SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SYNCHRONIZING VIDEO AND SENSOR SIGNALS

• US 20120274793A1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RD-TEK Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: RD-TEK Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Song Hwan
• Application Number:
  US13/514,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20120274793A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00

Abstract

A system synchronizing video and sensor signals includes: a camera with first synchronization clock, acquiring the video signal, adding acquisition time of first synchronization clock to the video signal; a sensor with second synchronization clock, generating the sensor signal corresponding to the video signal according to sensing operation, adding acquisition time of second synchronization clock to the sensor signal; a controller controlling to receive the sensor signal added with the acquisition time from the sensor and transmit the sensor signal to a computer; a synchronizer with reference clock, transmitting reference time for synchronizing the first and second synchronization clocks to the camera and the sensor; and a computer receiving the sensor signal added with the acquisition time from the controller, receiving the video signal added with the acquisition time from the camera, confirming the acquisition time of the signals, reconfiguring the signals in the same time zone, synchronizing the signals.

Claims

1. A system for synchronizing a video signal and a sensor signal, the system comprising:

a camera apparatus embedded with a first synchronization clock, for acquiring the video signal by photographing a subject, adding acquisition time information of the first synchronization clock to the acquired video signal, and outputting the video signal;

a sensor apparatus embedded with a second synchronization clock, for generating the sensor signal corresponding to the video signal according to a sensing operation, adding acquisition time information of the second synchronization clock to the generated sensor signal, and outputting the sensor signal;

a central control apparatus for controlling to receive the sensor signal added with the acquisition time information from the sensor apparatus and transmit the sensor signal to a computer apparatus;

a synchronization apparatus embedded with a reference clock, for simultaneously transmitting a reference time for synchronizing the first synchronization clock and the second synchronization clock to the camera apparatus and the sensor apparatus at regular intervals; and

a computer apparatus for receiving the sensor signal added with the acquisition time information from the central control apparatus, receiving the video signal added with the acquisition time information from the camera apparatus, confirming the acquisition time information of each of the video signal and the sensor signal, reconfiguring each of the signals in a same time zone, and synchronizing the video signal and the sensor signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the camera apparatus synchronizes the first synchronization clock based on the reference time received from the synchronization apparatus, adds acquisition time information of the first synchronization clock to the photographed and acquired video signal, and transmits the video signal to the computer apparatus.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor apparatus synchronizes the second synchronization clock based on the reference time received from the synchronization apparatus, adds acquisition time information of the second synchronization clock to the sensor signal generated according to a sensing operation, and transmits the sensor signal to the central control apparatus.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor apparatus compares the reference time received from the synchronization apparatus with a time of the second synchronization clock, performs correction as much as a time difference, adds acquisition time information to the sensor signal based on the corrected time, and transmits the sensor signal to the central control apparatus.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the camera apparatus and the sensor apparatus obtain a time difference by comparing the reference time received from the synchronization apparatus with a time of the first synchronization clock and a time of the second synchronization clock, and transmit the obtained time difference to the computer apparatus respectively, and the computer apparatus corrects the video signal and the sensor signal as much as the time difference on a time axis.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization apparatus requests and acquires current time information from the sensor apparatus, confirms a time difference range by comparing the acquired current time information with reference time information, and transmits time information and a time correction command to The sensor apparatus if correction is needed.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein if the time correction command is received, the sensor apparatus performs correction based on the time information, performs synchronization using a clock received from the synchronization apparatus at a second clock, and transmits a correction completion command to the synchronization apparatus.

