Method and device for controlling image acquisition device associated with vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method (100) for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, the vehicle comprises a microcontroller, a system-on-chip controller, an image acquisition device, a first switch and a second switch, wherein the image acquisition device is coupled with the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller; the first switch is arranged between the microcontroller and the image acquisition device; the second switch is arranged between the system-on-chip controller and the image acquisition device; and wherein the first switch and the second switch are controlled by the microcontroller, the method (100) comprising: receiving a first signal associated with an electrical state of the vehicle, the electrical state comprising a start state or a sentry state; and determining on-off states of the first switch and the second switch according to the first signal so as to select one controller from the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of vehicle control. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, a device for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, and a computer-readable storage medium for implementing the above method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] During the operation of a vehicle, there are both the operation modes when the vehicle starts initially and the standby mode when the engine is turned off. Among these operation modes, there is an operation mode called "Sentry Mode". In this mode, the engine key is in the off state, and the vehicle can be woken up at any time. The user of the vehicle can set this Sentry Mode through the Human Machine Interface (HMI) and activate this mode after the key is turned off. In addition, when the vehicle is in the state where the engine key is turned off, the user can also remotely activate this Sentry Mode through a smart device such as a mobile phone that communicates with the vehicle.

[0003] When entering or exiting this Sentry Mode, in order to minimize power consumption as much as possible, a control strategy of turning off the System on Chip (SOC) is adopted. Therefore, before turning off the System on Chip (SOC), the control right needs to be handed over to the Microcontroller Unit (MCU) to take over, so as to ensure that the camera will not be turned off due to the shutdown of the System on Chip (SOC). That is to say, at this time, the control right of some image acquisition devices needs to be switched between the System on Chip Controller (SOC) and the Microcontroller Unit (MCU) so that a necessary part of the image acquisition devices can still maintain their working states in the Sentry Mode.

[0004] When the vehicle starts just now, since the time for the System on Chip Controller (SOC) to enter the working state is longer than the preparation time for the Microcontroller Unit (MCU) to enter the working state, it is necessary to balance starting a necessary part of the image acquisition devices as early as possible and the System on Chip Controller (SOC) controlling these image acquisition devices during normal operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the technical problems in the prior art, that is, how to realize the switching of the controller of a necessary part of the image acquisition devices between the System on Chip Controller (SOC) and the Microcontroller Unit (MCU), the inventors of the present disclosure innovatively thought of a switching mechanism in which the MCU obtains the control right first in the startup state and then transfers the control right from the Microcontroller Unit (MCU) to the System on Chip Controller (SOC) when the System on Chip Controller (SOC) is ready, and transfers the control right from the System on Chip Controller (SOC) to the Microcontroller Unit (MCU) when approaching the Sentry Mode, so as to maintain the operation of the necessary image acquisition devices when actually entering the Sentry Mode and enable the necessary image acquisition devices to enter the working state as early as possible when starting up.

[0006] Specifically, a first aspect of the present disclosure proposes a method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a microcontroller, a system-on-chip controller, an image acquisition device coupled to the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller, a first switch disposed between the microcontroller and the image acquisition device, and a second switch disposed between the system-on-chip controller and the image acquisition device, and wherein the first switch and the second switch are controlled by the microcontroller, and the method includes: receiving a first signal associated with an electrical state of the vehicle, wherein the electrical state includes a startup state or a sentinel state; and determining, based on the first signal, a switching state of the first switch and the second switch to select one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device. In this way, it is possible to determine the switching state of the first switch and the second switch according to the electrical state of the vehicle, so as to select one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device, thereby specifically selecting a suitable controller for the startup state and the sentinel state to control the image acquisition device, which can not only ensure that the image acquisition device is always in a controllable working state but also ensure that the image acquisition device can enter the working state in the most efficient state.

