Vehicle Terminal
By integrating the functions of T-Box, 360 surround view and intelligent gateway into the vehicle terminal, using components such as cellular communication modules, the problems of wasted hardware costs and low reliability caused by module independence in the prior art are solved, and the resources are realized Efficient utilization and cost reduction.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN201810542067.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2018-05-30
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-31
- Estimated Expiration
- 2038-05-30
AI Technical Summary
The existing T-Box, 360 surround view module and smart gateway are separate module products, and there are problems such as wasted hardware costs, large space, low interaction efficiency and low reliability.
Integrate the functions of T-Box, 360 surround view and smart gateway into the vehicle terminal, and use cellular communication modules, main processors, multiple camera devices, CAN transceivers, microcontrollers and other components to eliminate duplicate processors and power supplies. module to achieve full utilization of resources, space saving, interaction efficiency improvement and cost reduction.
It realizes full utilization of resources, reduces space usage, improves system interaction efficiency and reliability, and reduces overall costs.
Smart Images

Figure CN110557155B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention mainly relates to the field of automobile technology, and in particular to a vehicle-mounted terminal. Background Art
[0002] When a vehicle is starting, turning, parking, meeting another vehicle, or avoiding obstacles, the driver cannot observe the situation in the area close to the vehicle due to the existence of the blind spot, which can easily cause scratches, collisions, crushing, and other accidents. In order to avoid 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 This is the basic block diagram of the existing 360-degree surround view module. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the 360-degree surround view module includes four cameras, a four-input and one-output 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 arranged at the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle respectively to obtain the road condition images in front, rear, left and right of the vehicle respectively. The road condition images obtained by the four cameras are sent to the main processor in a time-sharing manner through the four-input and one-output switch. The main processor processes these road condition images, splices them into images that can show the conditions around the vehicle, and displays them to the driver through the vehicle computer. The main processor is also connected to the memory, storage module and power management module respectively to assist the main processor in processing the road condition images. The microcontroller is mainly used to control the operations such as starting, shutting down, starting to process images, and stopping to process images of the main processor and other components according to the ignition signal. The power module is used to provide power to each component in the 360-degree surround view module.
[0003] The Internet of Vehicles is an emerging technology that uses information and communication technologies to achieve interconnection within the car, between cars, between cars and roads, between cars and people, and between cars and service platforms. To achieve these interconnections in the Internet of Vehicles technology, the technology currently used is usually to set up an intelligent gateway in the car to achieve this. Figure 2 This is the basic block diagram of the existing intelligent gateway. Figure 2 As shown, the intelligent gateway mainly includes a processor, and a CAN transceiver, an Ethernet switch, and a cellular communication module connected to the processor respectively. 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 provide power to each component in the intelligent gateway.
[0004] The Internet of Vehicles is an emerging technology that uses information and communication technologies to achieve interconnection within the car, between cars, between cars and roads, between cars and people, and between cars and service platforms. To achieve these interconnections in the Internet of Vehicles technology, the current technology usually uses a T-Box (Telematics Box) installed in the car. Figure 3 This is the basic block diagram of the existing T-Box. Figure 3 As shown, the T-Box mainly includes a cellular communication module and a processor. The cellular communication module is connected to the main antenna, the diversity antenna, the satellite navigation antenna and the eSIM card to realize cellular communication and satellite positioning. The cellular communication module is also connected to the wireless LAN module to realize wireless LAN communication and / or wireless LAN sharing. The T-Box also includes a storage module, an audio codec module and a power amplifier module. The cellular communication module is also connected to the storage module, the audio codec module and the power amplifier module to realize multimedia playback. The processor is connected to the cellular communication module, and is mainly used to control the cellular communication module to realize various actions, such as cellular communication, satellite positioning, multimedia playback, etc. In addition, the processor also receives an ignition signal, which serves as a trigger signal for the processor to start working. Of course, the T-Box also includes a power module connected to the battery to provide power to the various components in the T-Box.
