Converter, system and conversion method for connecting a camera to a motherboard

Abstract

The application provides a converter, a system and a conversion method for connecting a camera and a mainboard end, wherein the converter comprises an optical module, a deserializing chip and a serializing chip; the optical module is connected with the camera through an optical fiber, and is used for receiving optical signal data representing a video image output from the camera and converting the optical signal data into serial electrical signal data; the deserializing chip is connected with the optical module, and is used for receiving the serial electrical signal data from the optical module and parsing the serial electrical signal data into MIPI data; the serializing chip is connected with the deserializing chip and the mainboard end respectively, and is used for receiving the MIPI data from the deserializing chip and converting the MIPI data into GMSL data, and sending the GMSL data to the mainboard end. The converter, the system and the conversion method for connecting the camera and the mainboard end can realize bridging and conversion between optical fiber transmission of the camera end and GMSL transmission of the mainboard end without modifying the hardware of the mainboard end, so that a traditional GMSL camera can be quickly replaced by an optical fiber camera.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle video transmission technology, and in particular to a converter, system, and conversion method for connecting a camera to a motherboard. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of autonomous driving technology, vehicles are placing higher demands on the bandwidth, transmission distance, and anti-interference capabilities of their perception systems. Traditional GMSL cameras using copper wire transmission suffer from the following problems: insufficient bandwidth, short transmission distance, limited copper wire transmission distance, and susceptibility to electromagnetic interference.

[0003] With the maturity of fiber optic transmission technology, fiber optic cameras have gradually emerged as an new solution. Fiber optic cameras offer advantages such as high bandwidth, long transmission distance, strong anti-interference capabilities, and low-latency, stable transmission. However, due to the significant market share of GMSL technology, a direct switch from traditional GMSL cameras to fiber optic cameras is not a straightforward process. How to achieve a smooth replacement of GMSL cameras with fiber optic cameras without making significant modifications to the existing motherboard hardware architecture has become a pressing technical problem to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a converter, system, and conversion method for connecting a camera and a motherboard. It enables bridging and conversion between fiber optic transmission at the camera end and GMSL transmission at the motherboard end without modifying the motherboard hardware, allowing traditional GMSL cameras to be quickly replaced with fiber optic cameras.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a converter for connecting a camera and a motherboard, comprising:

[0006] An optical module, which is connected to the camera via an optical fiber, is used to receive optical signal data representing video images output from the camera and convert it into serial electrical signal data;

[0007] A deserialization chip, which is connected to the optical module, is used to receive serial electrical signal data from the optical module and parse it into MIPI data;

[0008] A serialization chip is connected to both the deserialization chip and the motherboard. It is used to receive MIPI data from the deserialization chip, convert it into GMSL data, and send the GMSL data to the motherboard via the GMSL link.

[0009] Furthermore, the converter also includes an MCU, which acts as a slave device to receive I / O signals from the master control chip on the motherboard. 2 The MCU also acts as a host to perform I / O operations on the camera chip, providing C read / write instructions. 2C read and write.

[0010] Furthermore, the MCU is connected to the serialization chip, and the MCU receives I / O signals from the main control chip on the motherboard through communication with the motherboard via the serialization chip. 2 C read / write commands.

[0011] Furthermore, the MCU is connected to the deserialization chip, and the MCU performs I / O operations on the camera's chip through the communication between the deserialization chip, the optical module, and the camera. 2 C read and write.

[0012] Furthermore, the MCU is also used to receive I signals from the motherboard. 2 After C data, use the clock stretching function to... 2 The clock line SCL of the C communication is pulled low to pause communication with the motherboard. 2 C communication, and after completing the I / O of the camera chip. 2 After C read / write, release the clock line SCL to restore I / O with the motherboard. 2 C communication.

[0013] Furthermore, the MCU is also used to perform I / O operations on the camera chip as a host. 2 After C reads and writes, the data and / or status bit information of the camera are transmitted back to the MCU through the communication protocol with the camera.

[0014] Furthermore, the MCU is also used as an I after the data and / or status bit information read and written by the camera is transmitted back to the MCU. 2 The slave device (C) replies the data and / or status bit information from the camera to the main control chip on the motherboard.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a conversion system, comprising: a motherboard, a camera, and a converter as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0016] Thirdly, the present invention provides a conversion method applied to a converter connecting a camera and a motherboard, the converter including an optical module, a deserialization chip, and a serialization chip, the method comprising:

[0017] The optical module receives optical signal data representing the video image output from the camera and converts it into serial electrical signal data;

[0018] The deserialization chip receives serial electrical signal data from the optical module and parses it into MIPI data;

[0019] The serialization chip receives MIPI data from the deserialization chip and converts it into GMSL data, then sends the GMSL data to the motherboard via the GMSL link.

[0020] Furthermore, the converter also includes an MCU, and the method further includes:

[0021] The converter includes an MCU, and the conversion method further includes:

[0022] The MCU acts as a slave device, receiving I / O signals from the main control chip on the motherboard. 2 C read / write commands;

[0023] The MCU also acts as a host to perform I / O operations on the camera chip. 2 C read / write;

[0024] Receive the data and / or status bit information read and written by the camera;

[0025] The data and / or status bit information from the camera are sent back to the main control chip on the motherboard.

[0026] One or more technical solutions provided by this invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0027] This invention provides a converter, system, and method for connecting a camera and a motherboard. By integrating an optical module, a deserialization chip, and a serialization chip, it can convert fiber optic camera signals into GMSL data and transmit them to the motherboard. This achieves bridging and conversion between fiber optic transmission at the camera end and GMSL transmission at the motherboard end without modifying the motherboard hardware, allowing traditional GMSL cameras to be quickly replaced with fiber optic cameras. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the converter structure in one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the converter structure in another embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the conversion system in one embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of a conversion method in one embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the conversion method in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this application can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application.

[0036] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0037] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative and do not necessarily include all content and operations / steps, nor do they necessarily have to be performed in the described order. For example, some operations / steps can be broken down, while others can be combined or partially combined; therefore, the actual execution order may change depending on the specific circumstances.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0039] On the one hand, such as Figure 1 As shown, this application embodiment provides a converter for connecting a camera and a motherboard, including:

[0040] The optical module is connected to the camera via optical fiber and is used to receive optical signal data representing video images from the camera output and convert it into serial electrical signal data.

[0041] The deserialization chip (Des) is connected to the optical module and is used to receive serial electrical signal data from the optical module and parse it into MIPI data.

[0042] The serializer chip (Ser) is connected to both the deserializer chip and the motherboard. It receives MIPI data from the deserializer chip, converts it into GMSL data, and then sends the GMSL data to the motherboard via the GMSL link.

[0043] This invention provides a converter, system, and conversion method for connecting a camera and a motherboard. By integrating an optical module, a deserialization chip, and a serialization chip, it can convert fiber optic camera signals into GMSL data and transmit them to the motherboard. This achieves bridging and conversion between fiber optic transmission at the camera end and GMSL transmission at the motherboard end without modifying the motherboard hardware, allowing traditional GMSL cameras to be quickly replaced with fiber optic cameras.

[0044] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the converter also includes an MCU, which acts as a slave to receive I / O signals from the master control chip on the motherboard. 2 In addition to C read / write operations, the MCU is also used as a host to perform I / O operations on the camera chip. 2 C read and write.

[0045] In one embodiment, the MCU is connected to a serialization chip, and the MCU receives I / O signals from the main control chip on the motherboard through communication with the motherboard via the serialization chip. 2 C read and write.

[0046] In one embodiment, the MCU is connected to a deserialization chip, and the MCU performs I / O operations on the camera's chip through communication between the deserialization chip, the optical module, and the camera. 2 C read and write.

[0047] In one embodiment, the MCU is also configured to receive an I signal from the motherboard. 2 After C data, use the clock stretching function to... 2 The SCL clock line of C communication is pulled low to pause communication with the motherboard's I / O pin. 2 C communication. This is to prevent the main control chip on the motherboard from... 2 If the C read / write operation is too fast, the converter's MCU will not be able to forward and respond in time, resulting in it not keeping up with the timing of the motherboard.

[0048] In one embodiment, the converter is also used to perform I / O operations on the camera chip while the MCU is acting as the host. 2After C reads and writes, the data and / or status bit information read and written by the camera are sent back to the MCU through the communication protocol with the camera.

[0049] In one embodiment, the converter is also used by the MCU to process data and / or status bit information after the camera reads and writes back to the MCU, and the MCU acts as an I... 2 The slave device (C) replies the data and / or status bit information from the camera to the main control chip on the motherboard.

[0050] This application provides a converter connecting a camera and a motherboard. The MIPI video image data output from the camera is serialized and then sent by an optical module. The converter's optical module receives the optical signal data, converts it into serial electrical signal data, and then a deserialization chip parses it back into MIPI data. Simultaneously, the converter also supports the conversion of control data streams: the main control chip on the motherboard sends I / O signals to the camera... 2 C data is transmitted to the converter via the GMSL link, and the MCU in the converter acts as a slave to receive I data sent by the master control chip. 2 C read / write. The converter MCU receives I 2 After C data, use the clock stretching function to... 2 C communication's clock line SCL is pulled low to pause I. 2 C communication. At the same time, the MCU will receive I as a slave device. 2 C read / write is converted to I as the host. 2 The C read / write operation is forwarded to the deserialization chip, and then the I is transmitted via the communication protocol between the camera and the converter's deserialization chip. 2 The C read / write command is sent to the CMOS chip at the camera end. After the read / write is completed, the communication protocol between the camera Ser and the converter deserialization chip sends back the read / write data and status bits, etc. Then, the MCU releases the clock line SCL to restore I. 2 C communication. At this point, the converter MCU has completed the I / O communication with the camera CMOS sensor. 2 C reads and writes, and finally uses it as I. 2 The slave device (C) replies the read / write results to the main control chip on the motherboard.

[0051] The converter provided in this application offers the following advantages:

[0052] 1. Strong resistance to electromagnetic interference

[0053] Optical signal transmission is unaffected by electromagnetic interference, avoiding the image stuttering and signal distortion problems that easily occur with copper wire transmission in the complex electromagnetic environment of a vehicle.

[0054] 2. High speed and low latency

[0055] Fiber optic transmission bandwidth is much higher than that of copper cable, which can meet the real-time transmission requirements of high-resolution video data, and has lower transmission latency, making it suitable for scenarios with high real-time requirements such as autonomous driving.

[0056] 3. Lightweight

[0057] Fiber optic cables are more than 30% lighter than copper cables, which helps reduce vehicle weight and increase driving range.

[0058] 4. High compatibility and low modification cost

[0059] This invention bridges the fiber optic camera to the GMSL motherboard using a converter, allowing the motherboard to connect to the fiber optic camera without requiring any hardware modifications. For existing GMSL camera systems, simply connecting this converter between the camera and the motherboard allows for a smooth and convenient replacement of the traditional GMSL camera with a fiber optic camera, minimizing trial-and-error costs and facilitating flexible switching between the two camera types.

[0060] On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention also provide a conversion system, such as Figure 3 As shown, it includes:

[0061] The motherboard, the camera, and the converter mentioned above;

[0062] The specific functions of the conversion system can be found in the various embodiments of the converter in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0063] On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention also provide a conversion method applied to a converter connecting a camera and a motherboard.

[0064] The converter includes an optical module, a deserialization chip, and a serialization chip, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the video data transmission process of the converter includes:

[0065] S101, the optical module receives optical signal data representing video images from the camera output and converts it into serial electrical signal data;

[0066] S102, the deserialization chip receives serial electrical signal data from the optical module and parses it into MIPI data;

[0067] S103, the serializer receives MIPI data from the deserializer and converts it into GMSL data, then sends the GMSL data to the motherboard via the GMSL link.

[0068] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the converter also includes an MCU, and the converter's control data transmission process includes:

[0069] S201, MCU as I 2C slave receives I from the main control chip on the motherboard. 2 C read / write commands;

[0070] S202, the MCU uses the clock extension function to... 2 The SCL clock line for C communication is pulled low, pausing communication with the motherboard's I / O pin. 2 C communication;

[0071] S203, MCU as I 2 The host computer (C) communicates with the camera via a deserialization chip and optical module, performing I / O operations on the camera's chip. 2 C read / write;

[0072] S204, the camera sends the read and written data and / or status bit information back to the MCU;

[0073] S205, the MCU releases the clock line SCL to resume communication and replies the data and / or status bit information from the camera to the main control chip on the motherboard.

[0074] In the above control data transmission process, the I of the main control chip on the motherboard side... 2 The C instruction is transmitted to the converter via the GMSL link. After receiving the instruction, the MCU, acting as a slave, pulls the SCL clock line low to pause communication with the motherboard, and simultaneously sets the I... 2 C instructions are translated into read and write operations on the camera chip. After completing the read and write operations on the camera, the MCU releases SCL and sends the read and write results back to the main control chip on the motherboard.

