Satellite Scheduling System
AssigneePlanet Labs Inc.
InventorSean Augenstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for scheduling objects having pair-wise and cumulative constraints. The systems and methods presented can utilize a directed acyclic graph to increase or maximize a utilization function. The objects can comprise satellites in a constellation of satellites. In some implementations, the satellites are imaging satellites, and the systems and methods for scheduling can use human collaboration to determine events of interest for acquisition of images. In some implementations, dominant edges are removed from the directed acyclic graph. In some implementations, dynamic weights are assigned to nodes associated with downlink events in the directed acyclic graph.
Claims20
A system for controlling a constellation of imaging satellites, the system comprising:
- memory configured to store satellite properties information corresponding to characteristics of one or more imaging satellites in the constellation of imaging satellites;
- one or more computing devices in communication with the memory, the one or more computing devices configured to execute instructions that cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- identifying one or more imaging satellites in the constellation of imaging satellites which will be positioned over a region suitable to perform a requested image collection event;
- receiving event requests comprising one or more imaging events or one or more downlink events;
- producing a near-optimal schedule of events comprising one or more scheduled event that do not violate constraints of the constellation of imaging satellites by accessing a directed acyclic graph, wherein the directed acyclic graph comprises one or more first nodes representative of the one or more imaging events and one or more second nodes representative of the one or more downlink events;
- converting the near-optimal schedule of events into one or more control instructions;
- and
- communicating with the one or more imaging satellites to initiate a performance of the one or more scheduled events based at least in part on the one or more control instructions.
A method of controlling a constellation of imaging satellites, the method comprising:
- receiving, by one or more computing devices, a request for an image collection event;
- receiving, by the one or more computing devices, data indicative of a plurality of event requests comprising one or more imaging events, one or more downlink events, and data indicative of satellite properties associated with one or more imaging satellites;
- receiving, by the one or more computing devices, data indicative of user input relating to changes to one or more of the event requests;
- producing, by the one or more computing devices, a near-optimal schedule of events that does not violate constraints of the constellation of imaging satellites, the near-optimal schedule of events comprising one or more scheduled events, wherein the scheduled events include the one or more imaging events and one or more downlink events, wherein producing the near-optimal schedule of events comprises accessing a directed acyclic graph;
- converting, by the one or more computing devices, the near-optimal schedule of events to one or more control instructions;
- and
- communicating, by the one or more computing devices, the one or more control instructions to one or more of the one or more imaging satellites in the constellation of imaging satellites.
A system for controlling a constellation of imaging satellites, the system comprising:
- memory configured to store satellite properties information corresponding to characteristics of one or more imaging satellites in the constellation of imaging satellites;
- one or more computing devices in communication with the memory, the one or more computing devices configured to execute instructions that cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- identifying one or more imaging satellites in the constellation of imaging satellites which will be positioned over a region suitable to perform a requested image collection event;
- receiving event requests comprising one or more imaging events or one or more downlink events;
- receiving user input relating to changes to one or more of the event requests;
- producing a near-optimal schedule of events that does not violate constraints of the constellation of imaging satellites by traversing a path through a directed acyclic graph such that a set of dominated edges are not traversed or removed from the directed acyclic graph;
- converting the near-optimal schedule of events into one or more control instructions;
- and
- communicating with the one or more imaging satellites to initiate a performance of the one or more scheduled events based at least in part on the one or more control instructions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.