VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM UTILIZING CAMERA SYNCHRONIZATION
First Claim
1. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
- a plurality of cameras disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system;
wherein said plurality of cameras comprises at least a first camera, a second camera, a third camera and a fourth camera;
each of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera having a respective field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle;
each of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera being operable to capture frames of image data;
an electronics control unit (ECU);
wherein image data captured by said first camera is provided to the ECU via a first ETHERNET link from said first camera to the ECU;
wherein image data captured by said second camera is provided to the ECU via a second ETHERNET link from said second camera to the ECU;
wherein image data captured by said third camera is provided to the ECU via a third ETHERNET link from said third camera to the ECU;
wherein image data captured by said fourth camera is provided to the ECU via a fourth ETHERNET link from said fourth camera to the ECU;
wherein control signals controlling operation of said first camera are provided from the ECU to said first camera via said first ETHERNET link;
wherein control signals controlling operation of said second camera are provided from the ECU to said second camera via said second ETHERNET link;
wherein control signals controlling operation of said third camera are provided from the ECU to said third camera via said third ETHERNET link;
wherein control signals controlling operation of said fourth camera are provided from the ECU to said fourth camera via said second fourth ETHERNET link;
wherein said first camera receives from the ECU via said first ETHERNET link a first camera control signal that regulates timing of said first camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU;
wherein regulation of timing of said first camera comprises starting said first camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said first camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing;
wherein said second camera receives from the ECU via said second ETHERNET link a second camera control signal that regulates timing of said second camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU;
wherein regulation of timing of said second camera comprises starting said second camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said second camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing;
wherein said third camera receives from the ECU via said third ETHERNET link a third camera control signal that regulates timing of said third camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU;
wherein regulation of timing of said third camera comprises starting said third camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said third camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing;
wherein said fourth camera receives from the ECU via said fourth ETHERNET link a fourth camera control signal that regulates timing of said fourth camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; and
wherein regulation of timing of said fourth camera comprises starting said fourth camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said fourth camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of cameras disposed at the vehicle and having respective fields of view exterior of the vehicle and being operable to capture frames of image data. Image data captured by each of the first camera is provided to an ECU via a respective ETHERNET link from the respective camera to the ECU. Control signals controlling operation of each camera are provided from the ECU to the respective camera via the respective ETHERNET link. Each camera receives from the ECU via the respective ETHERNET link a camera control signal that regulates timing of the respective camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU. Regulation of timing of each camera includes starting the respective camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding the respective camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
-
a plurality of cameras disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system; wherein said plurality of cameras comprises at least a first camera, a second camera, a third camera and a fourth camera; each of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera having a respective field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle; each of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera being operable to capture frames of image data; an electronics control unit (ECU); wherein image data captured by said first camera is provided to the ECU via a first ETHERNET link from said first camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said second camera is provided to the ECU via a second ETHERNET link from said second camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said third camera is provided to the ECU via a third ETHERNET link from said third camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said fourth camera is provided to the ECU via a fourth ETHERNET link from said fourth camera to the ECU; wherein control signals controlling operation of said first camera are provided from the ECU to said first camera via said first ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said second camera are provided from the ECU to said second camera via said second ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said third camera are provided from the ECU to said third camera via said third ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said fourth camera are provided from the ECU to said fourth camera via said second fourth ETHERNET link; wherein said first camera receives from the ECU via said first ETHERNET link a first camera control signal that regulates timing of said first camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said first camera comprises starting said first camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said first camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said second camera receives from the ECU via said second ETHERNET link a second camera control signal that regulates timing of said second camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said second camera comprises starting said second camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said second camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said third camera receives from the ECU via said third ETHERNET link a third camera control signal that regulates timing of said third camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said third camera comprises starting said third camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said third camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said fourth camera receives from the ECU via said fourth ETHERNET link a fourth camera control signal that regulates timing of said fourth camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; and wherein regulation of timing of said fourth camera comprises starting said fourth camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said fourth camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
-
