Vehicle terminal

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle-mounted terminal, which is characterized by comprising: a main antenna for receiving and transmitting cellular wireless signals; a cellular communication module connected to the main antenna for cellular network communication; a plurality of camera devices for acquiring images and / or videos around a vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted terminal is mounted; a rear-view camera device for acquiring images and / or videos behind the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted terminal is mounted; a CAN transceiver for receiving data on a CAN bus and / or sending data to the CAN bus; and a microcontroller for performing protocol conversion on data interacted between the CAN transceiver and the cellular communication module. The vehicle-mounted terminal of the present invention integrates the three functions of a 360-degree surround view module, a rear-view video acquisition module, and an intelligent gateway, eliminates devices with overlapping functions, effectively utilizes resources, reduces the space occupied by devices, improves the system interaction efficiency and reliability, and reduces the overall development cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to the technical field of automobiles, and particularly relates to an in-vehicle terminal. Background Art

[0002] When a vehicle starts, turns, parks, meets an oncoming vehicle, avoids obstacles, etc., due to the existence of driving blind spots, the driver cannot observe the situation in the area relatively close to the vehicle body, and accidents such as scratches, collisions, and rollovers are likely to occur. To avoid the occurrence of the above accidents, some existing vehicles are equipped with a 360-degree surround view module, which can display the situation around the vehicle and assist the driver in understanding the situation around the vehicle. Figure 1 is a basic block diagram of an existing 360-degree surround view module. Refer to Figure 1 As shown, the 360-degree surround view module includes four cameras, a four-in-one-out switch, a main processor (MPU), a microcontroller (MCU), a memory, a storage module, a power management module, a power module, etc. The four cameras are respectively arranged at the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle to respectively obtain the road condition images in front of, behind, to the left, and to the right of the vehicle. The road condition images obtained by the four cameras are sent to the main processor through the four-in-one-out switch in a time-sharing manner. The main processor processes these road condition images, stitches them into an image that can display the situation around the vehicle, and displays it to the driver through the car machine. The main processor is also respectively connected to the memory, the storage module, and the power management module to assist in realizing the processing function of the main processor for the road condition images. The microcontroller is mainly used to control operations such as starting, shutting down, starting to process images, and stopping to process images of components such as the main processor according to the ignition signal, etc. The power module is used to supply power to each component in the 360-degree surround view module.

[0003] Vehicle networking is a new technology that realizes the interconnection and intercommunication among vehicles, between vehicles and roads, between vehicles and people, and between vehicles and service platforms by means of information and communication technologies. To achieve these interconnections and intercommunications in vehicle networking technology, the technology currently adopted is usually to set up an intelligent gateway in the vehicle. Figure 2 is a basic block diagram of an existing intelligent gateway. Refer to Figure 2 As shown, the intelligent gateway mainly includes a processor, and a CAN transceiver, an Ethernet switch, and a cellular communication module respectively connected to the processor. In the intelligent gateway, the processor mainly performs protocol conversion on the data exchanged between any two of the CAN transceiver, the Ethernet switch, and the cellular communication module. Similarly, the intelligent gateway also includes a power module connected to the battery to supply power to each component in the intelligent gateway.

[0004] The streaming media rearview mirror module collects the image behind the vehicle, can present the situation behind the vehicle in real time, expand the rearview field of view, reduce the rearview blind spot, and improve the rearview blind spot. Figure 3 is a basic block diagram of an existing streaming media rearview mirror module. Refer toFigure 3 As shown in the figure, the streaming rearview mirror module includes a rearview camera, a main processor (MPU), a microcontroller (MCU), a memory, a storage module, a power management module, a power module, and an interior rearview mirror, etc. The rearview camera is installed at the rear of the vehicle and is used to collect images of the rear of the vehicle. The main processor processes the images collected by the rearview camera and displays them to the driver through the interior rearview mirror. The main processor is also respectively connected to the memory, the storage module, and the power management module to assist in realizing the processing function of the main processor for the rear images. The microcontroller is mainly used to control operations such as starting, shutting down, starting to process images, and stopping to process images of components such as the main processor according to ignition signals, etc. The power module is used to supply power to each component in the streaming rearview mirror module.

