VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM USING IMAGE DATA TRANSMISSION AND POWER SUPPLY VIA A COAXIAL CABLE

• US 20190260922A1
• Filed: 05/02/2019
• Published: 08/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ihlenburg, Joern, Steigerwald, Jens, Schoppner, Michael Dominik
• Granted Patent: US 10,567,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/02 mainly consisting of metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/18 Coaxial cables; Analogous cables having more than one inner conductor within a common outer conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/445 from vinylfluorides or other fluoroethylenic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0216 Two layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at a vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, each of the imaging sensors capturing respective image data. The imaging sensors are connected to a control via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables. Each single core coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data from the respective imaging sensor to the control for processing and (ii) power to the respective imaging sensor. Each imaging sensor is capable of communicating via a particular communication protocol. While each of the imaging sensors is in a respective initial mode and after the communication protocol is transmitted by the control to each of the imaging sensors, each of the imaging sensors communicates with the control in accordance with the communication protocol. Each of the single core coaxial cables provides bidirectional communication between the control and the respective imaging sensor.

Claims

1. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:

a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at a vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, each of said imaging sensors capturing respective image data;

a control disposed at the vehicle, the control comprising a data processor;

wherein said imaging sensors are connected to said control via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables;

wherein each of said single core coaxial cables commonly carries (i) image data from the respective imaging sensor to the control for processing at the data processor and (ii) power to the respective imaging sensor;

wherein each of said imaging sensors is capable of communicating via an ETHERNET communication protocol;

wherein, when initially powering up said vehicular vision system, each of said imaging sensors is in a respective initial mode;

wherein, while each of said imaging sensors is in the respective initial mode, the ETHERNET communication protocol is transmitted by said control to each of said imaging sensors and each of said imaging sensors receives the ETHERNET communication protocol;

wherein, after the ETHERNET communication protocol is transmitted by said control to each of said imaging sensors, each of said imaging sensors communicates with said control in accordance with the ETHERNET communication protocol; and

wherein each of said single core coaxial cables provides bidirectional communication between said control and the respective imaging sensor.

2. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein, while each of said imaging sensors is in the respective initial mode, each of said imaging sensors communicates, using the ETHERNET communication protocol, with at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a communication interface of said vehicular vision system and (ii) a display device operable to display images derived from image data captured by at least one of said imaging sensors for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

3. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein, when initially powering up said vehicular vision system, a transceiver of each of said imaging sensors is tuned to the respective initial mode.

4. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, further comprising a display device disposed in the vehicle and operable to display images derived from image data captured by at least one of said imaging sensors for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

5. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables comprises (i) an inner metallic core, (ii) a dielectric medium, (iii) a foil screen, (iv) an outer metallic conductor and (v) an outer sheath.

6. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables interfaces via a first signal node comprising a core of the respective single core coaxial cable and a second signal node comprising a shield of the respective single core coaxial cable.

7. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables carries communication data.

8. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein power to said imaging sensors is from a DC power supply.

9. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:

a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at a vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, each of said imaging sensors capturing respective image data;

a control disposed at the vehicle, the control comprising a data processor;

wherein said imaging sensors are connected to said control via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables;

wherein each of said single core coaxial cables commonly carries (i) image data from the respective imaging sensor to the control for processing at the data processor and (ii) power to the respective imaging sensor;

wherein each of said imaging sensors is capable of communicating via a Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) communication protocol;

wherein, when initially powering up said vehicular vision system, each of said imaging sensors is in a respective initial mode;

wherein, while each of said imaging sensors is in the respective initial mode, the GMSL communication protocol is transmitted by said control to each of said imaging sensors and each of said imaging sensors receives the GMSL communication protocol;

wherein, after the GMSL communication protocol is transmitted by said control to each of said imaging sensors, each of said imaging sensors communicates with said control in accordance with the GMSL communication protocol; and

wherein each of said single core coaxial cables provides bidirectional communication between said control and the respective imaging sensor.

10. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, wherein, while each of said imaging sensors is in the respective initial mode, each of said imaging sensors communicates, using the GMSL communication protocol, with at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a communication interface of said vehicular vision system and (ii) a display device operable to display images derived from image data captured by at least one of said imaging sensors for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

11. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, wherein, when initially powering up said vehicular vision system, a transceiver of each of said imaging sensors is tuned to the respective initial mode.

12. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, further comprising a display device disposed in the vehicle and operable to display images derived from image data captured by at least one of said imaging sensors for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

13. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables comprises (i) an inner metallic core, (ii) a dielectric medium, (iii) a foil screen, (iv) an outer metallic conductor and (v) an outer sheath.

14. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables interfaces via a first signal node comprising a core of the respective single core coaxial cable and a second signal node comprising a shield of the respective single core coaxial cable.

15. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables carries communication data.

16. The vehicular vision system of claim 9, wherein power to said imaging sensors is from a DC power supply.

17. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:

a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at a vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, each of said imaging sensors capturing respective image data;

a control disposed at the vehicle, the control comprising a data processor;

wherein said imaging sensors are connected to said control via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables;

wherein each of said single core coaxial cables commonly carries (i) image data from the respective imaging sensor to the control for processing at the data processor and (ii) power to the respective imaging sensor;

wherein each of said imaging sensors is capable of communicating via a FPD-Link III communication protocol;

wherein, when initially powering up said vehicular vision system, each of said imaging sensors is in a respective initial mode;

wherein, while each of said imaging sensors is in the respective initial mode, the FPD-Link III communication protocol is transmitted by said control to each of said imaging sensors and each of said imaging sensors receives the FPD-Link III communication protocol;

wherein, after the FPD-Link III communication protocol is transmitted by said control to each of said imaging sensors, each of said imaging sensors communicates with said control in accordance with the FPD-Link III communication protocol; and

wherein each of said single core coaxial cables provides bidirectional communication between said control and the respective imaging sensor.

18. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein, while each of said imaging sensors is in the respective initial mode, each of said imaging sensors communicates, using the FPD-Link III communication protocol, with at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a communication interface of said vehicular vision system and (ii) a display device operable to display images derived from image data captured by at least one of said imaging sensors for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

19. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein, when initially powering up said vehicular vision system, a transceiver of each of said imaging sensors is tuned to the respective initial mode.

20. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, further comprising a display device disposed in the vehicle and operable to display images derived from image data captured by at least one of said imaging sensors for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

21. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables comprises (i) an inner metallic core, (ii) a dielectric medium, (iii) a foil screen, (iv) an outer metallic conductor and (v) an outer sheath.

22. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables interfaces via a first signal node comprising a core of the respective single core coaxial cable and a second signal node comprising a shield of the respective single core coaxial cable.

23. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein each of said single core coaxial cables carries communication data.

24. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein power to said imaging sensors is from a DC power supply.