Overview
ISO 19101-2:2018 - Geographic information - Reference model - Part 2: Imagery - defines a reference model for standardization of geographic imagery processing. The standard frames the scope and context for imagery-related standardization work, emphasizing gridded data and imagery (optical, microwave, LIDAR, sonar, scanned maps and film-derived digital images). It is technology- and application-method independent, intended to guide interoperable, open distributed processing of geospatial imagery at scale.
Key Topics and Technical Requirements
This part of ISO 19101 organizes imagery standardization around multiple viewpoints and explicit conformance criteria:
- Viewpoints covered: Enterprise (community objectives & policies), Information (data → knowledge → decisions), Computational (services & service chaining), and Engineering (deployment approaches for distributed systems).
- Sensor and data coverage: Sensor data packages for platforms including optical, microwave, LIDAR and sonar; calibration, validation, position & attitude determination; image acquisition requests.
- Imagery data model elements: Processed, located, gridded imagery (e.g., IG_Scene), derived imagery, imagery metadata, encoding and imagery compression rules.
- Knowledge and decision support: Image understanding/classification, IG_KnowledgeBase, decision support services, geographic portrayal, fitness-for-use, and decision fusion.
- Conformance and testing: Clauses for enterprise conformance, sensor conformance, imagery data and services conformance, and image processing system conformance; Annex A provides an abstract test suite.
- Engineering guidance: Deployment nodes such as Imagery Collection, Sensor Processing, Imagery Archive, Value-Added Processing and Decision Support Nodes; channels and communications guidance for space-to-ground links.
- Interoperability: Service metadata, service chaining patterns and distributed system patterns for large-scale imagery archives and workflows.
Practical Applications
ISO 19101-2:2018 is practical for organizations building interoperable geospatial imagery systems and workflows:
- National mapping and cadastral agencies managing multi-petabyte imagery archives
- Satellite and aerial imagery providers defining sensor metadata and calibration workflows
- GIS and remote sensing software vendors implementing imagery services, compression and encoding
- Enterprise architects designing distributed imagery processing, archiving, and decision support systems
- Researchers and solution integrators applying image understanding, classification and decision fusion
Who Should Use This Standard
- Geospatial data managers, systems engineers, remote sensing professionals, imagery analysts, and standards developers who need a consistent reference model for imagery interoperability, metadata, processing chains and conformance testing.
Related Standards
- ISO 19101 series (reference models for geographic information)
- RM-ODP (ISO Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing) - referenced in Annex B
- This edition replaces ISO/TS 19101-2:2009 and aligns with ISO 19101-2:2018.
Keywords: geographic imagery, reference model, imagery processing, geospatial imagery, imagery metadata, remote sensing, LIDAR, image compression, service chaining, distributed imagery systems.