[0005] In the prior art, the 360-degree surround view module, the intelligent gateway, and the streaming rearview mirror module are all separate module products installed on the vehicle, providing their respective independent functions. Each module has components such as its own CPU, power circuit, and connector that are reused. The interaction between the products is connected through a connecting wire harness. There are problems such as cost waste, large space occupation, low interaction efficiency, and low reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle terminal that has the functions of 360-degree surround view, intelligent gateway, and streaming rearview mirror, and has advantages such as making full use of resources, reducing space occupation, improving system interaction efficiency and reliability, and greatly reducing the overall cost.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an in-vehicle terminal, characterized by including:

[0008] A main antenna for receiving and transmitting cellular wireless signals;

[0009] A cellular communication module connected to the main antenna for cellular network communication;

[0010] Multiple imaging devices for acquiring images and / or videos of the surroundings of the vehicle carrying the in-vehicle terminal;

[0011] A rear imaging device for acquiring images and / or videos of the rear of the vehicle carrying the in-vehicle terminal;

[0012] A main processor respectively connected to the cellular communication module, the multiple imaging devices, and the rear imaging device, for processing the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple imaging devices and outputting the processed images and / or videos, and also for processing the images and / or videos acquired by the rear imaging device;

[0013] A CAN transceiver for receiving data from the CAN bus and / or sending data to the CAN bus; and

[0014] The microcontroller is connected to the cellular communication module and the CAN transceiver respectively, and is used to control the action of the cellular communication module and perform protocol conversion on the data exchanged between the CAN transceiver and the cellular communication module.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal also includes: a multi-input and one-output switching switch, which is respectively connected to the multiple camera devices and the main processor, and is used to select one from the multiple camera devices in a time-sharing manner to output the images and / or videos captured by the selected camera device to the main processor.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes: a diversity antenna connected to the cellular communication module for diversity transmission and reception of cellular wireless signals.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes: a wireless LAN antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless LAN signals; and a wireless LAN module connected to the wireless LAN antenna and the cellular communication module respectively for implementing wireless LAN communication.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal also includes at least one of the following components: an eSIM card, connected to the cellular communication module, for storing user identification information; a first storage module, connected to the cellular communication module, for storing data; and a second storage module, connected to the main processor, for storing data.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes: an Ethernet switch connected to the microcontroller, for sending and receiving data packets that comply with the Ethernet protocol; wherein the microcontroller is also used to perform protocol conversion on data exchanged between any two of the CAN transceiver, the cellular communication module and the Ethernet switch.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further comprises: a data port connected to the microcontroller, for realizing data interaction between the microcontroller and an external device;

[0021] A USB port is connected to the cellular communication module for enabling data exchange between the cellular communication module and external devices; and / or an LVDS port is connected to the main processor for enabling data exchange between the main processor and external devices. In one embodiment of the present invention, the microcontroller is also connected to the main processor and is further configured to control the operation of the main processor.

[0022] In an embodiment of the present invention, the in-vehicle terminal further includes: a memory, connected to the main processor, for providing temporary storage space for the data and / or instructions to be processed by the main processor.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, the in-vehicle terminal further includes: a power supply module for supplying power to each component in the in-vehicle terminal; and / or a power management module, connected to the main processor, for performing power management on at least some of the components in the in-vehicle terminal according to the instructions of the main processor.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: The present invention integrates the functions of 360 surround view, in-vehicle intelligent gateway and streaming media rearview mirror, eliminating the processors, power supply modules and peripheral circuits with overlapping functions, and having the advantages of making full use of resources, reducing occupied space, improving system interaction efficiency and reliability, and reducing the overall cost. Description of the Drawings

[0025] Figure 1 is the basic block diagram of the existing 360 surround view module;

[0026] Figure 2 is the basic block diagram of the existing intelligent gateway;

[0027] Figure 3 is the basic block diagram of the existing streaming media rearview mirror module;

[0028] Figure 4 is the basic block diagram of the in-vehicle terminal according to some embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0029] To make the above objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0030] In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to fully understand the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0031] Throughout the specification and claims, certain terms are used to denote specific system components. As those skilled in the art will understand, different companies may use different names to denote a component. It is not intended to distinguish between components with different names but the same function herein. In the specification and claims, the terms "comprising" and "including" are used in an open-ended manner and should therefore be interpreted as "including, but not limited to...".

[0032] As shown in this application and the claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, words such as "a", "an", "one", and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements that have been clearly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. A method or device may also include other steps or elements.

