Vehicle vision system camera with integrated physical layer components

• US 10,057,544 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ihlenburg, Joern
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belai, Naod
• Application Number:
  US14/195,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20140247355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: 348148, 348118
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A vision system for a vehicle includes an imager for a vehicular camera and a data receiving device operable to receive image data captured by the imager. A data transfer system communicates captured image data from the imager to the data receiving device. The data transfer system includes a single differential data line. The single differential data line may use a bi-directional high speed serial differential signaling protocol and a mixed signal PHY interface at each of a plurality of nodes of the single differential data line.

Claims

1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

an imager for a vehicular camera;

a data receiving device operable to receive image data captured by said imager of said vehicular camera;

a data transfer interface that communicates image data captured by said imager of said vehicular camera to said data receiving device;

wherein said data transfer interface utilizes a single differential data line, and wherein transfer of captured image data comprises a signal modulated to and transferred via an analog carrier wave;

wherein said single differential data line comprises a coaxial cable;

wherein said coaxial cable carries DC power to said vehicular camera;

wherein said vision system comprises logic that uses error correction and status checking to cope with a length of said single differential data line;

wherein said logic encodes captured image data for communication via said single differential data line in a DC-balanced format;

wherein said single differential data line provides monodirectional data transfer of image data captured by said imager from said vehicular camera to said data receiving device; and

wherein said single differential data line provides bidirectional data transfer of other data between said vehicular camera and said data receiving device.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said single differential data line includes a back channel used for control of said imager.

3. The vision system of claim 1, wherein a control channel is provided via a separate camera communication interface.

4. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said single differential data line comprises a plurality of nodes.

5. The vision system of claim 4, wherein said single differential data line uses a bi-directional high speed serial differential signaling protocol and a mixed signal PHY interface at said nodes.

6. The vision system of claim 5, wherein said imager and said single differential data line use a MIPI D-PHY interface at one of said nodes.

7. The vision system of claim 5, wherein said data receiving device comprises a multi standard transceiver.

8. The vision system of claim 5, wherein said mixed signal PHY interface at each of said nodes comprises a serializer and a deserializer.

9. The vision system of claim 5, wherein said mixed signal PHY interface comprises a logic for error correction, error and link status checking for Inventor Serial encoding/decoding an DC-balanced format either with or without additional parity or error correction information.

10. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

an imager for a vehicular camera;

a data receiving device operable to receive image data captured by said imager of said vehicular camera;

a data transfer interface that communicates image data captured by said imager of said vehicular camera to said data receiving device;

wherein transfer of captured image data utilizes a single differential data line;

wherein said single differential data line comprises a coaxial cable;

wherein said coaxial cable carries DC power to said vehicular camera;

wherein said single differential data line comprises a plurality of nodes and wherein said imager and said single differential data line use a node interface at one of said nodes;

wherein said node interface at said node comprises a serializer and a deserializer;

wherein said single differential data line provides monodirectional data transfer of image data captured by said imager from said vehicular camera to said data receiving device;

wherein said single differential data line provides bidirectional data transfer of other data between said vehicular camera and said data receiving device;

wherein said single differential data line includes a back channel used for as a control channel to control said imager;

wherein transfer of captured image data comprises a signal modulated to and transferred via an analog carrier wave;

wherein said vision system comprises logic that uses error correction and status checking to cope with a length of said single differential data line; and

wherein said logic encodes captured image data for communication via said single differential data line in a DC-balanced format.

11. The vision system of claim 10, wherein said control channel is provided via a separate camera communication interface.

12. The vision system of claim 10, wherein said single differential data line uses a bi-directional high speed serial differential signaling protocol and a mixed signal PHY interface at said nodes.

13. The vision system of claim 10, wherein said imager and said single differential data line use a MIPI D-PHY interface at said one of said nodes.

14. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

an imager for a vehicular camera;

a data receiving device operable to receive image data captured by said imager of said vehicular camera;

a data transfer interface that communicates image data captured by said imager of said vehicular camera to said data receiving device;

wherein transfer of captured image data utilizes a single differential data line;

wherein said single differential data line comprises a coaxial cable;

wherein said coaxial cable carries DC power to said vehicular camera;

wherein said single differential data line comprises a plurality of nodes and wherein said single differential data line uses a bi-directional high speed serial differential signaling protocol and a mixed signal PHY interface at said nodes;

wherein said single differential data line provides monodirectional data transfer of image data captured by said imager from said vehicular camera to said data receiving device;

wherein said single differential data line provides bidirectional data transfer of other data between said vehicular camera and said data receiving device; and

wherein said single differential data line includes a back channel used as a control channel to control said imager;

wherein transfer of captured image data comprises a signal modulated to and transferred via an analog carrier wave;

wherein said vision system comprises logic that uses error correction and status checking to cope with a length of said single differential data line; and

wherein said logic encodes captured image data for communication via said single differential data line in a DC-balanced format.

15. The vision system of claim 14, wherein said imager and said single differential data line use a PHY interface at one of said nodes.

16. The vision system of claim 14, wherein said control channel is provided via a separate camera communication interface.