[0007] In one implementation form according to the present disclosure, the image acquisition device is configured as a camera. Preferably, in one implementation form according to the present disclosure, the vehicle further includes a serializer and a deserialzer, and the serializer and the deserialzer are serially disposed between the image acquisition device and the first switch and between the image acquisition device and the second switch. In this way, it is possible to select one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the serializer and the deserialzer associated with the image acquisition device, thereby controlling the image acquisition device.

[0008] In one implementation form according to the present disclosure, in the startup state, the method further includes: sending a second signal to activate the first switch, deactivate the second switch, and cause the microcontroller to configure the serializer and the deserialiser; and after receiving a ready notification from the system-on-chip controller, sending a first control signal to synchronize the configuration states of the serializer and the deserialiser to the system-on-chip controller, activate the second switch, and deactivate the first switch, so as to transfer the control right of the image acquisition device to the system-on-chip controller. In this way, it is possible to quickly configure the serializer and the deserialiser by means of the microcontroller first in the startup state and synchronize their configuration states to the system-on-chip controller, and after the system-on-chip controller is ready, activate the second switch and deactivate the first switch, which can not only ensure that the image acquisition device is always in a working state, but also smoothly switch the control right from the microcontroller to the system-on-chip controller.

[0009] In one implementation form according to the present disclosure, the method further includes: receiving the ready notification sent by the system-on-chip controller to the microcontroller after the startup of the system-on-chip controller is completed; sending the configuration states of the serializer and the deserialiser to the system-on-chip controller; and causing the system-on-chip controller to take over the control right of the image acquisition device according to the configuration states. In this way, it is possible to synchronously configure the system-on-chip controller by means of the configuration states of the serializer and the deserialiser received by the microcontroller, and further prepare for the system-on-chip controller to obtain the control right.

[0010] In one implementation form according to the present disclosure, before entering the sentinel state, the method further includes: notifying, by the microcontroller, the system-on-chip controller that it is about to enter the sentinel state; sending a second control signal to cause the system-on-chip controller to stop controlling the serializer and the deserialzer, and to synchronize the current operating states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the microcontroller; and sending a third control signal to activate the first switch and deactivate the second switch, and for the microcontroller to take over the control of the image acquisition device according to the current operating state. In this way, before the system-on-chip controller actually shuts down due to entering the sentinel mode, the system-on-chip controller first stops controlling the serializer and the deserialzer, then synchronizes the current operating states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the microcontroller to prepare for the microcontroller to take over the control of the image acquisition device, and then the microcontroller configures according to the current operating state, activates the first switch and deactivates the second switch to take over the control of the image acquisition device by the microcontroller. In this way, it can ensure that the image acquisition device is always in a controllable working state, and it can also ensure that there is no conflict in control rights between the system-on-chip controller and the microcontroller.

[0011] Preferably, in one implementation form according to the present disclosure, the method further includes: the vehicle enters the sentinel state. Preferably, in one implementation form according to the present disclosure, the image acquisition device can reuse the image acquisition device of any one of the following devices: navigation device, communication device, mobile device, mobile phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, computer, wearable device, laptop computer, mobile vehicle, and motor vehicle. In this way, the image acquisition device of the above intelligent devices can be reused, thereby further reducing the cost of the system according to the present disclosure.