[0005] In the prior art, T-Box, 360-degree surround view module and intelligent gateway are all separate module products installed on the vehicle, providing independent functions. Each module has its own CPU, power circuit, connector and other reusable components. The interaction between the products is connected through the connection harness. There are problems such as wasted cost, 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 a vehicle-mounted terminal, which has the functions of T-Box, 360-degree surround view and intelligent gateway, and has the advantages of making full use of resources, reducing occupied space, improving system interaction efficiency and reliability and greatly reducing overall costs.
[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a vehicle-mounted terminal, characterized in that it includes:
[0008] The main antenna is used to send and receive cellular wireless signals;
[0009] A cellular communication module, connected to the main antenna, for cellular network communication;
[0010] A plurality of camera devices, used to obtain images and / or videos around the vehicle carrying the vehicle-mounted terminal;
[0011] A first storage module, used to store data; and
[0012] a main processor, connected to the cellular communication module and the plurality of camera devices, respectively, for processing the images and / or videos acquired by the plurality of camera devices, and outputting the processed images and / or videos;
[0013] A CAN transceiver, for receiving data on a CAN bus and / or sending data to the CAN bus; and
[0014] A microcontroller, connected to the cellular communication module and the CAN transceiver respectively, for controlling the action of the cellular communication module and performing protocol conversion on data exchanged between the CAN transceiver and the cellular communication module;
[0015] A diversity antenna, connected to the cellular communication module, for diversity transmission and reception of cellular wireless signals;
[0016] and / or a satellite navigation antenna, connected to the cellular communication module, for receiving satellite positioning signals;
[0017] The data port is connected to the microcontroller and is used to realize data interaction between the microcontroller and external devices.
[0018] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes:
[0019] A multi-input and one-output switching switch is connected to the multiple camera devices and the main processor respectively, and is used to select one from the multiple camera devices in a time-sharing manner to output the image and / or video acquired by the selected camera device to the main processor.
[0020] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes:
[0021] The diversity antenna is connected to the cellular communication module and is used for diversity transmission and reception of cellular wireless signals.
[0022] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes:
[0023] A wireless LAN antenna, used for sending and receiving wireless LAN signals;
[0024] The wireless local area network module is connected to the wireless local area network antenna and the cellular communication module respectively, and is used to realize wireless local area network communication.
[0025] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle terminal further includes at least one of the following components:
[0026] An eSIM card, connected to the cellular communication module, for storing user identification information;
[0027] A memory, connected to the main processor, for providing temporary storage space for data and / or instructions to be processed by the main processor;
[0028] A first storage module, connected to the cellular communication module, for storing data;
[0029] The second storage module is connected to the main processor and is used to store data.
[0030] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes:
[0031] The Ethernet switch is connected to the microcontroller and is used to send and receive 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.
[0032] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the microcontroller is also connected to the main processor, and the microcontroller is also used to control the actions of the main processor.
[0033] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes:
[0034] A USB port connected to the cellular communication module and used to implement data interaction between the cellular communication module and an external device; and / or
[0035] The LVDS port is connected to the main processor and is used to implement data interaction between the main processor and external devices.
[0036] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes:
[0037] A power module, used to provide power to various components in the vehicle-mounted terminal; and / or
[0038] The power management module is connected to the main processor and is used to perform power management on at least a part of the components in the vehicle terminal according to the instructions of the main processor.
[0039] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-mounted terminal further includes:
[0040] An audio codec module, connected to the cellular communication module, for encoding and decoding audio data;
[0041] A power amplifier module is connected to the cellular communication module and is used to amplify the audio signal output by the cellular communication module and output the amplified audio signal to a speaker; wherein the microcontroller also controls the power amplifier module.
[0042] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:
[0043] The present invention integrates the functions of T-Box, 360-degree surround view and vehicle-mounted intelligent gateway, eliminating processors, power modules and peripheral circuits with overlapping functions, and has the advantages of making full use of resources, reducing occupied space, improving system interaction efficiency and reliability, and reducing overall costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] Figure 1 This is the basic block diagram of the existing 360-degree surround view module;
[0045] Figure 2 It is the basic block diagram of the existing intelligent gateway;
[0046] Figure 3 This is the basic block diagram of the existing T-Box;
[0047] Figure 4 It is a basic block diagram of a vehicle terminal of some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0048] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0049] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0050] Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, different companies may refer to a component by different names. It is not intended herein to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function. In the specification and claims, the terms "include" and "comprising" are used in an open-ended manner and, therefore, should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to ...".
