or more logical sensors. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 processing the sensor data to generate processed sensor data; and 
 apportioning the processed sensor data as the sensor data to the one or more logical sensors associated with the plurality of physical sensors. 
 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 processing first sensor data corresponding to a first physical sensor of the plurality of physical sensors and second sensor data corresponding to a second physical sensor of the plurality of physical sensors to generate composite sensor data; and 
 apportioning the composite sensor data as the sensor data to the one or more logical sensors associated with the plurality of physical sensors. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 storing at least a portion of the sensor data in a data store; 
 identifying a request for at least the portion of the sensor data; 
 in response to the request, apportioning at least the portion of the sensor data to a new logical sensor; and 
 providing at least one data stream to at least one data requestor associated with the request as originating from the new logical sensor. 
 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus comprising:
 one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media;   a processing system operatively coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media;   program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media that, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:
 collect sensor data from a plurality of physical sensors; 
 compositing selected portions of the sensor data to define one or more logical sensors based at least on location data associated with one or more physical nodes housing the plurality of physical sensors, and wherein at least one physical node of one or more the physical nodes comprises an airborne or spaceborne node; and 
 provide one or more data streams to application data requestors as originating from the one or more logical sensors. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the application data requestors comprise logical nodes executing on at least one physical node. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to persist at least a portion of the one or more data streams as apportioned among the one or more logical sensors to allow transfer of the one or more data streams delayed from a time of collection by the plurality of physical sensors. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to:
 in a first data requestor of the application data requestors, obtain first sensor data of the sensor data from a data stream of the one or more data streams;   process the first sensor data to generate processed sensor data;   apportion the processed sensor data among one or more second logical sensors; and   provide one or more second data streams to second data requestors as originating from the one or more logical sensors.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to:
 process the sensor data to generate processed sensor data; and   apportion the second sensor data as the processed data to the one or more logical sensors associated with the plurality of physical sensors.   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to:
 process first sensor data corresponding to a first physical sensor of the plurality of physical sensors and second sensor data corresponding to a second physical sensor of the plurality of physical sensors to generate composite sensor data; and   apportion the composite sensor data as the sensor data to the one or more logical sensors associated with the plurality of physical sensors.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of physical sensors comprises one or more imaging sensors, electromagnetic spectrum sensors, heat sensors, seismic sensors, proximity sensors, laser sensors, lidar sensors, radar sensors, or motion sensors. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus comprising:
 one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media; and   program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media that, when executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to:
 collect sensor data from at least one physical sensor; 
 process the sensor data to generate second sensor data; 
 composite selected portions of the second sensor data to define one or more logical sensors based at least on location data associated with one or more physical nodes housing the at least one physical sensor, and wherein at least one physical node of the one or more physical nodes comprises an airborne or spaceborne node; and 
 provide one or more data streams to application data requestors as originating from the one or more logical sensors. 
   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to persist at least a portion of the one or more data streams as apportioned among the one or more logical sensors to allow transfer of the one or more data streams delayed from a time of collection by the at least one physical sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein a logical sensor of the one or more logical sensors is associated with a first data requestor of the application data requestors and a second data requestor of the data requestors, wherein the first data requestor is associated with a first data stream of the one or more data streams encrypted using first parameters, and wherein the second data requestor is associated with a second data stream of the one or more data streams encrypted using second parameters. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein processing the sensor data to generate second sensor data comprises processing first sensor data corresponding to a first physical sensor of the at least one physical sensor and other sensor data corresponding to a second physical sensor of the at least one physical sensor to generate composite sensor data as the second sensor data. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one physical sensor comprises one or more imaging sensors, electromagnetic spectrum sensors, heat sensors, seismic sensors, proximity sensors, laser sensors, lidar sensors, radar sensors, or motion sensors. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the application data requestors comprise logical nodes executing on at least one physical node.