Multiple camera synchronization system

• US 10,091,399 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yakay, Levent, Bilgin, Can, Bafra, Arda K., Oner, Mustafa E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/718,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 348159
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/0733 for distributing synchronisation pulses to different TV cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/126 whereby the synchronisation signal indirectly commands a frequency generator

Abstract

A system for at least substantially plesiochronously operating a receiver in communication with a plurality of cameras (e.g., at least two plesiochronously operational cameras) is described. In one or more implementations, the system includes a plurality of cameras. Each camera is configured to generate a signal for transmission via a communications link, and the signal comprises data packets encoded in a forward channel. The system also includes a receiver communicatively coupled to the plurality of cameras via the single-ended communications link. The receiver is configured to generate a synchronization data based upon at least one of the data packets. The receiver is also configured to modulate the signal to encode the synchronization data in a reverse channel so that the signal comprises the forward channel data and the reverse channel data simultaneously.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of cameras, each camera of the plurality of cameras including a respective camera communication interface configured to generate a signal for transmission via a physical single-ended communications link, the signal comprising serial data packets encoded in a forward channel; and

a receiver communicatively coupled to the plurality of cameras via the physical single-ended communications link, the receiver configured to generate a synchronization data based upon at least one of the data packets, the receiver including a plurality of receiver communication interfaces, each respective receiver communication interface configured to convert serial data packets from a corresponding camera to data in a suitable format for the receiver, each respective receiver communication interface configured to modulate the signal received from a respective camera of the plurality of cameras to encode the synchronization data in a reverse channel so that the signal comprises the forward channel data and the reverse channel data simultaneously over the same physical single-ended communications link.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the forward channel data comprises relatively high speed serial data and relatively low speed serial data.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the relatively high speed serial data comprises video data and the relatively low speed serial data comprises control data associated with the video data.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the control data comprises at least one of frame signals, line synch signals, or both frame signals and line synch signals.

5. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the reverse channel data comprises relatively low speed serial data.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to determine a maximum skew based upon the data packets, and wherein the receiver is configured to generate synchronization data based upon the maximum skew, the maximum skew associated with at least one camera of the plurality of cameras.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver is further configured to determine an internally counted frame duration time interval, wherein the receiver is configured to cause transmission of the synchronization data to the plurality of cameras via the physical single-ended communications link in the reverse channel at each internally counted frame duration time interval.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to communicatively couple to a plurality of cameras via a physical single-ended communications link, respective cameras of the plurality of cameras configured to generate a signal for transmission via the physical single-ended communications link, the signal comprising serial data packets encoded in a forward channel, the receiver configured to generate synchronization data based upon at least one of the data packets encoded in the forward channel, the receiver including a plurality of receiver communication interfaces, each respective receiver communication interface configured to convert serial data packets from a corresponding camera to data in a suitable format for the receiver, each respective receiver communication interface configured to modulate the signal received from the respective cameras of the plurality of cameras to encode the synchronization data in a reverse channel so that the signal comprises the forward channel data and the reverse channel data simultaneously over the same physical single-ended communications link.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the forward channel data comprises relatively high speed serial data and relatively low speed serial data.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the relatively high speed serial data comprises video data and the relatively low speed serial data comprises control data associated with the video data.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the control data comprises at least one of frame signals, line synch signals, or both frame signals and line synch signals.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the reverse channel data comprises relatively low speed serial data.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the receiver is configured to determine a maximum skew based upon the data packets, and wherein the receiver is configured to generate synchronization data based upon the maximum skew, the maximum skew associated with at least one camera of the plurality of cameras.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the receiver is further configured to determine an internally counted frame duration time interval, wherein the receiver is configured to cause transmission of the synchronization data to the plurality of cameras via the physical single-ended communications link in the reverse channel at each internally counted frame duration time interval.

15. A method comprising:

receiving video frame data and control data from a plurality of cameras, the control data corresponding to the video frame data, the video frame data and the control data transmitted in a serial format from the respective cameras via a physical single-ended communications link in a forward channel;

determining synchronization data based upon the control data;

causing transmission of the synchronization data to the plurality of cameras via the physical single-ended communications link in a reverse channel by modulating a signal received from the plurality of cameras to encode the synchronization data in a deserialized format in the reverse channel so that the signal comprises the forward channel data and the reverse channel data simultaneously over the same physical single-ended communications link; and

receiving synchronized video frame data and control data from the plurality of cameras.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising processing the synchronized video frame data and causing transmission of the synchronized video frame data via an input/output channel.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising determining an internally counted frame duration time interval, wherein the causing transmission of the synchronization data to the plurality of cameras via the physical single-ended communications link in a reverse channel further comprises causing transmission of the synchronization data to the plurality of cameras via the physical single-ended communications link in a reverse channel at each internally counted frame duration time interval.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the forward channel data comprises relatively high speed serial data and relatively low speed serial data.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the control data comprises at least one of frame signals, line synch signals, or both frame signals and line synch signals.