[0012] In addition, a second aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle. The vehicle includes a microcontroller, a system-on-chip controller, an image acquisition device coupled to the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller, a first switch disposed between the microcontroller and the image acquisition device, a second switch disposed between the system-on-chip controller and the image acquisition device, and a memory. The first switch and the second switch are controlled by the microcontroller, and computer-readable instructions are stored on the memory. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller, the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller implements the method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0013] Furthermore, a third aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer-readable instructions are stored. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by a microcontroller or a system-on-chip controller, the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller implements the method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0014] In summary, the method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, the apparatus for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, and the corresponding computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure can determine the switch states of the first switch and the second switch according to the electrical state of the vehicle, so as to select one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device. Thus, a suitable controller can be targeted to control the image acquisition device for the startup state and the sentinel state, which can not only ensure that the image acquisition device is always in a controllable working state but also ensure that the image acquisition device can enter the working state in the most efficient state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 Schematically shows a flowchart of a method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2 Schematically shows a structural diagram of an apparatus 200 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 Schematically shows a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus 300 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Figure 4 Schematically shows a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus 400 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] In the figures, throughout the different views, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar devices (modules) or steps. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0021] In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the present invention. The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments that can implement the present invention by way of example. The example embodiments are not intended to exhaust all embodiments according to the present invention. It can be understood that other embodiments can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention, and structural or logical modifications can also be made. Therefore, the following detailed description is not restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0022] In most cases, considering that the image frame data of an image acquisition device such as a camera is decoded and used by an application program of a system-on-chip controller SOC, the deserializer integrated circuit and serializer integrated circuit configurations of an image acquisition device such as a camera are both implemented on the system-on-chip controller SOC. However, in the sentry mode, the vehicle's engine is in a stopped and off state, so the system-on-chip controller SOC should maintain a low-power state, which means that the system-on-chip controller SOC must be powered off because of its huge power consumption.

[0023] But as mentioned above, if the deserializer integrated circuit and serializer integrated circuit of an image acquisition device such as a camera are always controlled by the system-on-chip controller SOC, then after the system-on-chip controller SOC is powered off, all general-purpose input / output GPIO interfaces will enter a high-impedance (Hi-Z) state, and these integrated circuits will lose control. At this time, an image acquisition device such as a camera will not be able to be controlled. However, in the sentry mode, some image acquisition devices such as cameras still need to remain on, that is, in a working state, so that the image frame data can be routed to the cockpit domain controller for processing.

[0024] According to the optimization in terms of hardware, the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit of an image acquisition device such as a camera are respectively connected to a microcontroller MCU and a system-on-chip controller SOC. However, in order to avoid control conflicts, a switch is respectively provided. The microcontroller MCU and the system-on-chip controller SOC respectively have independent switches. Only when the corresponding switch is activated can the microcontroller MCU or the system-on-chip controller SOC access the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit of an image acquisition device such as a camera. Here, the term "activation" means that the corresponding switch is in a closed state, that is, a state where current can flow through the switch; correspondingly, the term "deactivation" means that the corresponding switch is in an open state, that is, a state where current cannot flow through the switch.

[0025] The switch is controlled by software. In this way, both the microcontroller MCU and the system-on-chip controller SOC can control an image acquisition device such as a camera as needed. In the sentry mode, the microcontroller MCU can control an image acquisition device such as a camera. When exiting the sentry mode, the microcontroller MCU should return the control right to the system-on-chip controller SOC. In this way, the requirement that an image acquisition device such as a camera needs to be controlled in the sentry mode can be met.

[0026] Generally speaking, the control right of an image acquisition device such as a camera needs to be switched between the microcontroller MCU and the system-on-chip controller SOC in the following two cases:

[0027] The first case: When the vehicle is normally awakened, at this time the system-on-chip SOC controller has not been started and ready. When starting, the driver hopes to be able to transmit the image data of the camera to the cockpit as early as possible, so that when the driver hangs the R gear or has other needs, the image of the camera can be seen on the central control screen. Therefore, the user hopes that an image acquisition device such as a camera can be ready within, for example, 3.5 seconds. However, the startup of the system-on-chip controller SOC takes a longer time, for example, about 10 seconds. Therefore, in this case, the microcontroller MCU needs to first configure the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit. After waiting for the system-on-chip controller SOC to be ready, the microcontroller MCU will return the control right of an image acquisition device such as a camera to the system-on-chip controller SOC.