a plurality of cameras disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system; wherein said plurality of cameras comprises at least a first camera, a second camera, a third camera and a fourth camera; each of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera having a respective field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle; each of said first, second, third and fourth cameras comprising a megapixel imaging array having at least one million photosensing elements arranged in columns and rows of photosensing elements; each of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera being operable to capture frames of image data; an electronics control unit (ECU); wherein image data captured by said first camera is provided to the ECU via a first ETHERNET link from said first camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said second camera is provided to the ECU via a second ETHERNET link from said second camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said third camera is provided to the ECU via a third ETHERNET link from said third camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said fourth camera is provided to the ECU via a fourth ETHERNET link from said fourth camera to the ECU; wherein control signals controlling operation of said first camera are provided from the ECU to said first camera via said first ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said second camera are provided from the ECU to said second camera via said second ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said third camera are provided from the ECU to said third camera via said third ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said fourth camera are provided from the ECU to said fourth camera via said second fourth ETHERNET link; wherein said first camera receives from the ECU via said first ETHERNET link a first camera control signal that regulates timing of said first camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said first camera comprises starting said first camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said first camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said second camera receives from the ECU via said second ETHERNET link a second camera control signal that regulates timing of said second camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said second camera comprises starting said second camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said second camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said third camera receives from the ECU via said third ETHERNET link a third camera control signal that regulates timing of said third camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said third camera comprises starting said third camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said third camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said fourth camera receives from the ECU via said fourth ETHERNET link a fourth camera control signal that regulates timing of said fourth camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said fourth camera comprises starting said fourth camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said fourth camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; and wherein image data captured by at least some of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera is processed at the ECU to detect an object present exterior of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
-
a plurality of cameras disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system; wherein said plurality of cameras comprises at least a first camera, a second camera, a third camera and a fourth camera; each of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera having a respective field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle; each of said first, second, third and fourth cameras comprising a megapixel imaging array having at least one million photosensing elements arranged in columns and rows of photosensing elements; each of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera being operable to capture frames of image data; an electronics control unit (ECU); wherein image data captured by said first camera is provided to the ECU via a first ETHERNET link from said first camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said second camera is provided to the ECU via a second ETHERNET link from said second camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said third camera is provided to the ECU via a third ETHERNET link from said third camera to the ECU; wherein image data captured by said fourth camera is provided to the ECU via a fourth ETHERNET link from said fourth camera to the ECU; wherein control signals controlling operation of said first camera are provided from the ECU to said first camera via said first ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said second camera are provided from the ECU to said second camera via said second ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said third camera are provided from the ECU to said third camera via said third ETHERNET link; wherein control signals controlling operation of said fourth camera are provided from the ECU to said fourth camera via said second fourth ETHERNET link; wherein said first camera receives from the ECU via said first ETHERNET link a first camera control signal that regulates timing of said first camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said first camera comprises starting said first camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said first camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said second camera receives from the ECU via said second ETHERNET link a second camera control signal that regulates timing of said second camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said second camera comprises starting said second camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said second camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said third camera receives from the ECU via said third ETHERNET link a third camera control signal that regulates timing of said third camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said third camera comprises starting said third camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said third camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said fourth camera receives from the ECU via said fourth ETHERNET link a fourth camera control signal that regulates timing of said fourth camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU; wherein regulation of timing of said fourth camera comprises starting said fourth camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding said fourth camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing; wherein said first camera is disposed at a front portion of the equipped vehicle and wherein said second camera is disposed at a driver-side side portion of the equipped vehicle and wherein said third camera is disposed at a passenger-side side portion of the equipped vehicle and wherein said fourth camera is disposed at a rear portion of the equipped vehicle; wherein said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera are part of a surround view system of the equipped vehicle; and wherein image data captured by at least some of said first camera, said second camera, said third camera and said fourth camera is processed at the ECU, and wherein, responsive at least in part to said processing, the ECU outputs images for display at a display device of the equipped vehicle for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification