System and method for determining vehicle wireless camera latency

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for determining a vehicle wireless camera wait time are disclosed. An exemplary vehicle includes a display and a brake light, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive data transmitted by a wireless camera, the wireless camera being configured to capture an image of the brake light. The processor is further configured to determine a first time point at which the wireless camera captures the illuminated brake light. The processor is further configured to determine a second time point at which the display displays the illuminated brake light. And the processor is further configured to determine a wireless camera wait time based on the first and second time points.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to systems, devices, and methods for determining vehicle wireless camera latency, and more particularly, enabling the use of off-the-shelf (or after-market) wireless cameras associated with a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Modern vehicles are increasingly being sold with reversing or reverse view cameras to allow the driver to see behind the vehicle. This is particularly true for vehicles used to tow a trailer so that the driver's view may be obstructed.

[0003] Some rear-facing cameras may be wired, such that communication between the camera and the vehicle is performed via a wired connection. Alternatively, some cameras may be wireless, and images or videos may be transmitted to the vehicle via one or more wireless communication protocols. Summary of the invention

[0004] The appended claims define the application. This disclosure summarizes aspects of the embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims. As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from a review of the following figures and detailed description, other implementations are contemplated based on the techniques described herein, and these implementations are intended to be within the scope of this application.

[0005] An exemplary embodiment for determining a wireless camera wait time and providing the wireless camera wait time to a vehicle user is shown, wherein the wireless camera wait time may reflect a delay between when an activity occurs within the camera's field of view and when the activity is displayed on a vehicle display. An exemplary disclosed vehicle includes a display and a brake light. The vehicle also includes a processor configured to receive data transmitted by a wireless camera configured to capture an image of the brake light. The processor is further configured to determine a first time point at which the wireless camera captured the illuminated brake light. The processor is further configured to determine a second time point at which the display displays the illuminated brake light. And the processor is further configured to determine the wireless camera wait time based on the first and second time points.

[0006] An exemplary disclosed method for determining a vehicle wireless camera wait time includes determining, by a processor, a first time point at which a wireless camera captures an illuminated brake light. The method also includes determining, by the processor, a second time point at which a vehicle display coupled to the wireless camera displays the illuminated brake light. And the method also includes determining, by the processor, a wireless camera wait time based on the first and second time points.

[0007] An exemplary disclosed non-transitory computer-readable medium has instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform a set of actions. The set of actions includes determining a first point in time at which a wireless camera captures an illuminated brake light. The set of actions also includes determining a second point in time at which a vehicle display coupled to the wireless camera displays the illuminated brake light. And the set of actions also includes determining a wireless camera wait time based on the first and second points in time.

[0008] Another example may include means for determining a first point in time at which a wireless camera captured an illuminated brake light. The example may also include means for determining a second point in time at which a vehicle display coupled to the wireless camera exhibited the illuminated brake light. And the example may also include means for determining a wireless camera wait time based on the first and second points in time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the embodiments shown in the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and related elements may be omitted, or in some cases the proportions may have been exaggerated in order to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. In addition, the system components may be arranged in various ways, as is known in the art. Moreover, in the drawings, the same reference numerals represent corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0010] Figure 1 An exemplary vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 2 Example Figure 1 An exemplary block diagram of some electronic components of a vehicle.

[0012] Figure 3 An exemplary timeline that may be used to determine wireless camera wait time according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] While the present invention can be embodied in various forms, some exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are shown in the drawings and will be described below, and it should be understood that this disclosure is to be considered as an example of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

[0015] As described above, the exemplary apparatus, systems, and methods disclosed herein relate to determining wireless camera latency and alerting a driver to allow the driver to determine if the delay in an image presented on a vehicle display is short enough.

[0016] Many vehicle manufacturers, especially those that produce vehicles for towing trailers, include the ability to use rear-view or rear-facing cameras. These cameras can provide the driver of the vehicle with a view to the rear of the vehicle and / or trailer so that the driver can have a better view of the surroundings. This can be particularly important when the vehicle and / or trailer is in reverse and when the driver is backing up.

[0017] Cameras have traditionally been wired to one or more other systems of a vehicle, allowing a central vehicle processor and / or display to present images received via the wired connection. To provide more flexibility in use, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may include a wireless camera configured to communicate with one or more systems, devices, or components of a vehicle via Wi-Fi or another wireless communication method. Additionally, the systems, devices, and methods of the present disclosure may allow a user to include a secondary market or off-the-shelf wireless camera that does not need to be pre-initialized or have any predetermined characteristics known to the vehicle manufacturer. This allows for greater flexibility of use.