[0028] The second case: When the vehicle user can enable the sentry mode through the human-machine interface, when the vehicle stops and for example KL15 is turned off, the sentry mode will be automatically activated. In this case, when an image acquisition device such as a camera is in the normal mode, after the vehicle stops and KL15 is turned off, the microcontroller will switch from the normal mode to the sentry mode. At this time, the control right of the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit of an image acquisition device such as a camera will be switched from the system-on-chip controller SOC to the microcontroller MCU.

[0029] In this way, there are the following technical problems in the prior art, that is, how to realize the switching of the controller of a necessary part of the image acquisition device between the system-on-chip controller SOC and the microcontroller MCU. In view of this technical problem, the inventors of the present disclosure innovatively thought of a switching mechanism in which the MCU obtains control rights first in the startup state and then transfers the control rights from the microcontroller MCU to the system-on-chip controller SOC when the system-on-chip controller SOC is ready, and transfers the control rights from the system-on-chip controller SOC to the microcontroller MCU when approaching the sentry mode, so as to maintain the operation of the necessary image acquisition device even when actually entering the sentry mode, and enable the necessary image acquisition device to enter the working state as early as possible during startup. Generally speaking, the first aspect of the present disclosure proposes a method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a microcontroller, a system-on-chip controller, an image acquisition device coupled to the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller, a first switch disposed between the microcontroller and the image acquisition device, and a second switch disposed between the system-on-chip controller and the image acquisition device, and wherein the first switch and the second switch are controlled by the microcontroller, and the method includes: receiving a first signal associated with the electrical state of the vehicle, wherein the electrical state includes a startup state or a sentry state; and determining the switch states of the first switch and the second switch according to the first signal to select a controller from the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device. In this way, the switch states of the first switch and the second switch can be determined according to the electrical state of the vehicle, so as to select a controller from the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device, thereby selecting a suitable controller to control the image acquisition device for the startup state and the sentry state in a targeted manner, which can not only ensure that the image acquisition device is always in a controllable working state but also ensure that the image acquisition device can enter the working state in the most efficient state.

[0030] The following will describe a method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, a device for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, and a computer-readable storage medium for implementing the method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. Among them, Figure 1 FIG. 7 schematically shows a flowchart of a method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 FIG. 9 schematically shows a structural diagram of a device 200 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,Figure 3 FIG. 300 schematically shows a structural diagram of an apparatus 300 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, while Figure 4 FIG. 400 schematically shows a structural diagram of an apparatus 400 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] As can be seen Figure 1 from among them, in a method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to the present disclosure, the method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle at least includes the following two steps, that is, first, in method step 110, a first signal associated with the electrical state of the vehicle is received, wherein the electrical state includes a start state or a sentry state; then, in method step 120, the switch states of the first switch and the second switch are determined according to the first signal to select one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device. In the method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to the present disclosure, innovatively, the controller of the image acquisition device is selected according to the electrical state of the vehicle, that is, one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller is selected to control the image acquisition device, so that the vehicle can smoothly transition between a normal ordinary operation mode and a sentry mode, and at the same time, it can be ensured that necessary image acquisition devices such as cameras can operate normally, that is, maintain their normal working states.

[0032] When switching the control right of an image acquisition device such as a camera between a microcontroller MCU and a system-on-chip controller SOC, the control rights of the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit may stop, but will not be damaged. For example, an integrated circuit usually has an enable signal. When the microcontroller MCU controls the camera, the enable signal is at a high level. When the microcontroller MCU starts to switch the control right of an image acquisition device such as a camera to the system-on-chip controller SOC, the enable signal should remain at a high level, and it is not allowed that the high level is converted to a low level and then converted to a high level again.