8. A synchronization apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for communicating with a camera apparatus, a sensor apparatus, a central control apparatus and a computer apparatus;

a frequency generation unit (oscillator) for generating a frequency signal in order to transmit reference time information for synchronization to the camera apparatus, the sensor apparatus, the central control apparatus and the computer apparatus;

a synchronization clock unit for generating into a clock signal from the generated frequency signal;

a reference time module unit (FPGA) for generating the reference time information from the generated clock signal;

a real-time clock (RTC) unit for providing the reference time module unit with a real time clock (RTC); and

a control unit for controlling the frequency generation unit, the synchronization clock unit and the reference time module unit to generate the reference time information and control to transmit the generated reference time information to the camera apparatus, the sensor apparatus, the central control apparatus and the computer apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control unit requests and acquires current time information from the sensor apparatus, confirms a time difference range by comparing the acquired current time information with the reference time information, and transmits time information and a time correction command to the sensor apparatus if correction is needed.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

an A/D converter for converting an analog signal inputted from the camera apparatus, the sensor apparatus, the central control apparatus and the computer apparatus into a digital signal;

an output unit for outputting the digital signal; and

a display unit for displaying an operation of generating the reference time information, a current time information and an operation of transmitting the time correction command.

11. A sensor apparatus comprising:

a sensor for generating a sensor signal sensing a slope, tension, weight;

a signal conversion unit for converting the sensor signal of an analog form into sensor data of a digital form;

a communication unit for transmitting the sensor data to a synchronization apparatus and a central control apparatus;

a synchronization clock unit for performing synchronization using a reference time provided by the synchronization apparatus;

a memory unit for storing the sensor data;

a control unit for controlling to transmit the sensor data to the central control apparatus, receive the reference time from the synchronization apparatus and perform synchronization using the reference time, and transmit acquisition time information of the sensor data to the central control apparatus with the sensor data;

a frequency generation unit for generating a frequency signal and providing the control unit with the frequency signal; and

a real-time clock module (RTC) unit for providing the control unit with a real time clock (RTC).

12. A camera apparatus comprising:

a photographing unit for acquiring a video signal by photographing a subject;

a communication unit for transmitting the video signal to a computer apparatus or a central control apparatus and communicating with a synchronization apparatus; and

a synchronization clock unit synchronized to a reference time received from the synchronization apparatus and providing a time of acquiring the video signal.

13. A method of synchronizing a video signal and a sensor signal of a system including a camera apparatus, a sensor apparatus, a central control apparatus, a synchronization apparatus and a computer apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting synchronization time information to the camera apparatus and the sensor apparatuses by the synchronization apparatus;

(b) synchronizing an embedded synchronization clock based on the synchronization time information by the camera apparatus and the sensor apparatus, respectively;

(c) acquiring the video signal and the sensor signal, adding acquisition time information, and transmitting the video signal and the sensor signal to the computer apparatus or the central control apparatus by the camera apparatus and the sensor apparatus, respectively; and

(d) performing synchronization of the video signal and the sensor signal based on the acquisition time information by the computer apparatus.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein in step (c), the central control apparatus transmits the sensor signal added with the acquisition time information to the computer apparatus.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein in step (d), the computer apparatus calculates a time difference by comparing the acquisition time information of the camera apparatus and the sensor apparatus and synchronizes the video signal and the sensor signal by correcting the video signal and the sensor signal as much as the time difference on a time axis.

16. A method of synchronizing a video signal and a sensor signal of a synchronization apparatus communicating with an apparatus including a camera apparatus, a sensor apparatus, a central control apparatus and a computer apparatus through a wired or wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting and receiving current time information from the apparatus;

(b) acquiring time difference information by comparing the current time information with reference time information;

(c) generating time information for correcting the time. difference information, and transmitting the time information and a time correction command to the apparatus; and

(d) receiving a synchronization completion command informing completion of synchronization as a time correction performed based on the time information, from the apparatus.

17. A method of synchronizing a video signal and a sensor signal of a computer apparatus communicating with a camera apparatus, a sensor apparatus, a central control apparatus and a synchronization apparatus through a wired or wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving reference time information from the synchronization apparatus and synchronizing an embedded synchronization clock with the reference time information;

(b) receiving the video signal added with acquisition time information from the camera apparatus, and receiving the sensor signal acquired by the sensor apparatus and added with acquisition time information from the central control apparatus; and

(c) synchronizing the video signal and the sensor signal based on the acquisition time information.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein step (c) calculates a time difference by comparing the acquisition time information of the camera apparatus and the sensor apparatus and synchronizes the video signal and the sensor signal by correcting the video signal and the sensor signal as much as the time difference on a time axis.