[0018] However, the use of wireless cameras may be accompanied by significant problems that must be overcome. For example, the introduction of wireless cameras may include transmission delays or wireless camera latency. The latency may cause a delay in displaying the activity on the screen after the activity is captured by the camera. This may be frustrating to the driver and may result in reduced safety and delays in taking action, such as a delay in applying the brakes when an object is detected behind the vehicle.

[0019] The latency must be kept below a threshold level to ensure that the driver can use the camera correctly. For example, the threshold latency may be on the order of hundreds of milliseconds at the high end. Any higher latency may cause safety issues for the driver backing up because the display is delayed too far relative to reality.

[0020] Thus, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may provide methods, systems, and apparatus that enable a driver to test the latency of a wireless camera when the camera is used in a vehicle setting to allow the user to determine if the latency is too high and if the camera can be used safely. Additionally, the embodiments disclosed herein may enable the driver (he or she) to perform the test himself, which allows the driver to quickly and easily determine if a specific camera should be used, even one that is not included with the vehicle and / or purchased separately.

[0021] To accomplish these tasks and assist in resolving the issues described above, an exemplary vehicle may include a display, a brake light, and a processor communicatively coupled to a wireless camera aimed at the brake light. In one example, the camera latency may be determined by performing the following steps: (1) pairing the vehicle with the wireless camera, (2) instructing a user to aim the wireless camera at the vehicle brake light, and (3) instructing the user to depress the brake pedal.

[0022] Once the brake pedal is depressed, two points in time may be determined, for example, by a vehicle processor, and the time difference may be used to determine the camera wait time. First, the processor may determine a first point in time at which the wireless camera captured the illuminated brake light. This may be, for example, a specific point in time at which the brake light reaches full illumination (due to delays and time required to fully energize the brake light). This may be determined based on various signals from the vehicle and known delays. The first point in time may also be determined relative to the point in time at which the user depresses the brake pedal.

[0023] The second point in time may be determined by the processor as the point in time at which the vehicle display shows the brake lights illuminated. This may be done by performing image processing on the display to detect when the brake lights are shown at full illumination. In practice, the first point in time may be the point in time at which the specific activity is captured by the camera, and the second point in time may be the point in time at which the specific activity is shown on the display. The specific activity in the example described above happens to be when the brake lights reach full illumination. However, other activities may also be used, such as when the brake lights are first turned on, strobed on and off, or some other event.

[0024] The difference between the first point in time and the second point in time may be the wireless camera latency, which reflects the delay between when the activity is captured by the camera (the brake lights reach full illumination) and when the activity is shown on the display.

[0025] The two points in time may be determined based on other reference points using known or pre-calculated system, device, and processing delays in conjunction with signals received from one or more devices or systems of the vehicle and / or wireless camera. For example, a vehicle processor may receive a signal from a brake light indicating when the brake light has received power. Additionally, internal vehicle delays as well as various processing delays may be predetermined. Signals and delays may be added and subtracted in various combinations to arrive at a specific point in time at which one or more activities occurred.

[0026] Figure 1An exemplary vehicle 100 is illustrated coupled to a trailer. Vehicle 100 may be a standard gasoline powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or any other type of vehicle that enables mobility. Vehicle 100 may be non-autonomous, semi-autonomous, or autonomous. Vehicle 100 includes portions related to mobility, such as a powertrain having an engine, a transmission, a suspension, a drive shaft, and / or wheels. In the illustrated example, vehicle 100 may include information related to Figure 2 One or more electronic components are described in further detail.

[0027] Vehicle 100 may include display 102, brake light 108, and processor 110. Trailer may include brake light 104, and may have wireless camera 106 coupled to the rear side of the trailer. In some examples, brake light 104 and brake light 108 may be electrically coupled so that both lights turn on and off simultaneously.

[0028] The display 102 may be configured to receive instructions and data from the processor 110 and to present images and video captured by the wireless camera 106 .

