Detection and tracking of low signal-to-noise ratio moving targets in remote sensing imagery

A system comprising:

• at least one of a processor or a hardware logic component configured to perform acts comprising:
• obtaining a sequence of images each depicting a scene at a different respective time;
• computing, based upon the sequence of images, a set of velocity-state images, wherein the set of velocity-state images corresponds to a first time, wherein pixels of the velocity-state images collectively represent position and velocity states that objects in the scene may take, wherein pixel values of the pixels are indicative of the presence of objects at locations in the scene at the first time;
• identifying a track of the object that indicates estimated positions of the object over time and a predicted position of the object at a future time;
• receiving an update to the track indicating that the object is estimated to be at a first estimated position at the future time;
• computing at least one of a position frame-of-reference (FOR) shift or a velocity FOR shift based upon a difference between the first estimated position and the predicted position;
• and computing a track-specific set of velocity-state images within a constrained region centered about the track based upon the at least one of the position FOR shift or the velocity FOR shift;
• determining, based upon the set of velocity-state images, that an object is likely present at a first location in the scene at the first time;
• and
• outputting an indication of the presence of the object at the first location in the scene at the first time to a device comprising one of hardware or software or a combination thereof.

A method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of images that each depict a scene at a different respective time;
• generating, from the received images, a set of velocity-state images, wherein pixels of the velocity-state images collectively represent position and velocity states that objects in the scene may take, wherein pixel values of the pixels of the velocity-state images are indicative of the presence of objects at locations in the scene at a first time;
• determining, based upon the set of velocity-state images, that an object is likely present at a first location in the scene at the first time;
• and
• outputting an indication of the presence of the object at the first location in the scene at the first time to a device comprising one of hardware or software or a combination thereof;
• and
• wherein the plurality of images are received as a stream of images over time and responsive to receiving an additional image in the stream of images, generating an additional set of velocity-state images, wherein the additional set of velocity-state images is generated based upon a prior set of velocity-state images, the prior set of velocity-state images generated in response to receipt of a prior image that precedes the additional image in the stream of images.