[0051] As shown in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates an exception, the words "a", "an", "an" and / or "the" do not refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "include" and "comprise" 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. The method or device may also include other steps or elements.
[0052] In addition, each embodiment of the following description has one or more technical features, but this does not mean that the user of the present invention must implement all the technical features in any embodiment at the same time, or can only implement part or all of the technical features in different embodiments separately. In other words, under the premise that implementation is possible, those skilled in the art can selectively implement part or all of the technical features in any embodiment according to the disclosure of the present invention and according to the design specifications or implementation requirements, or selectively implement a combination of part or all of the technical features in multiple embodiments, thereby increasing the flexibility of the implementation of the present invention.
[0053] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "on another element," "connected to another element," "coupled to another element," or "contacting another element," it may be directly on, connected to, coupled to, or contacting the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element," "directly connected to," "directly coupled to," or "directly contacting" another element, there are no intervening elements. Similarly, when a first element is referred to as being "electrically in contact with" or "electrically coupled to" a second element, there is an electrical path between the first element and the second element that allows current to flow. The electrical path may include capacitors, coupled inductors, and / or other elements that allow current to flow, even without direct contact between conductive elements.
[0054] As described in the background technology section, the existing T-Box, 360-degree surround view module and intelligent gateway are all separate module products, each performing its corresponding functions. The three module products all have the same components such as a central processing unit (CPU), a power supply circuit, and a connector. When these two module products are used to jointly realize the functions of T-Box, 360-degree surround view and intelligent gateway, the same components in the three module products are repeated, so there will be problems such as hardware cost waste, more space occupied, low interaction efficiency and low reliability. In order to overcome these problems, the present invention proposes a vehicle-mounted terminal that simultaneously has the functions of T-Box, 360-degree surround view and intelligent gateway, which can make full use of resources, reduce occupied space, improve system interaction efficiency and reliability, and reduce overall costs.
[0055] Figure 4 is a basic block diagram of a vehicle-mounted terminal in some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4As shown, the 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 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 are connected to the main processor 103. The CAN transceiver 119 is connected to the microcontroller 102.
[0056] The main antenna 104 can be used to send and receive cellular wireless signals to cooperate with the cellular communication module 101 to realize 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., and accordingly, the cellular wireless signal is also a wireless signal that complies with one or more of the 2G, 3G and 4G standards. It can be understood that the cellular network communication can, for example, include voice communication, data communication, short message service (SMS) communication, or any combination thereof.
[0057] Multiple cameras 111 can be used to acquire images and / or videos around the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle") equipped with the vehicle-mounted terminal of this embodiment. Preferably, multiple cameras 111 are mainly used to acquire images and / or videos of the road surface. In some embodiments, multiple cameras 111 may be, for example, visible light cameras, infrared cameras, lidars, etc. In some embodiments, multiple cameras 111 may all be wide-angle cameras. In some embodiments, multiple cameras 111 may be partially wide-angle cameras and partially mid-focus cameras. Among them, the viewing angle range of the wide-angle camera may be 140° to 180°, and the viewing angle range of the mid-focus camera may be 90° to 140°.
[0058] In some embodiments, the plurality of cameras 111 may include, for example, a camera 111-1, a camera 111-2, a camera 111-3, and a camera 111-4. The camera 111-1 may be used to acquire images and / or videos in front of the vehicle. The camera 111-2 may be used to acquire images and / or videos behind the vehicle. The camera 111-3 may be used to acquire images and / or videos on the left side of the vehicle. The camera 111-4 may be used to acquire images and / or videos on the right side of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the camera 111-1 for acquiring images and / or videos in front of the vehicle may be disposed on a front grille or a front bumper. In some embodiments, the camera 111-2 for acquiring images and / or videos behind the vehicle may be disposed on a trunk lid or a rear bumper. In some embodiments, the camera 111-3 for acquiring images and / or videos on the left side of the vehicle may be disposed on a left rearview mirror. In some embodiments, the camera device 111 - 4 for acquiring images and / or videos of the right side of the vehicle may be disposed on the right rearview mirror.