[0029] Brake lights 104 and 108 may be coupled to a brake pedal of vehicle 100 such that when the brake pedal is depressed, the brake lights receive power and turn on. Additionally, brake lights 104 and 108 may include an illumination delay corresponding to the length of time between when the brake lights first receive power and when the brake lights reach full intensity. This may be a warm-up period for the lights. In some examples, brake lights 104 and 108 may be LED lights, in which case the illumination delay may be negligible or very small. Alternatively, brake lights 104 and 108 may include incandescent bulbs or another type of bulb that may have a longer warm-up period.

[0030] The wireless camera 106 may be any type of camera configured to communicate with the vehicle 100 via a wireless communication protocol. For example, the wireless camera 106 may stream or transmit data to the vehicle 100 via Wi-Fi, RF, or another communication protocol. During operation, the wireless camera 106 may capture an image at a first point in time, and after an internal delay, may transmit the image to the vehicle 100. The internal camera processing delay may vary from camera to camera, and thus may be a significant factor in the overall wireless camera latency. The transmission of the image and / or video data to the vehicle 100 may include another transmission delay. This transmission delay may also add to the overall wireless camera latency.

[0031] The processor 110 may be configured to receive image and / or video data from the wireless camera 106, process the data, and cause the data to be presented on the display 102. After receiving the data, the processor may include a processing delay that may factor into the overall wireless camera latency.

[0032] The processor 110 may also be configured to determine various timings and delays of the various systems and devices of the present disclosure in order to ultimately determine the wireless camera wait time. For example, the processor 110 may determine (1) when the brake pedal is depressed, (2) when the brake lights receive power, (3) when the brake lights reach full illumination, (4) when data from the camera is received by the processor, and (5) when the data is displayed on the display 102. Other determinations are also possible.

[0033] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram 200 is illustrated showing electronic components of vehicle 100 according to some embodiments. In the illustrated example, electronic components 200 include an onboard computing system 210, an infotainment head unit 220, lights 224, a communication module 230, sensors 240, an electronic control unit 250, and a vehicle data bus 260.

[0034] The onboard computing system 210 may include a microcontroller unit, controller or processor 110 and a memory 212. The processor 110 may be any suitable processing device or collection of processing devices, such as but not limited to a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, an integrated circuit, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The memory 212 may be a volatile memory (e.g., RAM, including non-volatile RAM, magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, etc.), a non-volatile memory (e.g., disk storage, flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, non-volatile solid-state memory based on memristors, etc.), an unchangeable memory (e.g., EPROM), a read-only memory, and / or a high-capacity storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, etc.). In some examples, the memory 212 includes multiple types of memory, particularly volatile memory and non-volatile memory.

[0035] The memory 212 may be a computer-readable medium on which one or more instruction sets (e.g., software for operating the methods of the present disclosure) may be embedded. The instructions may implement one or more of the methods or logics described herein. For example, the instructions may reside completely or at least partially within one or more of the memory 212, the computer-readable medium, and / or reside within the processor 110 during execution of the instructions.

[0036] The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include a single medium or multiple media, such as a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers storing one or more instruction sets. Furthermore, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include any tangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying an instruction set for execution by a processor or causing a system to perform one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" is expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk and to exclude propagating signals.

[0037] The infotainment head unit 220 may provide an interface between the vehicle 100 and a user. The infotainment head unit 220 may include one or more input and / or output devices, such as the display 102. The input devices may include, for example, a control knob, an instrument panel, a digital camera for image capture and / or visual command recognition, a touch screen, an audio input device (e.g., a cabin microphone), a button, or a touch pad. The output devices may include an instrument cluster output (e.g., a dial, a lighting device), an actuator, a head-up display, a center console display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a flat panel display, a solid-state display, etc.), and / or a speaker. In the illustrated example, the infotainment head unit 220 includes hardware (e.g., a processor or controller, memory, storage devices, etc.) and a computer program product for an infotainment system (e.g., a display). of and MyFord of of In some examples, the infotainment head unit 220 may share a processor with the vehicle computing system 210. In addition, the infotainment head unit 220 may display the infotainment system on, for example, the center console display 102 of the vehicle 100.

[0038] Lights 224 may include vehicle brake lights 104 and 108. Brake lights 104 and 108 may include sensors or circuits configured to send a signal to processor 110 when the brake lights have been powered on, powered off, reached full illumination, or when another event occurs.

[0039] The communication module 230 may include one or more antennas configured to receive data from one or more wireless sources. The communication module 230 may be communicatively coupled to the wireless camera 106 and may receive images and / or video via one or more wireless protocols.