[0033] In addition, each of the following embodiments of the description has one or more technical features. However, this does not mean that the inventor must implement all the technical features in any one embodiment simultaneously, or can only separately implement some or all of the technical features in different embodiments. In other words, on the premise that implementation is possible, those skilled in the art can, according to the disclosure of the present invention and depending on design specifications or implementation requirements, selectively implement some or all of the technical features in any one embodiment, or selectively implement the combination of some or all of the technical features in multiple embodiments, thereby increasing the flexibility when implementing the present invention.

[0034] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as "on another element", "connected to another element", "coupled to another element", or "in contact with another element", it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to, or in contact with the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as "directly on another element", "directly connected to", "directly coupled to", or "directly in contact with" another element, there are no intervening elements. Similarly, when the first element is referred to as "electrically contacting" or "electrically coupled to" the second element, there is an electrical path allowing current to flow between the first element and the second element. The electrical path may include capacitors, coupled inductors, and / or other elements allowing current to flow, even without direct contact between the conductive elements.

[0035] As introduced in the background art section, the existing 360 - degree surround view module, intelligent gateway, and streaming media rearview mirror module are all separate module products, each performing its corresponding function. The same components such as a central processing unit (CPU), power circuit, and connector are present in all three module products. When using these three module products together to achieve the functions of 360 - degree surround view, intelligent gateway, and streaming media rearview, the same components in the three module products are duplicated. Therefore, problems such as waste of hardware costs, more space occupation, low interaction efficiency, and low reliability will occur. To overcome these problems, the present invention proposes a vehicle terminal that simultaneously has the functions of 360 - degree surround view, intelligent gateway, and streaming media rearview, which can make full use of resources, reduce space occupation, improve system interaction efficiency and reliability, and reduce the overall cost.

[0036] Figure 4is a basic block diagram of an in-vehicle terminal according to some embodiments of the present invention. Refer to Figure 4 As shown, the in-vehicle terminal 100 may include a cellular communication module 101, a microcontroller (MCU) 102, a main processor 103, a main antenna 104, a plurality of camera devices 111, a rear-view camera device 113, and a CAN transceiver 119. The microcontroller 102, the main processor 103, and the main antenna 104 are respectively connected to the cellular communication module 101. The plurality of camera devices 111 and the rear-view camera device 113 are respectively connected to the main processor 103. The CAN transceiver 119 is connected to the microcontroller 102.

[0037] The main antenna 104 can be used to receive and transmit cellular wireless signals to cooperate with the cellular communication module 101 to achieve cellular network communication. In some embodiments, the cellular network can be a cellular network of 2G (such as GSM, IS-95, IS-136, IDEN, PDC, etc.), 3G (such as W-CDMA, CDMA-2000, TD-SCDMA, WiMAX, etc.), 4G (such as LTE FDD, LTE TDD), etc. Correspondingly, the cellular wireless signal is also a wireless signal conforming to one or more of the 2G, 3G, and 4G standards. It can be understood that cellular network communication can include, for example, voice communication, data communication, Short Message Service (SMS) communication, or any combination thereof.

[0038] The rear-view camera device 113 can be used to acquire images and / or videos behind the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle") equipped with the in-vehicle terminal of this embodiment. In some embodiments, the rear-view camera device 113 can be, for example, a visible light camera, an infrared camera, a lidar, etc. In some embodiments, the rear-view camera device 113 can be a wide-angle camera (such as a viewing angle greater than or equal to 60°), a medium-focus camera (such as a viewing angle range of 24° to 60°), or a long-focus camera (such as a viewing angle range less than or equal to 24°). In some embodiments, the rear-view camera device 113 can include one or more cameras, for example, two cameras arranged at intervals to form binocular vision. It can be understood that the rear-view camera device 113 can be set above the rear license plate of the vehicle, below the rear license plate, on the rear bumper, etc. In some embodiments, an interior rear-view mirror 122 can also be included. The interior rear-view mirror 122 is connected to the main processor 103 and is used to display the images and / or videos acquired by the rear-view camera device 113. In some embodiments, the interior rear-view mirror 122 can be an anti-glare interior rear-view mirror. In some embodiments, the interior rear-view mirror 122 can be an ordinary interior rear-view mirror.