[0033] For the first case described above, i.e., when the control right of the camera needs to be switched from the microcontroller MCU to the system-on-chip controller SOC, the following steps need to be taken, namely: First, the microcontroller MCU should configure the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit. After the configuration is completed, the microcontroller MCU should wait for the ready notification from the system-on-chip controller SOC and notify the system-on-chip controller SOC that it is ready to take over the control right of the image acquisition device such as the camera. Next, the system-on-chip controller SOC configures the relevant GPIO, and after the configuration is completed, notifies the microcontroller MCU that it is ready, and the microcontroller MCU synchronizes the configuration status of the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit to the system-on-chip controller SOC. Finally, after the microcontroller MCU receives the ready notification from the system-on-chip controller SOC, it should activate the switch on the system-on-chip controller SOC side and then deactivate the switch on the microcontroller MCU side. Then the microcontroller MCU notifies the system-on-chip controller SOC that the system-on-chip controller SOC can control the image acquisition device such as the camera. Generally speaking, preferably, in an implementation form according to the present disclosure, the vehicle further includes a serializer and a deserialzer, and the serializer and the deserialzer are serially arranged between the image acquisition device and the first switch and between the image acquisition device and the second switch. In this way, one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller can be selected to control the serializer and the deserialzer associated with the image acquisition device, so as to control the image acquisition device. In an implementation form according to the present disclosure, in the startup state, the method further includes: sending a second signal to activate the first switch and deactivate the second switch and causing the microcontroller to configure the serializer and the deserialzer; and after receiving the ready notification from the system-on-chip controller, sending a first control signal to synchronize the configuration status of the serializer and the deserialzer to the system-on-chip controller and activate the second switch and deactivate the first switch to hand over the control right of the image acquisition device to the system-on-chip controller. In this way, it is possible to quickly configure the serializer and the deserialzer by means of the microcontroller first in the startup state, and after the system-on-chip controller is ready, synchronize its configuration status to the system-on-chip controller and activate the second switch and deactivate the first switch, which can not only ensure that the image acquisition device is always in a working state, but also smoothly switch the control right from the microcontroller to the system-on-chip controller.

[0034] Preferably, in an implementation form according to the present disclosure, the method further includes: receiving the ready notification sent by the system-on-chip controller to the microcontroller after the startup of the system-on-chip controller is completed; sending the configuration status of the serializer and the deserialization to the system-on-chip controller; and enabling the system-on-chip controller to take over the control right of the image acquisition device according to the configuration status. In this way, the system-on-chip controller can be synchronously configured with the configuration status of the serializer and the deserialization received by the microcontroller, thereby preparing for the acquisition of the controller by the system-on-chip controller.

[0035] For the second case mentioned above: that is, when the control right of an image acquisition device such as a camera needs to be switched from a system-on-chip controller (SOC) to a microcontroller (MCU), first, the microcontroller (MCU) needs to notify the system-on-chip controller (SOC) that it has requested to adopt the sentinel mode, and the microcontroller (MCU) is ready to take over the control right of the image acquisition device such as a camera. Then, the system-on-chip controller (SOC) should stop controlling the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit, and the system-on-chip controller (SOC) should synchronize the current operating status of the deserialization integrated circuit and the serialization integrated circuit to the microcontroller (MCU). Next, the microcontroller (MCU) should perform configuration preparation work according to the current operating status synchronized by the system-on-chip controller (SOC). Then, after the microcontroller (MCU) is ready, the microcontroller (MCU) should activate the switch on the microcontroller (MCU) side and then deactivate the switch on the system-on-chip controller (SOC) side. Finally, the microcontroller (MCU) will notify the system-on-chip controller (SOC) that the microcontroller (MCU) now takes over the control right of the image acquisition device such as a camera.