[0040] Sensors 240 may be arranged in and about vehicle 100 in any suitable manner, and may be configured to determine one or more characteristics of vehicle 100. For example, accelerometer 242 may measure acceleration of vehicle 100, gyroscope 244 may measure pitch, roll, yaw, or other changes in vehicle 100, and camera 106 may be configured to capture and transmit images to be displayed by vehicle 100. Other sensors may also be included, such as noise detection sensors, air flow sensors, and more.

[0041] ECU 250 can monitor and control the subsystems of vehicle 100. ECU 250 can communicate and exchange information via vehicle data bus 260. In addition, ECU 250 can communicate properties (such as the status of ECU 250, sensor readings, control status, errors and diagnostic codes, etc.) to other ECU 250 and / or receive requests from other ECU 250. Some vehicles 100 may have seventy or more ECU 250 located in various locations around the vehicle 100, which are communicatively coupled through vehicle data bus 260. ECU 250 can be a collection of discrete electronic devices including their own circuits (such as integrated circuits, microprocessors, memory, storage devices, etc.) and firmware, sensors, actuators and / or mounting hardware. In the illustrated example, ECU 250 may include telematics control unit 252, body control unit 254 and speed control unit 256.

[0042] The telematics control unit 252 may control the tracking of the vehicle 100, for example, using data received by a GPS receiver, the communication module 230, and / or one or more sensors. The body control unit 254 may control various subsystems of the vehicle 100. For example, the body control unit 254 may control a power trunk latch, windows, power locks, power sunroof control, an immobilizer system, and / or power mirrors, etc. The speed control unit 256 may control the speed of the vehicle 100 via control of the brakes, the drive train, and / or one or more other systems or devices. Other ECUs are also possible.

[0043] The vehicle data bus 260 may include one or more data buses that communicatively couple the onboard computing system 210, the infotainment head unit 220, the lights 224, the communication module 230, the sensors 240, the ECU 250, and other devices or systems connected to the vehicle data bus 260. In some examples, the vehicle data bus 260 may be implemented according to the controller area network (CAN) bus protocol as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11898-1. Alternatively, in some examples, the vehicle data bus 250 may be a media oriented systems transport (MOST) bus, or a CAN-flexible data (CAN-FD) bus (ISO 11898-7).

[0044] Figure 3 An example timeline 300 is shown that illustrates events that may occur during the process of performing one or more methods described herein. The method may be performed by the systems and devices of the present disclosure and may be used to determine wireless camera wait time by causing a user to depress a brake pedal, capturing the resulting brake light illumination, and displaying the brake light illumination on a vehicle display.

[0045] At box 302, a user of the vehicle may depress the brake pedal, which may cause the brake pedal hard line to become "high". This in turn may cause the brake lights to be energized. Time T0 reflects the point in time at which the brake lights first receive power to turn on the brake lights.

[0046] At box 304, timeline 300 includes brake light illumination. At the beginning of box 304, the brake light may receive power for the first time and may begin to become illuminated. The light may gradually become more illuminated over time and may reach full illumination at time T2.

[0047] Block 306 may include the duration of illumination of the brake light captured by a wireless camera (such as camera 106). This time period may be comparable to the time period during which the light receives power and becomes fully illuminated (ie, block 304).

[0048] Block 308 may include a camera processing delay corresponding to the length of time after the activity is captured by the camera to the time the activity is transmitted for display by the vehicle. This delay is an internal camera delay, which may be different for each camera and may be different based on the manufacturer or other characteristics of the camera.

[0049] Block 310 includes an internal vehicle delay corresponding to the length of time it takes for a message indicating that the brake lights have received power to reach the processor. After the brake pedal is depressed and the brake lights receive power, a message indicating that the brake lights have received power may be sent. This message may include an inherent delay due to the system or mechanism by which the message is sent. For example, this delay may be approximately 50 ms, reflecting the delay based on the vehicle controller area network (CAN) bus.