[0039] Multiple camera devices 111 can be used to acquire images and / or videos around the vehicle. Preferably, the multiple camera devices 111 are mainly used to acquire images and / or videos of the road surface. In some embodiments, the multiple camera devices 111 can be, for example, visible light cameras, infrared cameras, lidars, etc. In some embodiments, the multiple camera devices 111 can all be wide-angle cameras. In some embodiments, some of the multiple camera devices 111 can be wide-angle cameras and some can be medium-focus cameras. Among them, the viewing angle range of the wide-angle camera can be 140° to 180°, and the viewing angle range of the medium-focus camera can be 90° to 140°.

[0040] In some embodiments, the multiple camera devices 111 can include, for example, camera device 111-1, camera device 111-2, camera device 111-3, and camera device 111-4. The camera device 111-1 can be used to acquire images and / or videos in front of the vehicle. The camera device 111-2 can be used to acquire images and / or videos behind the vehicle. The camera device 111-3 can be used to acquire images and / or videos on the left side of the vehicle. The camera device 111-4 can be used to acquire images and / or videos on the right side of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the camera device 111-1 for acquiring images and / or videos in front of the vehicle can be disposed on the front grille or the front bumper. In some embodiments, the camera device 111-2 for acquiring images and / or videos behind the vehicle can be disposed on the trunk lid or the rear bumper. In some embodiments, the camera device 111-3 for acquiring images and / or videos on the left side of the vehicle can be disposed on the left rearview mirror. In some embodiments, the camera device 111-4 for acquiring images and / or videos on the right side of the vehicle can be disposed on the right rearview mirror.

[0041] It can be understood that the multiple camera devices 111 can include more than four camera devices. The present invention does not limit the number of camera devices included in the multiple camera devices 111, as long as the multiple camera devices can acquire images and / or videos around the vehicle and the main processor 103 can perform stitching processing on these images and / or videos.

[0042] The main processor 103 can be used to process the images and / or videos acquired by the rear-view camera device 113. In some embodiments, the processing performed by the main processor 103 on the images and / or videos acquired by the rear-view camera device 113 can be encoding, compression, noise reduction, sharpening, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0043] The main processor 103 can be used to process the images and / or videos acquired by multiple camera devices 111 and output the processed images and / or videos. The specific manner in which the main processor 103 processes the acquired images and / or videos can be diverse. For example, in some embodiments, the main processor 103 stitches together the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices 111 to form a panoramic overhead image and / or video of the surroundings of the vehicle. Preferably, in some of the above embodiments, in the stitched image and / or video, the vehicle (e.g., the overhead image of the vehicle) is located at the center of the panoramic overhead image and / or video, and the stitched image and / or video stitched from the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices 111 is located around the vehicle. It can be understood that the processing performed by the main processor 103 on the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices 111 can also be distortion correction, noise reduction, sharpening, etc. Of course, the processing performed by the main processor 103 on the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices 111 can include any combination of one or more of the above-mentioned processes. And the processing performed by the main processor 103 on the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices 111 is not limited to the several processing manners mentioned above. For example, in some embodiments, the main processor 103 can also highlight the positions on the stitched image and / or video where the vehicle may be scratched or collided.

[0044] It can be understood that the main processor 103 can include, for example, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an application specific instruction set processor (ASIP), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a physics processing unit (PPU), a single-chip microcomputer, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an advanced reduced instruction set system (ARM), a programmable logic device (PLD), any circuit or processor capable of performing at least one function, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0045] The CAN transceiver 119 is used to receive data from the CAN bus and / or send data to the CAN bus. It can be understood that the data received by the CAN transceiver 119 from the CAN bus can be sent to the microcontroller 102, and the microcontroller 102 further processes the received data, such as performing protocol conversion, etc. The microcontroller 102 can send the data that conforms to the CAN bus protocol generated by it to the CAN transceiver 119, and then the CAN transceiver 119 sends the data to the CAN bus. Although in Figure 4 the illustrated embodiment, there is only one CAN transceiver 119, it can be understood that multiple CAN transceivers 119 can be included in the vehicle terminal 100, and these CAN transceivers 119 are respectively connected to the microcontroller 102.

[0046] In some embodiments, the microcontroller 102 may also control the operations of the cellular communication module 101. It can be understood that the operations of the cellular communication module 101 may be one or more of the functions it has. For example, the operations of the cellular communication module 101 may be that the cellular communication module 101 cooperates with the main antenna 104 to achieve cellular network communication.

[0047] In some embodiments, the microcontroller 102 may also perform protocol conversion on the data exchanged between the CAN transceiver 119 and the cellular communication module 101. Specifically, the microcontroller 102 may convert the data received by the CAN transceiver 119 that conforms to the CAN bus protocol into data that conforms to the cellular network communication protocol, and the microcontroller 102 may also convert the data sent by the cellular communication module 101 into data that conforms to the CAN bus protocol. In some embodiments, the microcontroller 102 may include, for example, an ARM processor, a DSP processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a microcontroller, an ASIC, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0048] Please continue to refer to Figure 4, in some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a multi-input and single-output switch 112. The multi-input and single-output switch 112 is respectively connected to a plurality of imaging devices 111 and the main processor 103. The multi-input and single-output switch 112 can be used to select one of the plurality of imaging devices 111 at different times, and output the image and / or video obtained by the selected imaging device 111 to the main processor 103. Taking the example that the plurality of imaging devices 111 include four imaging devices, namely imaging device 111-1, imaging device 111-2, imaging device 111-3, and imaging device 111-4, in the first time period, the multi-input and single-output switch 112 can select the imaging device 111-1 and output one or more frames of images in front of the vehicle obtained by the imaging device 111-1 to the main processor 103; in the second time period, the multi-input and single-output switch 112 can select the imaging device 111-2 and output one or more frames of images behind the vehicle obtained by the imaging device 111-2 to the main processor 103; in the third time period, the multi-input and single-output switch 112 can select the imaging device 111-3 and output one or more frames of images on the left side of the vehicle obtained by the imaging device 111-3 to the main processor 103; in the fourth time period, the multi-input and single-output switch 112 can select the imaging device 111-4 and output one or more frames of images on the right side of the vehicle obtained by the imaging device 111-4 to the main processor 103; in the fifth time period, the multi-input and single-output switch 112 can select the imaging device 111-1 again; and so on. The main processor 103 can perform stitching processing on the multiple images of the plurality of imaging devices 111 obtained at different times. It can be understood that when the plurality of imaging devices 111 include four imaging devices, the multi-input and single-output switch 112 can correspondingly be a four-input and single-output switch.

[0049] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 4 , the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a diversity antenna 105. The diversity antenna 105 is connected to the cellular communication module 101 and is used for diversity reception and transmission of cellular radio signals. It can be understood that the diversity antenna 105 can receive cellular radio signals together with the main antenna 104, and the cellular communication module 101 can select and combine the cellular radio signals received by the diversity antenna 105 and the main antenna 104 to reduce the influence of cellular radio signal fading, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the received cellular radio signals. In some embodiments, the diversity antenna 105 may include one or more antennas, such as 2 antennas or 4 antennas.

[0050] The vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a wireless local area network antenna 106 and a wireless local area network module 107. The wireless local area network module 107 is respectively connected to the wireless local area network antenna 106 and the cellular communication module 101. The wireless local area network antenna 106 can be used to receive and transmit wireless local area network signals. The wireless local area network module 106 and the wireless local area network module 107 can cooperate with each other to achieve wireless local area network communication. The wireless local area network may include, for example, a wireless network conforming to the IEEE802.11 series standards, a wireless network conforming to the Bluetooth standard, a wireless network conforming to the Zigbee standard, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the wireless local area network module 107 may be connected to the cellular communication module 101 through a Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART). In some embodiments, the cellular communication module 101 and the wireless local area network module 107 may cooperate with each other to convert the cellular network into a wireless local area network, so that the user terminal connected to the wireless local area network can be connected to the Internet via the cellular network.

[0051] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include an eSIM card 108. The eSIM card 108 may be connected to the cellular communication module 101 and is used to store user identification information. It can be understood that the user identification information stored in the eSIM card 108 can be used by the cellular network operator to authenticate the user to determine whether the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 has the permission to access the cellular network and whether it has the permission to perform cellular network communication. In some embodiments, the eSIM card 108 may be a chip capable of storing user identification information.

[0052] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a first storage module 109. The first storage module 109 is connected to the cellular communication module 101 and is used to store data. In some embodiments, the first storage module 109 may include, for example, an eMMC memory, a flash storage chip, an SSD memory, etc. disposed in the vehicle-mounted terminal 100, or any combination thereof. The first storage module 109 may also be a TF card, an MMC card, an SD card, etc. disposed in the card slot of the vehicle-mounted terminal 100, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the first storage module 109 may be connected to the cellular communication module 101 through an SDIO (Secure Digital Input / Output) interface.

[0053] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a USB port 110. The USB port 110 is connected to the cellular communication module 101 and is used to implement data interaction between the cellular communication module 101 and an external device. In some embodiments, the cellular communication module 101 may be connected to the vehicle head unit through the USB port 110 to achieve data interaction.

[0054] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a memory 114. The memory 114 is connected to the main processor 103 and is used to provide a temporary storage space for the data and / or instructions to be processed by the main processor 103. For example, the memory 114 may temporarily store the image data and / or video data acquired by the rear-view camera device 113 and / or the plurality of camera devices 111. Again, for example, the memory 114 may temporarily store the program instructions required by the main processor 103 to process the image data and / or video data, and the program instructions may be encoding, compression, noise reduction, sharpening, stitching, distortion correction, etc., or any combination thereof. The memory 114 may include, for example, dynamic RAM (DRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), zero capacitor RAM (Z-RAM), etc., or any combination thereof.

[0055] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a second storage module 115. The second storage module 115 is connected to the main processor 103 and is used to store data. For example, the second storage module 115 may store the image data and / or video data acquired by the rear-view camera device 113. Again, for example, the second storage module 115 may store the image data and / or video data processed by the main processor 103. In some embodiments, the second storage module 115 may include, for example, an eMMC memory, a flash storage chip, an SSD memory, etc. disposed within the vehicle-mounted terminal 100, or any combination thereof. The second storage module 115 may also be a TF card, an MMC card, an SD card, etc. disposed within the card slot of the vehicle-mounted terminal 100, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the second storage module 115 may be connected to the main processor 103 through an SDIO (Secure Digital Input / Output) interface.

[0056] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a power management module 116. The power management module 116 is connected to the main processor 103 and is used to perform power management on at least a part of the components in the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 according to the instructions of the main processor 103. The components may be the cellular communication module 101, the main processor 103, the wireless local area network module 107, the first storage module 109, the camera device 111, the rear-view camera device 113, the second storage module 115, the microcontroller 102, etc.

[0057] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) port 117. The LVDS port 117 is connected to the main processor 103 and is used to implement data interaction between the main processor 103 and external devices. In some embodiments, the main processor 103 may be connected to the in-vehicle computer through the LVDS port 117 to implement data interaction. For example, the image data and / or video data acquired by the rear-view camera device 113 may be sent to the interior rear-view mirror 122. For another example, the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices 111 after being stitched and processed by the main processor 103 may be sent to the in-vehicle computer for display to assist the driver in observing the conditions around the vehicle.

[0058] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 is also connected to the main processor 103 and is used to control the operations of the main processor 103. It can be understood that the operations of the main processor 103 may be one or more of the functions it has. For example, the operations of the main processor 103 on the images and / or videos acquired by the rear-view camera device 113 may include encoding, compression, noise reduction, sharpening, etc. For another example, the operations of the main processor 103 may be to perform stitching processing on the images acquired by the multiple camera devices 111. For still another example, the operations of the main processor 103 may be to read from and write to the memory 114 and the second storage module 115.

[0059] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 further includes a data port 118. The data port 118 is connected to the microcontroller 102 and is used to implement data interaction between the microcontroller 102 and external devices. Specifically, the ignition signal of the vehicle may be transmitted to the microcontroller 102 through the data port 118, thereby triggering the microcontroller 102 to start working.

[0060] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 further includes an Ethernet switch 120. The Ethernet switch 120 is connected to the microcontroller 102 and is used to receive and send data packets conforming to the Ethernet protocol. In the embodiments where the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 includes a cellular communication module 101, a CAN transceiver 119, and an Ethernet switch 120, the microcontroller 102 is further used to perform protocol conversion on the data exchanged between any two of the CAN transceiver 119, the cellular communication module 101, and the Ethernet switch 120. Although in Figure 4 the illustrated embodiments, there is only one Ethernet switch 120, it can be understood that the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may include multiple Ethernet switches 120, and these Ethernet switches 120 are respectively connected to the microcontroller 102.

[0061] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 further includes a power supply module 121. The power supply module 121 is connected to the vehicle's battery and supplies power to each component in the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 after converting the battery voltage.

[0062] As described above, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 of the present invention has the functions of a 360-degree surround view module, a rear-view video acquisition module, and an intelligent gateway, forming a system controller with functions such as 360-degree surround view and panoramic parking, rear-view video acquisition, vehicle bus information sharing, vehicle internal network management and fault diagnosis, and data uploading to the cloud. The vehicle-mounted terminal 100 can be implemented by a cellular communication module 101, a microcontroller 102, a main processor 103, a rear-view camera device 113, multiple camera devices 111, a CAN transceiver 119, and a power supply module 121. Compared with the technical solution implemented by combining three module products of a 360-degree surround view module, a rear-view video acquisition module, and an intelligent gateway, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 eliminates the main processor, microcontroller, power supply module, and peripheral circuits with overlapping functions, and has advantages such as making full use of resources, reducing occupied space, improving system interaction efficiency and reliability, and reducing overall costs.

[0063] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

[0064] The various illustrative logical modules and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or executed with a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0065] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the current specific embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and various equivalent changes or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, as long as the changes and modifications to the above embodiments are within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, they will fall within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A vehicle terminal, characterized in that it includes: A main antenna for receiving and transmitting cellular radio signals; A cellular communication module connected to the main antenna for cellular network communication; Multiple camera devices for acquiring images and / or videos around the vehicle carrying the vehicle terminal; A rear-view camera device for acquiring images and / or videos behind the vehicle carrying the vehicle terminal; A main processor respectively connected to the cellular communication module, the multiple camera devices and the rear-view camera device, for processing the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices and outputting the processed images and / or videos, and also for processing the images and / or videos acquired by the rear-view camera device; A CAN transceiver for receiving data on the CAN bus and / or sending data to the CAN bus; And A microcontroller respectively connected to the cellular communication module and the CAN transceiver, for controlling the operation of the cellular communication module and performing protocol conversion on the data exchanged between the CAN transceiver and the cellular communication module; The microcontroller is further connected to the main processor, and the microcontroller is also used to control the operation of the main processor; The step of the main processor processing the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices and outputting the processed images and / or videos includes: the main processor stitching the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple camera devices to form a panoramic overhead image and / or video around the vehicle.

2. The vehicle terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that The vehicle terminal further includes: A multi-input and one-output switch respectively connected to the multiple camera devices and the main processor, for selectively selecting one of the multiple camera devices at different times to output the images and / or videos acquired by the selected camera device to the main processor.

3. The vehicle terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that The vehicle terminal further includes: A diversity antenna connected to the cellular communication module for diversity reception and transmission of cellular radio signals.

4. The vehicle terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that The vehicle terminal further includes: A wireless local area network antenna for receiving and transmitting wireless local area network signals; A wireless local area network module respectively connected to the wireless local area network antenna and the cellular communication module for implementing wireless local area network communication.

5. The vehicle terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that The vehicle terminal further includes at least one of the following components: An eSIM card connected to the cellular communication module for storing user identification information; A first storage module connected to the cellular communication module for storing data; A second storage module connected to the main processor for storing data.

6. The vehicle terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that The vehicle terminal further includes: An Ethernet switch, connected to the microcontroller, for receiving and transmitting data packets conforming to the Ethernet protocol; wherein, the microcontroller is further configured to perform protocol conversion on data exchanged between any two of the CAN transceiver, the cellular communication module, and the Ethernet switch.

7. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted terminal further comprises: a data port, connected to the microcontroller, for realizing data interaction between the microcontroller and external devices; a USB port, connected to the cellular communication module, for realizing data interaction between the cellular communication module and external devices; and / or an LVDS port, connected to the main processor, for realizing data interaction between the main processor and external devices.

8. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted terminal further comprises: a memory, connected to the main processor, for providing a temporary storage space for data and / or instructions to be processed by the main processor.

9. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted terminal further comprises: a power supply module, for supplying power to each component in the vehicle-mounted terminal; and / or a power management module, connected to the main processor, for performing power management on at least a part of the components in the vehicle-mounted terminal according to the instructions of the main processor.

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