[0059] It is understood that the multiple camera devices 111 may 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 obtain images and / or videos around the vehicle, and the main processor 103 can stitch these images and / or videos.
[0060] The main processor 103 can be used to process the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple cameras 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 splices the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple cameras 111 to form a panoramic overhead image and / or video around the vehicle. Preferably, in some embodiments of the above embodiments, in the spliced images and / or videos, the vehicle (e.g., the overhead image of the vehicle) is located in the center of the panoramic overhead image and / or video, and the spliced images and / or videos acquired by the multiple cameras 111 are 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 cameras 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 cameras 111 can include any combination of one or more of the above processing. Furthermore, the processing performed by the main processor 103 on the images and / or videos acquired by the multiple cameras 111 is not limited to the above-mentioned processing methods. For example, in some embodiments, the main processor 103 may also highlight the locations where the vehicle may be scratched or collided in the spliced images and / or videos.
[0061] It can be understood that the main processor 103 may 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 physical 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.
[0062] The CAN transceiver 119 is used to receive data on the CAN bus and / or send data to the CAN bus. It is 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. The microcontroller 102 can send the data generated by it that complies with the CAN bus protocol to the CAN transceiver 119, and the CAN transceiver 119 then sends the data to the CAN bus. Although in Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, there is only one CAN transceiver 119 , but it is understandable that the vehicle terminal 100 may include a plurality of CAN transceivers 119 , and these CAN transceivers 119 are respectively connected to the microcontroller 102 .
[0063] In some embodiments, the microcontroller 102 may also control the action of the cellular communication module 101. It is understood that the action of the cellular communication module 101 may be to realize one or more of its functions. For example, the action of the cellular communication module 101 may be that the cellular communication module 101 cooperates with the main antenna 104 to realize cellular network communication.
[0064] 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 complies with the CAN bus protocol into data that complies with the cellular network communication protocol, and the microcontroller 102 may also convert the data sent by the cellular communication module 101 into data that complies with 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 single-chip microcomputer, an ASIC, etc., or any combination thereof.
[0065] Please continue to refer to Figure 4In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 may further include a multi-input and one-output switching switch 112. The multi-input and one-output switching switch 112 is respectively connected to the multiple cameras 111 and the main processor 103. The multi-input and one-output switching switch 112 can be used to select one from the multiple cameras 111 in a time-sharing manner to output the image and / or video acquired by the selected camera 111 to the main processor 103. Taking the multiple cameras 111 including four cameras 111-1, 111-2, 111-3, and 111-4 as an example, in the first time period, the multi-input and one-output switch 112 can select the camera 111-1, and output one or more frames of images acquired by the camera 111-1 in front of the vehicle to the main processor 103; in the second time period, the multi-input and one-output switch 112 can select the camera 111-2, and output one or more frames of images acquired by the camera 111-2 behind the vehicle. The image is output to the main processor 103; in the third time period, the multi-input and one-output switch 112 can select the camera device 111-3, and output one or more frames of images on the left side of the vehicle obtained by the camera device 111-3 to the main processor 103; in the fourth time period, the multi-input and one-output switch 112 can select the camera device 111-4, and output one or more frames of images on the right side of the vehicle obtained by the camera device 111-4 to the main processor 103; in the fifth time period, the multi-input and one-output switch 112 can select the camera device 111-1 again; and so on. The main processor 103 can splice the multiple images of the multiple camera devices 111 obtained in time sharing. It can be understood that when the multiple camera devices 111 include four camera devices, the multi-input and one-output switch 112 can be a four-input and one-output switch accordingly.