[0050] Time T1 reflects the point in time at which the vehicle processor receives a signal that the brake light has received power. The processor may use time T1 in order to calculate one or more of times T0 and T2. To do this, the processor may subtract a known internal vehicle delay 310 from time T1 and add a known time period required for the brake light to fully illuminate. The internal vehicle delay may be determined during manufacturing and may be stored in the vehicle's memory. In addition, the time required for the brake light to become fully illuminated may be known, which depends on one or more characteristics of the light used. The vehicle may have stored a lookup table or one or more values ​​corresponding to various lights in memory. And the specific light used in the brake light may affect the delay of box 304. In some instances, the type of light used may be requested as input from the user, and the user may enter the type of light at some time before running the test to determine the camera wait time.

[0051] Box 312 may begin immediately after the camera processing delay 308. Box 312 may include the camera streaming the captured images and / or video to the vehicle via a wireless communication path. The wireless camera may be Figure 3 The data transmission to the vehicle continues for a longer period of time than the time period shown in FIG.

[0052] Time T3 reflects the time point at which the vehicle first receives data from the wireless camera, corresponding to the brake lights becoming fully illuminated. Block 314 includes the vehicle receiving data from the wireless camera, which may continue to perform Darby Figure 3 The time periods shown in are longer or shorter.

[0053] Beginning at time T3, after receiving data from the camera, block 316 may include the vehicle having a vehicle processing delay. The processing delay may correspond to the length of time between the first time at which the brake light image is received and the time at which the brake light image is presented on the display.

[0054] After the vehicle processing delay, box 318 may include displaying the illuminated brake lights on the display. This box may show the same information as that captured by the camera in box 306. Thus, at the end of box 318, the display will show the fully illuminated brake lights (i.e., the state of the brake lights at time T2). This is Figure 3 The time point T4 illustrated in FIG.

[0055] Additionally, when the display begins to show the brake lights becoming illuminated at block 318, the image processor may begin analyzing the display to determine if the brake lights are fully illuminated. The image processor may include an image processing delay at block 320. Block 322 may include the image processor detecting that the display shows the brake lights fully illuminated at time T5. Thus, the processor may be able to directly determine that the display shows the brake lights fully illuminated at time T5.

[0056] However, although the processor can detect that the brake light is fully illuminated at time T5, the actual point in time at which the brake light is shown as fully illuminated is at time T4. Thus, the wireless camera wait time may be the time difference between time T4 and time T2. However, these time points may not be easily determined directly.

[0057] To determine time point T4, the processor may subtract the known image processing delay from time T5. The processing delay may be determined during manufacturing, or at some other time, and stored in the vehicle memory.

[0058] And the processor can indirectly determine time T2 based on the measured time point T1. This can be done by subtracting the known internal vehicle delay of box 310 and adding the known brake light illumination delay of box 304.

[0059] And based on the determined T2 and T4, the processor can determine the camera waiting time. This waiting time can then be displayed on the vehicle display.

[0060] Figure 4 An exemplary method 400 is illustrated according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 400 may enable a vehicle to determine a latency of a wireless camera. Figure 4 The flowcharts of represent machine readable instructions stored in the memory and may include one or more programs that, when executed by the processor, may cause the vehicle 100 and / or one or more systems or devices described herein to perform one or more functions described herein. Figure 4 The flowchart illustrated in the foregoing describes an exemplary procedure, but many other methods for performing the functions described herein may be used instead. For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be rearranged or performed in series or in parallel with each other, and the blocks may be changed, eliminated, and / or combined to perform the method 400. In addition, because the method 400 is combined with Figures 1 to 3 The components are disclosed, so some functions of those components will not be described in detail below.

[0061] Method 400 may begin at block 402. At block 404, a user may initiate a wait time test. Alternatively, block 404 may include an automatic wait time test initiation based on a new wireless camera connected or paired with a vehicle. The wait time test may include prompting the user to aim the wireless camera at the vehicle's brake lights and then instructing the user to depress the brake pedal.

[0062] At box 406, method 400 may include the camera starting to stream or transmit data to the vehicle to be displayed on the vehicle display. At box 408, method 400 may include the user pressing the brake pedal. This may start a timer in the vehicle, after which various time points may be determined.

[0063] Method 400 may then involve determining a point in time at which the brake lights have received power. This may be determined based on the vehicle processor receiving a signal indicating that the brake lights have been turned on. Method 400 may then include the processor subtracting an internal vehicle transmission delay from the determined point in time. This subtraction may actually result in a true point in time at which the brake lights are turned on.

[0064] Block 414 of method 400 may then include increasing the illumination delay. As described above, the illumination delay corresponds to the amount of time required for the brake light to reach full illumination from the point at which it is turned on or first receives power.

[0065] Then, based on the determined point in time, the determined internal vehicle data transmission delay, and the illumination delay, method 400 may include determining a first point in time at which the wireless camera captured the illuminated brake light at block 416 .

[0066] At block 418 , method 400 may include the wireless camera streaming data to the vehicle including images and / or video of the brake lights turning on and becoming fully illuminated.

[0067] At box 420, method 400 may include a processor receiving and displaying a data stream from a wireless camera. Then at box 422, method 400 may include the processor removing an image processing delay. The image processing delay may be the amount of time after an image is displayed on a vehicle display until the image processor can identify the time at which the image is located. For example, the image processor may be configured to determine when a displayed image includes a fully illuminated brake light. In this case, the image processing delay would be the amount of time between when the fully illuminated brake light is displayed on the display and when the image processor detects that the fully illuminated brake light is displayed on the display. The image processing delay may be determined during the manufacture of the vehicle and / or vehicle components. Thus, the image processing delay may be a hard-coded constant.

[0068] At block 424 , the method 400 may include the image processor determining that the brake lights are fully illuminated. And at block 426 , the method 400 may include determining a second point in time at which the display shows the brake lights fully illuminated.

[0069] Then, based on the first and second determined time points, block 428 of method 400 may include the processor determining a wireless camera wait time. This may include determining a difference between the first time point and the second time point.

[0070] Additionally, method 400 may include presenting the determined camera wait time on a display, and / or indicating whether the wait time is too high. The vehicle may have a stored threshold to which the determined wait time may be compared, and the method may include displaying a pass / fail indication or the like to a user via the display.

[0071] The method 400 may then end at block 430 .

[0072] In this application, the use of transitional conjunctions is intended to include conjunctions. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, reference to "the" object or "a" and "an" object is intended to also represent one of a possible plurality of such objects. In addition, the conjunction "or" can be used to convey simultaneous features rather than mutually exclusive alternatives. In other words, the conjunction "or" should be understood to include "and / or". The terms "includes, including and include" are inclusive and have the same scope as comprises, comprising and comprise, respectively.

[0073] The embodiments described above, and specifically any "preferred" embodiments, are possible examples of implementations and are merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the technology described herein. All modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and to be protected by the claims.

[0074] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle having: a display and a brake light; and a processor, which is configured to: receive data transmitted by a wireless camera, the wireless camera being configured to capture an image of the brake light; determine a first time point at which the wireless camera captures the illuminated brake light; determine a second time point at which the display shows the illuminated brake light; and determine a wireless camera wait time based on the first and second time points.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the processor is further configured to: determine a third time point at which the brake light has received power based on a signal received from the brake light; determine an internal vehicle data transmission delay; determine an illumination delay corresponding to a first length of time between when the brake light receives power and when the brake light becomes fully illuminated; and determine the first time point based on the third time point, the internal vehicle data transmission delay, and the illumination delay.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the internal vehicle data transmission delay includes a second time length between (i) when the brake light receives power and (ii) when a message indicating that the brake light has received power is received by the processor.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the first time point is determined by adding the lighting delay to the third time point and subtracting the internal vehicle data transmission delay.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by: an image processor configured to analyze the image on the display, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a fourth time point at which the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated; determine an image processor delay; and determine the second time point based on the fourth time point and the image processor delay.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the image processor delay includes a third time length between (i) when the brake light is fully illuminated and (ii) when the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by a trailer, wherein the wireless camera is mounted on the trailer and the brake light is positioned on the rear side of the trailer.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the processor is further configured to provide an indication of the wireless camera waiting time on the display.

[0082] According to the present invention, a method for determining a waiting time of a vehicle wireless camera is provided, the method comprising: determining, by a processor, a first time point at which a wireless camera captures an illuminated brake light; determining, by the processor, a second time point at which a vehicle display coupled to the wireless camera exhibits the illuminated brake light; and determining, by the processor, a waiting time of the wireless camera based on the first and second time points.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that determining the first time point includes: determining, by the processor, a third time point at which the brake light has received power based on a signal received from the brake light; determining an internal vehicle data transmission delay; determining a lighting delay, the lighting delay corresponding to a first length of time between when the brake light receives power and when the brake light becomes completely illuminated; and determining the first time point based on the third time point, the internal vehicle data transmission delay, and the lighting delay.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the internal vehicle data transmission delay includes a second time length between (i) when the brake light receives power and (ii) when a message indicating that the brake light has received power is received by the processor.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the first time point is determined by adding the lighting delay to the third time point and subtracting the internal vehicle data transmission delay.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that determining the second time point includes: determining, by the processor, a fourth time point at which the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated based on analysis of the image displayed on the vehicle display; determining an image processor delay; and determining, by the processor, the second time point based on the fourth time point and the image processor delay.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the image processor delay includes a third time length between (i) when the brake light is fully illuminated and (ii) when the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that the wireless camera is mounted on a vehicle trailer, and the brake light is positioned on the rear side of the vehicle trailer.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by providing an indication of the wireless camera wait time on the vehicle display.

[0090] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, on which instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, cause a set of actions to be performed, the actions including: determining a first time point at which a wireless camera captures an illuminated brake light; determining a second time point at which a vehicle display coupled to the wireless camera displays the illuminated brake light; and determining a wireless camera waiting time based on the first and second time points.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized in that determining the first time point includes: determining a third time point at which the brake light has received power based on a signal received from the brake light; determining an internal vehicle data transmission delay; determining a lighting delay, the lighting delay corresponding to the length of time between when the brake light receives power and when the brake light becomes completely illuminated; and determining the first time point based on the third time point, the internal vehicle data transmission delay and the lighting delay.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by: determining a fourth time point at which the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated based on analysis of the image displayed on the vehicle display; determining an image processor delay; and determining the second time point by the processor based on the fourth time point and the image processor delay.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by providing an indication of the wireless camera wait time on the vehicle display.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: Display and brake lights; as well as A processor configured to: receiving data transmitted by a wireless camera configured to capture an image of the brake light; determining a first point in time at which the wireless camera captured an illuminated brake light; determining a second point in time at which the display exhibits the illuminated brake light; determining a wireless camera waiting time based on the first and second time points; determining a third point in time at which the brake light has received power based on a signal received from the brake light; Determine internal vehicle data transmission delays; determining an illumination delay corresponding to a first length of time between when the brake light receives power and when the brake light becomes fully illuminated; and The first time point is determined based on the third time point, the internal vehicle data transmission delay, and the lighting delay.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the internal vehicle data transmission delay comprises a second length of time between (i) when the brake light receives power and (ii) when a message indicating that the brake light has received power is received by the processor.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first time point is determined by adding the lighting delay to the third time point and subtracting the internal vehicle data transmission delay.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: an image processor configured to analyze an image on the display, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining a fourth time point at which the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated; determining image processor latency; and The second time point is determined based on the fourth time point and the image processor delay.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the image processor delay includes a third length of time between (i) when the brake light is fully illuminated and (ii) when the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a trailer, wherein the wireless camera is mounted on the trailer and the brake light is positioned on a rear side of the trailer.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an indication of the wireless camera wait time on the display.

8. A method for determining a vehicle wireless camera wait time, the method comprising: determining, by the processor, a first point in time at which the wireless camera captured an illuminated brake light; determining, by the processor, a second point in time at which a vehicle display coupled to the wireless camera exhibits the illuminated brake light; as well as determining, by the processor, a wireless camera waiting time based on the first and second time points, Wherein determining the first time point comprises: determining, by the processor, a third point in time at which the brake light has received power based on a signal received from the brake light; Determine internal vehicle data transmission delays; determining an illumination delay corresponding to a first length of time between when the brake light receives power and when the brake light becomes fully illuminated; and The first time point is determined based on the third time point, the internal vehicle data transmission delay, and the lighting delay.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the internal vehicle data transmission delay comprises a second length of time between (i) when the brake light receives power and (ii) when a message indicating that the brake light has received power is received by the processor.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first time point is determined by adding the lighting delay to the third time point and subtracting the internal vehicle data transmission delay.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the second time point comprises: determining, by the processor, a fourth point in time at which the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated based on an analysis of the image displayed on the vehicle display; Determine image processor latency; as well as The second time point is determined by the processor based on the fourth time point and the image processor delay.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the image processor delay comprises a third length of time between (i) when the brake light is fully illuminated and (ii) when the image processor determines that the brake light is fully illuminated.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless camera is mounted on a vehicle trailer and the brake light is positioned on a rear side of the vehicle trailer.

Images