System and method for transmitting camera-based parameters without a dedicated back channel

• US 10,027,904 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Graf, Patrick, Bochenek, Jeffrey A., Sypitkowski, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Holder, Anner N
• Application Number:
  US15/124,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/406 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/80 characterised by the intended use of the viewing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicle system and method for transmitting camera-based parameters and video data includes a video camera disposed on a vehicle for viewing an exterior region. The video camera includes an image sensor for generating a video data stream from an exterior region of the vehicle, a controller for providing camera-based parameters, and an image signal processor. The image signal processor is configured to receive the video stream from the image sensor, receive camera-based parameters from the controller, transfer the camera-based parameters onto the video stream, and output an analog signal that includes the video stream and the camera-based parameters. An electronic control unit receives the analog signal, retrieves the camera-based parameters from the analog signal. A vehicle display receives and displays the video stream.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting camera-based parameters and a video stream from a video camera disposed for viewing a region of a vehicle to an electronic control unit mounted on the vehicle, comprising:

generating a video stream with an image sensor mounted on the vehicle;

transferring camera-based parameters onto the video stream and providing an analog signal carrying the video stream and the camera-based parameters;

transmitting the analog signal to the electronic control unit; and

retrieving the camera-based parameters from the analog signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, including displaying the video stream, and wherein the region comprises an exterior region viewed from the vehicle, and wherein the video camera comprises the image sensor mounted on the vehicle, a controller for receiving the camera-based parameters and an image signal processor for transferring the camera-based parameters onto the video stream to provide the analog signal, the method further comprising displaying the video stream on a vehicle display based in part on the camera-based parameters.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analog signal comprises one of a NTSC analog signal and a PAL analog signal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analog signal comprises a NTSC analog signal and the camera-based parameters are provided as one or both of:

pixels provided in a first horizontal line at a beginning of a frame of the NTSC analog signal and pixels provided in a last horizontal line at an end of the frame of the NTSC analog signal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analog signal comprises a NTSC analog signal and the camera-based parameters are embedded as pixels in corners of a frame of an image carried by the NTSC analog signal.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the camera-based parameters are transferred onto the video stream following a non-video data identifier that is transferred onto the video stream.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the camera-based parameters comprise at least one of camera calibration parameters and camera self-monitoring parameters.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the camera calibration parameters comprise lens properties.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the self-monitoring parameters for the method comprise at least one of frame counter and a temperature value for the video camera, and the video camera comprises one of a plurality of video cameras connected to the electronic control unit.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the video camera comprises the image sensor, a controller with non-volatile memory and an image signal processor for providing the analog signal to the electronic control unit, and wherein the region that is viewed is an interior region of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1, including providing the camera-based parameters retrieved from the analog signal to control displaying of the video stream on a vehicle display.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the analog signal to the electronic control unit comprises transmitting the analog signal on a single channel, and wherein the method is free from a dedicated back channel.

13. A vehicle system for transmitting camera-based parameters and a video stream, comprising:

a video camera disposed on a vehicle for viewing a region of a vehicle, the video camera comprising;

an image sensor for generating video images and obtaining the video stream of the region of the vehicle;

a controller for providing camera-based parameters; and

an image signal processor configured to;

receive the video stream from the image sensor,

receive camera-based parameters from the controller, and

transfer the camera-based parameters onto the video stream and output an analog signal comprising the video stream and the camera-based parameters,

an electronic control unit including a video receiver, the electronic control unit configured to;

receive the analog signal from the video camera; and

retrieve the camera-based parameters from the analog signal.

14. The vehicle system according to claim 13, further comprising a vehicle display configured to receive the video stream provided by the electronic control unit and to display the video stream to a vehicle operator in the vehicle, and wherein the region of the vehicle comprises an exterior region viewed from the vehicle.

15. The vehicle system according to claim 13, wherein the camera-based parameters are provided as one or both of:

pixels provided in a first horizontal line at a beginning of a frame of the analog signal and pixels provided in a last horizontal line at an end of the frame of the analog signal.

16. The vehicle system according to claim 13, wherein the camera-based parameters are embedded as pixels in corners of a frame of a video image of the video stream carried by the analog signal.

17. The vehicle system according to claim 13, wherein the camera-based parameters are transferred onto the video stream following a non-video data identifier that is transferred onto the video stream.

18. The vehicle system according to claim 13, wherein the camera-based parameters comprise at least one of camera calibration parameters and camera self-monitoring parameters, and the video camera comprises one of a plurality of video cameras connected to the electronic control unit.

19. The vehicle system according to claim 18, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to output the video stream based at least in part on the camera-based parameters.

20. The vehicle system according to claim 13, wherein the controller includes a non-volatile memory, and wherein the video camera is configured to transmit the analog signal to the electronic control unit on a single channel, and wherein the vehicle system is free from a dedicated back channel.