[0066] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 The vehicle terminal 100 may further include a diversity antenna 105. The diversity antenna 105 is connected to the cellular communication module 101 for diversity reception and transmission of cellular wireless signals. It can be understood that the diversity antenna 105 can receive cellular wireless signals together with the main antenna 104, and the cellular communication module 101 can select and combine the cellular wireless signals received by the diversity antenna 105 and the main antenna 104 to reduce the impact of cellular wireless signal fading, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the received cellular wireless signal. In some embodiments, the diversity antenna 105 may include one or more antennas, such as 2 antennas or 4 antennas.
[0067] The vehicle terminal 100 may also include a wireless LAN antenna 106 and a wireless LAN module 107. The wireless LAN module 107 is connected to the wireless LAN antenna 106 and the cellular communication module 101 respectively. The wireless LAN antenna 106 can be used to send and receive wireless LAN signals. The wireless LAN module 106 and the wireless LAN module 107 cooperate with each other to realize wireless LAN communication. The wireless LAN may, for example, include a wireless network that complies with the IEEE802.11 series of standards, a wireless network that complies with the Bluetooth standard, a wireless network that complies with the Zigbee standard, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the wireless LAN module 107 may be connected to the cellular communication module 101 via a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART). In some embodiments, the cellular communication module 101 and the wireless LAN module 107 may cooperate with each other to realize the conversion of the cellular network into a wireless LAN, so that the user terminal connected to the wireless LAN can be connected to the Internet via the cellular network.
[0068] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 may further include a satellite navigation antenna 130. The satellite navigation antenna 130 may be used to receive satellite navigation signals and send the received satellite navigation signals to the cellular communication module 101, so as to cooperate with the cellular communication module 101 to achieve satellite positioning and navigation. In some embodiments, the satellite navigation signal may include, for example, a GPS signal, a Beidou signal, a GLONASS signal, a Galileo signal, etc., or any combination thereof.
[0069] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 may further include an eSIM card 108. The eSIM card 108 may be connected to the cellular communication module 101 to store user identification information. It is understood that the user identification information stored in the eSIM card 108 may be used by the cellular network operator to identify the user to determine whether the vehicle terminal 100 has the right to access the cellular network and whether it has the right to communicate on the cellular network. In some embodiments, the eSIM card 108 may be a chip capable of storing user identification information.
[0070] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 may further include a first storage module 109. The first storage module 109 is connected to the cellular communication module 101 for storing data. In some embodiments, the first storage module 109 may, for example, include an eMMC memory, a flash memory chip, an SSD memory, etc., arranged in the vehicle terminal 100, or any combination thereof. The first storage module 109 may also be a TF card, an MMC card, an SD card, etc., arranged in a card slot of the vehicle terminal 100, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the first storage module 109 may be connected to the cellular communication module 101 via an SDIO (Secure Digital Input / Output) interface.
[0071] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 may further include a USB port 110. The USB port 110 is connected to the cellular communication module 101 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 computer through the USB port 110 to implement data interaction.
[0072] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 may further include an audio codec module 120. The audio codec module 120 is connected to the cellular communication module 101 and is used to encode and decode audio data. When the cellular communication module 101 performs voice communication, the audio codec module 120 can convert the audio data received by the cellular communication module 101 into an audio signal, and output it to the speaker on the vehicle via the MIC OUT port; the audio codec module 120 can also convert the audio signal received by the MIC IN port (for example, it can be collected by a microphone) into audio data, and send the audio data to the cellular communication module 101. The voice communication may include voice calls based on a cellular network, voice information based on instant messaging on the Internet, etc. When the vehicle terminal 100 performs multimedia playback, the audio codec module 120 can also convert the audio data in the multimedia file and / or multimedia stream into an audio signal, and output the audio signal to the speaker on the vehicle. In some embodiments, the audio codec module 120 can be connected to the cellular communication module 101 via an I2S (Integrated Interchip Sound) interface.