[0036] Generally speaking, in one implementation form according to the present disclosure, before entering the sentinel state, the method further includes: notifying the system-on-chip controller by the microcontroller that it is about to enter the sentinel state; sending a second control signal to cause the system-on-chip controller to stop controlling the serializer and the deserialzer, and to synchronize the current operating states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the microcontroller; and sending a third control signal to activate the first switch and deactivate the second switch, and for the microcontroller to take over the control of the image acquisition device according to the current operating state. In this way, before the system-on-chip controller is truly shut down due to entering the sentinel mode, the system-on-chip controller first stops controlling the serializer and the deserialzer, then synchronizes the current operating states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the microcontroller to prepare for the microcontroller to take over the control of the image acquisition device, and then the microcontroller configures according to the current operating state, activates the first switch and deactivates the second switch to take over the control of the image acquisition device by the microcontroller. In this way, it can ensure that the image acquisition device is always in a controllable working state, and it can also ensure that there is no conflict in control rights between the system-on-chip controller and the microcontroller.

[0037] Preferably, in one implementation form according to the present disclosure, the method further includes: the vehicle enters the sentinel state. In one implementation form according to the present disclosure, the image acquisition device can reuse the image acquisition device of any one of the following devices: navigation device, communication device, mobile device, mobile phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, computer, wearable device, laptop computer, mobile vehicle, and motor vehicle. In this way, the image acquisition device of the above intelligent devices can be reused, thereby further reducing the cost of the system according to the present disclosure.

[0038] In addition, a second aspect of the present disclosure proposes a device for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle. Figure 2 Schematically shows a structural diagram of a device 200 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3 Schematically shows a structural diagram of a device 300 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Combining Figure 2 and Figure 3It can be seen that the vehicle includes a microcontroller MCU, a system-on-chip controller SOC, an image acquisition device 305 coupled to the microcontroller MCU and the system-on-chip controller SOC, a first switch 301 disposed between the microcontroller MCU and the image acquisition device 305, a second switch 302 disposed between the system-on-chip controller SOC and the image acquisition device 305, and a memory (not shown in the figure). That is to say, the device 200 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to the present disclosure at least includes a microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller 210 and a memory 220, and the first switch 301 and the second switch 302 are controlled by the microcontroller MCU. From Figure 2 it can be seen that computer-readable instructions are stored on the memory 220, and when the computer-readable instructions are executed by the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller 210, the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller 210 is caused to implement the method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle proposed in the first aspect of the present disclosure. From Figure 3 it can be seen that the microcontroller MCU can control the switch states of the first switch 301 and the second switch 302. In addition, the vehicle further includes a serializer 303 and a deserialzer 304, and the serializer 303 and the deserialzer 304 are serially disposed between the image acquisition device 305 and the first switch 301 and between the image acquisition device 305 and the second switch 302. As mentioned above, in the sentry mode, some image acquisition devices 305 such as cameras still need to remain on, that is, in the working state, so that the image frame data can be routed to the cockpit domain controller 306 for processing.

[0039] Furthermore, a third aspect of the present disclosure proposes a computer-readable storage medium, wherein computer-readable instructions are stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer-readable instructions are executed by a microcontroller or a system-on-chip controller, the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller is caused to implement the method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle proposed in the first aspect of the present disclosure. Figure 4 The structural diagram of a device 400 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. From Figure 4 it can be seen that it should be understood that the device 400 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle can be implemented to implement Figure 1 the function of the method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle in Figure 4As can be seen, the device 400 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle includes a central processing unit (CPU) 401 (e.g., a processor) that can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to computer program instructions stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 402 or computer program instructions loaded from a storage unit 408 into a random access memory (RAM) 403. In the RAM 403, various programs and data required for the operation of the device 400 can also be stored. The CPU 401, ROM 402, and RAM 403 are connected to each other via a bus 404. An input / output (I / O) interface 405 is also connected to the bus 404.

[0040] A plurality of components in the device 400 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle are connected to the I / O interface 405, including: an input unit 406, such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output unit 407, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; a storage unit 408, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disc, etc.; and a communication unit 409, such as a network card, a modem, a wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 409 allows the display system 400 to exchange information / data with other devices via a computer network such as the Internet and / or various telecommunication networks.

[0041] The various methods described above, such as the method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, can be executed by the processing unit 401. For example, in some embodiments, the method 100 for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle can be implemented as a computer software program that is tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium, such as the storage unit 408. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed onto the display system 400 via the ROM 402 and / or the communication unit 409.

[0042] In specific applications, why is there a switch between the microcontroller MCU and the system-on-chip SOC controller instead of the entire process being controlled by the microcontroller MCU? The main consideration is that if the entire process is controlled by the microcontroller MCU, when the camera harness is disconnected or an abnormality occurs, the system-on-chip SOC controller cannot immediately know, but needs to be notified by the microcontroller MCU, so that the system-on-chip SOC controller can perform abnormality handling. If the camera returns to normal or the harness is reconnected, then reconfiguration is required. If the system-on-chip SOC controller can directly control, the responsiveness will be better, and unnecessary interactions between the microcontroller MCU and the system-on-chip SOC controller can also be reduced. In addition, because it is an intelligent driving product, the camera images are actually also needed on the system-on-chip SOC controller side. Therefore, after passing through the deserialiser, the camera images are split into two paths. One path is transmitted to the cockpit through the serializer, and the other path is directly transmitted to the system-on-chip SOC controller. Another thing is that data is transmitted and interacted between the microcontroller MCU and the system-on-chip SOC controller through Ethernet.

[0043] Therefore, when the computer program is loaded into the RAM 403 and executed by the CPU 401, one or more actions or steps of the method 100 for controlling the image acquisition device associated with the vehicle described above can be executed, that is:

[0044] Receiving a first signal associated with the electrical state of the vehicle, wherein the electrical state includes a start state or a sentry state; and

[0045] Determining the switch states of the first switch and the second switch according to the first signal to select one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device.

[0046] In addition, the vehicle further includes a serializer and a deserialiser, and the serializer and the deserialiser are serially arranged between the image acquisition device and the first switch and between the image acquisition device and the second switch.

[0047] Preferably, in the start state, when the computer program is loaded into the RAM 403 and executed by the CPU 401, one or more actions or steps of the method 100 for controlling the image acquisition device associated with the vehicle described above can be executed, that is:

[0048] Sending a second signal to activate the first switch and deactivate the second switch and cause the microcontroller to configure the serializer and the deserialiser; and

[0049] After receiving the ready notification from the system-on-chip controller, a first control signal is issued to synchronize the configuration states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the system-on-chip controller, activate the second switch, and deactivate the first switch, so as to transfer the control right of the image acquisition device to the system-on-chip controller.

[0050] In one implementation form according to the present disclosure, when the computer program is loaded into the RAM 403 and executed by the CPU 401, one or more actions or steps in the method 100 for controlling the image acquisition device associated with the vehicle described above can be executed, that is:

[0051] Receive the ready notification sent by the system-on-chip controller to the microcontroller after the startup of the system-on-chip controller is completed;

[0052] Send the configuration states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the system-on-chip controller; and

[0053] Cause the system-on-chip controller to take over the control right of the image acquisition device according to the configuration states.

[0054] In one implementation form according to the present disclosure, before entering the sentinel state, when the computer program is loaded into the RAM 403 and executed by the CPU 401, one or more actions or steps in the method 100 for controlling the image acquisition device associated with the vehicle described above can be executed, that is:

[0055] Notify the system-on-chip controller by the microcontroller that it is about to enter the sentinel state;

[0056] Issue a second control signal to cause the system-on-chip controller to stop controlling the serializer and the deserialzer, and synchronize the current operating states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the microcontroller; and

[0057] Issue a third control signal to activate the first switch and deactivate the second switch, and cause the microcontroller to take over the control right of the image acquisition device according to the current operating states.