[0075] In one embodiment, the duration of the clock delay in step S202 is dynamically determined by the MCU based on the response time of the camera. When the camera response is fast, the MCU shortens the SCL pull-low time; when the camera response is slow (e.g., during exposure or internal processing), the MCU extends the SCL pull-low time to ensure I... 2 The reliability and data integrity of C communication.

[0076] In one embodiment, the MCU includes a watchdog timer. When the SCL line is continuously pulled low for more than a preset threshold due to an MCU malfunction (such as no response from the camera or communication timeout), the watchdog timer triggers an MCU reset, forcibly releasing the SCL line to prevent communication with the motherboard's I / O pins. 2 The C-communication is permanently suspended, which improves the reliability and robustness of the system.

[0077] In one embodiment, the converter further includes status indicator lights (such as LEDs) to indicate the converter's operating status, including: optical module reception status, GMSL link connection status, and I... 2C-communication status, etc., facilitate on-site debugging and troubleshooting by technicians.

[0078] It should be noted that the sequence numbers of the embodiments in this application are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0079] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus. The terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used to distinguish different objects, etc., and do not indicate a sequence, nor do they limit "first," "second," and "third" to different types.

[0080] In the description of the embodiments of this application, terms such as "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0081] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or". For example, A / B can mean A or B. The "and / or" in the text is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more.

[0082] In some processes described in the embodiments of this application, multiple operations or steps are included in a specific order. However, it should be understood that these operations or steps may not be executed in the order they appear in the embodiments of this application, or they may be executed in parallel. The sequence number of the operation is only used to distinguish different operations, and the sequence number itself does not represent any execution order. In addition, these processes may include more or fewer operations, and these operations or steps may be executed sequentially or in parallel, and these operations or steps may be combined.

[0083] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0084] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A converter for connecting a camera to a motherboard, characterized in that, include: An optical module, which is connected to the camera via an optical fiber, is used to receive optical signal data representing video images output from the camera and convert it into serial electrical signal data; A deserialization chip, which is connected to the optical module, is used to receive serial electrical signal data from the optical module and parse it into MIPI data; A serialization chip is connected to both the deserialization chip and the motherboard. It is used to receive MIPI data from the deserialization chip, convert it into GMSL data, and send the GMSL data to the motherboard via the GMSL link.

2. The converter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The converter also includes an MCU, which acts as a slave device to receive I / O signals from the master control chip on the motherboard. 2 The MCU also acts as a host to perform I / O operations on the camera chip, providing C read / write instructions. 2 C read and write.

3. The converter as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The MCU is connected to the serialization chip, and the MCU receives I / O signals from the main control chip on the motherboard through communication with the motherboard via the serialization chip. 2 C read / write commands.

4. The converter as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The MCU is connected to the deserialization chip, and the MCU performs I / O operations on the camera's chip through the communication between the deserialization chip, the optical module, and the camera. 2 C read and write.

5. The converter as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The MCU is also used to receive I from the motherboard. 2 After C data, use the clock stretching function to... 2 The clock line SCL of the C communication is pulled low to pause communication with the motherboard. 2 C communication, and after completing the I / O of the camera chip. 2 After C read / write, release the clock line SCL to restore I / O with the motherboard. 2 C communication.

6. The converter as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The MCU is also used to perform I / O operations on the camera chip as a host. 2 After C reads and writes, the data and / or status bit information of the camera are transmitted back to the MCU through the communication protocol with the camera.

7. The converter as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The MCU is also used to, after the data and / or status bit information read and written by the camera are transmitted back to the MCU, the MCU acts as an I... 2 The slave device (C) replies the data and / or status bit information from the camera to the main control chip on the motherboard.

8. A conversion system, characterized in that, include: The motherboard, the camera, and the converter as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A conversion method applied to a converter connecting a camera and a motherboard, characterized in that, The converter includes an optical module, a deserialization chip, and a serialization chip; the method includes: The optical module receives optical signal data representing the video image output from the camera and converts it into serial electrical signal data; The deserialization chip receives serial electrical signal data from the optical module and parses it into MIPI data; The serialization chip receives MIPI data from the deserialization chip and converts it into GMSL data, then sends the GMSL data to the motherboard via the GMSL link.

10. The conversion method as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The converter includes an MCU, and the conversion method further includes: The MCU acts as a slave device, receiving I / O signals from the main control chip on the motherboard. 2 C read / write commands; The MCU also acts as a host to perform I / O operations on the camera chip. 2 C read / write; Receive the data and / or status bit information read and written by the camera; The data and / or status bit information from the camera are sent back to the main control chip on the motherboard.

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