[0073] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 may further include a power amplifier module 121. The power amplifier module 121 is connected to the cellular communication module 101, and is used to amplify the audio signal output by the cellular communication module 101, and output the amplified audio signal to the speaker through the SPK OUT port. The speaker may be a speaker of the vehicle terminal 100, or a speaker on the vehicle. In some embodiments, when an error occurs in the vehicle terminal 100, the cellular communication module 101 may send an alarm audio signal, which is amplified by the power amplifier module 121 and then sent out by the speaker. In some embodiments, when the vehicle terminal 100 plays multimedia, the cellular communication module 101 may convert the audio data in the multimedia file and / or multimedia stream into an audio signal, which is amplified by the power amplifier module 121 and then output to the speaker on the vehicle. In some embodiments, the power amplifier module 121 is also connected to the microcontroller 102. The microcontroller 102 also controls the power amplifier module 121, for example, adjusting the gain of the power amplifier module 121. Preferably, the power amplifier module 121 is connected to the microcontroller 102 via an I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) bus.
[0074] 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 temporary storage space for data and / or instructions to be processed by the main processor 103. For example, the memory 114 can be used to temporarily store image data and / or video data acquired by multiple camera devices 111. For another example, the memory 114 can temporarily store program instructions required for the main processor 103 to process image data and / or video data, and the program instructions can be encoding, compression, noise reduction, sharpening, splicing, 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.
[0075] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 may further include a second storage module 115. The second storage module 115 is connected to the main processor 103 for storing data. For example, the second storage module 115 may store image data and / or video data processed by the main processor 103. In some embodiments, the second storage module 115 may, for example, include an eMMC memory, a flash memory chip, an SSD memory, etc., arranged in the vehicle terminal 100, or any combination thereof. The second storage module 115 may also be a TF card, an MMC card, an SD card, etc., arranged in a card slot of the vehicle terminal 100, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the second storage module 115 may be connected to the main processor 103 via an SDIO (Secure Digital Input / Output) interface.
[0076] In some embodiments, the vehicle 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 portion of the components in the vehicle 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 second storage module 115, the microcontroller 102, etc.
[0077] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 may further include a low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) port 117. The LVDS port 117 is connected to the main processor 103 to implement data interaction between the main processor 103 and external devices. In some embodiments, the main processor 103 can be connected to the vehicle computer through the LVDS port 117 to implement data interaction, such as sending images and / or videos obtained by multiple camera devices 111 after splicing and processing by the main processor 103 to the vehicle computer, which is displayed by the vehicle computer to assist the driver in observing the situation around the vehicle.
[0078] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 is also connected to the main processor 103 to control the action of the main processor 103. It can be understood that the action of the main processor 103 can be to realize one or more of its functions. For example, the action of the main processor 103 can be to stitch images acquired by multiple camera devices 111. For another example, the action of the main processor 103 can be to read and write to the memory 114 and the second storage module 115.
[0079] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 further includes a data port 118. The data port 118 is connected to the microcontroller 102 to implement data interaction between the microcontroller 102 and external devices. Specifically, the vehicle's ignition signal can be transmitted to the microcontroller 102 through the data port 118, thereby triggering the microcontroller 102 to start working.
[0080] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 further includes an Ethernet switch 120. The Ethernet switch 120 is connected to the microcontroller 102 and is used to send and receive data packets that comply with the Ethernet protocol. In an embodiment where the vehicle terminal 100 includes a cellular communication module 101, a CAN transceiver 119, and an Ethernet switch 120, the microcontroller 102 is also used to perform protocol conversion on data exchanged between any two of the CAN transceiver 119, the cellular communication module 101, and the Ethernet switch 120. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, there is only one Ethernet switch 120 , but it is understandable that the vehicle terminal 100 may include a plurality of Ethernet switches 120 , and these Ethernet switches 120 are respectively connected to the microcontroller 102 .
[0081] In some embodiments, the vehicle terminal 100 further includes a power module 121. The power module 121 is connected to the battery of the vehicle, and provides power to various components in the vehicle terminal 100 after converting the battery voltage.