[0058] Preferably, in an implementation form according to the present disclosure, when the computer program is loaded into the RAM 403 and executed by the CPU 401, one or more actions or steps in the method 100 for controlling the image acquisition device associated with the vehicle described above can be executed, that is: the vehicle enters the sentry state. Preferably, in an implementation form according to the present disclosure, the image acquisition device can reuse the image acquisition device of any one of the following devices: navigation device, communication device, mobile device, mobile phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, computer, wearable device, laptop computer, mobile vehicle, and motor vehicle. In this way, the image acquisition device of the above intelligent device can be reused, thereby further reducing the cost of the system according to the present disclosure.

[0059] In summary, the method for controlling the image acquisition device associated with the vehicle, the device for controlling the image acquisition device associated with the vehicle, and the corresponding computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure can determine the switch states of the first switch and the second switch according to the electrical state of the vehicle, so as to select one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device, so as to select a suitable controller to control the image acquisition device for the startup state and the sentry state in a targeted manner, which can not only ensure that the image acquisition device is always in a controllable working state but also ensure that the image acquisition device can enter the working state in the most efficient state.

[0060] For those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or basic characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, in any case, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-limiting. In addition, obviously, the word "including" does not exclude other elements and steps, and the word "a" does not exclude a plurality. The multiple elements stated in the device claims can also be implemented by one element. The words first, second, etc. are used to denote names and do not denote any particular order.

Claims

1. A method (100) for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, wherein, The vehicle includes a microcontroller, a system-on-chip controller, an image acquisition device coupled to the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller, a first switch disposed between the microcontroller and the image acquisition device, and a second switch disposed between the system-on-chip controller and the image acquisition device, and wherein the first switch and the second switch are controlled by the microcontroller, and the method (100) includes: Receiving a first signal associated with an electrical state of the vehicle, wherein the electrical state includes a startup state or a sentinel state; and Determining a switching state of the first switch and the second switch according to the first signal to select one of the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller to control the image acquisition device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The image acquisition device is configured as a camera.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The vehicle further includes a serializer and a deserialzer, and the serializer and the deserialzer are serially disposed between the image acquisition device and the first switch and between the image acquisition device and the second switch.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, In the startup state, the method further includes: Issuing a second signal to activate the first switch and deactivate the second switch and cause the microcontroller to configure the serializer and the deserialzer; and After receiving a ready notification from the system-on-chip controller, issuing a first control signal to synchronize the configuration states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the system-on-chip controller and activate the second switch and deactivate the first switch to transfer the control right of the image acquisition device to the system-on-chip controller.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The method further includes: Receiving the ready notification sent by the system-on-chip controller to the microcontroller after the system-on-chip controller completes startup; Sending the configuration states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the system-on-chip controller; and Causing the system-on-chip controller to take over the control right of the image acquisition device according to the configuration states.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein Before entering the sentinel state, the method further includes: Notifying the system-on-chip controller by the microcontroller that the sentinel state is about to be entered; Issuing a second control signal to cause the system-on-chip controller to stop controlling the serializer and the deserialzer and synchronize the current operating states of the serializer and the deserialzer to the microcontroller; and Issuing a third control signal to activate the first switch and deactivate the second switch, and causing the microcontroller to take over the control right of the image acquisition device according to the current operating states.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The method further includes: The vehicle enters the sentinel state.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein The image acquisition device can multiplex the image acquisition device of any one of the following devices: a navigation device, a communication device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a mobile vehicle, and a motor vehicle.

9. An apparatus for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle, wherein, The vehicle includes a microcontroller, a system-on-chip controller, an image acquisition device coupled to the microcontroller and the system-on-chip controller, a first switch disposed between the microcontroller and the image acquisition device, a second switch disposed between the system-on-chip controller and the image acquisition device, and a memory. And wherein, the first switch and the second switch are controlled by the microcontroller, and computer-readable instructions are stored on the memory, and when the computer-readable instructions are executed by the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller, the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller implements the method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, Computer-readable instructions are stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer-readable instructions are executed by a microcontroller or a system-on-chip controller, the microcontroller or the system-on-chip controller implements the method for controlling an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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