Imaging architecture for region and time of interest collection and dissemination

A system for fulfilling region and time of interest (RTI) requests from multiple users comprising

• at least two separate servers, including first and second servers,
• wherein the first server is configured to communicate with an imaging capture device and compress image data, and
• the second server is configured to communicate with the first server and at least two users;
• and
• a processor is disposed in the second server for assembling a compressed image based on first and second RTI requests from first and second users respectively;
• wherein the processor is configured to extract a first portion of the compressed image from a storage device, and
• if the first portion is insufficient to fulfill the first RTI request, the processor is configured to request a second portion of the compressed image from the first server, and combine the first and second portions of the compressed image to fulfill the first RTI request, and
• the processor is configured to
• (a) determine there are overlapping image data being requested in the first and second RTI requests,
• (b) request the overlapping data only once from the first server,
• (c) receive the overlapping image data from the first server, and
• (d) fulfill the first and second RTI requests simultaneously by including the overlap ping image data in respective first and second compressed images transmitted to the first and second users.

A method for fulfilling region and time of interest (RTI) requests for images from multiple users comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a first RTI request from a first user;
• (b) assembling a compressed image based on the first RTI request;
• and
• (c) transmitting the compressed image to the first user;
• wherein step (b) includes
• (i) extracting a first portion of the compressed image from a local storage device, and
• (ii) requesting a second portion of the compressed image from another server, if the first portion is insufficient to fulfill the first RTI request, and
• (iii) combining the first and second portions of the compressed image to fulfill the first RTI request from the first user, and
• the method includes the following additional steps:
• (d) receiving a second RTI request from a second user, wherein the second RTI request includes a second resolution of an image and the first RTI request includes a first resolution of the same image, and the second resolution is higher than the first resolution;
• (e) requesting the image from the other server only at the second resolution;
• and
• (f) after receiving the image in step (e), transmitting the image at the second resolution to the second user, and transmitting the same image at the first resolution to the first user.