[0082] As described above, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 of the present invention has the functions of a T-Box, a 360-degree surround view module, and an intelligent gateway, forming a system controller with functions such as 360-degree surround view and panoramic parking, vehicle bus information sharing, wireless cellular data transmission, vehicle internal network management and fault diagnosis, and data upload to the cloud. The vehicle-mounted terminal 100 can be implemented by a cellular communication module 101, a microcontroller 102, a main processor 103, multiple camera devices 111, a CAN transceiver 119, and a power module 121. Compared with the technical solution implemented by the combination of three module products of a 360-degree surround view module and an intelligent gateway, the vehicle-mounted terminal 100 omits the main processor, microcontroller, power module, and peripheral circuits with overlapping functions, and has the advantages of making full use of resources, reducing occupied space, improving system interaction efficiency and reliability, and reducing overall costs.
[0083] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, boxes, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific 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 specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as resulting in a departure from the scope of the present invention.
[0084] The various illustrative logic modules and circuits described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may 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, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in cooperation with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
[0085] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the current specific embodiments, a person skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and various equivalent changes or substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, any changes or modifications to the above embodiments within the spirit of the present invention will fall within the scope of the claims of this application.
Claims
1. A vehicle-mounted terminal, characterized in that: include: The main antenna is used to send and receive cellular wireless signals; A cellular communication module, connected to the main antenna, for cellular network communication; A plurality of camera devices, used to obtain images and / or videos around the vehicle carrying the vehicle-mounted terminal; A first storage module, used for storing data; as well as a main processor, connected to the cellular communication module and the plurality of cameras, respectively, for processing the images and / or videos acquired by the plurality of cameras and outputting the processed images and / or videos, wherein the main processor stitches the images and / or videos acquired by the plurality of cameras to form a panoramic bird's-eye view image and / or video around the vehicle; Further, the main processor highlights the position where the vehicle may be scratched or collided in the spliced image and / or video; A CAN transceiver, used for receiving data on the CAN bus and / or sending data to the CAN bus; as well as A microcontroller, connected to the cellular communication module and the CAN transceiver respectively, for controlling the action of the cellular communication module and performing protocol conversion on data exchanged between the CAN transceiver and the cellular communication module; The microcontroller is also connected to the main processor, and the microcontroller is also used to control the actions of the main processor; A diversity antenna, connected to the cellular communication module, for diversity transmission and reception of cellular wireless signals; and / or a satellite navigation antenna, connected to the cellular communication module, for receiving satellite positioning signals; The data port is connected to the microcontroller and is used to realize data interaction between the microcontroller and external devices.
2. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted terminal also includes: A multi-input and one-output switching switch is connected to the multiple camera devices and the main processor respectively, and is used to select one from the multiple camera devices in a time-sharing manner to output the image and / or video acquired by the selected camera device to the main processor.
3. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted terminal also includes: The diversity antenna is connected to the cellular communication module and is used for diversity transmission and reception of cellular wireless signals.
4. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted terminal also includes: A wireless LAN antenna, used for sending and receiving wireless LAN signals; The wireless local area network module is connected to the wireless local area network antenna and the cellular communication module respectively, and is used to realize wireless local area network communication.
5. The vehicle-mounted 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 memory, connected to the main processor, for providing temporary storage space for data and / or instructions to be processed by the main processor; A first storage module, connected to the cellular communication module, for storing data; The second storage module is connected to the main processor and is used to store data.
6. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted terminal also includes: The Ethernet switch is connected to the microcontroller and is used to send and receive 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.
7. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microcontroller is also connected to the main processor, and the microcontroller is also used to control the actions of the main processor.
8. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted terminal also includes: A USB port connected to the cellular communication module and used to implement data interaction between the cellular communication module and an external device; and / or The LVDS port is connected to the main processor and is used to implement data interaction between the main processor and external devices.
9. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted terminal also includes: A power module, used to provide power to various components in the vehicle-mounted terminal; and / or The power management module is connected to the main processor and is used to perform power management on at least a part of the components in the vehicle terminal according to the instructions of the main processor.
10. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted terminal also includes: An audio codec module, connected to the cellular communication module, for encoding and decoding audio data; A power amplifier module is connected to the cellular communication module and is used to amplify the audio signal output by the cellular communication module and output the amplified audio signal to a speaker; wherein the microcontroller also controls the power amplifier module.